With His Touch

“Really,” Sugar said wearily. She noticed that Clarice, the Pleasure Concierge and the resort’s biggest gossip, had stopped working and was watching intently. If her ears had been antennae, they’d have been twitching.

“Wait,” Luigi said suspiciously. “Is this, like, going to show up in my performance review?”

“Not at all.”

But he wadded his gum into a pink message slip and tossed it into the trash, stood very tall and smiled a fake smile as he clicked into the system. “So, how long will you be staying with us, Mr. and, uh, Mrs. Maguire?”

“Don’t you have reservations to confirm?” Brittany said, bumping Luigi out of the way to take over the task. She was always eager for extra responsibility.

Luigi shrugged and moved to the second terminal.

“It’s Mr. Maguire and Ms. Thompson,” Sugar said firmly to Brittany. “And it will be for one day.”

“Two, don’t you think?” Gage added mildly. “We’ll need the overnight in case we work late.”

There was a thud, then a swishing sound, as the rack of brochures Clarice had been pretending to neaten tipped over, spraying pamphlets across the glossy marble floor.

“We won’t be sleeping there, so no need for maid service,” Sugar said to be absolutely clear. She shot a frown at Gage.

“But, otherwise, we’d like the full guest treatment,” Gage said. “As you can see, my partner is reluctant about our stay. Wouldn’t you say so, sweetheart?”

Brittany just blinked at them.

“She doesn’t see how a vacation can fix our, uh, problem.” Gage seemed to be taking on a guest persona. “I imagine you’ve heard that before from guests checking in, Brittany?”

Brittany seemed frozen.

“He wants you to say what you say when couples seem torn about being here,” Sugar said. “When one thinks it’s a waste of time or a pricey experiment. I’m the reluctant mate, Brittany, get it?”