Kieran's first thought when he saw the Grand Floridian Hotel was that it didn't look like a hotel at all. In fact, with its vaulted red roof and conical spires, it reminded him much more of a castle, or perhaps some sort of old-timey mansion. Everything about it, from its soaring towers to its huge bay windows to the literal red carpet laid outside its front entrance, screamed of elegance and luxury. Kieran couldn't help but gawk at it. He knew he looked ridiculous, knew he looked as provincial and naive as a rural farmer coming to the big city for the very first time, but he just couldn't muster the energy to care right then.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Katie asked.
"It's amazing," he agreed. "I knew the hotel was going to be nice, but I wasn't expecting...this."
"If you think this is impressive," she said with a wink, "just wait till you see what it looks like on the inside."
"Just so long as you promise to catch me if I faint," he replied drily.
She giggled. It reminded him of the small crystalline bells tinkling. "Of course I will, if it comes to that. I know you'd do the same for me."
That and more, Kieran thought, but he didn't dare say it aloud.
The moment Kieran pulled up outside the hotel's front entrance, a man--dressed in what was unmistakably a valet's uniform--seemed to appear from nowhere. By the time Kieran put the Porsche in park and switched the engine off, the valet was already hurrying over to attend them.
"Welcome to the Grand Floridian Hotel!" he said, with a big smile. "Do you have a reservation?"
"We do," Katie said, fishing her phone out of her pocket to show him the email confirmation she'd received.
"We just need to get our bags and check in at the desk."
The man peered at her phone's screen. Whatever he saw appeared to satisfy him. "Wonderful! We're so happy you're staying with us, both of you." The way he said it, it didn't sound rehearsed. "Shall I park your car for you?"
"Er...yes, please," Kieran said. "Just let us get our stuff out first."
"Of course, sir," replied the valet. He took a step back, waiting patiently, as Kieran popped the trunk and began getting their luggage out. Katie's suitcase, he noted, was about twice as heavy as his own. Kieran was used to lifting heavy things in his father's shop, but even he struggled a little with its weight.
He was so focused on the task at hand, he didn't see Katie turn to the valet and discretely hand him a $50 bill. "Whatever he wants, whatever he asks for, give it to him," she said, with a conspiratorial smile.
"There's more where this came from if you do. Make sure the rest of the staff know, okay? I want my friend to get the royal treatment."
The man took the tip eagerly and stuffed it in his lapel pocket. "I'll see to it, ma'am," he replied, in an equally quiet voice. "He will lack for nothing."
"Thank you so much." Katie beamed, and walked back over to Kieran just as he finished unloading their bags. He made to carry them inside, but the valet nearly fell all over himself to do it first. "Oh, no, sir. Please, allow me. We'll take your bags up to your room once you've checked in."
Kieran tried his best not to let his relief show and failed miserably. "Thank you."
Katie elbowed him playfully. "Awww, what's the matter? My bag too heavy for you?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. What'd you put in there, cinderblocks?"
"Just the necessities," she assured him.
"Necessities for what?" Kieran drawled. "A zombie apocalypse?"
Katie rolled her eyes good-naturedly but said nothing. The valet led them inside--even stopping to hold the door for them both despite the bags he was carrying--and Kieran promptly stopped dead in his tracks.
If the outside of the Grand Floridian was elegant and beautiful, the inside was breathtaking. The entryway opened up into a cavernous space dominated by the huge, elegant chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The floor was made of swirling marble tiles, polished to a mirror sheen, and the chairs, couches and other furniture were all of the most decadent kind: huge, velvety cushion and dark hardwood that gleamed with shine and care. A huge gurgling fountain, surrounded by bronze statues of children frolicking, stood near the center, and the whole of the place was laid out in gleaming white walls and decorative plaster. It put Kieran in mind of the art deco style of the 1920s, but only of the most decadent sort.
"What do you think?" Katie asked, coming to a stop beside him.
It took him a second to regain the power of speech. "Reminds of the inside of the Titanic." Hesitantly, he walked over and placed a hand on the arm of a nearby chair, feeling the soft, luxurious texture of it. "I've never seen anything like this. Not in real life. "First the Porsche and now this. This isn't just a hotel. This is the kind of place where millionaires and movie stars go to get away from the limelight. No wonder the nightly rate was so much! "Have you stayed here before?"
"Nope! It's my first time, just like you." She twined her fingers in his, and Kieran fought against the urge to groan with pleasure. His cock immediately stiffened and he was thankful for the relatively loose-fitting jeans he was wearing. Anyone watching would have mistaken them for a young couple.
Deep down, in his most secret heart of hearts, part of Kieran wished it were so. That part of him, immune to all logic and reason, persisted no matter how many times he attempted to stamp it out. This didn't dissuade him from trying again--he pushed such thoughts away and tried to focus on the grandeur around him instead.
The front desk was as luxurious as the rest of the Grand Floridian--an antique-looking piece of dark red wood and gleaming brass. The young woman behind it was gorgeous, but compared to Katie she looked rather plain. "Good afternoon," she said cheerfully. "Welcome to the Grand Floridian. Do you have a reservation?"
"Yup!" Katie chirped, using her phone to show the other woman the details of their booking. "It'll be under Petersen, a reservation for two. Right here, see?"
"Let's see..." The woman glanced at Katie's phone, then tapped out something on the computer in front of her. "Yes, here it is. You're all set, Ms. Petersen. Though..." Her eyes flicked to the screen and back to Katie.
"You're, ah, certain these details are correct?"
"Absolutely." Katie said, and discretely slid the woman another $50 bill. The clerk glanced at it, then at Katie.
"Not a word," Katie murmured very softly. "Please?"
The clerk took the tip and slid it into her lapel pocket with a single nod. Kieran, of course, noticed none of this--he was still taking in the sight of the hotel. "Everything seems to be in order, ma'am," she said. "Here are your room keys."
She held out two plastic cards, one for each of them, and gestured at the elevator. "You'll find your lodgings on the top floor. Please enjoy your stay, and let us know if you need anything." She gave Katie a meaningful glance. "Anything at all. Here at the Grand Floridian hotel, we pride ourselves on the highest possible level of quality and customer service."
"We will," Katie assured her. She turned to him, smiling. "Shall we?"
Kieran nodded, still a little dazed. "Yeah, of course! I don't know about you, but I could really use a shower."
"Tell me about it," Katie said.
The elevator was just as grandiose as everything else Kieran saw so far, with doors the color of polished brass. Soft music played from hidden speakers as he and Katie stepped inside it--though to Kieran's surprise, the valet was already waiting for them. "Going up, sir?" he asked.
"Er...yeah."
"Very good, sir." He pressed the button for the top floor with a flourish and the elevator began rising. It was the smoothest elevator Kieran had ever been in--there was no lurch when it began its ascent nor when it came to a halt. The doors opened with a soft ding, and the valet stepped aside to make room for them. "You'll find your bags already inside, as promised. Please, don't hesitate to let our staff know if you think of anything else we can do for you."
The man's almost fawning subservience made Kieran a little uncomfortable, but Katie rescued him from having to reply. "Of course. You've been very helpful so far. I'll make sure to let the manager know, too
