by Louise Make
Ben quickly sat down opposite her. “That’s the main reason I’m here, actually. It’s the ROCH account.”
“What about it?”
“You have to take it back.”
In the pause that followed, Langa wasn’t sure if she was finding it harder to breathe or to organise her thoughts.
“What do you mean?”
“Relax, it’s only temporarily. I’ve contacted the lifestyle TV programmes you sent me after and they’re interested in featuring the ROCH. Strides Ahead are on board! They want to feature the ROCH in an insert on Bonus SA, and use the hotel as a shoot location for Lap of Luxury. Plus run a four-page spread in their February issue.”
“That’s fantastic, Ben. But you’re more than capable of overseeing that.”
“I am. But you haven’t heard the whole of it. The producer insisted on interviewing you and Lazola Rhadebe for some inserts. You were at the helm throughout the ROCH chain’s explosive marketing and yours is the face people will want to see. Especially when considering the theme.”
“What theme?”
Ben put a folder on her desk next to the croissants. “It’s all there. Basically they’re running a wedding special that’ll be brought to the public from February – the whole month-of-love thing, you know. Each week part of the show will focus on famous couples and the preparations for their big day.”
“And the ROCH will be featured in one of those weekly inserts?” she asked.
“Yes.”
Langa rubbed her neck thoughtfully. “We should find out if Lazola would be interested in partly sponsoring a wedding.”
Ben grabbed a notepad and started scribbling notes.
Langa continued. “If we can get Strides to consider a viewer competition via Lap of Luxury, where the winner gets a dream wedding and reception, the ROCH would make the perfect romantic venue for the occasion. And the hotel would be featured once again when the winner’s wedding goes public.”
“Perfect!” Ben enthused.
“So I was right.”
Ben regarded her in slight confusion. Langa leaned forward and picked up the bakery packet before reaching for her phone. After asking her assistant to bring in two coffees, she leaned back in her chair.
“These are a bribe.”
*
Karen, the producer of Lap of Luxury, phoned Langa later that day.
“The insert for Bonus SA will be shot in autumn, so for now our focus will be on the love theme for Lap of Luxury. We want to cover the hotel and the genesis of your fantastic marketing profile. But it’s not all selfless; that amazing hotel fits in perfectly as our lavish paradise. We’ll be bringing romantic fantasies to life each week.”
Langa summoned all the nonchalance she could muster. “But Ben is in charge of that project now and he is as knowledgeable as I am. Why not interview him? We’ve partnered on most of the work that needed to be done.”
Karen chuckled. “Ben won’t send the ratings off the chart the way you would. The shows are about love and lust and all the fun things in between, my dear. It’ll be much more of a scoop to air you with Lazola instead of Ben. Who could resist such a striking pair? I promise that we won’t fabricate anything. We won’t need to, not with the way you two sizzle.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’ve watched your other interviews. I don’t know if you’re aware of the chemistry you and Lazola exude. It’s perfect for the theme we’re pushing. You two have more than good looks. You’re intelligent and sexy; and there’s an electric energy between you. Our viewers will fall in love with you.”
“Alright, if you think it’ll work.” Langa no longer regretted accepting the raise Robert had offered her. She’d be earning every penny. “Can you give me a basic idea of what to expect so I can prepare myself?”
Karen chuckled again. “Don’t make it sound like you’re about to enter a war zone, dear. Most of the questions will deal with the hotel and amenities on offer and, of course, the phenomenal success of your marketing tactics. Then there’ll be a few minutes on your and Lazola’s views on love.”
Langa gulped.
Karen noted her uncomfortable silence and hurried on. “No need to fret. We’ll keep it light, just to tie in with the overall programme. Okay?”
Every fibre in Langa’s being fought against her single-word reply.
“Okay.”
*
Gordon Cohen’s response to Langa’s refusal surprised her more than she showed at the time. She’d expected him to try and strong-arm her into committing to the job, especially since she’d seemed fairly keen in the beginning. Instead, he upped his offer. The money and benefits he added on shocked her.
It was the deep breath she took that cleared her mind. Looking into Gordon Cohen’s cold eyes, she turned him down – again. Something felt right about sticking with the promotion she’d just received at McMann, and she trusted her instincts enough to go with them.
The television shoot happened ten days before Christmas.
Langa barely slept the night before. She was nervous about the interview but more than that, she dreaded facing Lazola again. They hadn’t spoken since the last disastrous phone call, and Langa never asked about him for fear that someone might mention his impending wedding. He had let her go and she needed to do the same.
The Sandton ROCH gleamed in the summer sunshine as Langa approached it. The TV crew had already set up and she was ushered straight to Wardrobe as soon as she announced herself. The short spitfire of a man she encountered there scrutinised her for twenty seconds before turning to flick through a rail of dresses.
In no time he handed her a soft-green wraparound dress that drew more attention to her cleavage than she would’ve liked. The hair and make-up lady walked in to find her tugging at the beautiful dress and muttering to herself.
“Leave it, doll. Trust me, every woman I know would kill to be able to pull off that look half as well as you do.”
Langa’s cheeks heated and she willed her hands to remain still. “Thank you.”
“Alrighty, come on through to my lair so I can pretend to improve on perfection.”
The woman set about poking her little brushes into little pots and working on Langa’s face. Langa shut her eyes and tried to relax and enjoy the pampering. Within minutes a semi-natural look had Langa’s lips curving into an appreciative smile.
“That looks great.”
“You look great, dollface. The modesty’s cute, but you need to take a little credit here! Is it fine with you if we untie your hair for the shoot? I love how full it is.”
Langa frowned in uncertainty. “Are you sure? I thought you might want to straighten it, tame it somehow.” She shut her eyes again as powder was applied to set everything and remove any shine.
“Oh no, are you kidding? It’s so you – anything else would be scandalous, especially blowing it out. You look beautiful as you are.”
“I agree.”
Langa’s eyes snapped wide to find Lazola standing so close that she could make out the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. It was good that she was already sitting in the make-up chair because it took mere seconds for her to lose all feeling in her legs.
He was gorgeous. His eyes were dark and sharp as he watched her take in the sight of him. He wore dress pants and a light-green shirt that made his skin look sinful. He needed to shave but instead of unkempt, the stubble he sported made him look sexier, more dangerous.
“It’s good to see you too, honey.”
Langa followed his eyeline and was horrified to discover that he was appraising her form, more specifically her nipples, which had picked that moment to perk up. He smiled at her discomfort.
“Lazola, how have you been?” she asked coolly.
“Busy. You?”
“I’ve been well, thanks. I’m back on the ROCH account.”
“I see that. Nobody could possibly be more thrilled than I am, honey.”
Langa was sharp enough to n
ote a predator on the hunt when she encountered one, and her heart skipped faster. In that moment she knew that one of the things she’d missed most about Lazola was the guttural tone in which he’d called her that in bed. The endearment would never be the same again. It made her think of heat and silk and Lazola’s scent.
Once Langa was ready, the director’s assistant led them to the lounge that had been prepared for the interview. Guests had been notified that it was out of bounds, so it was empty. They passed the reading space and headed for an area with chairs and tables. The crew had set up lights and aligned the chairs for the best camera angles.
The assistant asked them to wait a moment while she fetched the director and presenter who would be interviewing them.
Lazola led her to some leather couches, away from the general busyness. As she stepped after him, Langa vowed that she would be as composed as he was; there was no way she would let him know the power he had over her heart and senses. So she took her seat and schooled her expression when Lazola joined her, sitting a little closer than she would have liked.
Lazola rested an arm along the back of the couch. It was almost an embrace, and the awareness warmed her. Flustered, she fluffed out her unruly hair, again questioning the make-up lady’s choice.
“She’s right, you know,” he whispered. “You look really beautiful today.”
“Thank you.” Her throat felt dry.
“So, how much is it going to cost me to get you to dump Hong Kong and accept my offer to run the ROCH?”
“Marketing is my field of expertise. Managing hotels is not. Rather look for someone who has more knowledge and experience concerning that sort of thing.”
“Why? You know this hotel inside out. All that’s left is for you to pick up aspects of its management from Thomas. This is a win-win situation.”
Langa smoothed her palms over her dress as she carefully weighed her words. “I don’t think it would be a wise choice.”
“Leave the wisdom of my business decisions to me. I’ve gotten this far by spotting talent early and capitalising on worthwhile risks. This is what I do for a living and I’m telling you that you’re a sensible investment.”
“Could we talk about this another time? Our interview’s about to start and I’m trying to wrap my mind around all of this.” She waved towards the bustling happening behind them.
He leaned closer. “You can’t run forever, Langalethu.”
Her eyes widened at that. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes, you do. You’re sitting here, acting like we’re strangers when we both know better. We need to talk about us.”
“No, I’m acting like we’re not together. Because we’re not. There is nothing between us.”
He ignored her venom. “In my arms you are something else. You’re free and ardent, and I think that scares you. Constant control may be safer, but it’s also a whole lot lonelier. It’s okay to lose control sometimes. It’s okay to trust me to never let you fall, honey.”
Her eyes lifted to his, aflame. “Don’t call me that.”
“Perfect! This is perfect!”
Neither of them had heard the director approach. Langa started visibly and looked up to find an enormous man with dreadlocks grinning down at them. He turned to the confused crew members behind them, waving his arms and making the thick bangles and bands he wore on his wrists jingle up and down.
“Move everything! We must do the interview on the couch. But no lights, the sunlight here is fine – the reflectors will lift any shadows. Bring the flowers over and set them on this little table and let this gorgeous couple do the rest. This is what love looks like!”
It took all of twenty minutes to relocate what they needed and all the while Langa’s mind was a blank. When the questions finally started, Lazola fielded the first two, smiling confidently. Soon Langa relaxed enough to join in. Talking about her involvement in the ROCH project made her realise that she did indeed know a lot about the hotel.
She was so deeply lulled by discussing the work she had done that the next question took her completely by surprise.
“Now, Langa, I’m sure all our viewers are curious about the type of heart that goes with that brilliant mind of yours. Are you currently seeing anyone?”
The presenter was a stunning woman with flawless skin. Langa blinked into her blinding smile. “Um, no. I don’t really have the time.”
The woman raised an eyebrow. “Are we to assume you’re to blame for this, Lazola?”
His powerful shoulders lifted in a self-effacing shrug and he smiled charmingly. “Not entirely, Nadia. Langa is very dedicated to her work and delivers more than is expected of her at all times. But none of that will stand in the way of her finding love. What man wouldn’t do anything it takes to win her heart?”
“Yourself included?”
Langa felt her jaw drop. Was this not a disaster begging to happen? Nadia seemed to notice her shock and turned her radiant smile up a notch.
“I’m sorry but I simply had to ask. You two look perfect together, you work remarkably well as a team and you seem so in sync, it’s no surprise there’s been some speculation about how much you truly mean to each other.”
Lazola laughed sexily. “I see your point. People love seeing people in love. I think the amount of time Langa and I have spent in the spotlight together was bound to cause some curiosity. We do work very well together. Langa is intelligent, passionate and a whole lot of fun. I respect that and enjoy whatever time we have together.”
Langa marvelled at how smoothly he managed to give an answer without actually answering the question.
“And Langa,” Nadia was leaning towards her like an old girlfriend, “how do you feel about romance in the workplace? Do you agree with those that say it never lasts?”
Langa shook her head. “I don’t think your physical environment has much to do with how long you love someone. External factors will impact your relationship to whatever extent you allow them to do that. Love is mainly about the people involved – their connection and commitment to each other.”
“And your views on love at first sight? Is it real or just crazy hormones?”
It’s most definitely real, Langa thought.
She floundered, praying for any other words to come to mind, anything that wouldn’t reveal her secret.
Fortunately Lazola saved her. “I think it depends on what you’re looking at, Nadia. With people, each story is unique and personal and I don’t believe there is a right or wrong answer in those cases. With the ROCH, however, it’s love at first sight every single time, without a doubt.”
They both laughed and Langa joined in gratefully.
Chapter 9
9
“Eagle Eye sent through the quotes, availability dates and treatment breakdown you requested. They weren’t impressed with the short notice, but whatever you told them on the phone yesterday had them shaking in their boots. Khaya said they have worked out a way to shoot a virtual tour of the Sandton ROCH before Christmas. It’s all in here.”
Langa nodded at the yellow folder her assistant placed in front of her. “I’ll get these to Lazola or Thomas later today.”
Marie’s lips twisted. “You really rubbed Khaya the wrong way, pushing this project so urgently. I wouldn’t expect a Christmas present from Eagle Eye.”
Langa smiled grimly. “Khaya should be thanking me for the lesson in professionalism instead of griping. My aim is to have the ROCH’s virtual tour on the website in time for the summer rush. So let’s concern ourselves with pleasing Lazola and Thomas, shall we?”
“What’s he like?”
Langa blinked. “Who?”
“Mr Rhadebe.” Marie’s eyes were sparkling. “I’ve seen him here once or twice – he’s such a looker. He seemed pretty intimidating when I first saw him, but then he talked to me and turned out to be quite charming.”
Not another one …
Langa smiled slightly. “I thought you were happily married, Ma
rie.”
“Oh, I am!” The woman’s cheeks went pink. “I’m not blind, though.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Nor deaf. I heard his assistant speaking to someone on the phone the last time. Someone calling from a jewellery boutique – about the engagement ring he’d ordered being ready for collection.”
Langa’s hands froze in midair, but Marie chatted on, oblivious. “Miss Bala said she’d been with him for years and he’d never dated seriously before. She said his work has been his whole world for a long time now. So can you imagine the type of woman who’s managed to make him want to settle down?”
How could it still hurt so much?
“And,” Marie now wore the overexcited grin of one who survived on large helpings of gossip, “can you imagine how much he must’ve spent?”
Langa grimaced at her assistant. “A whole lot, would be my guess.”
“I’m sure the diamond will be enormous! He strikes me as the type of man who would go all out for something he wants.”
“Yep. That about sums him up.”
“Especially the woman he loves. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal. A man like him would love the woman he chose wholeheartedly and give her everything … So, what’s it like?”
Langa’s heart exploded in her chest. “I’m sorry, what?”
“The ring! I figured you must have the inside scoop since you were with him on the ROCH shoot. Have you met his woman?”
“His …? No. No, I don’t know anything. We were far too busy, remember? Besides, he wouldn’t share something that personal with me.”
“Oh.”
Langa used that disappointed silence to wrap up the tasks at hand. “Could you call Mandy at Board Room before you break for lunch? Let her know that I liked the locations of the ROCH’s first set of billboards. We’ll use the electronic ones to advertise next April’s haute couture celebration at the hotel, but the rest can remain the same.”
Marie recognised the tacit order to return to work and nodded. Langa rubbed her eyes. It was hard enough acting like Lazola’s recent engagement meant nothing to her. Enduring Marie’s probing on top of that was simply too much.
