“Finn.” A voice interrupted us a second later, and I took a deep breath, turning around to face the person addressing me.
My father was standing a few feet away, holding some papers in his hands and walking briskly away from the elevators. There was a man with him, who I recognized as his business associate, Jordan Gates.
My father smiled politely at him. “Thank you for coming, Jordan. We’ll sort out the rest of the new hotel insurance policy in a little while,” he said in his formal, clipped business voice. Jordan nodded, giving me a worried look before scurrying outside.
My Dad walked over to where Elijah and I were standing, and I found myself fidgeting. Even though I’d grown taller than him—and stronger—my father was still capable of exerting his authority over me whenever he wanted.#p#分页标题#e#
“Is there a problem here?” he asked. His tone was pleasant, but I could sense an edge to his words.
“No,” I grunted, staring at the floor.
“Finn.” His tone held a warning, and I sighed in frustration, facing Elijah again.
“You can leave now. If I recall correctly, you have a hotel to manage.” I flashed a smarmy smile at him as I spoke. I’d never liked him, and I knew I was being a prick, but I was still angry as hell.
Elijah looked pissed too. I knew he hated my authority; hated being told what to do by a kid half his age. Regardless, he nodded briskly and walked off towards the reception area.
Slowly, the guests in the lobby went back to whatever they’d been doing in the first place, but my father’s eyes were still fixed on mine.
“What’s going on, son?” he asked. I could hear the genuine concern in his voice.
My Dad and I had always been close. Ever since our little family had suffered through a great tragedy several years ago, including the loss of my mother, we’d become even closer and our bond had tightened. My earliest memories were of my Dad too, whether it was teaching me how to ride a bike or helping me decorate the Christmas tree.
“Can we go to your office?” I asked, my voice stiff.
Dad laid a hand on my shoulder, giving me a reassuring smile. “Of course. Come on, let’s go now.”
I was sure he had meetings or something to get to—it was the time of night when he was usually busy on calls with overseas investors due to the time difference. But that was my Dad. He always put everything on hold just to make sure I was all right.
Dad owned the Crown Hotel, a luxurious hotel in one of the fanciest districts of San Francisco. Ever since I was a kid, I’d known the hotel was my legacy, and I’d started working at it and helping out as soon as I’d been allowed. Right now, I was managing the nightclub in the east wing and helping the general hotel management—namely Elijah, who was my nemesis.
Our hotel was our pride and joy, and both Dad and I had thrown ourselves into running it smoothly when our personal lives had gone to hell. It had paid off.
Clancy’s Bar and the nightclub, Helvetica, were both popular with the younger crowd, our fine dining restaurant, The Balmoral, had received a Michelin star, our hotel guests always came back, and our staff members were happy. We’d been up and running for many years now, growing from a small family business to the best place to stay in the Bay Area. We had every reason to be proud of what we’d done with the Crown.
Despite my current shitty mood, I found myself smiling as I followed Dad into his office after riding the elevator to one of the top floors. We walked into his study, and he motioned for me to sit down in front of his desk.
I flopped down on the chair, sighing as my memories of the night came flooding back. In the meantime, Dad busied himself by pouring drinks for us and bringing them over to his desk. He sat down on the opposite side and passed me one of the glasses.
I loved the way he treated me like an equal. It felt nice to be acknowledged as an adult, not a damn kid, and in the past few years, we’d grown closer than ever. Even when I acted like a moron and did stupid shit, he was always there to bail me out of trouble.
“Tell me what’s bugging you, then,” he said, cutting right through the bullshit. Another characteristic of his. He was a fighter when it came to his family, and I knew he wouldn’t take shit from anyone where I was concerned.
“Candice came by again,” I said. “She’s been harassing me for ages. I told Elijah to tell security to kick her out and never allow her to enter the hotel or any of the restaurants if she comes around, but the bitch keeps showing up and getting in anyway.”#p#分页标题#e#
Dad nodded, taking a sip of his scotch before grinning at me. “Being followed by pretty women…now there’s a problem if I ever heard one.”