Page 38 of Sweeter than Honey

I’m not an idiot. I know that she doesn’t, you know,like-melike me, but…she appreciates my hard work. And for right now, that’s plenty.

Chapter 14: Claustrophobia

Renata

My fingers dance across my smooth keyboard, the gentle clicking sound providing a lovely background hum as I work. I’ve turned off the lights in my office, the way I always do when I’m alone. It’s just me, the dim light from my screen, and the beautiful moon hanging above the lake through my window.

It’s my favourite time of night. Four a.m. When it’s simultaneously too late and too early for anyone to bother me.

And it’s my favourite day of the week. Tuesday. When Lily’s shift aligns with mine. She’s the only person who’s presence I can stand right now. She actually makes my job easier, instead of causing more messes for me to clean up.

I still feel horribly guilty for what happened on the holding floor. I should have realized that there may have been a real threat, and kept her out of harm’s way. As her employer, it’s my job to keep her safe. Especially because she’s human.

But there is something else. Something about Lily that makes her easy to be around. She’s like a ray of sunlight in my otherwise long, dark nights of endless work. No matter how busy we are, or how stressful things become, she never falters in her relentless optimism. On the contrary, she becomes more hard-working and dedicated, completing every task with a bright smile.

Perhaps that’s why it felt so good to send her those flowers, and to present her with her own suite. I couldn’t bear to see her living in thattiny apartment with her son. A pleasant feeling washes over me as I remember how she lit up when she realized I was giving her the residential suite. I thought I saw tears in her eyes. I get the sense that she’s not used to being cared for in such a way. It made me a little sad. She’s so special…she deserves to be treated well.

My speaker phone beeps, and Lily’s soft voice fills my office.

“Ms. Espina,” she says. “The casino called. They’re having an issue with the mayor, again.”

“Really? This late at night?”

“Well, it’s nother, it’s her account. The night manager was doing the drop and noticed a discrepancy. You know how they are at the casino…”

I sigh. “They want to report everything all the way up, every time.” The casino’s operations are extremely tight, ever since there was an employee theft incident several years ago. Celine dealt with it swiftly and made it clear that theft would not be tolerated to any extent. Now all of the managers are paranoid any time the count is off, and they strictly follow the policy of reporting it to the top manager. It used to be Celine, but since she’s focused on the other vampire leaders, now the operations of the casino fall to me. “Tell them I’ll be right down.”

“Of course, Ms. Espina.”

I give the moon one last glance before I leave my office. It reallyisa stunning view. I wish that Icouldtake things slower, like Amara suggested. But she just doesn’t understand. When I’m not around to keep this place running, everything falls apart. And when it does, it all falls on my shoulders. I won’t let that happen.

I step out of the office, and Lily is already standing there. Her silky hair has just the hint of a wave, falling delicately around her round face. She wears a light pink blouse tucked into a high-waisted pencil skirt. She’s not wearing her usual cardigan, and her legs are bare. I suppose it must be getting warmer outside, now that we’re into the summer months.

“I’ll come with you, down to the casino,” she offers. “I can help reconcile the numbers, and it will go faster. Perhaps next time I can handle it for you, Ms. Espina.”

She looks at me brightly. She’s the only person that I would trust to do such a thing, and I don’t have the words to express to her what a relief that is. “That would be wonderful, Lily, thank you.”

She steps beside me as we move down the hallway. Suddenly, a powerful waft of smell hits me. A pleasant, invigorating aroma, reminiscent of dandelions and honeysuckle. The scent of Lily’s blood. It takes me by surprise. I can feel the red behind my eyes, and I have to step back.

“Ms. Espina?” she says, nervously.

“My apologies, Lily,” I tell her, shaking my head slightly and giving her a tight smile. To my dismay, I feel a little peek of my fangs from below my lips. I quickly close my mouth again, but she’s already seen them.

“Oh!” she gasps. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Espina. I haven’t arranged a donor for you since I’ve been back. You must have missed last Wednesday…”

“It’s all right, I’m perfectly fine,” I say, using all my willpower to force my fangs to recede.

“How long has it been since…”

“I’mfine, Lily,” I insist, although I know I’m not fooling her. Silently, I curse myself for not drinking anything recently. How longhasit been? I’ve been so buried in work I haven’t even thought about it.

But I have excellent self-control, especially for a vampire. I’ve been cultivating my willpower for centuries. I can go a long time without drinking, especially when things are busy at the hotel and I don’t have the time to consume blood.

“We should get going,” I say to Lily.

She nods, and we head to the elevators. It’s only the two of us tonight, not even a receptionist. Lexi is supposed to be working, of course, but she’s nowhere to be seen.

The casino is only accessible via the service elevator at the end of the hallway. It’s tucked away secretly, and it’s actually much nicer than our regular elevators, with a plush bench at the back. That’s because it’s not really a service elevator. It goes to the casino and the club floors. I press the red button three times to take us to the casino.