front desk, still carrying a sniffling Bella. The little girl quieted down considerably as they crossed the room, perhaps because she had now completely won the I-don’t-want-to-walk battle. She whispered into Clarissa’s ear, “Where’s Daddy?”
“He’ll be here soon.”
A well-dressed man and woman already stood in front of them, arguing with the young woman behind the counter. Clarissa shifted Bella in her arms as they waited for their turn.
“I requested that room back in January,” the man told the clerk sharply.
The clerk didn’t flinch at his tone. “I know, sir, and we try to honor requests, but we can’t always manage it. Number 712 is still a nice room.”
The man let out a sigh and waved a hand to one side. “All r ight, 835 was our first choice. If we can’t have it, then just give us something else on the top floor.”
The clerk’s voice stayed even. “I’m sorry, sir, the entire top floor is booked.”
“Booked? All of it? Before last January? I don’t believe you.”
Bella wiggled and twisted to look around at the lobby. Clarissa set her down, keeping hold of her hand.
As soon as Elaina saw that her mother’s arms were free , she raised her own in a request to be carried. Clarissa couldn’t refuse Elaina. After all, she had been so good walking to the resort. Clarissa picked up her daughter and held her in one arm while holding onto Bella with her free hand.
“The crew of Undercover Agents is here,” the clerk explained. “They have the entire floor blocked off.” She nodded toward the front doors. “That’s what’s going on outside. Any minute now the cast is coming out to sign autographs and talk to fans about their show.”
The man glanced through the glass doors, then back at the clerk with the same expression of disapproval. “I’ve seen that program, and there aren’t more than a dozen people in it. Why do they need a whole floor?”
“For production people, cameramen, lighting crews, that type of thing.”
“Well, what rooms do you have left then?”
The clerk rattled off several numbers, and the man shook his head as though familiar with all these rooms.
A clock hung on the wall behind the desk clerk. Clarissa watched the minutes go by. It was ten minutes after seven now. What time had it been when they’d left the limo? Seven o’clock? Six fifty-five? It had taken her some time to cross the parking lot because of Bella’s stubbornness and Elaina’s tiredness. So any time now, Slade would make the same journey, and he’d do it considerably faster. Perhaps he’d even have the limo drop him off at the front of the building. Would she and the girls still be waiting in the lobby when he arrived?
Clarissa tried not to think what this would do to Slade’s mood if, despite all his plans, the press still found out they were here together.
The man in front of them pointed a finger at the clerk. “You know, we’ve been coming here for twenty years, and there used to be a time you didn’t have to be a movie star to get a good room.”
The clerk held out one hand in a gesture of apology. “I’m sorry you’re not happy. I can only do so much about the scheduling.”
“The least you could do is offer us some sort of an upgrade.”
Clarissa shifted her weight. It was 7:12, and they hadn’t even reached the check-in counter yet. Shouldn’t the resort have more than one clerk working the desk? She strained to see if someone else was around but didn’t see anyone. Maybe the other employees had joined the crowd outside.
Clarissa squeezed Bella’s hand and bent closer to her, balanc ing Elaina in her other arm. “Bella, would you like to play a funny game?” she whispered. “How about we play an ignore-your-father game? If he comes in here, let’s pretend we don’t know him, okay?”
Bella didn’t say anything. Her brows wrinkled together unhappily, though. It was a bad sign.
Clarissa bent her head closer to Elaina. “We’ve never seen a movie
“He’ll be here soon.”
A well-dressed man and woman already stood in front of them, arguing with the young woman behind the counter. Clarissa shifted Bella in her arms as they waited for their turn.
“I requested that room back in January,” the man told the clerk sharply.
The clerk didn’t flinch at his tone. “I know, sir, and we try to honor requests, but we can’t always manage it. Number 712 is still a nice room.”
The man let out a sigh and waved a hand to one side. “All r ight, 835 was our first choice. If we can’t have it, then just give us something else on the top floor.”
The clerk’s voice stayed even. “I’m sorry, sir, the entire top floor is booked.”
“Booked? All of it? Before last January? I don’t believe you.”
Bella wiggled and twisted to look around at the lobby. Clarissa set her down, keeping hold of her hand.
As soon as Elaina saw that her mother’s arms were free , she raised her own in a request to be carried. Clarissa couldn’t refuse Elaina. After all, she had been so good walking to the resort. Clarissa picked up her daughter and held her in one arm while holding onto Bella with her free hand.
“The crew of Undercover Agents is here,” the clerk explained. “They have the entire floor blocked off.” She nodded toward the front doors. “That’s what’s going on outside. Any minute now the cast is coming out to sign autographs and talk to fans about their show.”
The man glanced through the glass doors, then back at the clerk with the same expression of disapproval. “I’ve seen that program, and there aren’t more than a dozen people in it. Why do they need a whole floor?”
“For production people, cameramen, lighting crews, that type of thing.”
“Well, what rooms do you have left then?”
The clerk rattled off several numbers, and the man shook his head as though familiar with all these rooms.
A clock hung on the wall behind the desk clerk. Clarissa watched the minutes go by. It was ten minutes after seven now. What time had it been when they’d left the limo? Seven o’clock? Six fifty-five? It had taken her some time to cross the parking lot because of Bella’s stubbornness and Elaina’s tiredness. So any time now, Slade would make the same journey, and he’d do it considerably faster. Perhaps he’d even have the limo drop him off at the front of the building. Would she and the girls still be waiting in the lobby when he arrived?
Clarissa tried not to think what this would do to Slade’s mood if, despite all his plans, the press still found out they were here together.
The man in front of them pointed a finger at the clerk. “You know, we’ve been coming here for twenty years, and there used to be a time you didn’t have to be a movie star to get a good room.”
The clerk held out one hand in a gesture of apology. “I’m sorry you’re not happy. I can only do so much about the scheduling.”
“The least you could do is offer us some sort of an upgrade.”
Clarissa shifted her weight. It was 7:12, and they hadn’t even reached the check-in counter yet. Shouldn’t the resort have more than one clerk working the desk? She strained to see if someone else was around but didn’t see anyone. Maybe the other employees had joined the crowd outside.
Clarissa squeezed Bella’s hand and bent closer to her, balanc ing Elaina in her other arm. “Bella, would you like to play a funny game?” she whispered. “How about we play an ignore-your-father game? If he comes in here, let’s pretend we don’t know him, okay?”
Bella didn’t say anything. Her brows wrinkled together unhappily, though. It was a bad sign.
Clarissa bent her head closer to Elaina. “We’ve never seen a movie
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