I nodded and threw my thumb over my shoulder. “Because I was locked in an antiquated closet with no doorknob. Which, by the way, is a fire hazard. I will write a strongly worded email to the management and copy the health department about this.”
My sister tilted her head. “I think it’s the fire marshal.”
“Whatever. I will copy someone on the email. The point is, what if you never came back? I could have died in there. Then this place would really be haunted.”
Haunted by orgasms. But my sister didn’t need to know that part. I smirked.
“You seem happy to have been trapped in there.” Her eyes fell to the floor. “And where are your shoes? Also, who were you talking to in there?”
A couple came up to the coat check door. I stepped around my sister and took their coats and gave them a ticket. Once I placed the matching ticket on the hangers and hung up their coats, I turned back to face my sister.
“See? Was that so hard?” She pointed to the disappearing couple. “Did you really need to hide in a dark room to get out of doing that?”
As I placed the man’s long, wool coat on the hanger, I noted the size. I bet that would fit Wonder Dick. I frowned. I didn’t want to keep calling him that, but I never got his name.
“I wasn’t hiding. I told you, I was trapped. If I could have escaped, I would have.”
My eyes slid to my sister. Why was she here? Just to berate me? That wasn’t like her. Sure, she knew I was never an A-plus worker, but she had yet to hold it over my head.
She snorted and rolled her eyes. “I bent over backward for you, Julia. I promised Jason that you would do an outstanding job. Then he came into the kitchen ten minutes ago, asking where you were, as guests had started to arrive half an hour ago.”
I slid the coat from the hanger and cradled it in my arm.
“It’s just a coat check job. You act like I’m about to work for a powerful CEO, and your reputation’s at stake. Don’t worry, Sis, your job’s secure as long as you have Beau at your side.” I pursed my lips.
My sister gasped. That was harsh, even for me, but I didn’t like her accusatory tone.
“You think the only reason Lee Wisely hired me is because I’m dating his son?”
No, not at all.
I folded my arms and said, “Not really, but that man is just like his son. Where do you think Beau learned to be such a turd? I love you, Laura, and I think you’re an amazing chef, but you’re wasting your time working for that man. You should have your own restaurant where your dishes can shine.”
Her bottom lip wobbled, causing my heart to crack. “So, the best I can hope to get is by sleeping with someone to get a job.” She wiped at a tear that fell from her eye. “That’s just great. You know, I hear the whispers from the other cooks in the kitchen. I even brought it up to Beau, but he swore none of it was true. He said they were jealous that I was dating him and they weren’t.”
My mouth fell open. “Do you believe that?”
She winced. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
I opened my arms, the coat still hanging from one, and waved her in for a hug. “Come here.”
Laura hadn’t even made it into my arms before she burst into tears.
“If anyone is jealous, it’s because of your talent. Okay? I don’t know why Lee hired you. I only met him once.” Which was enough for me to realize how awful that family was. “But I know your cooking. Someone would have to be a fool to not want you as a chef at their restaurant.”
“And what about Beau?” Laura pulled back with a sniffle.
“You know my thoughts on that man. But if you love him, then I’ll try to find the good in him.”
She shook her head. “He’s just stressed. Trying to live up to his father’s reputation. No one’s perfect.”
I hated that she was making excuses for him.
“Okay. Then why are you really here?”
My sister may have said it was because of Jason, the HR assistant here at The Benjamin, but I could tell something was bothering her.
She let go of me and cupped her cheeks. Oh boy, this would be big.
“I think he’s cheating on me.”
I bit my tongue. No, really. I bit hard on that sucker just so the words I told you so didn’t escape my mouth.
I nodded and sprinkled words like “What?” and “No!” and finally, “That fucker!” while she explained more of her cheating theories.
“I think it’s with Sangi.”
Our cousin. Sangria Hobbleton. A wealthy, spoiled heiress to a billion-dollar fortune. We may have been cousins, but we were the family she didn’t like to acknowledge, unless she needed us to help her. Like my sister to cater her lavish parties.
I felt as highly for Sangi as I did for Beau. Now that I thought about it, they’d make the perfect couple. Both vapid and spoiled.
It wasn’t a surprise hearing my sister accuse Sangi of sleeping with her boyfriend. I called it months ago, but no one listened to me.
It was one of my talents. My sister’s talent was cooking, and mine was reading people. I could spot someone void of morals a mile away.
“Really? What makes you think that?”
“He was supposed to work the catering gig with me for the Jingle Balls Ball but then said he had to meet a potential client for his father in Aspen.”
“Isn't that where Sangi is vacationing right now?”
The only reason I knew was because I couldn’t glance at a social media site without coming across ads for the latest gossip on America’s princess in Aspen.
My sister exhaled, and her shoulders fell. “Yes.”
She looked defeated.
I pulled her back into my arms. If I disliked Beau before, it was nothing compared to what I felt for him now. If I ever saw him, I’d kick him in the nut sack.
“How about we get some hot chocolate and watch action movies?” I offered, tucking a loose strand from her bun behind her ear.
“But I still have to work. And you do too.”
“You know there’s another coat check in the lobby. The party started almost an hour ago, and I had one couple check their coat.”
“That’s true. But I still need to help.”
“Really? After Lee demoted you to server for the evening.”
She shook her head, ready to defend her terrible boss. “That’s only because he was short on servers. Besides, I helped prep the food.” She smiled meagerly.
“Laura, please. Do something for you for once. Do something a little bad. Take a risk.”
My sister bit her thumbnail, contemplating what I said.
Her grin grew. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
“Great. I just have to give this—”
“Can you tell Freida I became ill? Like, violently ill. So ill you had to tell them I had to leave.”
My eyes widened. When my sister broke the rules, she went all in.
I looked back toward the dark hallway that led to the closet where Wonder Dick was still trapped. My plan was go to the kitchen first and then hand over the coat to the man who gave me the best orgasms of my life.
I placed the coat back on the hanger and left my sister cowering in the coat closet while I went to the kitchen to dole out her over-the-top lie of an excuse.