Page 17 of Merry Enemies


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“Do you have a theme?” the manager asked.

Harrison and I exchanged a look. We weren’t telling anyone about the theme. At least not yet.

“We’re tossing a few things around,” I stated as I glanced around the room again to avoid eye contact with her. Wendy was right, I was a terrible liar.

“Is there anything else I can show you?”

Harrison kept his gaze firmly on me. “Emma?”

I felt my chest rise and fall. The way he was looking at me made me feel warm from the inside out. A rush of awareness raced over my skin. I wanted Harrison like I had never wanted any other man in my life.

“Where will they bring the food in from?” I asked, getting my wits about me before I melted into a freaking puddle on the floor.

As the manager ushered me to a door, I glanced over my shoulder to see Harrison had pulled out his phone and was making a phone call. Most likely to check on Noel.

I focused my attention on the manager who I still hadn’t gotten her name. Or hadn’t heard it when she introduced herself. Why wasn’t she wearing a darn nametag! She showed me the area the wait staff would be using. We talked about where the caterer would be able to set up and work. The hotel didn’t normally allow an outside caterer, but with Harrison’s name carrying the weight it did, they made an exception. I wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but she finally said she would leave me and Harrison alone for a bit to make any notes. We could just leave when we were finished, and she would make sure the ballroom was locked up.

When I stepped back into the ballroom I came to a stop. Harrison was staring out over the Boston Harbor. It was dotted with lights from house boats, as well as a few ships making their way either out of the harbor or in. I couldn’t tell.

“It’s beautiful,” I softly said as I came and stood next to him. “I think we can keep the decorations to a minimum and let the beauty of the room and the surrounding harbor do most of the work. The chandeliers in here are breathtaking. With some flower arrangements on each table, maybe a few more areas with decorative lighting, and we can really give it an elegant feel.”

Harrison turned and faced me. “I agree. We have one more thing to look at.”

I frowned in confusion. “We do?”

“Yep.”

Harrison took my hand in his and led us back to the second floor of the lobby of the hotel and to the elevators. He dropped his hold on my hand and hit the button for up.

“Harrison, where are we going?”

He simply looked at me and winked. Every single part of my body was warning me that wherever it was we were going, I needed to not step onto that elevator. So, when the doors opened and Harrison motioned for me to get on, I did without so much as a moment of hesitation.

Another couple joined us and said hello as the doors shut. I watched as Harrison held out a room key and punched the top floor. The woman looked at him, then to me.

“You’re in the Admiral’s Suite?” she asked with a curious smile.

My head jerked as I looked at Harrison. Where had he gotten a hotel key?

Harrison smiled at the woman but didn’t reply.

I backed myself up against the back of the elevator and watched as we went higher and higher. When it stopped and the other couple stepped out, the woman glanced back and said, “Enjoy your evening.”

I smiled at the retreating couple while Harrison said, “Oh, we will.”

Harrison hit the button to close the doors.

When the doors shut, I spun to face him. “Where did you get a key…and to the Admiral’s Suite?”

“I called and booked the room while Joyce, was that her name, or maybe it was Judy? Anyway, while she was showing you around. They brought me up the key.”

“Who brought you the key?” I asked.

He winked and replied, “Someone from the front desk.”

The elevator opened, and he once again took my hand in his. We stopped at the door to the suite and Harrison faced me.

“Tell me right now that you don’t want me to open this door, Emma, and I won’t. We’ll turn around, go back down to the lobby, and I can call you an Uber to take you home.”