by Tia Wylder
I was so mad that I was seeing red. Louis Franchot, that fat French fuck, was going to steal everything from me. I’d been working on my Nassau plans for months, and there was no way in hell I was going to let anyone take that away from me.
I hated Louis Franchot more than anyone else on earth – in fact, my hatred for him was so deep that it knew no bounds. Louis’s company, Triskele Inc., had fucked me over more times than I cared to count.
I stormed to the front desk of the hotel, my nostrils flaring in anger. The cute girl who had given me my key looked up at me with concern.
“I know Louis Franchot is staying here,” I said angrily. “And I need to speak with him.”
She didn’t answer.
“Now,” I added quickly. “Ring his room and give me the phone.”
The girl flushed but obeyed. When she handed me the phone, I was quaking with anger.
“Hello?”
“Louis, you fucker,” I said angrily into the receiver. “I can’t believe you!”
Louis’s deep laughter filled me with even more rage. “Ah, so you have heard ze news, then?” Louis’s thick French accent barely disguised his obvious pleasure at hearing from me.
“Yes,” I said sharply. “I have heard ze news,” I added, mimicking his accent. “And you won’t get away with this.”
Louis chuckled. “Jack, I had no intention of making you…how you say? Angry with me?”
“Well, it’s too late for that,” I huffed into the phone. “And because of you, I have to start all over! This project was going to be my best yet!”
“Maybe zere is a way that we could…work this out,” Louis said slowly. “You care for dinner?”
I groaned. I hated the idea of seeing Louis in person – just passing by was usually enough to make me nauseous. Louis and I had been rivals ever since I’d taken over Trident Gold. Like me, Louis is a developer…but unlike me, he deserves to be put in jail. He’s notorious for using cheap, unskilled labor and unethical practices.
It was no wonder he’d managed to get the land so cheaply. I wondered who exactly he’d screwed over in the process.
“Sure, Louis,” I said. “Dinner, yeah, that’s great. How about tonight?”
“Yes,” Louis said. “In ze hotel restaurant, yes? But I cannot do tonight, what do you think of tomorrow?”
“Whatever,” I mumbled. “I’ll see you later.”
I slammed the phone down into the cradle with such force that the girl behind the desk jumped and squealed in alarm.
“Is everything okay, sir?”
I ignored her. “Book a reservation for seven-thirty, tomorrow night, in the more…expensive restaurant. Then call Louis Franchot and tell him about the reservation.” I leaned in closer and winked at the girl, making her blush. “And then, make sure the bill is on his tab. But don’t tell him that part,” I added, snickering.
The girl nodded. “Yes, sir,” she said. “I’ll do that right away.”
I was full of anger and pent-up energy, so I went to the gym and blew off some steam while I killed time waiting to meet with Louis. I couldn’t believe he’d done this – snatched my property from under my nose, like a coward.
I vowed that I would make him pay.
At least he was amenable to meeting – I wondered if the greedy French pig would want to charge me double, which I was more than willing to pay. Of course, I couldn’t let him know that right away. But I would do whatever it took to make sure that property was in my hands by the end of the day. Of course he wants to meet with me, I thought as I pumped iron in the gym and stared at my reflection. He knows he can make a killing – I’ve been planning this project for months, and I bet he sent one of his little cronies to spy on me.
At six-thirty, I went to my room and took a long shower. Normally, I jacked off before stressful meetings. But I was so angry at Louis that I couldn’t even think of a girl – when I closed my eyes, all I saw was his fat face and beefy jowls.
When I heard the phone in my room ring, I rushed out of the shower and grabbed the receiver. Outside, the weather was cloudy, and it had begun to rain. Palm trees lashed back and forth in the wind, waving and flapping frantically.
I frowned. Stupid storm, I thought to myself. Well, I’m certainly not going to let it ruin anything for me.
“Hello?”
“This is an automated message from the Hotel St. Charles. We are planning to close down for pending hurricane, and we advise all of our guests to check out and book transportation home as soon—“
I slammed the phone down in a fit of rage. There was no way I was leaving, not without my property deed in hand. Fuck the storm. Fuck my stupid, spineless shareholders for not standing up for me.
And most of all, fuck Louis Franchot.
I barely slept that night. The hotel was busy and noisy, especially for a seven-hundred-dollar a night room, and I was angry that I could hear practically everything. When I stuck my head out of the door to complain, I saw that people were packing and leaving in a verified frenzy.
Pussies, I thought as I watched panicked tourists fleeing the Hotel St. Charles. It’s just a little storm, what the hell do they have to worry about?!
In the morning, the weather seemed worse. The sea was grey and stormy, and the sand was whipping about the beaches. I rolled my eyes as I stared at the waving palm trees. Just a few hours, and then I’ll be home, I thought to myself. I just have to make it through this stupid dinner.
At seven-twenty-five, I put on my clean clothes, slicked my dirty blonde hair back, and went downstairs. When I reached the lobby, I frowned. It was a ghost town. The lights were off, and no one was behind the concierge desk.
Maybe they all got called away to deal with a rude guest, I thought as I sauntered across the luxe carpet to the hotel’s signature restaurant. Still! This is an expensive place, I’d normally expect to be treated a little more kindly!
The restaurant was dark, but the doors were unlocked. I let myself in and frowned. It was completely silent. There was no maître d, no waitresses rushing around in skimpy black cocktail dresses.
And no Louis Franchot.
“Hello?” I called out loudly. “I’m Jack Nathan – I have a reservation, after all!”
My voice echoed off the walls, and I groaned.
“What is taking so long,” I demanded loudly. “Has everyone lost their fucking minds?”
There was no answer.
That was when I saw a long, golden bolt of lightning come down from the clouds and strike the water. There was a loud clap of thunder following immediately after, and the room went completely dark.
Oh my god, I realized as I stood alone in the restaurant. They’ve evacuated the hotel.
I balled my hand into a fist and swung it powerfully towards the wall, my hand connecting with the stucco. I didn’t even feel the pain until it shot up my arm.
“God damn you,” I muttered, picturing Louis Franchot’s fat face in my mind.
It was his fault that I was stuck here, alone, in this hurricane.
And it didn’t look like I’d be getting the property deeds anytime soon.
Fuck.
Chapter Two
Adele
“Adele, are you coming?”
I cocked my head to the side and grinned. “Of course I am,” I said. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t totally dying at the thought of this research opportunity!”
Lisa, my best friend and roommate, grinned. “I’m glad,” she said. She wrinkled her nose. “Some crap about a hurricane, though – have you heard?”
I waved my hand nonchalantly in the air. “It’s probably nothing,” I said. “You know they always blow everything out of proportion.”
Lisa laughed. “Adele, you’re funny,” she said, shaking her head. “And you would say something like that.”
I frowned. “Lis, this is the best time of year to check out the coral reefs,” I replied. “And there’s no way I’m leaving Nassau without the research to finish
my dissertation.”
Lisa nodded. “I know,” she said. “I just…”
“You just what?”
Lisa shrugged. “It’s nothing, Adele,” she said. “It’s just, sometimes I think you get a little too wrapped up in work, that’s all.”
“Work is the most important thing in my life,” I said, puffing up with pride. “And Dr. Mitchell thinks my dissertation is coming together really nicely – he even said that I could get a job with the EPA if everything goes well!”
“That would be great,” Lisa said. There was a touch of envy in her voice. “I’m happy for you.”
I nodded. “I just hope it works out.” Curling my fingers into a fist, I gently rapped my hand on my faux-wood particleboard desk. “Knock on wood, after all.”
Lisa laughed. “That’s why I love you,” she said. “Such an optimist!” She got up and stretched. “I’m going to get some food, you want any?”
I shook my head and turned my attention back down to my laptop. The beginnings of my dissertation were spread out over a variety of open word processing files – I knew I had a long night ahead of me.
“No, thanks, I’ll grab something at the airport,” I replied.
Lisa groaned. “God, that stuff is always so expensive,” she complained.
“Yeah, but they have that great burger place.” My mouth began watering. “And in Nassau, I’m sure we’ll eat well.”
“If only we could get reimbursed for everything,” Lisa said. She wrinkled her nose. “I just wish there was another place to stay beside the Hotel St. Charles.”
“I know, god, it always makes me feel so freaking snobby,” I said, tossing my brown hair over one shoulder.
“The life of grad students,” Lisa said sarcastically. She blew me a kiss, grabbed her bag, and left.
I sighed, relieved to be alone. As much as I love Lisa, I’m too much of an introvert to really enjoy anyone’s company in particular for too long. I’m happiest when it’s just me and my research.
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve known that I wanted to be a famous scientist when I grew up. So, when I got into the prestigious Lager College after high school, it was a dream come true. I liked it so much – and bonded with my professors deeply – that I decided to stay in grad school. I was only in the third year of my Ph.D. program, and I knew that I’d probably be there for a lot longer, but I enjoyed every minute. Even doing the boring stuff, like teaching huge undergraduate classes for a stipend, wasn’t bad.
Plus, I loved my colleagues. I was lucky that Lisa was my best friend – she was studying the effects of pollution on coral reefs – although sometimes our relationship felt a little more competitive than I would’ve liked. I knew that it couldn’t be avoided, but it did make certain things uncomfortable.
With a sigh, I got to my feet and stretched. I’d already started packing – we were leaving for the airport in a little over an hour – but my suitcase was a mess of strewn clothes and books. I rolled my eyes when I saw Lisa had tucked my bathing suit in on top.
Like I was going to have time for swimming when there was important science to be done!
I finished packing quickly, throwing in enough clothes and a raincoat, in case the rumored hurricane ever made an appearance. Not that I was going to let that stop me, of course.
By the time I was done, Lisa was back, and we got out stuff together and went outside to wait for a cab. Boston was frigid and snowy, and I shivered as we stood on the curb, imagining how good it would feel to be under the warm Nassau sun. Maybe a little time for swimming wouldn’t be the worst thing, I thought as I pictured the warm tropical ocean and how pleasant it would be to just float with a fruity drink in my hand.
As the cab arrived, an icy river of slush crashed over my feet, bringing me back to reality. As Lisa and I clambered into the backseat, I shuddered. This trip is going to be so important, I thought. I’m really going to be working hard. The idea wasn’t intimidating, though – if anything, it was more exciting than ever before. I was finally getting somewhere…and soon, it would be time for me to focus exclusively on writing my dissertation.
“I wonder if there are any cute cabana boys at the hotel,” Lisa mused, staring at the window at our frozen city.
“You know we won’t have time for anything but work,” I cautioned.
Lisa rolled her eyes and turned to me. “Adele, sweetie, you need to relax,” she said. “God, it’s been like six years since you had a boyfriend!”
I shrugged. “I don’t want a boyfriend,” I said honestly. “I want to do my work, undisturbed, without having to worry about some guy criticizing me for not being girly enough.”
Lisa laughed. “That’s a fair point,” she admitted.
When the cab pulled up to the airport, we paid the fare. I tucked the receipt into my wallet for reimbursement and grabbed my suitcase, following Lisa inside and out of the blowing snow.
“I’m going to the gate,” Lisa said. “You’re going to eat?”
I nodded. “I’ll see you before the flight takes off,” I said. “I won’t forget, I promise.”
Lisa laughed. “Set a timer,” she advised. “I know how you get wrapped up in your work.”
I found the burger place – they made killer bacon double cheeseburgers – and sat down in a booth, spreading my research out as I ate. By the time I heard the buzzing of my phone, I had grabbed everything, paid, and left in a rush with grease stains all over my shirt.
I arrived at the gate and found Lisa chatting with some of our other colleagues, Andrew and Sally. Lisa frowned when she saw me.
“I have to tell you something,” she said, pulling me aside.
I frowned. “I know I have grease on my shirt,” I said. “That burger was worth it, though.”
“No, about Nassau,” Lisa said. She frowned. “I just heard from Andrew – that awful French real estate developer just bought up a huge piece of land.”
My heart sank. “Louis, what’s his name?”
“Franchot,” Lisa said. She sighed angrily. “He ruins everything! Do you know how badly ruined the ecosystem is going to be after he builds that stupid hotel?”
I groaned. My research had involved that exact parcel of land. Of course, I’d known that it had been for sale…but with a thirty-million price tag, I didn’t exactly think anyone was going to swoop in, at least not until after I’d finished my dissertation.
“Men are so greedy,” I said angrily. “I’ll probably have to find a new topic!”
Lisa gave me a sympathetic smile.
Suddenly, an idea popped into my head, and I grinned. “Lis,” I said quickly. “What if I can find a way to stop it? Like, stop him from building anything?”
Lisa blinked. “And how would you do that?”
“By making a ton of publicity about it, and getting some rich people who care about the environment to give me the money I need to hire a lawyer! I bet if I can make people care about this a tenth as much as I do, he’ll be forced to leave the land as it is!”
“Oh my god, Adele, that’s brilliant,” Lisa said slowly. She narrowed her eyes. “But how the heck are you going to pull that off?”
“I’ll have to sneak around this weekend and take a lot of pictures,” I said. “And then find some new billionaire friends,” I added, rolling my eyes. “You know anyone famous who loves the environment?”
Lisa laughed. “No,” she said. She frowned. “Hey, Andrew,” she called. “Come over here!”
Andrew walked over, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his skinny throat. Andrew had to be over six feet tall, but he was the most awkward guy I’d ever met.
“What else did you say about that land in Nassau?” Lisa asked.
“Uh, I don’t know,” Andrew replied.
“No,” Lisa said impatiently, stamping her foot on the ground like a child. “You did say something – there was another name, not the evil French guy.”
“Oh, yeah,” Andrew said casually. He pulled out a Boston paper and h
anded it to me. “Some other guy – some local guy – wants the same property.”
I glanced down at the article and pulled a face of disgust. There was a color photo of a tall, muscular man with dirty blonde hair and an expensive suit. His eyes were dark and cocky, and his lips were curved in a smirk. The headline read: “Jack Nathan Sets His Sights on Tropical Waters.”
“He wanted to the buy the same land,” Andrew repeated. “The article talked about his plans for a luxury hotel or something.”
