The Undercover Resort Billionaire

by Chelsea Hale

  “I suppose if I don’t, no one will, and you’ll crumble, and then I’ll be out of a job.”

  Liam smiled. “That’s a yes, then?”

  “It’s a yes, but I’m going to enjoy the pool, not just working the whole time. It looks a lot warmer there and I could use some sunshine.” She looked out the window at the rainy day. “When did you want to start?”

  He only had forty-five days to complete this two-week period. He might as well get it over with as soon as possible. “I need a week to get a few things in order here. Arrange everything with Richard. The sooner we start, the sooner we can finish.”

  “You’ve got it, boss.”

  * * *

  One week later, Liam drove the cerulean BMW convertible rental from the airport across the bridge onto Jekyll Island in Georgia. After their long flight from his headquarters in Seattle, the drive felt quick. In a matter of minutes, they were at the entrance of The Hideaway and Liam sighed. The outdated, plain structure felt old and well below the standards he and his uncle had set for their luxury Summer Resorts line. The pictures from the manila envelope must have been taken years ago, because the building looked shabbier than the pictures implied.

  “This is a lost cause. I have no idea why I don’t make the decision to tear it down right now,” he muttered to himself.

  He wasn’t one to be thrown off his game, but he’d built this billion-dollar empire from the ground up with his uncle, and spending two weeks at this place was not helping him move that dream forward.

  “You’re fulfilling your uncle’s last request. It’s noble,” Sayler said from the passenger seat.

  Liam hadn’t realized that he’d spoken aloud until Sayler answered.

  “Sayler, look at this place. It’s not me. It’s not the Summers Resorts.”

  Which had to be why his uncle had never put it with the other properties. Over the last three years, Liam had established a look—the way he wanted all of the properties to coordinate on his website—and it never included renovations on current structures.

  Why did this place have to be left to him personally? It was exactly what he didn’t need right now. He had the Midas touch when it came to construction and vision. He didn’t go and find what he wanted to own, he had it created. The exterior needed at the very least a strong facelift. It’d be easier to knock the whole thing down. Two weeks. That was all he had to do. Get through two weeks.

  Sayler cleared her throat. “There must be some reason your uncle kept it.”

  “Or more likely there’s a reason why he kept it hidden.” Liam took a deep breath. He could handle this. Richard had worked out all of the details, and Liam was to work undercover as an employee of the resort. The Hideaway’s hotel manager was the only one privy to the details surrounding Liam’s employment. “Fourteen days of work here. I can do this. I want to do this.” He tried to pump himself up over it, knowing that he’d have to keep repeating this mantra for the next two weeks.

  Sayler covered her mouth, holding in what Liam assumed was a snort. “What did you say?” he asked.

  Sayler snorted aloud this time. “Yeah, I’m just going to enjoy the you that wants to do manual labor.”

  “Hey now, I can do it.”

  She smiled widely, not even pretending to hide it this time. “I’m sure you can. It’s just that I’ve never seen it. And I think I’m going to hang out by the pool or the beach. Maybe I’ll get some pictures of you working undercover at a resort that you now own, by the way. I’ll hang one up in your office—you know, frame it and put a sign underneath it that says, ‘Employee of the Month’ or something like that, after you’re allowed to reveal your identity again.” She giggled.

  “You’re right, who am I kidding? This isn’t me.”

  Maybe he didn’t need to do anything with this property. He didn’t have to sell it or knock it down, he could just leave it. But then he thought about the Board of Directors controlling the Summers Resorts. He couldn’t let that happen. He’d worked so hard, and he wasn’t about to give up that control.

  Sayler reached over, putting a comforting hand on his forearm. “I’m teasing. I actually think you’re doing the right thing. It’s what your uncle wanted. This will be good for you.”

  Liam eyed her skeptically. “Are you saying that because I control your Christmas bonus?”

  Sayler was the best personal assistant he’d ever had, but he wondered if she was just stroking his ego. She would enjoy an almost two-week vacation at the resort while he worked. Of course, she’d be on call just like he was, if there were any other emergencies at any of his other resorts, but still.

  Sayler laughed. “I’ve been giving myself my Christmas bonus for years. And no, I’m not thinking I’m getting out of my job for the next two weeks. Check up on me if you want. I’ll have my laptop with me, and I’ll actually do work for half the time.”

  “But you think I’m doing the right thing? Being gone from my job for two weeks to do this?”

  “Your uncle wanted it. It might not be clear why, but he wouldn’t have given you such a strict deadline if he was worried about the Summers Resorts. They’ll be okay for a little bit. And I’ll keep you posted on anything urgent.”

  “Thanks, Sayler.”

  “You’re welcome. Good luck on your first day. I’ll be laughing at, er, I mean, watching you.”

  Liam laughed. He parked at the far end of the lot. “I’ll walk from here.” He jumped out of the convertible and popped the trunk, pulling out his suitcase. He tossed her the keys. “The rental is yours for the next two weeks.”

  “Hold on there,” she said.

  “What did I forget?”

  “You can’t take your Bvlgari sunglasses with you.”

  “They said employees can wear sunglasses outside.”

  She got out of the car and handed him a pair of sunglasses with the $9.99 tag still on them. “Yes, you can wear sunglasses, just not expensive ones. You’re supposed to blend in, not let anyone know who you are. The will stipulations were specific. Do I have to think of everything?”

  He reluctantly took off his Bvlgari aviators and placed them in her outstretched hand. “You do have to think of everything. And thank you for your attention to detail.”

  He ripped off the tag, and put them on. They pinched his ears, and he bent the cheap plastic out to see if he could stretch them a little bit.

  “Just think. Only two weeks and you can have your sunglasses back.” She waved them in the air before putting them into their case.

  “Thanks,” he said and headed up to the resort. He was a Summers. He could survive anything for two weeks.

  Chapter 3

  Liam read his uncle’s note one more time before stuffing it into the small dresser drawer in his room. He was in employee housing adjacent to the resort. Though old, the all-inclusive resort had a smart idea in housing employees since there weren’t a lot of residents on Jekyll Island, and certainly not enough to staff all of the hotels in the surrounding area. He made a mental note to go and check out some of the other resorts while he was here to get an idea of the comparatives.

  He took in his surroundings as he made his way to the main resort building. The landscaping was nice, he’d give the place that. But still, the whole thing felt like it would need to be torn down if it was ever going to amount to anything in the Summers Line. This place needed a wrecking ball and a good rebuild. From the maps he’d studied of the area, the location was perfect. He walked across the parking lot, spying the beach in between the trees and bushes as he walked. Why hadn’t his uncle ever redone this building? At the very least, a little facelift to match the elegance and luxury of the rest of the hotels.

  In the changing room, Liam dressed into the The Hideaway resort’s uniform consisting of white pants and a logoed button-down gray shirt, both starched to perfection and wrinkle-free. The stiff cloth felt scratchy against his skin. He put a finger between his collar and neck. His Italian suits were breathable and fit exactly. H
e’d never realized how much he liked his tailored suits until he was in a generic, off-the-rack uniform. He tried not to cringe. This was his first day and he felt the need to make a good impression, even if he was undercover.

  He hooked his name badge onto his shirt pocket. Liam A. It seemed Richard and his uncle had thought of everything, including using his middle initial A for Allen instead of the S for Summers. Richard had also suggested he shave off his signature goatee, as all employees of The Hideaway were required to maintain a clean-cut appearance. Richard had said he could probably get that waived, but Liam didn’t want to stick out, so he complied.

  Richard had also stipulated that Liam was not to explain what he was doing there, which was fine, because Liam wasn’t quite sure himself. It was better to keep things on the down low. His uncle wanted him to find magic here, but why did he need two weeks to do that? And why couldn’t he have taken a vacation instead of working here?

  Two weeks. He had two weeks to figure it out, and after that, he could do whatever he wanted with this place. The will made that clear. Richard had urged him to learn the inside and outside of this resort. Fine. He’d do that. It would give him the best insightful information he could get, and it only cost him two weeks of his life.

  Thankfully Sayler would handle all of his business while he was ‘away’ on a business retreat. He slipped his phone into his pocket. Sayler could call him in an emergency, and it wasn’t like he’d be working all day every day. All new employees were put on the rotation crew during the first week, and he’d try all the different shifts. He’d meet a lot of employees and get a good mixture of the overall feel of the place.

  The resort manager, Mr. John Rupert, was the only one who knew who Liam A. really was. John and Richard had been working together on this whole “experience” for Liam.

  Liam exited out of the employees’ changing room and headed to the employees’ lounge. Several people watched the clock, as the second hand raced around, touching each number and moving onto the next. He had two minutes. He chose a seat toward the back. It was hard and uncomfortable, but he stopped himself before he compared it to his custom-made executive chair. In each of his resorts, one suite was always kept vacant for him. It was his personal suite. He looked around. Everything here needed an upgrade, not just the chairs. Just one more thing against this place.

  “You’re in my seat,” a small woman with beady eyes and a long nose said. She looked almost like a bird, assessing whether or not he needed his eyes pecked out to be taught a lesson.

  Liam wanted to fire the woman on the spot for her rudeness, but he bit his tongue. There was no need to rock the boat. He needed to keep his head down and learn the ropes. Liam jumped up, trying to think of what he’d say if he were an actual employee. It was going to be harder than he thought to stay in character. “Sorry, I didn’t know there were assigned seats.”

  “There aren’t assigned seats, but newcomers don’t get to choose first.”

  Liam backed up towards the wall where several people stood. He felt completely out of his element.

  The woman next to him put a hand to her mouth, and whispered toward his ear. “That’s Ronda. She bosses everyone around. Don’t let her get to you. She’s prickly at first, but she really warms up once you get to know her.” Her dark brown eyes were sympathetic.

  “Thanks.” Liam caught his breath and tried to smile, but he felt like a complete idiot. The beautiful woman next to him brushed a strand of her highlighted brown hair away from her face.

  “Are you new here?” she asked. Her eyes held warmth in them, and he found himself completely mesmerized.

  He nodded. At least he could answer it honestly, but the words seemed to escape him. He cleared his throat, forcing himself to answer her simple question. “First day on the job.”

  She smiled. “I had one of those six months ago. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. It takes a little while to adjust to the culture here, but everyone you work with here becomes family. It’s a unique place. Have you ever worked at a resort before?”

  Liam nodded. He owned over one hundred resorts worldwide. Most of his work was in resorts, though not the kind of work she was referring to.

  “I hadn’t before this, and I’ve been fine, so you’ll be good. First two weeks are orientations to all of the areas of the hotel, then you will apply for your permanent position. I had no idea what I should choose, but if you’ve already worked at a resort you’ll be able to figure it out early, if you want.” She paused. “Do you already have an idea where you’d like to be stationed?”

  Liam’s mind went blank. Which part would he like the most? He hadn’t even thought about it. He enjoyed building the resorts. He appointed human resources personnel to hire people to do everything she was talking about. He mentally smacked himself for it. “Not yet, but I will once I get the lay of this resort.” And once he texted Sayler to ask her what he should say. He didn’t want to stand out like a sore thumb, but maybe he shouldn’t have said he’d worked at other resorts.

  As the minute hand clicked firmly into the top of the clock, the daily preparation meeting started. Liam listened as the shift coordinator gave instructions. Everyone checked in with their badge. He watched as several people were excused from the meeting to start on their assigned tasks.

  Half of the room cleared out before the shift coordinator spoke again. “To those of you who are still in this room, welcome. The Hideaway Resort is happy to have you with us. We will be doing trainings every day. For those of you who were here last week, you’ll remember the buddy system. Those who were here last week will have new trainers today.

  “Your supervisor will come around and check your work and your area. Then after lunch, you’ll have an orientation meeting before being trained on another area with your assigned staff member. We pride ourselves in making the working process streamlined. I know a lot of you were expecting to have an orientation meeting before we start, but here at The Hideaway we’ve seen that the meeting often overwhelms people, and starting with work is a great way to feel like you’re getting used to your new job. Are there any questions?”

  “Brilliant idea,” Liam muttered under his breath, his mind going a million miles in all directions. Whether or not he kept this property, having people start doing easy tasks and being trained by peers was an idea that caught him, and he wondered if he should try it in other places, especially when he hired people from other resorts. They already had a basic understanding of hospitality, so starting on tasks would be a great way to integrate. He resisted the urge to pull out his phone and send Sayler the information.

  The woman next to him cleared her throat. “Um, sir, did you want to come with me? I’m one of the trainers.”

  Liam looked up to see that everyone else was leaving the room. He’d been caught in his own thoughts. And now the gorgeous woman who’d saved him from the bird girl earlier was his trainer. That would be fine as long as he could find words around her. “Yeah. That’s great. Thanks.”

  The supervisor raised an eyebrow to him as he followed the woman out of the employees’ lounge. The supervisor had caught him not paying attention to the last of her speech. He would have to remember that he was not on his own clock. This might be harder than he thought.

  His trainer stopped and turned to him. She was gorgeous.

  “I’m Callie. Callie Hayes.” She held out her hand in the narrow corridor before they reached the exit that marked the end of the employees’ only hallway.

  He took her dainty fingers in his, shaking them, feeling electricity zap him up and down his arm from the simple touch.

  “I’m Summers.” He coughed. “I mean, I’m here for the summer. I’m Liam … Allen.”

  Could he really be so close to slipping up? He’d never been tongue-tied around a woman before, but maybe that was because he wasn’t himself right now, the self-made resort billionaire. He had the Midas touch, so said the articles written about him, but strip that all away, and for the next two wee
ks, he was just a regular guy. Just someone working for someone like himself. The whole thing was messing with his mind and it had only been an hour.

  “We’re on the west swimming pool area today. I’ll show you around.” She showed him the boundaries of that working spot, pointing out the other areas as they walked. “Basically, in this area, you just keep it clean. A cleaning crew comes by once every hour, so the main responsibility is stocking the towels, making sure there are enough lounge chairs and umbrellas available, and helping with what the guests need.”

  “Sounds great,” Liam said. “I’m ready to work.” He grinned at her, wanting to make a good impression, but not wanting to think about why it was so important to make a good impression on his trainer.

  They stood by the wheeled cart that was full of towels needing to be rolled. He watched as she expertly matched the corners and tucked the towel as she rolled it, stacking it on top of the cart, and assembling them into a pyramid shape.

  It didn’t look hard. He took the towel and folded it, placing his on the stack. It didn’t look as uniform as the rest. He pulled it off, refolding it again. Callie showed him the motions, breaking down each step. It was only towel folding. It shouldn’t be hard.

  His gaze wandered past her toward half a dozen other carts where other new hires were being trained. In all cases, the other employees seemed to be catching on perfectly. Except for him.

  After the fourth time of failing to get it to look right, he looked to Callie for help. “What am I doing wrong?” he asked.

  “Nothing. It just takes practice. You’ll get there. Here, try it like this,” she said, showing him again, slower.

  He focused on her every movement, copying her way exactly. Her words had a calming effect on him. If he couldn’t do something right, it was easier to hire someone else to do that job for him. This was the first time where he felt like he wanted to conquer the task, just to impress her. It was a silly, fleeting thought.