Finally alone, Lisa headed straight for the shower.
She let the temperature run nearly scalding hot as she allowed the warmth to ease the tension throughout her body.
As Lisa showered she remembered how she thought it was Tristan who arranged this private accommodation for her.
She felt like a fool for thinking Bane would never be capable of it.
Lisa definitely preferred this niche private quarters to the extravagance of the modern hotel.
Inside her suite, the rooms were expertly designed with French antiques and paintings.
To think that daily utensils that were once considered state of the art while Lisa was alive in France were now considered a relic in modern times.
The suite even had a library filled with ancient tomes, antique rugs and old time French gadgets that were used to study the stars.
An emblem with the fleur-de-lis was everywhere, especially on lace curtains that covered the windows.
This flower was the emblem of the ancient royal family of France for centuries and only the wealthy of the nobility paraded it in their homes.
Her favorite room was definitely the master suite, it had a huge king sized bed with a mahogany frame.
Artfully arranged with layers of mosquito netting and a thick, downy mattress with a heavy lace bedspread.
After the warm shower she felt even sleepier and the huge bed looked so enticing.
If she remembered correctly the blue ribbon ceremony doesn't start until six in the evening.
All Lisa needed to do was set the alarm for five in the evening which would give her additional sleep and still have enough time to head over for the casino opening party.
Bane's earlier warnings about being on time fell on deaf ears as Lisa jumped into the fluffy bed after ensuring the alarm was set properly.
After waking she tidied herself then flipped her hair in a ponytail and hurriedly put on her clothes.
When Lisa exited her suite to her relief Bane was nowhere to be seen but why did she feel slightly disappointed.
Feeling refreshed from her earlier shower Lisa took a cobblestone path that led to the front entrance of the hotel.
Passing rows of vegetation and several blossoming fruit trees.
Walking through this beautiful botanical garden made Lisa feel like she was transported back in time.
Such genteel luxury definitely screamed the status of its owners, the affluent Shadowhurst brothers.
A hummingbird fluttered nearby as it sipped nectar from a pink rose.
"How lovely!" exclaimed Lisa.
She marveled at her surroundings, Lisa's hand briefly brushing her throat in graceful surprise.
Lisa finally reached the end of the cobblestone path and pushed open a finely wrought metal gate after using a swipe card for it to unlock.
The ornate metal gate opened outwards into a private courtyard that had grapevines running amok overhead.
When she had been alive her parents had set up an arranged marriage to Lord Hearst as a baby.
Only when she turned eighteen and Lord Hearst said he would be returning from the war to marry her did she get to see a painting of her betrothed.
Everything about the private suite and its surroundings made it seem as if the Shadowhurst Brothers had gone back in time and transported a miniature of Lord Hearst's gothic home brick by brick.
Lisa remembered that initial feeling of deja vu she had when she first laid eyes on Tristan.
His outline had reminded her of a portrait she had glimpsed of her betrothed in the dowry Hearst sent because he had been away at war.
Lord Hearst had sent her a courtship gift of a painting with him on a warhorse in front of his mansion.
Armor could hide a multitude of sins but she had stared at painting on the wall every night before falling asleep.
That Lisa felt like she could recognize her masked rider anywhere, even though he had been covered from head to toe in war armor.
The most striking aspect of the painting was his eyes that seemed to glow through the painting and transcend time and space.
Walking through the vibrant garden gave the feel of entering an exotic world with the birds chirping and the fragrant scent of flowers in full bloom.
Now she began to doubt her own memory, perhaps it was not Tristan but his abominable younger brother that the portrait reminded her of.
After crossing the courtyard and entering the hotel's lobby Lisa was definitely not prepared for the storm that awaited her when she arrived at the lounge that afternoon.
Lisa stopped dead in her tracks when she saw that the other girls had already changed into their uniforms for the party and she was the only one in plain clothes.
Before she could inquire about it from the other girls, Lisa felt a slight tap on her shoulder.
Bane had walked up behind her and inquired, "why are you not dressed appropriately? You should have had your hair and make up done already! Did you not listen when I reminded you to get here on time?"
Astonished at his angry outburst, Lisa asked confusedly, "Am I not time?"
She had made a huge mistake on her second day of the gig and she felt a sudden shiver of apprehension run down her spine.
"Clearly not," muttered Bane, his eyebrows furrowed and he looked disgruntled, as if she should have known better.
"Vivica gets paid to monitor the girls. So she should have gotten in touch when you were missing from the photo shoot, this is merely a dereliction of duty on her part."
So what if he was the boss?
He should be the last person acting all high and mighty when Lisa caught him in a store room being groped by her supervisor Vivica on a work day!
Bane continued coldly. "Still, just because you're in Las Vegas is no excuse for being irresponsible. Your work ethic is questionable since you're late and don't seem to have a care in the world. Almost like you're feeling entitled since you've met me, am I right?"