by Chelsea Hale
“Hi,” he said.
“You missed dinner,” she said, suddenly wondering why he’d miss two meals in a row with the other employees. The other employees were like family to her and eating together had become an important part of her day every day, helping her break out of her shell and get rid of her past baggage. The included meals were part of the perks of working at this resort, and she’d told him as much after he skipped lunch.
He looked uncomfortable, but then his face smoothed out as he smiled. “I didn’t know I’d be missed. But I’m flattered that you want to have dinner with me.”
Her cheeks burned. She’d be nice to the new hire, but flirting wasn’t part of the job, and she wasn’t going to let him think that was what she meant. “Hold on there, towel boy. You might be good at folding towels, but let’s not move so fast on everything. Just let the kitchen know if you don’t plan on eating their food.”
He looked properly chagrined, and she took pleasure in knocking him down a peg or two. He was too sure of himself, too aware that his smile could charm anyone. Well, it wasn’t going to charm her, no matter what the butterflies swarming around in her stomach, were saying.
“I definitely don’t want to tick off the kitchen. I … had other plans for food today. But I suppose I could join for meals tomorrow, on one condition.”
“What’s that?” she asked, curious to know what he would say.
“Will you sit by me?”
She gulped. He didn’t know when to quit, but there wasn’t a problem in having a friend at work. She had learned the names of all of the other employees on her shifts. They’d all taken her under their wings since she started, and helped her move on from her past. Surely, she could do the same, though her heart wanted to say there was a different reason the butterflies in her stomach started up again. “Okay, I’ll sit by you.”
He smiled like he’d won the lottery, and she kicked herself for not seeing through it. “Now where is this convenience store with the sunglasses?”
She stopped in the middle of their walking, realizing they’d been heading in the exact opposite direction. Heat spread to her cheeks once again as she did an about face and walked back the way they’d come. “The quickest way is actually this way.”
“Can I ask you some questions?” he asked as they crossed the street.
As an orientation trainer she was used to lots of questions. “Sure. That’s what I’m here for. And if I don’t know the answer, I will find out before our shift starts again tomorrow.”
He glanced over at her, studying her. “Work-related is your preferred topic? I can stick with that, if you don’t mind being pestered after hours about work.”
Had he been about to ask her something personal? Why did that idea send her head spinning with giddiness? She cleared her throat, trying to gain control of herself as they walked together. “Work is always a good topic.”
“How do you like the employee-only beach?”
“That’s not really a work question.”
“Sure it is. I’m new here, and I’d love to know your thoughts. I’ve been to lots of different resorts.” He stopped himself and coughed. “I’ve worked at a couple different resorts, and I know that is something that is important to employees, so I’d like to know what you think.”
Important to employees? It was the way he worded it that made Callie pause. Did he not like using the employee beaches in general? It seemed he was separating himself from it. “I don’t have anything else to compare it to. I’m sure you’ll be able to figure out which ones are better by going to it yourself.”
“But I want to know what employees think of it.”
She tilted her head at him. What a strange thing to want to know. “And you don’t count as an employee?”
“Uh, I just mean employees who have been here longer than me.”
She nodded. “It’s nice. I don’t get there as often as I’d like.” She stopped herself before she explained why. The beach was her place to clear her head and she liked being able to do that after her long work hours. The resort needed people around the clock, so her beach time was limited. Growing her capital gave her something to measure her success by as she pieced her life back together.
She could tell he wanted to ask her another question, but before he could, they entered the touristy convenience store. “The sunglasses are all on this rack, and the fancy ones are over there.” She pointed to the glass case with designer sunglasses.
He looked toward the case first, but then he spun the rack a few times.
Callie picked up some Chapstick and sunscreen and handed him some too. “Here you’ll want these too. What’s wrong?”
“None of these are what I want.” He glanced over to the case again. “How much are those?”
Callie’s eyes widened. “I think the lowest start around $300.”
He sighed, trying on another pair of the twenty-dollar variety. Callie grabbed a couple pairs off the rotating holder. “Here, try these on. They look like designer sunglasses.”
“But do they feel like designer sunglasses?” He took the glasses and tried them on. The paper tag hung from the glasses, hitting him squarely on the nose.
“I couldn’t tell you. Do they feel comfortable?”
“No.”
She handed him a few more pairs. She pulled one off the rack and then studied the case. “These ones look like Gucci knock-offs. Maybe they’ll be comfortable.”
He tried them on, and tilted his face in all different directions, probably seeing if they’d fall off. “How do they look?”
“They look great. You look like a billionaire in those shades.”
He laughed nervously, and took them off. “Do I really?”
“I mean, they look good on you.”
His brow smoothed out. “That’s as close to a compliment as I’ve heard from anyone today, so I suppose this pair is the winner.”
He paid for the sunglasses and the other things Callie had picked out for him with cash. Callie shouldn’t have noticed, she shouldn’t have paid attention. Lots of people paid with cash, especially at a convenience store.
She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the warning bells going off in her brain. A thousand times, she’d seen Michael pay with cash. Everything was always in cash. She thought that meant that he didn’t have credit card debt, that he was being fiscally responsible. She admired him for never carrying a balance. But it had all been a lie.
“Callie? Are you coming?” Liam asked.
“Yes.” She paid for her own items and caught up with him.
Her past experiences were coloring her present, and if she wasn’t careful they’d color her future too. She couldn’t suspect everyone who paid with cash of being dishonest. Besides, Liam was a resort employee, and today was his first day. If he’d been at a local bank or credit union at his last resort, chances were high he hadn’t even set up a new banking system locally. He said he was new to the area, or maybe she’d just assumed that. Either way, she didn’t have to get all crazy just because he paid with cash.
Liam’s words broke through her thoughts. “Thanks for helping me get my sunglasses. I think I would have been there all night trying them all on over and over if you hadn’t helped me.”
She waved a hand in the air. “It was no big deal. I needed more Chapstick anyway. And those sunglasses do look nice.”
And he looked nice in them. He really did have a movie star appeal. She stopped herself thinking about his good looks.
They crossed the street again, heading back down the winding drive of the resort toward the employees’ housing. The sun was setting, its last rays glimmering through the trees that marked the resort’s boundaries.
“So, you don’t go to the beach regularly? I thought all employees would spend at least one break there every day since the resort opens the employees’ area for free any time you’re not on duty.”
“I try to work as many shifts as possible. Sometimes my shifts don’t end until
after the beach is closed.”
He looked like he’d ask her another question about it, but instead stared off through the trees to where the sun was sinking lower, almost completely gone from their view. “I suppose if you hadn’t shown me to the convenience store, you could have gone tonight.”
She’d been happy to go with him. Besides, she probably wouldn’t have gone to the beach instead. She might have stayed and worked a little longer. She wanted to explain to him that he hadn’t been the reason for it. “There’s always another time for it,” she said. “I had no plans this evening.”
And if she was completely honest with herself, going to the beach after meeting Liam wouldn’t have provided the usual relaxing head-clearing time that she normally would have enjoyed. She would have been thinking of him and how much she was looking forward to working with him again tomorrow. What was with her?
He raised his eyebrows at her. “There’s always time for it? Would you show me the beach during one of our breaks tomorrow?” He paused, looking at her. He must have seen her hesitation in her eyes because he quickly smoothed over the awkwardness and said, “I’m still a little turned around on the layout of this place.”
She rolled her eyes. If she hadn’t known better, she would say that he’d studied the plans for this hotel, the way he was comfortable and familiar in walking through the corridors and even outside along the pathways. But then, maybe that was the general confidence that came when you’d worked in a resort before. Maybe he always felt comfortable in new resorts because they were similar enough to the last ones. “I’ll show you the beach tomorrow.”
Between that and the meals sitting next to him, she was going to have to be careful. He was way too cute to be falling for. She wasn’t in the mood for any kind of distraction in her life. Especially not one with eyes that seemed to melt her from the inside out.
Chapter 6
“I left you five emails that need your attention tonight,” Sayler said through the phone.
“Okay, I’ll pull them up.” Liam fell onto his bed in the resort’s employee housing and pulled out his laptop. He bounced around trying to get comfortable on the queen bed and finally jammed several pillows behind him.
It was only two weeks, and thankfully he had his own room, but room was almost an exaggeration. He tried hard not to imagine this room that he’d call home for the next two weeks and where it would fit in his mansion. But it was no use, his brain had already compared. He could fit the entire room and bathroom in a small section of his guest closets. He could probably fit four of the equivalent rooms into his own master closet. Ugh. He knew it came off sounding wrong, but he felt claustrophobic in small spaces.
“How are you settling in?” Sayler must have sensed his discomfort, or maybe she just knew him that well.
“It’s not the Plaza or the Four Seasons.”
“Or a brilliant, but far-surpassing, luxury stay at a Summers Resort,” Sayler said.
“Exactly.” He opened his email, and glanced through the ones Sayler had marked as urgent. He talked through a few of the issues with her, not bothering to type the replies. He asked her about a few of the other resorts, but Sayler had it all under control. “You’re the best, Sayler. Thanks for all of your help.”
“That’s what I’m here for. You’re my favorite boss that I get to boss around.”
He smiled. “It’s a good thing you’re good at what you do.”
“It’s true, otherwise you’d be drowning in paperwork and bored to tears doing something sensible with your life.”
Liam took the sunglasses he’d bought with Callie out of the bag. “Sayler, can I ask you something personal?”
A pause came on the other end of the line. “You can always ask me anything. You know I’ll tell you what I honestly think, so keep that in mind, if you really don’t want the answer.”
Sayler was never one to hold back, and he found that invaluable in his business. But Callie was the only thing on his mind as he asked, “Do I have a certain look about me? Do I look like a billionaire?”
“How do billionaires look?”
“I don’t know. I bought some new sunglasses with a woman, and she said they made me look like a billionaire. Do I look like a billionaire?”
Sayler laughed. “Do my ears deceive me or does Liam have a little crush after one day of working with someone?”
Liam rolled his eyes, but the words shocked him. “Just answer the question.”
“It’s not your looks per se. Yeah, you have a brilliant smile, and eyes that make people weak in the knees, but it’s your attitude that makes you look like a billionaire.”
“My attitude?”
“I’m not sure why I have to explain this to you. You walk around like you own everything you look at. You take pride in your ownership and you project that from yourself. So, is it the cheap knock-off sunglasses? I doubt it. It’s the way you act when you want to be noticed.”
“I see.” Though Sayler’s words had his mind spinning.
“You’re not used to this though, are you?”
“Used to what?”
“Not getting the special treatment. Not bypassing lines, or having to go get yourself your own sunglasses, or eating the same meal served to all the employees.”
“I can handle it for two weeks.”
“Oh, I know you can. And you’ll be brilliant at it. Just don’t walk around like you own the place already. Yes, it is yours, but no need to get ahead of yourself.”
Liam knew she was right. “Fair enough. Thanks, Sayler.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
* * *
“So this is the beach?” Liam asked Callie as he approached the small area, mostly shaded by palm trees in the early morning.
It didn’t seem like much, but there were a few employees already enjoying the sun and taking out surfboards. It was decent, but he wondered if improvements would make it a better amenity. Callie seemed very savvy around the resort, and he wanted her opinions. Sayler had been wrong when she had said that he had a crush on Callie. Okay, Callie was beautiful, and he’d be lying to say that he hadn’t noticed her since they met, but he was here for business.
She looked around, spanning her hands wide to take in the space. “This is it. As long as you have your employee badge with you, you can use this area. It’s similar to the rest of the beach that the guests use, and it’s nice for employees to have a break and enjoy the beach without feeling like they are trespassing on the guests’ vacations.”
Liam nodded, taking in the lounge chairs and the small tables set up next to them. “This looks nice.”
Callie put on a smile. “It is nice.”
“But you don’t like it?”
She paused before answering. “I never said I didn’t like it, only that I don’t have much time for this sort of thing.”
How could she not have time for the beach if she was working at a beach resort?
“What would need to change so it is your thing?” That was a bold statement.
He remembered Sayler’s advice to not standing out too much, but he assumed this was why Dale had wanted him to go undercover in the first place. Liam wanted the insider opinions of the staff, and the one employee he most cared about was Callie. He wanted to know about her and her thoughts. When no one knew who he was they didn’t pander their opinions around him and try and guess what he hoped they would say. He knew Callie would give him information off the cuff.
“Nothing can be done about it. It’s just not my thing.” She turned like she would leave.
“You aren’t even going to stay for your break?”
She bit her lip.
“If it’s me bothering you, I can leave. You can enjoy the beach.”
Her smile was sad. “It’s not you. I’m … not in a place in my life where I take too many breaks. The more I work the faster I’ll recover from … well, the faster I can move on. I’m not sure what the other resorts are like where you were before, but thi
s one is nice. They take care of their employees, but as for any of the extras, I’m not one to enjoy them. My goal while I’m here is to work.”
“You don’t work every shift though?” How much overtime did she work? He’d asked that he be put through the accelerated program, but he didn’t expect he’d be trained by the same person each shift.
“You’re one to talk on that, because you’re wanting to get through the training faster than usual,” she said as if reading his mind.
“Touché. I guess I’m not one to waste time either.” And he only had thirteen more days. He looked out at the ocean. “You have big dreams, then?”
She nodded slowly. “Don’t we all?”
“I suppose we do,” he admitted. He tried to think of the last time he had a big dream, something bigger than what he’d already accomplished. He had properties all over the world, and he checked up on them regularly. Last year he added a few new properties to the large portfolio, and he had three more under construction. “What would you change about this place, if you could?”
“You assume my big dreams have to do with this hotel?” She looked behind them to the resort.
“No … I guess not.”
She gave him a smile like maybe she’d actually answer his questions, and he wanted to know her answer. She rubbed her hand through the sand, uncovering some garbage, and put it in her pocket. “Well, once upon a time, I had a dream to get a line of designer purses into higher-end hotels like this. Something exclusive that people could buy on their vacations, not offered just anywhere.”
His mouth fell open. Whatever he had expected her to say, that hadn’t been it. “You want to sell purses? Why aren’t you in that field then, learning about it?”
She gave him a sideways glance and kept facing the water. She hesitated and then finally said, “You asked about my dreams. You didn’t say they had to be realistic. What about you?”
“What about me?”
“You ask a lot of questions about changing things. I assume it’s because you’re trying to figure out if you like this hotel better than the last one you worked at. But what changes would you make if you owned this resort?”
