"Eeeehh!" Gerlyn, one of her co-workers, squealed shamelessly after entering the locker room. Ariel dropped her bag from fright. She was about to log for her mid-shift.

Ariel, holding her chest which she thought was about to burst, "You scared me. Are you alright?" She asked.
Gerlyn just shook her head frantically while smiling stupidly. "I am not okay! I just saw the man of my dreams!"

"Eh?" Ariel's jaw dropped. Was there anything new? One of the guests, she's sure of it. She wanted to make a run and take a look too but she knew she'll look really cheap doing that. Even if she wants to marry a rich man, going after them's not her cup of tea. She wanted them to notice her. More often than not, they do but only to propose indecently! She groaned internally. "Good for you then. I'll go ahead." Gerlyn just gave her a muffled reply. Ariel shook her head and proceeded to do housekeeping duty.

She took her small notepad out and checked the first room number that she was about to clean. She was pushing the cart towards the service elevator when she saw Jason from across the hallway. "Hey." She acknowledged.

"Hi. Ariel, right?" He said when they were in hearing distance.

"Yeah. Got to go." She was about to walk past him when he called her again. He looked at him again waiting for him to speak as he looked like hesitating about whatever it was.

"H-have you seen Ella?" He asked.

"Ms. Ma's office." She told him. She pushed her cart and smiled to herself. So the new guy's smitten with Ella.

*******************************************************************************

Ariel was about to finish putting on the bed covers when she heard the door to the presidential suite opened. She hurried to the receiving room after gathering the cleaning materials. She almost dropped the feather duster when she saw the man sitting on the rocking chair by the fire place, reading the afternoon paper. From the spiky hair to the well-toned body to the expensive designer clothes, everything screams elegance. She peeked on her notepad inconspicuously. Mike He. "Good afternoon, Mr. He." She bowed. "Enjoy your stay at St. Regis."

"Thank you." He replied.

Ariel was about to push the cart out the door when she saw a few hundred dollar bills on the box of the cleaning solutions. She smiled and turned to thank him but he was nowhere to be found.

*******************************************************************************

"What?" Ella was shocked. Ms. Evil Witch just told her that she'll be a personal maid for a guest until he leaves St. Regis. She blinked twice and noticed Elizabeth Ma staring at her like she wanted to strangle her. "I mean, when do I start?" Does that mean she'll be following the guest twenty four-seven?

"Right now, Ms. Chen. And don't you dare make any mistakes or else. . .This particular guest's endorsed by no less than Young Lady Cheng." She said in a no-nonsense tone.

"Got it." Ella was about to turn for the door when Ms. Ma's last sentence sank in. "E-endorsed by who?" She asked. She must have misheard it.

"President Cheng's sister, Ms. Cheng." She told her. "Do you really have to know all the details? And do you have to keep the guest waiting?" She glowered at her.
SHE endorsed the guest? There is no other Young Lady Cheng in St. Regis, is there? She was not expecting any guest. She went to knock at the presidential suite absently and opened the door.

"It took you forever, darling." A voice that she knew very well, spoke.

"Aaron! Oh my god! What are you doing here?" She ran to hug him. How she missed him. Now she remembered giving Aaron a GC with no expiration date and with her personal note on it.

"I told you if you won't tell me what your problem is, I'll find it out for myself." He smiled tenderly and dragged Ella to the inner suite. "Anyway, I brought you entire spring Anne Klein."

"No way!" She gasped. Anne Klein's spring collection's not even out in the market yet.

"Yes way. You call it 'connections' my dear." Aaron sauntered to the king-sized bed and opened the large suitcase on top of it. "Here. It's all yours. Can you replace that uniform while you are here? It strains my eyes." He exclaimed daintily. Ella laughed despite of herself.

"Sure thing." She changed her clothes and Aaron was zipping her dress up when they heard a warning knock and Chun entered with the utility cart in tow. His eyes widened when he saw Ella, dressed not in her hotel uniform but in a dress he's used to see her wearing since they were kids.

"Chun." She looked like a mouse caught by a hungry cat.
He chose to ignore what he saw and directed his sight to the male, whose hands, at the moment, was inside Ella's dress. He narrowed his eyes. "Good afternoon Mr. Yan. Here's the food the you ordered." He said.

"Thank you. Please do knock next time. You might disturb some important. . .discussion." Aaron said in his perfect baritone. He took his time zipping up Ella's dress.

"I did knock." Chun can feel that he turned red from head to toe. He wanted to asphyxiate the man.

"Alright. Stop it. Aaron, this is Chun. My brother's bestfriend and Chun, this is Aaron Yan, my friend. He's visiting from Paris. Chun. I'll take care of this. Thank you." Ella pushed him towards the door. Please put the "Don't disturb' sign before you leave." And she closed the door on his face.

"My, your 'problem' is gorgeous baby!" Aaron shrieked in delight when Ella went back to the room.

"What are you talking about?" So this gay's hitting on Chun. "Do you like him?"

"No. You do." Aaron mumbled under his breath. He was busy leafing through the pages of Marie Claire. "Crap. Full of crap." He tsked and shoved the magazines on the trash bin.

"Hey! That's hotel property! You have biases!" Ella picked the magazines again and arranged them on the coffee table. "So, you like Chun? Just like every girl I know."

"I am not one of the girls that you know." He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Uhuh. And what were you planning playing manly in front of him! My, my brother will skin me alive if he finds out!" She remembered Aaron's hands lingered on her back longer than necessary. And Chun witnessed everything!

"What are you so mad about? I have to keep appearences dearie. This is not Paris." He threw the cigarette on the fire place.

"Oh." That's all that she can say. Aaron's parents are also in Taiwan and they knew about him being gay. They are totally opposed him being. . .quite different but their influence doesn't reach Paris and Aaron's on his way making a big name for himself in fashion journalism. His family might have disowned him if he's not an only child. They had been lenient on Aaron so long as he'll be discreet. Keeping appearances like he said. His family owns a chain of convenience stores in Taipei, Hongkong and the mainland and is protecting the business first and foremost. "Sorry." She mumbled. She felt really sad for him for not being able to express his true self.

'It's okay. I don't want to go home. Can I stay here?" He asked.

"Why don't you stay at home? My house is bigger this." She asked.

"Really? Is it okay? I mean, is it okay if me and your brother. . ." He trailed off while giving her a playful look.

"If he's interested, why not?" She played along. "God, I really miss you." She sat beside him and hugged him tight. Aaron maybe gay but he's more than a man to a lot of people she knew.

"I missed you too." Ella's the sister he never had.

******************************************************************************

"Belated happy birthday." Joseph was waiting for her again outside the locker room.

"How did. . .?" He gave her a bouquet of white roses. She was speechless. White roses are her favorite. "Thank you."

"Uhm, you dropped this." He shoved her a pocket planner from his back pocket. Buddha help him but he asked Ella to get it from Ariel's bag. Even if he doesn't have it, he knew a lot of things about Ariel. Maybe a lot more that what her resume has. He just need the planner as an excuse.

"Oh. Thanks. You really didn't have to." She really didn't know what to say to him. "I ah. . .I really have to get going. It's late." She hurried to the employees' exit but Joseph caught up with her.

"Can I send you home?" He asked, his features almost pleading.

Ariel sighed. Honestly, she's tired and the walk to bus stop's quite long. "O-okay." She agreed hesitantly.
She had no choice but to hold on to Joseph tight while on their way. The guy's a speed maniac! Though she can see that he's a defensice driver. Fast but careful. But still. She's sure her face's void of color after the drop off. She took consecutive deep breaths before she climbed off the bike.

"I'm sorry. . .did I scare you?" He asked, face apologetic. She shook her head frantically. Then she remembered something.

"How did you know that my house is here?" She can't remember him asking for directions.

"I. . .Erhm. . .It's in the planner. Yeah." He struggled for an alibi. He's not even sure if Ariel wrote her address in the planner. Luckily, she just nodded her head, she seemed convinced.

Though she all she wanted to do at the moment was retire to bed and sleep, still, she had to ask. "Would you want to come in?" *I really hope you wouldn't.*She silently prayed.