Up Close and Personal Read Online Free PDF Page B

Nicole interposed.
    ‘Not for much longer,’ Yasmin replied. ‘He’s getting too serious.’
    Nicole groaned. ‘What’s wrong with that? It’s called having a relationship , in case you didn’t know.’
    ‘But I don’t want a relationship,’ Yasmin protested. ‘I haven’t got the time or the energy.’
    Juliet raised a doubtful eyebrow. ‘Are you sure you’re not just scared of commitment?’
    ‘No.’ Yasmin hesitated. ‘At least I don’t think so. It’s just that right now I need to concentrate on my career.’
    ‘But there’s more to life than work,’ said Nicole. ‘Isn’t it time you started thinking about settling down?’
    ‘Just because you’ve got the husband and the baby and the Audi estate doesn’t mean I have to follow suit,’ Yasmin said.
    ‘No, of course not. I just want you to be happy, that’s all.’
    Yasmin grinned. ‘And do you know what makes me happy?’
    ‘No, but I’m sure you’re about to tell us.’
    ‘A well-chilled bottle of Dom Pérignon and hot, no-strings sex.’
    Nicole threw back her head and laughed. ‘I won’t argue with that.’

3
    It was three days after Juliet’s return and Reg Cundy was performing a random inspection of Ashwicke Park’s guest bedrooms. Since Nathan had hired him as head of housekeeping four months earlier, Reg had carved out a nice little niche for himself. His job was relatively straightforward and involved overseeing the hotel’s small team of chambermaids, as well as maintaining a daily inventory of laundry and cleaning materials. But still Reg managed to perform his duties with the maximum amount of grumbling and the minimum amount of effort, his working days punctuated by twice-hourly tea breaks, sly reads of the paper and even the occasional snooze.
    A more experienced hotelier would have been able to see they were being taken advantage of – but Juliet was a complete novice. Besides which, she was far too busy in her role as hostess-cum-receptionist to keep tabs on everything that went on behind the scenes. All the staff knew this, and the vast majority milked the situation for all it was worth. It was a shame, Reg thought as he pushed open the door to the magnificently proportioned, if slightly shabby, Wordsworth Suite. Having worked in a number of country-house hotels during his long career in the hospitality industry, he knew that Ashwicke Park could be a highly profitable business in the right hands. In fact, he could’ve given Juliet a few useful pointers – but Reg, who was onlytwo years away from retirement, wanted an easy life. What’s more, he wasn’t being paid enough to act as unofficial consultant. His employer, he told himself as he began a tour of the room, would just have to learn the hard way.
    Pausing, Reg ran his finger along the top of a picture frame, sighing as it came away thick with dust. Still, he told himself as he wiped his hand on the side of his uniform trousers, what the eye can’t see the heart can’t grieve over. The bedroom having passed muster, he went through to the en suite and immediately spotted several pubic hairs decorating the soap dish. As he wiped them away with a wodge of toilet paper, he made a mental note to reprimand the chambermaid responsible. He knew he was fighting a losing battle. Most of Juliet’s staff were inexperienced youngsters; it was hardly surprising that they cut corners.
    Re-emerging into the bedroom, Reg spotted a scrap of fabric poking out from under the bed. He bent down to pick it up and saw, to his amusement, that it was a pair of knickers. The correct protocol would be to obtain the name and address of last night’s guest, before posting the freshly laundered underwear back to her, but that would require far too much time and effort. Chuckling to himself, Reg stuffed the knickers into his trouser pocket. Then, worried that he may have over-exerted himself, he sank down on the bed. A few feet away, the mini-bar stood tantalizingly. Reg found himself