enough for a glimpse of the pink
bustier. She looked at his name tag. "Um, Ben—may I call you Ben?"
He nodded, his gaze riveted on the opening in her coat.
"Ben, Mr. Larsen is my fiancé, and we're getting married here on Saturday. I dropped by to, um, surprise him, and I'd hate to
tell him that you're the one who wouldn't let me up to his room."
Ben swallowed. "I'll call his room a-g-gain." He picked up the phone and dialed, then gave her a weak smile. "Still busy."
She assumed a wounded expression, and leaned closer. "Ben, can't you make an exception, just this one teensy-weensy
time?"
"Is there a problem here, Ben?"
Janine turned her head to see a tall blond man wearing a hotel sport coat standing a few steps away.
The young man straightened. "No, Mr. Oliver. This lady needs to see a guest, but the line is busy."
The blond man's clear blue eyes seemed to miss nothing as his gaze flitted over her, then he turned to Ben, obviously his
employee. "Ben, there seems to be a bug going around and you look a little feverish. Why don't you take a break and I'll help
our guest."
Ben scooted away and Mr. Oliver took his place behind the counter. "Good evening, ma'am. I'm Manny Oliver, the general
manager. How can I help you?" His smile was genuine, and his voice friendly. She immediately liked him and her first thought
was that he was as sharp as a tack. She hoped she didn't look drunk.
"I'm Janine Murphy and I came to visit my fiancé, Steve Larsen. We're having our rehearsal dinner here tomorrow—I mean,
tonight, and our wedding in your gazebo on Saturday."
He nodded. "Congratulations. I'm familiar with the arrangements. Now, let me see what I can do for you." He consulted a
computer, then picked up the phone and dialed. A few seconds later, he returned the handset. "Mr. Larsen's phone is still busy,
but I'd be glad to walk up and knock on his door to let him know you're here."
The best she could manage was a half smile.
Mr. Oliver leaned on the counter, an amused expression on his smooth face. "Why do I have the feeling there's more to this
story?" He nodded to her gapped coat.
Janine pulled her coat lapels closed. "I … I thought I would surprise him. He's staying here tonight because his house is full
of relatives and his groomsmen were taking him out for his bachelor party."
He checked his watch. "And he's back already?"
She nodded. "I called before I left, and he answered the phone."
"So he does know you're coming?"
"No, I hung up. This is supposed to be a surprise."
He pursed his lips and mirth lit his eyes. "You've never done anything like this before, have you?"
Janine winced. "No, but after a half bottle of wine, it seemed like a good idea when my sister suggested it."
Suddenly he laughed and shook his head. "You remind me of some friends of mine."
"Is that good?"
Pure affection shone on his face. "Very."
"So you'll give me his room key?"
He stroked his chin as he studied her. "Ms. Murphy, even though it's none of my business, I have to ask because you seem
like a nice woman." He lowered his chin and his voice. "Don't you think it's a little risky to surprise a man on the night of his
bachelor party?"
"But he was asleep when I called," she said.
He pressed his lips together and lifted his eyebrows, then stared at her until realization dawned on her.
"Oh, Steve wouldn't," she said, shaking her head.
"Alcohol can make a person do things they wouldn't ordinarily do," he said, giving her a pointed look. Then he patted her
hand. "My advice would be to save it for the honeymoon, doll."
She wasn't sure where the tears came from, but suddenly a box of tissues materialized and the man was dabbing at her face.
"You'd better switch to waterproof mascara before the ceremony," he chided gently, and she had the feeling he'd wiped away
many a tear. "Did I say something wrong?"
"N-no," she said, sniffling. "It's just that … well, I don't want to wait for the honeymoon—that's sort of
bustier. She looked at his name tag. "Um, Ben—may I call you Ben?"
He nodded, his gaze riveted on the opening in her coat.
"Ben, Mr. Larsen is my fiancé, and we're getting married here on Saturday. I dropped by to, um, surprise him, and I'd hate to
tell him that you're the one who wouldn't let me up to his room."
Ben swallowed. "I'll call his room a-g-gain." He picked up the phone and dialed, then gave her a weak smile. "Still busy."
She assumed a wounded expression, and leaned closer. "Ben, can't you make an exception, just this one teensy-weensy
time?"
"Is there a problem here, Ben?"
Janine turned her head to see a tall blond man wearing a hotel sport coat standing a few steps away.
The young man straightened. "No, Mr. Oliver. This lady needs to see a guest, but the line is busy."
The blond man's clear blue eyes seemed to miss nothing as his gaze flitted over her, then he turned to Ben, obviously his
employee. "Ben, there seems to be a bug going around and you look a little feverish. Why don't you take a break and I'll help
our guest."
Ben scooted away and Mr. Oliver took his place behind the counter. "Good evening, ma'am. I'm Manny Oliver, the general
manager. How can I help you?" His smile was genuine, and his voice friendly. She immediately liked him and her first thought
was that he was as sharp as a tack. She hoped she didn't look drunk.
"I'm Janine Murphy and I came to visit my fiancé, Steve Larsen. We're having our rehearsal dinner here tomorrow—I mean,
tonight, and our wedding in your gazebo on Saturday."
He nodded. "Congratulations. I'm familiar with the arrangements. Now, let me see what I can do for you." He consulted a
computer, then picked up the phone and dialed. A few seconds later, he returned the handset. "Mr. Larsen's phone is still busy,
but I'd be glad to walk up and knock on his door to let him know you're here."
The best she could manage was a half smile.
Mr. Oliver leaned on the counter, an amused expression on his smooth face. "Why do I have the feeling there's more to this
story?" He nodded to her gapped coat.
Janine pulled her coat lapels closed. "I … I thought I would surprise him. He's staying here tonight because his house is full
of relatives and his groomsmen were taking him out for his bachelor party."
He checked his watch. "And he's back already?"
She nodded. "I called before I left, and he answered the phone."
"So he does know you're coming?"
"No, I hung up. This is supposed to be a surprise."
He pursed his lips and mirth lit his eyes. "You've never done anything like this before, have you?"
Janine winced. "No, but after a half bottle of wine, it seemed like a good idea when my sister suggested it."
Suddenly he laughed and shook his head. "You remind me of some friends of mine."
"Is that good?"
Pure affection shone on his face. "Very."
"So you'll give me his room key?"
He stroked his chin as he studied her. "Ms. Murphy, even though it's none of my business, I have to ask because you seem
like a nice woman." He lowered his chin and his voice. "Don't you think it's a little risky to surprise a man on the night of his
bachelor party?"
"But he was asleep when I called," she said.
He pressed his lips together and lifted his eyebrows, then stared at her until realization dawned on her.
"Oh, Steve wouldn't," she said, shaking her head.
"Alcohol can make a person do things they wouldn't ordinarily do," he said, giving her a pointed look. Then he patted her
hand. "My advice would be to save it for the honeymoon, doll."
She wasn't sure where the tears came from, but suddenly a box of tissues materialized and the man was dabbing at her face.
"You'd better switch to waterproof mascara before the ceremony," he chided gently, and she had the feeling he'd wiped away
many a tear. "Did I say something wrong?"
"N-no," she said, sniffling. "It's just that … well, I don't want to wait for the honeymoon—that's sort of
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