Hermione woke the next morning with a banging headache and a sick feeling in her stomach, not entirely caused by the alcohol. What the hell had she been thinking? Why was she letting Draco treat her like one of his bimbos? She'd been on the bar for Merlin's sake! Totally overtaken with...she stopped her train of thought. What was it she was overtaken with? Lust? Desire? She had a quick flash, remembering the feeling of his lips on her neck and groaned. Bloody hell, he was so teasing, flirty and so, so tempting...

She stood up from her desk, not able to sit thinking any longer. She needed to get busy and keep her mind off him. At that moment the door opened and Ginny stepped in.

"Hi, Hermione," she said. "I've got all the menu options here and the calendar. Also, I've checked when the band are available. Can we check the room bookings from the small conference room or do we need to re-locate to the large one?"

Hermione stared at her friend, bewildered. "Sorry? What are you talking about?"

Ginny frowned. "Are you okay? You look a bit pale."

Hermione rubbed her head. "Just a headache. What is it you were asking?"

"Where we should hold the meeting this morning? We'll obviously need to check room availability and co-ordinate that with the nightclub bookings." Ginny looked over at Hermione who was still staring at her puzzled. "You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"

Hermione sat back down, heavily. "No."

"We've a meeting with Draco and Blaise this morning. They want to entertain some of their best customers using the nightclub and the band. Then they'll all want rooms..."

Hermione groaned again. "Oh Merlin! Now I remember! Why does that have to be this morning?"

"Have you booked something else?"

"No - I'm just not in the mood for it."

Ginny put the pile of books she was holding down and took the seat the opposite side of the desk. "What's going on? Don't tell me there isn't anything because I can tell there is."

Hermione scrunched up her face. "I did something stupid last night."

Ginny's eyes widened in her face. "Something stupid? Has this anything to do with Draco?"

"Yes."

Ginny leant forward. "Hermione? You didn't..., did you?"

Hermione shook her head. "No! Not that! We ended up in the bar, I'd been up to see him because he wanted to ask me something..."

"What did he want to ask you?"

Hermione frowned. "Actually - he never did tell me...anyway, we ended up in the bar, mixing our own cocktails..."

"What? You and Draco in the bar? After it had shut?" Ginny sounded incredulous.

"Yes - so we tested them all and we were both a bit drunk...then the next thing I'm on the bar and he's holding me and...well, it was getting..." Hermione sighed loudly. "You get the picture."

"Were you kissing?"

"No...I mean, he kissed my neck..."

"Blood hell!" Ginny sat back in her chair and clapped her hands together. "Bloody, bloody hell! I can't believe it!"

"You're not the only one."

"So, why exactly are you upset? I take it you were a willing participant?"

"Of course! It's just that I was drunk and acting completely out of character! I mean, making cocktails in the hotel bar after hours? Does that sound like me?"

"No - but it sounds just like Draco," Ginny grinned. "Hermione, you should let yourself be lead astray more often by him. It will do you the world of good."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That might be the worst idea you've ever had."

"So, you didn't enjoy it then?" Ginny asked, challengingly.

Hermione stared across her desk at her friend. "You don't need me to answer that."

"Oh, I do. Really, I do," Ginny smirked. "Come on - just how much did you enjoy it? What exactly did he do?"

"For Merlin's sake - I refuse to give you a blow by blow account!" Hermione said.

"Just a summary then?"

"He lifted me onto the counter and then he took off my jacket," Hermione took a deep breath. "He just moved his hands to my back and then he bent and kissed my neck." Hermione stopped, putting her head into her hands. "Merlin, Ginny - it makes me hot just thinking about it!"

Ginny giggled. "It makes me hot thinking about it!"

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Hermione switched on her professional switch and entered the conference room with Ginny. Draco and Blaise were already sitting at the large table with a cup of coffee in front of them. Hermione smiled but purposely avoided Draco's eyes.

"Good morning, ladies," Blaise said, his eyes twinkling.

Ginny took the seat opposite him. "Good morning, gentlemen," she said, with a smirk. "Shall we get down to business?" Blaise raised one stylish eyebrow at her and Ginny rolled her eyes at his unspoken innuendo. She shuffled some parchment. "So, am I right in thinking that the days you are looking to book are the 2nd and 3rd?"

Draco answered her. "Yes - that's right. The night of the 2nd will be when we want the nightclub and obviously any guests rooms."

"Well, the nightclub is free that night. I've asked for a block of rooms to be reserved - we can confirm exact numbers later..."

"Which rooms?" Draco asked, interrupting Ginny, who looked up at him.

"We keep a block on floor 3 that are usually reserved when we need quite a few..." Ginny looked over to Hermione. "That's right isn't it?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes - floor 3 has a section used by staff, so it allows us to reserve the whole floor for group bookings."

Draco looked at her directly and, for the first time since entering the room, she returned his gaze. His expression and eyes looked no different than usual, so she tried to do the same, focusing on the matter in hand. "What about the floor below the penthouse?" Draco asked.

Hermione did a double take. "The floor below are all suites."

Draco nodded. "That's what I'd like reserved."

"We don't reserve the suites for groups," Ginny answered him and he turned to look at her.

"You do now."

Ginny gave him a look. "There won't be enough suites for to accommodate everyone in your party."

"What about the floor below that one?" Blaise asked.

"Junior suites."

Blaise turned to Draco. "That would be alright - we can put some of the less senior staff in those," he said. He turned to Ginny. "I'd like to see a Junior Suite, please."

Ginny turned to look at Hermione, obviously unsure if they could agree to their request. Hermione decided to take control of this meeting - she was the manager of the hotel, after all. She felt uncomfortable about last night, embarrassed by her behaviour but this wasn't about that. This was business and she needed to act professionally.

"We can take you to see the Junior Suites," she said to Blaise. She then turned to Draco, who was already staring at her. "I'd be happy to reserve them along with the Full Suites on the floor above but I would need exact guest numbers. We can't afford to have suites empty."

"Just reserve the lot - I'll pay even if we don't fill them." Draco said this almost challengingly and he looked at Hermione, obviously waiting for her to protest.

"If that's what you want," she said. "There's a reduction for a group booking."

"Yes, that's fine."

"I do have a small problem, however," Hermione continued. "We already have some of those suites reserved. Because you are renting the Penthouse long term, we've had to offer some of our other guest who regularly use the Penthouse the best suites on the floor below. I have two that are already booked and one of our regular guests wants to reserve another," she said. "As there will be other guests on the same floor, I will have to insist on no disturbances."

Draco's expression changed, his lips curving slightly, his eyes sparkling. "Well, you can insist all you like, Hermione, but I'm sure you realise by now that I can't promise to obey." The way he said her name and the look in his eyes made her tingle. He had managed to change the entire tone of the conversation in one short sentence.

"Then we may not be able to let you have those particular rooms," Hermione leant forward a little and raised both eyebrows.

"Surely the hotel can't afford to turn down a booking like this?"

"The hotel has to consider all of its guests."

Draco's face now changed into a proper grin. "I would have thought that preference would be given to a guest who spent last night being entertained in the bar by the Hotel Manager?"

Blaise chuckled. "Yeh - I bet it was a blast wasn't it? I expect you had a right giggle."

Draco grinned. "Of course we did!"

"Is this a private joke?" Ginny asked and Hermione sighed.

"A giggle and a blast were what we named the cocktails," she explained.

"I'm not the only one who has shared the details of our evening then?" Draco asked, nodding his head towards Ginny.

"Hermione didn't enjoy telling me. In fact, she spent most of the time with her head in her hands!" Ginny answered him.

Draco laughed. "And so she should! I can't believe her behaviour. It makes me question the integrity of the hotel..."

Hermione put her head to one side and narrowed her eyes at him. "My behaviour was only as bad as yours."

"I'm a guest - you're the Manager. It's not the same."

"Are you intending to report me?" Hermione challenged him. She opened her eyes wide and thrust her head forward.

"I will, if you don't invite me and Ginny next time!" Blaise interrupted. "And I really want to taste a Giggle." He looked at Ginny who looked slightly puzzled.

Hermione turned to her. "Ginny's Giggle, Blaise's Blast, Hermione's Hotspot..."

Ginny burst out laughing. "Brilliant! I definitely want an invite next time as well! What's in the Blast?" She glanced over at Blaise who grinned.

"Chocolate, caramel and pineapple."

"Wow! That sounds delicious." Again Ginny glanced at Blaise who was looking at her intently. Hermione stared at her friend, who shrugged. "What? I'm just saying the drink sounds nice!"

"If you two can manage to control your hormones, we need to sort out this booking," Draco said.

"I'm in perfect control of my hormones, thank you!" Ginny protested.

Draco raised an eyebrow at her. "You sound like you're about to climb over the desk and enjoy a blast..."

"Well, women on desks sounds more like you're sort of thing," Ginny retaliated, a glint in her eye. "Oh, actually it wasn't a desk, was it? It was a bar." Hermione groaned and put her head into her hands and the other three laughed. "Sorry, Hermione," she said. "Shall I go and show Blaise a junior suite? That way I can't embarrass you any further?"

Hermione looked up. "Yes!"

Ginny and Blaise left the room and Hermione could hear Ginny giggling as the door shut. She took a deep breath, determined to act seriously. She pulled the parchments towards her.

"So, the booking will be for the eight Suites and twelve Junior Suites? What about any further rooms?"

"Yes - we'll need a few more."

"I'll keep the next floor down free as well - they're just standard double rooms?"

"That's fine."

"You'll have sole use of V.I.P. area of the nightclub for the evening and would you like the house band? They're performing on Friday so if you'd like to see them, I'll give you some free tickets for entry." She looked over at Draco who was still grinning. "What's amusing?" she asked.

"You are."

"Why, exactly?"

"You can just switch the professional side of you on, can't you?"

"Yes."

Draco smirked. "You do know that I'm going to spend most of my time trying to switch it off again, don't you?"

Hermione gave a little gulp and found her eyes drawn to his again. Again she reminded herself to not let him turn her to mush. "Just to prove that you can?"

Draco grinned widely. "You know me too well!" He nodded. "I'll look forward to seeing you let hair down on Friday."

Hermione did a double take. "Sorry?"

"Friday - at the nightclub."

Hermione stared at him. "I didn't say I was going - I meant I'd give you some tickets."

Draco smiled sweetly at her, indicating that he knew perfectly well what she had meant but had misinterpreted her on purpose. "Nah - I will definitely need to be entertained again by the hotel Manager."

Hermione felt her stomach do a little flip and she bit her lip. She could so easily give into his flirting but she couldn't afford to do that if she wanted to keep her sanity. Her emotions didn't work like that.

"I'm sorry - I can't. I'm already busy on Friday," she improvised.

"Cancel it."

"I can't cancel."

"Yes, you can."

"No, Draco - I can't!" Hermione insisted.

Draco sat back in his chair. "Well, you'll have to be free for the 2nd as I need a girlfriend."

Hermione frowned at him, not understanding what he meant. He needed a girlfriend? "What do you mean?"

"I need a girlfriend. Like at the meal - these are important clients and some of the same ones from the dinner party. I'll need you and Ginny to be there." Draco said this in a matter of fact manner, as if him requesting it was enough to make it so.

"I didn't realise that our lease agreement had a clause about me constantly being your fake girlfriend," she said, sarcastically.

"It's in the small print," Draco answered without hesitation and Hermione couldn't help but give a small smile at his easy humour.

"You'll have to ask someone else this time," Hermione answered. She couldn't risk another evening mixing a party atmosphere, alcohol and Draco Malfoy.

Draco raised one sexy eyebrow. "Playing hard to get, Granger?"

"No. I just don't think it's a good idea."

"It's some of the same clients as at the dinner party," Draco reminded her. "I can't turn up with another girlfriend."

Hermione shook her head at him. "For Merlin's sake! You're presuming an awful lot! I thought it was a one off!"

Draco gave a little shrug. "Mmm...well I needed to talk to you about that, but we got distracted in the bar."

"Is this your proposition? That I be your fake girlfriend again?"

Draco nodded. "No, my proposition is about us being able to do each other a favour but it will involve extending our fake relationship for a little longer."

Hermione sighed. "I just know that whatever it is, it will be a bad idea."

"Well, I'm sure the hotel is always keen to get some publicity?" Draco asked.

"My free advertising you offered, isn't going to be free is it?" Hermione asked and she found herself grinning at Draco as he gave a deep chuckle.

"You really do know me too well!"

"So, I have to pose as your girlfriend in exchange for a batch of free advertising?" Hermione asked. "That makes me feel like some cheap tart! Don't tell me! I have to drape myself over the piano in the bar for some of the publicity shots?"

Again Draco chuckled. "Now that is a good idea!" he agreed. "But whether you agree to be my fake girlfriend or not, the advertising is free. That isn't anything to do with my proposition." He gave her a look from beneath his lashes. "I didn't realise that being my fake girlfriend would be such repulsive idea to you."

"I didn't realise that Draco Malfoy would ever have to fish for compliments," Hermione smirked at him.

"I'm not fishing for compliments!"

"Good, because I'm not giving any out!"

"So, you're going to cruelly reject me at my important business event and make me look like a loser who's being dumped by his clever and beautiful girlfriend, in front of all my most important clients?" Draco's lips gave a little twist as he fought the urge to smile.

Hermione rolled her eyes."Oh, please! What a sob story!"

"I called you clever and beautiful?" Draco raised one eyebrow, hopefully.

Hermione gave a little rueful smile. "You really can lay on the charm when you want something, can't you?"

Draco's face broke into a grin. "You're going to agree to do it, aren't you?" he asked. His eyes were sparkling and Hermione sighed at her own inability to not let him manipulate her.

"Yes! But you'd better be bloody grateful, Malfoy!"

Draco laughed, throwing his head back. "I'll ply you with free champagne all evening."

Hermione shook her head vigorously. "Oh no! Definitely not!"

"Afraid you might give into your urges again, Granger?"

"My urge to tell you what an arrogant, demanding jerk you are?"

"You can't call me a jerk, I'm a guest at your hotel."

"Jerk."

Draco burst out laughing again and Hermione pulled the paperwork towards her, grinning. "So, as long as Blaise is happy with the junior suites, I think we've sorted everything," she said. "Do you agree, Mr Malfoy?"

Draco was still chuckling quietly to himself. "I think so, Miss Granger."