Time to check in!

‘I’m so sorry, sir. I’m afraid that’s the very last room we have.’

You barely resist the urge to mutter something obscene under your breath. After making sure the mom and her kid got the first available suite, you hung back and chatted to Daisy while the others streamed towards the desk. And now…

‘I can ask the concierge to bring a pillow and a blanket down, if you like?’ The woman at the desk is older, motherly, wearing an expression of genuine concern. ‘We won’t throw you out into the storm, don’t worry! I’m just sorry the couches in the foyer aren’t bigger…’

‘What’s up?’ Daisy swoops in, eyebrows raised. ‘Don’t tell me there’s no room at the inn. This eve is already way too Christmassy for my liking.’

The woman smiles awkwardly. ‘I’m afraid there’s only the one suite left. In the penthouse. Your friend here insisted you have it.’

Daisy rolls her eyes to the ceiling. ‘Of course he did. He’s trying to embarrass me. Well, screw that – you said the penthouse, right? That definitely sounds big enough for the both of us.’

To her credit, the woman on the desk doesn’t blink. ‘Oh, I’m sure it will be, madam. Can I take a name for the deposit?’

You’re just opening your mouth when Daisy’s card slams down on the counter. ‘I said, don’t even think about it,’ she informs you in a low voice. ‘This one’s on me – I need the karma, okay? Santa’s watching.’

You laugh despite yourself. ‘Pretty sure that’s not how Santa works, but fine.’