The next morning, Julissa woke to the scent of breakfast already laid out on the table. Flynn must have gotten up early. She hurried to wake her little brother and sister, Abel and Kori, fed them, and walked them to preschool.
Assuming Flynn had already left for work, she came back ready to tackle the dishes, but froze—there he was, lounging on the couch like he didn't have a care in the world, and the dishes were already done.
She walked over, puzzled. "Aren't you going to work today?"
Flynn shut his laptop, unfolded himself from the couch, and headed for the door. "I am. You need to go in too, right? I'll give you a lift."
"What? Is it even on your way? I usually take the bus, and it's, like, super easy for me."
"It's on my way."
He swapped his shoes and stepped out. Julissa rushed to lock up and followed. "How can it be on my way? You don't even know where I work."
"It'll be on my way once you tell me where you work."
In the elevator, he stood ramrod straight in a tailored suit that screamed money, radiating a kind of quiet authority that practically built an invisible wall around him.
Julissa stole a glance or two. She had to admit, her husband was crazy good-looking. He was tall, too. As they stood side by side, she discreetly measured herself against his shoulder.
God, she barely grazed his shoulder. Such an awkward height gap. She came from a comfortable middle-class family, and yet, after twenty years, she was still only five foot two.
Standing next to Flynn, she felt like a schoolgirl playing dress-up.
They reached the underground parking garage in no time and got into the car. Julissa eagerly climbed into the front passenger seat, buckled up, and rattled off her work address, sneaking peeks at him behind the wheel.
From her angle, her husband looked practically airbrushed, like he'd stepped off the cover of a glossy magazine. His profile could cut glass—high-bridged nose, razor-sharp jawline. His hands on the steering wheel were elegant, almost refined, a perfect match for the high-end suit he wore. The more she looked, the more he fit the mold of those powerful, filthy-rich CEOs from the novels she sometimes read.
He was way too easy on the eyes.
"So, you've always worked in sales?" she asked, trying to spark a conversation.
Flynn didn't even glance her way, his tone as flat as always. "Yes."
"Ever thought about modeling? You're tall, great build. You could hit it big. Or maybe acting? With that face, you'd totally stand out."
She wasn't exaggerating. He had the potential. And she felt a secret little thrill of gratitude for having the foresight to marry him.
The idea of having such a jaw-droppingly handsome husband made her actually look forward to coming home every day.
Flynn shot her a sideways look. Maybe she was finally showing her true colors, unable to resist his physical appeal. Maybe she planned to play the long game, waiting him out. He'd see how long she could keep the act up before her real intentions slipped.
"I'm not into that stuff," he said casually, a hint of surprise flickering through him when he realized her workplace was one of his own hotels. "You work at the St. James Hotel?"
Julissa nodded. "Yep, front desk. Our hotel is pretty famous—one of the top-tier five-star spots in the city and known worldwide."
Flynn raised an eyebrow. "A place that fancy usually requires a college degree. You didn't go to college. So how'd you swing it?"
A proud little grin tugged at her lips. She turned to him, playful. "Guess."
"Because you're good-looking?"
He couldn't deny she was. Her fair complexion and pleasant face fit the hotel's image, but looks alone wouldn't cut it.
Julissa laughed. "Looks help, but mostly it's because I speak several languages. We get tons of international guests. You just need solid language skills and a polished appearance, and you're in."
That caught Flynn's attention. The woman sitting next to him actually had some unexpected talents.
The car soon rolled to a stop at the hotel's rear entrance. Julissa hopped out, waving at him with a smile. "Thanks for the ride! Drive safe on your way back."
"Mm-hmm," Flynn replied, and without so much as a backward glance, he drove off.
Julissa watched his car blend into the traffic, a pleasant little buzz in her chest. She hummed to herself as she walked inside. Life wasn't about big expectations—just a simple routine with her family and a sliver of time with her husband. An occasional ride to work was more than enough to make her glow.
After changing into her uniform, she headed to her post to relieve her coworker. Technically, her shift didn't start for another ten minutes, but a handful of foreign guests were already checking in and her colleague was buried. Julissa jumped right in to help.
She chatted with the guests in flawless foreign languages, all warmth and genuine smiles.
Once the check-ins were handled, she exchanged a relieved grin with her coworkers. That's when her shift partners started arriving.
Noticing the one colleague—the one notorious for sneaking snacks on the clock—was missing, Julissa asked, "Elodie not coming in today?"
"Probably slept in. Must be nice having a manager in the family," one coworker quipped. "You can roll in whenever and nobody says boo about slacking off. So jealous."
Right on cue, Elodie waltzed in, looking chic in heels, a cheerful, good-looking guy in tow.
Julissa and the others blinked.
"Who's that? Your boyfriend?" Alora asked.
Leaning over the counter, Elodie shot Julissa a grin. "Boyfriend? Please. He's just one of my many cousins. You can call him Jamie."
She slid his ID across the counter. "Check him in, will you? Presidential suite. Top floor."
Julissa hesitated. "The presidential suite? You sure?"
A suite that cost thousands a night. The guy didn't exactly scream big spender.
"Go ahead. He can afford it." Elodie winked at Julissa, then turned to her cousin. "These are my coworkers. This is Julissa. Isn't she pretty?"
Jamie glanced at Julissa with a reserved smile and a sincere, "Yeah, really pretty."
Julissa felt her cheeks heat up. As she processed the booking, she noticed his last name matched Flynn's—Greene. Was the name Greene really that common?
She didn't dwell on it, just smiled and handed him the key card. "Your room's all set. Elevators are that way."
Jamie thanked her, turning to Elodie. "I'll head up now?"
"Go on," Elodie waved him off, then bounced back to her friends, buzzing. "Well? Isn't he handsome?"
Alora and the other coworker nodded enthusiastically. "So handsome!"
Elodie's grin widened. "Julissa, should I introduce you to him? His family's loaded, and he's got a really sweet personality."
