His Town

by Ellie Danes

  “He definitely has connections,” I mumbled softly, “But I think you naturally would when you own hotels and casinos in Vegas.”

  “I guess so,” Melissa leaned her arm on the couch, using her hand to support her head as she looked at me dead on. “Be careful, okay? I don’t want you to end up getting hurt by this guy again.”

  “I know,” I frowned, “I’m going to be careful. I’m not going to rush into anything. For now, we will just work together, I want to see if I can truly trust him.”

  “You say that. But you kissed him tonight.”

  “I did,” I admitted sheepishly. “But it was a mistake, one I won’t make again.”

  “Alright,” Melissa said as she polished off her wine, “I hope you do, because this guy seems too good to be true.”

  With that, she wished me a good night and headed into her room, leaving me alone on the couch with my guilt and uncertainty.

  Chapter Two

  Chance

  I sat in my favorite chair next to the large window in my living room. I decided to work from home today and give myself a sort-of breather. Work was just so hectic. But today, all the work I had to do was work that I could do from home. I just had a few calls to make that morning, some paper work to look over. Everything was falling into place. After looking over all the company properties and the numbers, I called and confirmed the club’s opening date. I promptly marked the final date down on my calendar. The event was scheduled in two and a half weeks. Saturday night.

  I was practically counting down the days. I was very excited, as well as nervous. I leaned back in my chair, taking a break from my busy work. I looked out of the window at the skyscrapers glistening in the distance. The sun was high in the crystal blue sky, illuminating the city below. I stood and walked over to the large window, resting my arm on the cool glass. The cars and people below looked so incredibly small as they weaved their way through the bustling city.

  I couldn’t believe my father was coming here. I had hoped for this day, but I never thought it would actually happen. He actually said I did a good job. Well, technically he said he heard I did a good job. But still, that was the greatest praise I had ever gotten from him. Not to mention that he even apologized to me. It was like hell had frozen over. But man, was I grateful. I felt like the club opening being successful would be a new beginning between him and I.

  My phone vibrated as I looked at the display. I debated for a moment whether I should pick it up or not. I was enjoying my peace and quiet.

  “Chance Vaughn.”

  “Wow, so formal!” I could hear Becca giggling on the other end of the phone.

  “Becca?” I said breathlessly, but then I snapped to attention, “Well if you had given me your number at the restaurant, I wouldn’t have had to have been.”

  “Hmmm,” She chuckled, “then I’m glad I didn’t. I like businessman Chance,”

  “Oh?” I smiled as I made my way back to my chair. “Is that so?”

  “Yep, he’s all focused, hard working, and polite. It’s cute.”

  “Cute?” I raised my brow. I supposed that’s a good thing. “Does that mean the next time we meet up, we should go to my office and look over some paper work?”

  “Oh, sounds fun,” she said in a breathy voice, “But as fun as that sounds, I was actually thinking it would be a good idea for me to take a look at the club. I also want to go over some details with you, if that’s alright? Are you free?”

  “Yes, I’m free,” I shot up from my chair. The very idea that I could see Becca soon had me getting ready before she even said when she wanted to meet up. “Would you want to get a bite to eat first? Maybe an early dinner?”

  “Sure.” I could practically hear her smile over the phone. “But nowhere fancy this time. You won’t break out in hives or anything will you?” She giggled. “Maybe we can find some place off the beaten path?

  “Very funny, Becca.” My attempt to suppress a laugh failed drastically. “Are you ready now? I can head over.”

  “Sounds good!”

  I rushed out the door, ready for my impromptu, makeshift date and ready to see her again, at last.

  Chapter Three

  Becca

  I fixed my hair in the mirror, the smile on my face had yet to fade. Being able to talk to Chance always made me happy. But I couldn’t help but feel like we had gotten closer, even closer than we had been in Vegas. My intention was never to get really close to him in Vegas. It was supposed to be fun, hot passionate and conversation had always flown between us effortlessly. Now, finally, I felt like everything had finally been cleared up. I trusted him. After our last dinner, it became clear to me that we could actually move in the right direction, together. He had opened me up and made me more comfortable. Yet, he still made me nervous. My feelings for him had grown stronger, but I really needed to focus on our business relationship for now.

  I made my way downstairs to the street, thinking I was actually early, only to find Chance waiting in the car. I shook my head, brushing my nerves aside, and made my way over, slightly embarrassed I had kept him waiting. Chance opened the door and helped me in. He looked handsome, as always, dressed in a dark suit. The hint of his cologne floated through the breeze as I passed by him.

  “So, where are we headed?” I asked. “No place fancy I hope.”

  “Fancy? No. But I promise you, you will have never tasted anything so amazing.” I blushed as the words came from his lips. What he said was so simple, but the way he said it sounded so dirty, sexy and sensual. Though, it may have just been the fact that I was trying so hard not to focus on him, and yet he was all I could think about.

  Fifteen minutes later, after weaving through traffic and side streets we ended up in a place in the city I had never experienced, and quite frankly, would have never considered going. We stepped out of the car and I immediately felt out of place. The city block was in the heart of a somewhat run-down neighborhood. I couldn’t help by grab Chance’s arm, wanting to feel protected. He let out a small laugh as he looked at me. “It’ll be fine.” He smiled.

  We walked into the small pizzeria on the corner and Chance was immediately greeted by the short chubby man behind the counter, his shirt covered in flour and his hands twirling the start of a pizza. “Mr. Vaughn, good to see you again.”

  I immediately looked over at Chance, surprised he was known by name here.

  “Sal, good to see you. How’s business?”

  “It’s been great Mr. Vaughn. Thank you again.” Sal smiled as he tossed the spinning dough into the air.

  “Glad I could help. When you get a chance, we’ll have two slices of my regular…to go.”

  “No problem.” Sal placed the dough on the counter and pulled out two slices of pizza from the oven and wrapped them in foil, sliding them across the counter to Chance. “For you, and your beautiful friend. It’s on the house.”

  Chance smiled and thanked the man as they made some more small talk. We left a few minutes later and headed back to his car. “What was that all about?” I asked.

  “That was Sal, his family makes the best pizza in the city. I come here once a week just to get a slice.” Chance’s eyes lit up as he smelled the pizza through the foil. “You do like pizza, right?”

  “I do…but…why did he thank you?”

  “His son used to work at one of my properties. He was taking on extra shifts to help his family pay the bills for the restaurant and home. After meeting Sal and seeing what they had going on here, I helped them out. I made sure that he could spend time with his son and that they didn’t have to worry about…things.”

  I sat in awe as Chance explained how he had helped Sal and his family and realized the Chance was much more than a savvy businessman. He was genuine and sincere…and caring. I lost myself in the moment as he went on to explain the details, stopping only momentarily to take a bite of the warm pizza. For the moment, his charming and charismatic personality became soft and introverted. I watched him intensely as
I nibbled on my pizza, hanging on his every word.

  The driver pulled up to the curb of the hotel and stopped, bringing me back to reality and why Chance and I had decided to meet, for business. I knew my decision to work with or for Chance was going to take every ounce of effort I had. The attraction was growing stronger by the minute.

  I looked out of the window as my mouth fell open. The outside of the boutique hotel was stunning. Decorated with palms and large trees outside of the main entrance, I felt I had just been transported to a hotel in Miami Beach. The club was on the top floor of a sleek hotel and condominium combination. The top floors of the hotel were made up of fifteen, enormous penthouses, available for purchase and two luxury penthouses available for nightly accommodations. It was one of those places I wouldn’t even attempt to get into. It was hard to believe that not only was I going to walk into a hotel like that, but that I was actually in charge of the marketing for it.

  “I really want this place to make an impact. It’s going to be the place where all of the elite people in the city gather,” Chance said, looking at the building proudly. “I had a vision and got people who were willing to put in the extra effort to make it happen. This will be a place like no other.”

  “I’m sure it’s amazing, Chance,” I smiled at him as we headed inside. The lobby was breathtaking. Every staff member in the lobby was dressed perfectly in stylish attire that looked nothing like a uniform.

  “I have the top real estate broker working the sales aspect of the penthouses. Every owner will get access the amenities of the hotel and every guest will feel like an owner.” Chance smiled as he spun in a circle, taking in the scenery of the lobby. “The club has it’s own private elevator, accessible from the lobby. That will allow us to control access.”

  We hopped onto the elevator and rode it to the top floor, where club was located. The hall leading to the club was black and smooth, with modern lighting all along the way. An elaborate silver and stone logo was backlit on the wall. “Welcome to Skyline.” Chance smiled.

  It was even more stunning than I had imagined. In some ways, it reminded me of Paladium, though it was a much more sleek and modern. Definitely more of a New York City vibe. Chance gave me a tour, obviously very proud of what he had created. There were private rooms, two large bars, as well as few small ones, and the most amazing dance floor I had ever seen.

  I stood in the middle of the dance floor and looked up to the surrounding three levels of balconies, made up of private VIP suites, very similar to what I had seen in Vegas. “I’m speechless.” I looked at Chance, my mouth hanging slightly open. I immediately knew I had my work cut out for me. This was going to be a much bigger project than I ever handled.

  “The opening will be in two and a half weeks.” Chance chuckled. “I know it’s not a lot of time, but I’m confident you can nail this one. Anything you need just let me know. We aren’t sparing any expenses.”

  “I understand.” I shot him a fake smile as I clenched my jaw as the stress filled my body. I didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but just seeing how amazing the club was and how hard Chance had worked, I really didn’t want to let him down. Chance eased away for a moment to talk to one of the workers and I grabbed my planner out of my bag, ready to jot down some notes. I felt a shiver of horror rush through my body as I counted down the days until the club opening. The day was already circled in my calendar. Melissa’s wedding! A lump formed in my throat as I just stood there, stunned. Just my luck and I’d have to figure out a way to make both things work. I quickly turned to a blank page as Chance rejoined me.

  “Is everything alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost?” Chance chuckled.

  “No, I’m good. Just a bit…chilly in here. I was just writing down some notes…but I’m good.” I swallowed hard as I looked away, hoping he didn’t know I was lying.

  Chapter Four

  Chance

  I grabbed Becca’s hand and smiled as I looked into her eyes. “Come with me.” Her cold, clammy hands gave away her nervousness and I could only guess that she was somewhat overwhelmed. I didn’t blame her. I was giving her a rather large job with very little time to do it. But I trusted that she would do her best. “I want to show you something,”

  She smiled nervously as she followed behind me, still holding my hand. We took the club elevator the restricted roof level and stepped outside, the summer air slightly cooler on the tall building. “Amazing view, isn’t it? Kind of reminds me of that night in Vegas,” I said slowly, as I looked off at the radiant city lights. “That was… a great night.”

  “It was,” Becca frowned, her brow furrowed slightly, “’until Sara happened.”

  I turned to face her, grabbing her other hand and staring into her eyes. “I’m sorry about that. About all of that …

  “Chance, it’s okay.” Becca squeezed my hands and moved in closer. “I trust you. I know it took me some time, but I do. You don’t need to keep apologizing for something you didn’t do.”

  I felt guilty for what Sara had done. I was foolish to think I could have just walked away from Sara without any sort of repercussions, but I was grateful for where I was at the moment. I was free and with Becca, a second chance to make things right. I reached out and touched her face gently as she moved in closer. Our bodies were close together as she leaned in, her breath tickled my lips, taunting me. I lean forward, brushing her lips against mine. I was lost in the feel of her, tempted to draw her in closer. But just as I was about to move in, she pulled back and looked away. I wanted that kiss. I wanted more, but I realized things needed to go slowly.

  “I have an office in the hotel that you can work out of,” I said rather hastily. I tried to brush over the awkwardness as quickly as I could. “I’ll make sure you have everything you need. Come, let me show you.”

  Becca hesitated as she stared at me. “Chance, I have to be honest...” Becca dropped my hands as she stood in front of me. “This job…it’s perfect, but it’s so much more than I had done in the past. When I was at Johnson Boone, I had a team that helped me. We relied on each other.” Becca swallowed hard and continued. “I don’t want to disappointed you.”

  “We can find you help.” I smiled and nodded, attempting to calm her. “You just have to let me know.”

  “It’s okay,” she shook her head, “Maybe I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed. Let’s go see the office.”

  After weaving our way back through the club, we eventually made it to the hotel offices. My office had barely been used and the other corporate offices were still mostly vacant except for those occupied by the project managers.

  “So this is where you can work when you need to be onsite.” I lead Becca through the doorway of the office a few doors down from mine. I was startled to see a figure sitting behind the desk staring at us as we entered.

  “Chance.”

  “Dad? What are you doing here? I didn’t think…”

  “I needed to head to New York early.” I could feel myself stiffen as I stared at him. “I wanted to make sure everything was going smoothly and also have an appointment in the morning.” Dad glanced at Becca and back at me. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”

  “Yes. I’m sorry. Dad, this is Becca Carson, Becca this is my dad, Howard Vaughn.” Becca extended her hand to dad as he shook it and smiled.

  “So I overheard you’re going to be working here? Doing what?”

  Becca smiled meekly at dad. “I’m handling the marketing and PR for the club opening.”

  Dad stared past Becca and looked and looked directly at me, his face turning redder. “We agreed you were going to hire Rachel. Her firm has worked with us before. She has experience the experience we need for this.”

  “Dad…that…” I could feel the anger wash over me as I attempted to calm myself. All the confidence I had in my project seemed to crumble. I really didn’t want to cause a scene, especially in front of Becca. “That wouldn’t have worked…and Becca”

  “Why? Because of
Sara? You know that’s not going to be issue for long.” Dad furrowed his brow, his eyes locked on my face. The words hanging in the room. “Honestly Chance.”

  “Dad, this really isn’t something we need to discuss, now or ever.”

  “Excuse me.” Becca stepped forward, meeting Dad’s gaze head on. “I was hired for this job. Maybe I haven’t worked with your company before, but I’m good at what I do. You have no idea what I’m capable of, so don’t assume that I’m not a fit for this job.”

  The office fell silent as Becca continued to stare my father, not saying a word or moving. I wanted to defend Becca, but she clearly had everything under control. Becca turned to face me, her blue eyes flashed with anger. “Chance, I’ll be in touch.”

  My eyes beamed at Dad as Becca walked out of the office. “Becca, wait!” I turned to watch her leave the office towards the elevator not saying another word.

  “Just because you’re sleeping with a woman, doesn’t mean that you need to hire her.” Dad chuckled. When are you going to learn?”

  “It’s not like that…” I turned my attention back towards him and then stared him down. The anger surging again through my body. “Why the hell are you here anyway? You’re not supposed to be here to another two and half weeks.” I growled.

  “Chance, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

  “Okay, so talk.” I just wanted to follow Becca, make sure she was all right.

  “I actually came here because I have an appointment with a specialist.”

  “What?” His words registering in my head as I felt my stomach sink.. His face was creased with worry lines, his eyes cloudy, out of focus. I felt a lump form with my chest.

  “Chance, I’m sick.”

  Chapter Five

  Becca

  I paced back and forth in the elevator, frustrated at the confrontation that just took place. Howard Vaughn seemed like a tough businessman and an even tougher father. I felt for Chance, but I also knew that I was in this now, deep. I just made a commitment to not only Chance, but to his father, that I was the right person for the job. I had to prove myself to everyone.