by Parker, Ali
I leaned forward. “I’m not here to argue that with you. Richie has suggested we bring you on to run the hotel. However,” I held up my finger and gave him my sternest look, “I’m not here to coddle you. I have a business to run. I. Run. The. Hotel. Period. My hotel. I will let you come on as manager. You fuck up, you’re out. I owe you nothing. I’m only doing this because I am willing to give you a chance. You get one with me.”
Gabe looked at Richie before nodding. “I understand. I graduated at the top of my class. I always believed I would one day inherit the hotel. I wanted to do my best to make it a success.”
“Good,” I said, relaxing a little. “You and I will be working closely together over the next week so you can get a feel for how I do things. I’ve got meetings with contractors and designers that have been put on hold for too long already. I have executive control. I will listen to your opinions, but it is my decision that rules. Understand?”
I could see his little kid hackles going up. I shot Richie a look. Part of me was hoping he would shoot me down. I didn’t necessarily want to work with him, and I really didn’t want to invest the time into training him. I had better things to do. Better people to spend it with.
“I’m not a kid,” he retorted.
I raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t say you were.”
Not aloud at least.
“Look, there are some things that we need to clear up,” Richie started. “Gabe, us hiring you is a very generous offer. Trent is a hands-on guy. He doesn’t hire people to run his hotels—yet. You coming on is a break in the way things are done. You are bending to him, to me. We aren’t bending to you.”
Gabe seemed to respond to Richie better than he did with me. I was rough around the edges, especially when it came to young, wide-eyed kids like him. It was years of working with them in the military. I had to break them of that wonderment or watch them die. Obviously, the hotel wasn’t a do or die situation, but it was the way I operated.
“I can’t afford to wait another day,” I said, looking at him. “It’s pretty straightforward. You do, or you don’t. I don’t give a shit either way.”
“Fine,” he said, clearly not all that happy.
“We start today.”
His eyes widened. “What?”
“Your shenanigans have already cost me a week already. I have a meeting with the first contractor in about an hour. What you’re wearing is fine.”
He looked down at his cheap suit and then back at me. “I guess I can do that.”
I smirked. As if he really had a choice. I was playing hardball. He was my least favorite person on the planet right then. He cost me a lot of stress and lost time with Sade.
“Thanks,” I said, looking at Richie. “I’ll call my driver. We’ll head over there in twenty minutes. The three of us.”
Richie gave me a brief nod. “All right. Gabe, come with me and let’s get you in the system.”
They left the office, leaving me alone once again. I needed to call Sade. I checked the time and knew she would be knee deep in test tubes. I didn’t want her to think I was going to show up. I had to give her plenty of warning.
I sent a quick text, letting her know there had been a change in plans and I would call her later. Then it was a call to Bentley. And the contractor. I might have fudged the time a bit. I wasn’t actually supposed to meet the contractor until tomorrow, but I wanted Gabe to understand how serious I was about getting the project started.
The contractor knew it was a big job and quickly agreed to meet. The meeting was important. I needed Gabe to see how I worked and what I demanded in the people that worked for me. If the kid was going to stick around for any length of time, he needed to understand what I expected. I was building a name, a brand, and I would not tolerate anything less.
I walked out of my office and meandered around until I saw Richie and Gabe coming out of his office. “Ready?” I asked.
They both gave me a nod. “Let’s do this.”
“Bentley’s waiting.”
“Who’s Bentley?” Gabe asked.
I shot him a look. “My driver.”
“Oh,” he replied.
I headed across the lawn and into the lobby. As always, my eyes scanned the area, looking for anything out of place. I bent down, picked up a stray wrapper, and tossed it into the trash as I walked through the lobby. I shook a few hands, smiled, and made small talk with a few of the guests. It was all about setting the example.
Bentley was waiting. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the extra passenger but said nothing. Instead of riding in the back with Gabe and Richie, I opted to take a seat up front. Bentley looked a little confused but did his thing. I had seen the look Gabe gave him when he saw the prosthetic arm. It was the first test. He passed.
We stood outside the hotel, taking a stroll around the grounds. Richie, knowing me well, had his tablet out and was making notes. I looked at Gabe, who quickly caught on and pulled out his phone.
“Pay attention,” I said, looking directly at Gabe. “I need you to understand what I expect.”
“Got it.”
The contractor showed up, and we spent the next two hours walking the entire property. My leg was killing me by the time we got back in the car. I closed my eyes, mentally combatting the throbbing in my leg. Once again, I had to wonder why I was working myself so hard. For what? Money? I had more money than I could ever spend.
I’d never set out to be rich. Was it worth it?
Chapter 31
Sade
I rushed into the employee break room and grabbed my purse, pulling out my phone. I knew there would be a text from him. He had steady access to his phone and often texted me throughout the day. I checked every break I got. It was something pleasant to look forward to.
I was completely bummed I wasn’t going to get to see Trent until at least the following weekend. It was a hard feeling to describe, but my heart felt a little empty. I felt like I was missing a part of me. He wasn’t dead. He was only a couple hundred miles away, but it felt like a couple thousand miles.
I sat down at the small table in the breakroom, my phone on the table as I opened up my lunchbox. I took a bite of my sandwich when the door pushed open. One of my colleagues walked in. He was probably my least favorite coworker. There was something about him that just rubbed me wrong.
“Hi, Sade,” he said with a smile.
“Hi, Cash.”
He grabbed a soda from the fridge and sat down at the table. “Whatcha doing?”
I looked at the sandwich in my hand and then him. “Eating lunch, Cash.”
He grinned, looking directly at my breasts. The scrub tops were very awkward fits, stretching over my boobs and hugging my ass. I was going to get a bigger size, I decided just then.
“What are you doing this weekend?” he asked.
“Going out with my boyfriend.”
He smirked. “Sure, you are.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I am.”
“Are you just telling me you have a boyfriend because you think that’s going to scare me off?”
“I’m telling you I have a boyfriend because it’s the truth,” I said. “I don’t need anything to scare you off. I’m not interested. Period.”
Just then, Holly pushed open the door, took one look at me, then Cash. “Get out,” she ordered.
He laughed. “You girls are too uptight. You need to loosen up. Try getting laid. Just because you work in a lab doesn’t mean you have to act like nerds.”
I rolled my eyes. “Good advice, Cash.”
He left the breakroom, much to my relief. Holly grabbed her cold lunch from the fridge and took a seat. “He’s like that to everyone. He obviously missed the sexual harassment part of orientation.”
“He’s persistent; that’s for sure,” I replied before taking another bite of my sandwich.
“He’s obnoxious. I don’t understand why he even works here. I don’t think he has the first clue about science or medicine or anything
in general. He must know someone.”
I laughed. “Maybe his dad owns the place.”
“How’s it going so far for you?” she asked.
I nodded, taking a drink of my soda. “Good. I like it. I’m anxious to really get to the good stuff. I know we have to do all the training and prove we’re not going to blow up the lab or create some kind of crazy superbug, but I’m anxious to get on a project.”
“I’ve heard there’s one in the works. It could be starting soon.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
“Do we all get to work on it, or is there an audition process or something?” I asked nervously.
She shrugged a shoulder. “Usually, it’s most of us, but there are always going to be a handful of workers that have to stay on other tasks and take care of control studies and run tests.”
I groaned. “I really hope I can be a part of a project. That’s what I got into this job for.”
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
I was stuffing my sandwich into my mouth, trying to finish my lunch so I could sneak a call to Trent. My phone vibrated. I snatched it off the table, hoping to find a message from Trent. He knew the general time I took my lunch and usually tried to call or text me then.
It wasn’t Trent. It was a message from Khloe with a screenshot.
“What the hell?” I murmured, using my fingers to enlarge the picture.
I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face. Holly leaned over and looked at the picture. “Damn, that guy is hot!” she exclaimed.
“That’s my boyfriend,” I said proudly, beaming at the picture of Trent on the cover of a magazine.
“No, it isn’t.”
“Yes, it is. Trent Gilroy.”
She shook her head. “Ryan Gosling is my boyfriend.”
I couldn’t help but giggle. “Fine, you can have Ryan, but Trent is mine. Truly. I was just with him this weekend.”
She snatched my phone and stared at his picture, those blue eyes like beacons staring back at anyone that looked. “Oh my god.”
“I know, right?”
It felt weird to call him my boyfriend. Really weird. But he was. He insisted he was, and I wasn’t going to argue it. I took the phone back and read the headline announcing him as the new face in the hotel world. I was so proud of him. I was going to have to hunt down a copy of the magazine. I wanted to read the story.
I forwarded the picture to Trent, along with four question marks. I was a little surprised he hadn’t mentioned the fact he was going to be on the cover of a magazine. He immediately replied with a blushing face emoji, which made me smile.
“Is he nice in person?” Holly asked.
I grinned. “He’s amazing in person. Sweet, kind, smart, gorgeous, and just everything a girl could want.”
“Oh, you got it bad!”
I laughed, my eyes on the screen reading the next text from him. He claimed he had forgotten all about the magazine article. The pictures and interview had been done a few months earlier. I didn’t want to be rude to Holly and quickly replied to him before putting my phone away.
“What about you?” I asked. “Do you have a man in your life?”
She shook her head. “Not really. I was dating someone, but it didn’t work out. I’m enjoying the single life for now.”
I nodded with understanding. “Being single isn’t bad. Honestly, Trent is my first real boyfriend in a long time. Hell, I think ever. College guys don’t really count.”
She laughed. “No kidding. Sex and partying are their priorities, and they are usually not picky about who they do it with.”
“Exactly.”
“I do have a date this weekend. Maybe it will work out. I don’t think he’ll be covering any magazines anytime soon though.” She laughed.
“That was definitely a surprise. He’s so humble. He says he forgot all about the cover.”
“He owns a hotel?” she asked.
I nodded. “A couple. Technically three, but it’s a mess right now.”
“Damn. He must be rich.”
I shrugged. “I suppose.”
“You mean to tell me his money didn’t influence you to date him?”
I grinned. “Did you see what he looked like? Why would I need money to convince me to date him?”
She laughed. “True. Very good point.”
“I should probably get back to work,” I said, shoving the last of my sandwich in my mouth and washing it down with my soda.
“I’ll be back out in a few.”
I cleaned up my area and headed back to my workstation. Holly worked at the next station over, and while we occasionally chatted while we were working, we didn’t do it often. We needed to give our work our full attention. Plus, the lab manager frowned on conversations.
I couldn’t get the picture of Trent out of my mind. I realized I only had one picture of him on my phone. The next time I saw him, I was going to remedy that. I wanted something to stare at when I went to bed or when I was missing him. Most girls my age were snapping about a million selfies when they were with their friends or boyfriends. Not me. I preferred to enjoy the moment and not have the damn phone in my face or hand.
After work, I walked home, still a little bummed that I wasn’t going to see Trent, but I knew it was what I had signed up for when I agreed to the relationship. It was only two weeks. I thought about my parents and the thousands of other military people that went months and longer without seeing their loved ones. I didn’t think I could do it.
I liked talking to Trent when I wanted. I liked knowing he was one state over. I could get to him in a hurry if I needed to.
I walked into the condo, dropping my purse on the table and heading for the fridge for a cold drink. It had been especially warm, and I’d worked up quite a sweat on the walk home.
After downing the cold soda, I headed for the shower. I stepped under the lukewarm spray, cooling down and washing away the sweat from my walk. I was not the kind of girl who enjoyed exercising and sweating. It made me feel icky.
I got out of the shower, wrapped the towel around me, and rubbed the mirror with my hand to clear the fog. I stared at my reflection in the mirror and got an idea. I walked to the kitchen, grabbed my phone, and went back into the bedroom, closing the door as if someone might see me. I felt completely naughty.
I held up the phone, a complete novice in the world of selfies, and took one, examining it and quickly trashing it before taking another one from a different angle. I sent the picture to Trent, checking several times to make sure it was him I was sending it to and not my dad or someone equally embarrassing.
I waited, holding my breath. I couldn’t believe I had just sent him a selfie with me wearing nothing but a towel. I had made sure the towel was very low, barely covering my nipples and exposing plenty of cleavage. He made me feel beautiful, which gave me a huge boost of confidence.
You’re killing me. I miss you. You’re gorgeous. Drop the towel????
I read his response and burst into giggles. Being away from him sucked, but I loved our flirty messages. I took off my towel, put on my usual pajamas, and snapped another selfie before sending it to him.
Towel is off, I wrote.
There were a series of sad face emojis. I laughed again. I went in search of something to eat for dinner, rummaging through the fridge when I got a text message. I assumed it would be Trent, but it was my father. He wasn’t able to arrive until Saturday. I quickly let him know that would be okay and I would see him then.
I passed along the information to Trent. Maybe, just maybe, we could sneak in a quick visit. I anxiously waited for him to text me back. When he did, my spirits crashed and burned. He couldn’t make it. He had plans already.
I dropped the phone on the kitchen counter, disappointed and depressed. I kept telling myself it would be okay. It wasn’t the end of the world. We had Facetime and texting, and it wasn’t like I wasn’t keeping in steady contact wi
th him.
I was just going to have to embrace the suck. I was a strong woman. I didn’t need the steady company of a man.
But it sure was nice to be held in his arms and be able to kiss him whenever I wanted.
Chapter 32
Trent
I knew I was pushing the envelope a bit, but I had to see her. I checked the time and figured if I left work right then, I could squeeze in a couple of hours with Sade. I would go home, change into my tux, fly over, and be back by nine to make an appearance at the gala I was supposed to be attending.
It wasn’t much, but two hours with her was better than nothing at all. I called Richie as I walked out the door. I didn’t want to give him the chance to stop me.
“Hey, I’m leaving early,” I said as soon as he picked up.
“What?”
“I’m cutting out early,” I repeated. “I’ll catch up with you tonight. You can babysit Gabe for the rest of the day. I need a break.”
“Are you going where I think you’re going?”
I chuckled. “I can neither confirm or deny that statement.”
“Don’t you dare call me with some bullshit excuse that you can’t make it back,” he warned.
“See you later,” I said and ended the call.
Bentley was waiting to drive me home. My tux was already waiting for me. I quickly changed and jumped back in the car and was whisked away to the airport for my waiting helicopter. I was seriously going to have someone do some checking around to see what it would take to get a landing pad on my property.
Lately, I found myself trying to save minutes like a normal person saved dollars. Every minute I saved gave me a little more time with her. The landing pad could save me about an hour round trip. I was definitely going to look into making that happen.
I was hoping my surprise visit was welcome by her. I didn’t want to put her out. I was confident she would be happy to see me, but maybe she’d made other plans. I smiled to myself and shook my head. She didn’t. She would have told me. We talked all the time and told each other the smallest details about our days, including what we ate for every meal.
