Page 30 of Sweeter than Honey

“That’sdisgusting.”

She gives me an expectant look. “What did you call me in here for?”

“Lexi, did you use the company AMEX to spendfifty-five thousand dollarson a statue of aflamingo?”

“Ooh!” she says with a big smile. “Did it come already? Isn’t itcute?”

“No, it doesn’t matter if it wascuteor not, it cost the entire annual salary of one of our floor managers, Lexi.”

She frowns. “Wow, we should really be paying our floor managers more.”

“That is not the point I am trying to make!” I pinch the bridge of my nose, wishing I could just stake her and get on with my night. “You can’t spend such a ridiculous amount of money, Lexi. We have to be responsible…”

“It’s aninvestment,” Lexi replies. “This statue is a conversation piece. It was owned by like, a super-famous designer or something, and it’s going to look great in the photos that our influencer partners will take at my event…”

“Oh, no,” I say, standing up from my desk chair and pointing a serious finger at my sister. “You arenothosting an event here, Lexi, no way! I’ve got way too much on my plate this summer…”

“Well, you don’t have to add this to your plate,” she says. “I’m going to organizeeverything, I promise! Event planning isn’t that hard. Everything always just works itself out in the end…”

I grit my teeth. “It works out in the end becauseIswoop in and fix everything for you, Lexi…”

She tosses her braid over her shoulder haughtily. “Well, nobodyaskedyou to do that, Ren! Just let me deal with things. It’s going to befun! And it’s really going to help the hotel with our image…”

“Our image is fine,” I tell her. “I never asked you to…”

My speakerphone beeps, and the voice of the receptionist chimes in. She sounds a little nervous.

“Um, Ms. Espina? There are some guests here to see…”

Before she can continue, my office door flies open, and Celine enters.

“Oh good, Lexi, you’re here too,” she says. She gives me an uncharacteristically sheepish look. “Listen, Renata, before you hear anything, I just want you to know, this wasn’t my idea at all…”

I glare at my older sister. “What wasn’t your…?”

“Renata!” shrieks the excited voice of Amrita Vyas as she barges into my office. She’s wearing her purple High Priestess robe loosely over a crop top and a pair of shining leather pants. Her barn owl familiar glides into the office and perches on my desk. There’s a dangerous gleam in Amrita’s eyes.

“Hello, Rita,” I reply, warily. “Is this about the conference?”

“Well…sort of,” she says with a careless shrug. She turns to the door. “Come in, everyone!”

To my dismay, an eclectic group of young magical people begin filling up my office. Hallie and Lilith are there, as well as a few other vampires, a group of shoeless witches, and what smells like an entire pack of wolf shifters. Amara brings up the rear, a slightly anxious expression on her face.

“What is going on?” I ask sharply.

“Well, Celine said that you’ve been very busy and stressed out here at the hotel,” Amrita says to me with a large grin. “And I wanted to show you our appreciation for agreeing to host the conference here. So I thought,perfectidea, why don’t we do a summer internship program at the hotel! For the Elmwood Academy students on their summer break!”

I giveCeline a look that would turn a mortal person into dust.

“I think it’s a great idea!” Lexi declares, without a hint of irony. She holds up her blood-filled Stanley tumbler in a toast. “Students on their summer break! Howfun.”

“That’s whatIsaid!” Amrita replies with an eager nod. “They can start right away. And they can help out with the conference in August.”

“How thoughtful of you, Rita,” I say through clenched teeth.

“Don’t mention it.” The vampire-witch shrugs. “Always happy to help!”

She gives me a cheery wink, and makes to leave my office.