The convoy of cars pulls into the Four Seasons at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
I’m in Beth’s car, the black Mercedes with the two security guards inside it trailing silently behind us both.
I look over to Beth as she bounces in her seat. “My fucking God, can you believe you are doing this?”
“No.” I hold my stomach. “I feel sick. What if I get caught?”
She shrugs as she pulls the car to a stop. “Who cares? What’s the worst that could happen? Edward flips his lid, like he doesn’t do that once a fucking week anyway.”
I smile. It’s so refreshing having a friend who doesn’t give a damn.
Beth hands the keys to the parking attendant once we’re parked, and we get my bags out of the boot of the car. I’ve warned the boys that they’re to keep their distance. I don’t want anyone to know that they are with me or are my security team. I want to appear normal. I am normal… it’s just my life that isn’t.
I walk up to the reception in the foyer with Beth by my side.
“Hello, I’d like to check in, please,” I say timidly.
“Into the penthouse.” Beth smiles proudly.
The girl types on her keyboard, and then frowns and types something else in instead.
Oh God, don’t tell me they messed up the booking. This plan could all turn to hell before it has even started.
“Is your reservation for six weeks?” she asks with surprise.
“It is.” I slide my credit card across the reception counter.
She scowls at the screen. “Just a moment, please?” She calls someone and turns her back to me, thinking that I can’t hear her. “I have someone here for the penthouse for a six-week booking. Do you know anything about it?”
She glances over at me and her eyes widen. “Oh. Oh, yes, I see. Sorry, sir. Thank you.”
She turns back to me and smiles an exaggerated fake smile. “Good afternoon, Miss Prescott. Welcome to the Four Seasons. It’s our honour to have you stay with us for your time in London.”
My shoulders sag as I stare at her. How does she know who I am?
“Your brother Edward has been on the phone with management all morning making sure your arrangements are all in order.”
He would have been going through their security with a fine toothcomb.
Beth frowns, already unimpressed with my family’s interference.
“The account has been settled in full. Welcome to the Four Seasons. I’ll personally show you up to your room now.”
I take my credit card back, feeling dejected. Edward would have paid my account without even looking at the amount.
Great.
“Can you issue me with three keys, please?” I ask. I want one for Lara and Beth so they can get up to my suite at any time.
“Certainly.” She organises everything on her desk, and then hands them over.
I glance at Wyatt and Anthony who are walking through the front doors.
“Are those gentlemen with you?” the receptionist asks, already knowing the answer. She would be aware that we have two other rooms booked as well.
“Yes,” I reply, embarrassed. There’s no mistaking the two huge men dressed in black suits who are staring at me.
“They are staying on the floor below, is that correct?”
“Yes. Thank you.” I give the boys a small dejected wave. I guess they may as well come up and inspect the room now instead of later. She already knows who they are to me. So much for flying under the radar.
Damn it.
I turn to them. “Do you want to come up now and look at the room?” I ask.
“That would be great,” Anthony replies without hesitation.
The receptionist, my two bodyguards, and Beth and I make our way into the lift.
I am silent and annoyed, sick of this fuss wherever I go.
As we ride up through the floors of the hotel, I stare at the floor, a sense of heaviness weighing over me. Don’t let this ruin it for you, I try and remind myself.
It’s okay, it’s okay. I repeat the mantra over and over in my head. I hate to admit it, but when I’m with my family and the guards are with us, it doesn’t seem to bother me at all. It’s as if it’s completely normal because they have it, too. But when I’m alone with my friends, I want to be alone with my friends, and it becomes glaringly obvious that they have all this freedom while I don’t.
The kind receptionist opens the door to the suite, and all of us tentatively walk in. “Holy shit!” Beth cries, her eyes flying around the room.
I smile at her reaction. There is nothing better than being with her when she experiences something for the first time. She can’t hide her excitement at all.
The receptionist smiles as she walks through to the living area. “It’s quite lovely, isn’t it?”
“Yes, thank you.”
I’ve stayed in some beautiful places before and this is up there with the best of them. We walk into a large living area, and I glance up to the ceiling to see a mezzanine level with a cascading, ornate staircase.
“The apartment is two levels.” She points upstairs.
The furnishings are complementing shades of coffee and creams. The space is filled with huge luxurious, aqua velvet sofas, as well expensive curtains, with the room lit by beautiful, free-standing lamps. We walk through to a large white kitchen. It has a large black marble island in the centre with stools lined up in front of it. The cupboards and cabinetry are black to match the island.
Wow, this is nice.
We continue on our tour, venturing into a large dining room, a bathroom, and a laundry room on the same level. We head upstairs to find three smaller bedrooms and another bathroom, and then to the end of the hall where the huge master suite happens to be.
I smile when I see it.
It’s exotic and sexy, decorated and furnished with different shades of grey velvet. The bed has an oversized padded headboard, as well as a couch with a chaise lounge at the foot of it. The en-suite bathroom is tiled in black and white marble. The feel of it is sheer luxury.
I turn to the receptionist, suddenly embarrassed that I can afford this place for six weeks. “Thank you, it’s lovely.”
She nods, realising she is being dismissed. “If you need anything, please call down to reception at any time.”
“Of course.” My eyes flicker to my guards. “Please look after the boys. I’ll be fine.”
She glances over to them. “Are you coming down to check in now?”
“Yes,” Anthony answers. “We’ll just perform our checks of the suite, and then we’ll be down in a minute.”
With one last smile, she disappears down the stairs and back to her job.
Beth starts to run up and down on the spot, and then she jumps up on the bed and begins to bounce. “Holy fucking shit, Lottie.” She squeals in excitement. “This place is off the Richter.”
The guards chuckle at my over-animated friend. She doesn’t hide who she is from them. The guys check the wardrobes and the bathroom. They pull the curtains back to inspect the windows, and then disappear to check the rest of the suite.
I flop onto the bed, dejected from my super privileged check in.
“Who was I kidding, Beth? I can’t escape who I am. Just look at this stupid apartment.” I sigh sadly.
She falls down to lie beside me, and we both look up at the ceiling. “It’s going to be so much fun sneaking guys in here,” she says casually.
“What?” I look over at her.
“That cherry of yours… it’s going down. In a big popping fashion.”
5
Charlotte
I sit at the kitchen island with my glass of wine. I’m staring at the Google images before me. Beth will be here any moment to take me out to dinner. We decided that it’s best if we play it safe this weekend and behave. The guards are on full alert, and we will get busted if we try to pull anything sneaky too soon. Even the thought of just going out to dinner with Beth is enough for me—something I don’t normally get to do.
I click to the second page of images of Spencer Jones, studying photo after photo of him laughing and joking… kissing beautiful women, too. I think back to my place that night, when I straddled his lap and we were making out.
His perfect kiss.