by Ashley Blake
I received a letter like that every 6 months like clockwork for years. Brian always found me wherever I went and I felt like I would never be able to get away from him, but I vowed to just try to continue on with my life. I did the best I could, but every now and then, when my world was still, I thought I could feel him watching me.
Chapter Three – Meeting Him
We were really busy that day at the hotel so I was more than ready to go home by the time my shift was over. As I was gathering my things, my manager came over to me and asked me the question that would change my life forever.
“Elena, I know you’re scheduled to have Saturday night off, and this is not in your job description, but we are short one person for the Blu Annual Gala that night. Do you think you can fill in?”
The Blu Annual Gala was the be all and end all of social events in Miami. The who’s who of Miami, red carpet celebrity crowd and A-list entertainers were always in attendance. I had heard that the Gala raised at least a million dollars each year for after school programs for at-risk youth.
A server? There had to have been a ton of other people she could have asked before she asked me, I mean, I was a manager! I did not sign up for this job to be a server, but I wanted to look like a team player so I agreed to help out.
“Sure Ms. Parker, I can fill in. What time should I be here?”
“Oh, thank you Elena, I need everyone to be here by 5:30 so that we can go over who is going to cover which tables. Mr. Blu will be here and we want to make sure that everything is flawless for him because, as we know, he can be a real stickler for perfection. Stop by the office and Stephanie will have your uniform for the evening.”
“Uniform? It’s not the same one I wear every day?”
“No dear, the galas are very special occasions and we have nicer uniforms for everyone to wear. Mr. Blu likes pretty things so the uniforms are bit more…dressy shall we say? You’ll see when you pick yours up.”
Sebastian Blu along with his brothers, Spencer and Shane were heirs to the Blu Sierra Hotel chain fortune. At 32, 30 and 27 years old respectively, they were three of the youngest billionaires in the world. You know how there's that saying “their reputation precedes them”? Well, in this case, their reputation really did precede them because everyone knew who the Blu brothers were. They were rich, tall, gorgeous, and loved beautiful women. “Playboy” was the word that many people used to describe each one of them. Whenever they were mentioned in a story in the media they were always linked to the latest, hottest, most gorgeous model. They all definitely seemed to have a type and it was the same exact type, or at least it appeared that way.
I had never seen them in person but gossip columnists always described them as “Greek gods” or “breathtakingly gorgeous” or something silly like that. I could only imagine how inflated their egos must be because of who they were, how rich they were, and the incredible life they were able to lead. Men like that were the ones to stay away from because they loved women too much. I’m sure their eyes wandered to the next pretty thing on a daily basis. It didn’t really matter to me, I just wanted to make a good impression on Mr. Blu if I saw him at the gala and hopefully that would help me get that promotion.
Each Blu brother was in charge of a different hotel and I had read that Sebastian Blu had made the Blu Sierra Miami the six star hotel that it was. Whenever the hotel was mentioned in the paper, a reference was always made to how hard he worked to make the hotel what it was and how dedicated he was to ensuring the guests had a perfect stay. From what I had read about him, he seemed to be somewhat of a workaholic. It was his idea to have a six star hotel and at first his father disagreed, but he insisted. Spencer Blu ran Blu Sierra New York City, and Shane Blu was being groomed to run Blu Sierra Chicago.
Blu Sierra had nearly 400 hotels worldwide and they were different than the others in that they had a variety of hotels from boutique hotels to the Blu Sierra in Miami which was the premier six star hotel for the chain. I had read many articles about the Blu family, and I had also seen a training video that featured their rise to fortune with Blu Sierra hotels.
Their great grandfather Sheldon Blu originally wanted to be a banker but his interest turned to hotels when he noticed that a local 12 room motel could not handle the demand for the area. He built his first hotel in San Francisco, California and quickly learned that rooms were never empty for more than one hour so he realized that he had stumbled upon a potential goldmine of a business. He went on to build several hotels all over the country and when he brought his son, Seymour, into the business years later they expanded all over the world.
Sebastian, Spencer and Shane’s father, Stanford, Seymour’s son, was known for his ruthless business practices and his affinity for flashy cars and pretty women. He was often seen tooling around South Beach with his third wife in the latest luxury car. The rumor around town was that he cheated on wife number one with wife number two who was 15 years younger than him. She was a contestant in a beauty pageant, he was a guest judge and apparently as soon as he laid eyes on her he behaved like a dog in heat, openly disrespecting his wife. I heard that he dumped his wife of 20 years, and the mother of his three boys, three days after meeting the beauty queen. He married her soon after that and they were married for almost five years until he met a 26 year old model who was in town shooting a spread for Maxim magazine. He dumped the second wife for his third wife and he had been married to her for nearly five years. At nearly 31, Mr. Blu’s third wife was younger than his oldest son Sebastian who was 32.
The third Mrs. Blu liked to frequent the spa at the hotel so I had seen her a few times and she was absolutely stunning. Rumors were always flying around that she had the hots for Sebastian and she was just using the elder Mr. Blu for his money. I didn’t have an opinion one way or the other because I had never seen her with either of them, but I will say that the woman definitely had a ravenous appetite for the finer things. Her assistant was always loaded down with at least five or six shopping bags from designer boutiques when she stopped by the spa.
She didn’t seem to be all that friendly because she never spoke to anyone when she came to the hotel. If she needed anything her assistant was the person who spoke for her and I found that to be so incredibly rude, but it wasn’t my job to judge. As long as she was happy with the service she received that’s all that mattered to me. I noticed that her assistant was just as pretty as she was so the rumor about the Blu men liking beautiful women around them seemed to be true.
The more I thought about Ms. Parker’s comment about Mr. Blu liking pretty things, the more I realized that she probably wanted me there because of the way I looked. I was sure that she would have the room filled with attractive servers. It still bothered me when someone focused on my looks rather than my ability, but if this was a way to get me in front of the owner I’d take it. It wasn’t every day that I had a chance to be in the same room as the owner of the hotel, so I wanted to make sure that I made a lasting impression. Since I was up for another promotion any exposure for me would be good exposure.
The day of the gala I took my time getting ready and I was really not looking forward to being a waitress all evening, but I had to admit that the uniform was simply beautiful. It was a black and silver sequined form-fitting mini dress with ¾ length sleeves and I had to wear 4 inch black stilettos. I checked my hair, which I managed to get to fall in near perfect waves, and applied my lipstick and headed out the door.
The gala was held at the Fisher Club and when I got there the room was absolutely beautiful. The chandeliers sparkled and the tables were set with silk napkins and sterling silver napkin rings. The theme was black, white and silver and every single chair had a black cover and was tied with a huge silver bow positioned around a white silk tablecloth. In the center of each table was a gorgeous silver vase with two dozen white roses. Ms. Parker was buzzing around the room and I walked over to her to get my table assignment.
“Hi, Ms. Parker, the room looks gorgeous. I’
m not sure if sections are assigned and I didn’t see a list showing where the servers will be stationed. Can you tell me which area will I be serving?”
“Oh Elena, you look stunning dear! Wait, did you ask which tables you’ll be serving?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
A hearty laugh escaped her lips and I was thoroughly confused. What is so funny?
“I’m sorry dear, your comment surprised me. You won’t be serving tonight, I need you to manage Mr. Blu’s section this evening. Make sure that his every request is taken care of and all of the servers are at his beck and call. Mr. Blu is very particular and we want to be sure that he is happy with the gala.”
I felt nervous butterflies at the mention of my responsibilities for the evening. I had never met Sebastian Blu in person and I knew that he had a reputation for being a perfectionist. Everything had to be perfect for him and he had a zero tolerance policy for mistakes. Managing his section would mean incredible exposure for me so I wanted to make sure that there were no problems that night.
I gathered all of the servers, who were very pretty women (shocking), and had a quick meeting with them, stressing the importance of zero mistakes that evening and making sure Mr. Blu was happy. Whatever he wanted, I instructed them that they were to get it for him immediately.
“I don’t want Mr. Blu to have to wait for anything longer than one full minute tonight. Do we all understand?”
The girls all nodded in agreement and I sent them off to the kitchen to prepare their trays.
The guests started arriving and I checked to make sure that our section looked impeccable. My dress was different from the servers’ uniforms who were wearing black pants and sleeveless white ruffle tank tops tucked in neatly with a slim black belt and strappy high heels. They all looked gorgeous and I was ready for whatever the night was going to bring.
Most of the guests of Mr. Blu’s party were already seated, beautiful women occupied nearly every seat at his table. That’s a bit much isn’t it? My opinion of him was not very high given that having all of these women sitting and waiting for him at the table made him look like he had his own personal harem! There were two empty seats and I gathered those were for Mr. Blu and his date, who I was sure would be stunning.
The servers were all standing in a row near Mr. Blu’s table and I went in the back to place fresh glasses of wine on trays for the servers and when I re-entered the ballroom to let them know that they should go get them, I saw the most gorgeous man I had ever seen walk over to the table. He had to have been at least 6’2”, with thick dark brown hair, gorgeous dark eyes and he had a muscular build which was evident even through his beautiful tuxedo. Money seemed to literally drip from his pores. I saw the flash of his expensive watch and cufflinks as he ran his hand through his perfect hair and I was completely mesmerized by him. It wasn’t until one of the servers asked a question that I realized I had been staring at him. Thankfully he didn’t see me gawking and I was able to snap out of my trance and switch my focus back to work.
I periodically glanced in his direction as I made my way around my section, and then I realized as the manager of the section I should probably introduce myself to him and let him know that I was at his service if he needed anything. Well, I better get this over with. I was a ball of nerves as I walked over to him but I just kept telling myself that this was great exposure for my career and anything he wanted I would make sure he received.
He looked up as I approached his table and I could see the familiar appreciation in his eyes as he looked at me. I was used to that look, men looked at me like that all the time. But there was something more behind his eyes that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. His date gave me a withering glance when she noticed that he seemed to be entranced with me.
I gave her a veiled smile and then turned my attention to the gorgeous man sitting next to her. I smiled sweetly at him. “Mr. Blu, I hope that you are enjoying your evening.”
He gave me his complete attention and a small smile danced at the corner of his lips. “Why yes, I am. And you are?” His voice was incredibly deep and smooth.
“My name is Elena Sumner and I am the front desk manager at Sierra Blu Miami. I am helping out tonight so if you or your guests need anything please do not hesitate to ask.”
“I will do that, thank you Ms. Sumner.” His eyes sparkled as he said my name and time literally was reduced to a crawl as I watched him take me in from head to toe.
I felt my belly flip as I walked back to my station to check on the servers and I wanted to kick myself for feeling that way. No! I don’t have time for these feelings! I hadn’t felt something like that in a long time and I shouldn’t have been surprised because the man was breathtakingly beautiful. For the first time in a very long time it was hard for me to concentrate on work and work was my number one priority. I busied myself checking on the servers making sure that there was never an empty glass in my section.
The guests enjoyed an elegant five-course meal and then it was time for the auction. I could see Mr. Blu nod at someone every now and then when there was an item that he wanted. He was a very generous bidder and that helped to change the perception I had of the man who was surrounded by a table full of beautiful women. It was nice to see that he was giving so much to such an incredible foundation. Everything was running smoothly so I figured it was okay for me to quickly run down the hall to use the restroom.
I had just walked out of the restroom and was looking down at my dress to make sure that it wasn’t bunched up when I literally ran right into Sebastian Blu. His hands grabbed my shoulders to steady me and I was mortified.
“Oh my goodness! I am so sorry Mr. Blu, how clumsy of me!”
“It’s quite alright…Ms. Sumner is it?”
“Yes, Elena.” I felt my cheeks flush as I realized I had just made this encounter personal by implying that he could use my first name.
I didn’t have much time to even think about what I had just said because I became acutely aware of his close proximity to my body and his gorgeous dark eyes that were drinking me in. I was 5’6” without heels so I was easily 5’10” that night with the shoes I was wearing. The top of my head reached his shoulder and I nearly gasped as I looked up at him. My skin was blazing underneath his touch and I found it difficult to catch my breath. What is going on? Why am I reacting to him like this?
His eyes glided over my face and my hair. “You are a very beautiful woman, Elena.”
I was completely tongue-tied and did not know how to respond to his compliment. Say thank you!
“Oh, thank you.” The words found their way out with a bit of difficulty. I had never been so tongue tied around a man before. It was usually the other way around.
“Are you working the entire evening?”
Why is he asking me that?
“Yes. Is there something I can do for you?”
“There is definitely something you can do for me.” His words hung in the air as his eyes held mine. He pressed his body against mine and while I normally would have protested, my body betrayed me and I was frozen in place. He smelled of a mixture of lotion, soap and light, crisp shampoo and his scent was deliciously intoxicating. We were in the hallway where anyone could have seen us and while Sebastian didn’t seem to care at all, I was terrified that at any minute someone would see that the gorgeous billionaire had me pinned against the wall. My senses were overwhelmed with his scent and I wanted to dig my fingers into his skin and devour him. I had not been this enthralled by a man ever in my life. No, no, no!
He ran a hand down my side and it followed the curve of my hip. He dipped his head toward my neck and that sexy voice caressed my ear. “I didn’t see a ring Elena, I take it you’re not…taken?”
Breathing, at this point, was nearly non-existent and I could barely think straight. There is no way this is really happening to me. No, I’m not taken, but you can take me anytime you want. I had never felt this consumed by a man before and I told myself that I had to step away
from him so that I could think straight. I had completely forgotten that I was working and I had to get back to my section. Ms. Parker would be looking for me and I didn’t want to get in trouble. I highly doubted that this gorgeous billionaire would admit that he pinned me against a wall and detained me for a bit and that was why I was late returning to my section. I looked up at Sebastian mesmerized once again by his beautiful, soulful dark eyes and all thoughts flew out of my head as I stood there still in his grasp. He stood looking at me waiting for my answer.
“Well? Are you? Taken, that is.” I could see a deep intensity behind those dark eyes.
“N-No, I’m not taken.” I was so consumed by his scent and his charisma that I almost forgot that he had not come alone to this event and once I remembered that I stepped away from him. I immediately raised my eyes to his and he looked surprised that I was rejecting his affection.
“Oh? You don’t like my touch?”
I was cautiously defiant as I held his gaze. “I’m sure that your date would not appreciate what is going on here.”
His eyes held mine for a while and then a tiny smirk turned up the corner of his mouth. He reached out and ran his fingers through my hair lightly brushing my neck, causing my skin to tingle.
