by Jenna Brandt
She nodded. “Like I said, I do my research. I know all about how you broke two world records for sprinting, won 6 gold medals, two silver, and four bronze during your three trips to the Olympics.”
“I feel like I’m at a disadvantage that you know so much about me and I know so little about you. My dad didn’t exactly give me a dossier on you.”
“And you didn’t google me the moment you found out I was coming?” she asked with a doubtful look.
“Okay, you got me, I did do that, but it just shows what you’ve done, not who you are. I mean, it’s clear from the information out there about you, plus what I’ve seen since you’ve been here, you know the wellness and fitness space. From your exclusive client list to the centers you’ve opened for various luxury resorts, you’ve made a name for yourself in the industry. I was also able to find out you’re from Washington state originally but moved to Southern California to get your degree in nutrition and fitness.”
“There you have it, you know all about me,” Peyton mused with a smile, finishing the wrap on his leg.
“No, that’s just facts. Why did you decide to spend your life doing this? What motivated you?”
Peyton stiffened and her easy-going demeanor disappeared. She stood up, saying, “We have work to do.”
Blake reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back down beside him. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Maybe that’s because I don’t want to discuss it,” she snapped out.
He let go of her wrist like it was a flame. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t.” Letting out a heavy sigh, she leaned back against the wall. “I just don’t like talking about my past, at least the part you’re wanting me to discuss.”
Blake wanted to dig further, but he could see it was a sensitive subject. He waited patiently, hoping she would fill in the blanks.
“The reason I decided to focus on helping people through fitness and nutrition was because my father died of a heart attack when I was ten. He was only forty-five years old when it happened, so it came as a massive shock to my mom and me. We were left wondering what happened, and we found out that though he looked fit, he hadn’t been eating the way he needed to support a healthy heart. Added with the daily stress of his job as a cop, it was too much. That’s when I decided I wanted to help as many people as I could manage their lives so it didn’t happen to them. I know it seems like I only cater to the wealthy, but I’ve also helped start programs in low-income communities across the country. Those just don’t get as much media coverage as my high-end clients and centers I’ve opened.”
“Wow, that’s amazing, Miss Belmont,” Blake praised.
“I think by now it’s silly for us to be so formal. You should call me Peyton. I mean, after all, I just wrapped your leg after I watched you fall on your face.”
“Then you should definitely call me Blake.”
“Not Blaze?” she teased.
He shrugged. “Only if you want to.”
She tilted her head to the side, then scrunched her face up. “What does your family call you?”
He let out a heavy sigh, then quietly admitted, “Comet.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep, my dad calls all of us by our middle, reindeer-name, which means most of my brothers do too.”
“Wow, so my options are Blake, Blaze, or Comet?”
“I don’t know about the last one, I mean, I don’t even like it when my family calls me that.”
“Maybe I should just come up with my own name. I could call you dear, like short for reindeer,” she teased with a heart-melting smile.
“I could get used to that,” he said, reaching out and letting his hand rest on the side of her face.
Her eyes grew wide with shock. She must have just realized that the nickname had more than one meaning, a very endearing one that she must have not thought of in the moment she suggested it.
Before she could respond, the door flew up and Danny came charging inside with an ice pack in his hand, interrupting the intimate moment. “I had to fight off four women asking how you were doing, Blaze, to get this ice to you. Man, I didn’t even get that much attention when I broke my elbow in the Madrid Olympics.”
“That’s because you’re not a Holliday,” Peyton teased.
“Believe me, that’s not something I would wish on anyone,” Blake added with a shake of his head.
“I don’t know, I could get used to the billions of dollars at my fingertips and resorts all over the world,” Danny mused. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”
“So, Peyton, you never told me why you came to the class today. What’s up?” Blake inquired.
“Oh, my goodness,” she glanced down at her Fitbit watch. “I almost forgot. We have the new instructors arriving.”
“What new instructors?” Blake asked in confusion.
“I hired some fitness coaches with well-known profiles on social media. They’re going to give us some desperately needed exposure in the fitness world and teach the new classes we’re going to add. After looking at the gym’s offerings, I realized that we needed to add some alternative classes. You have plenty for guys like you who live and breathe exercise, but we need to have different choices for people who are coming here to learn about fitness or even recovering from an illness. They need less strenuous options.”
“What kind of classes are you talking about?” Danny asked with genuine interest.
“Ones that aren’t high impact on the body. For example, sunrise yoga, soul cycling, dance fitness, and water aerobics.”
Danny nodded in approval. “Those actually make sense. I could see a lot of guests liking those options.”
Blake could see that Peyton was waiting to see his reaction. He didn’t want to keep her in suspense. “I agree. That’s a great idea, Peyton. When do they arrive?”
“Now.”
* * *
The group of new instructors sat around the conference room inside the hotel. Peyton figured it would be better to meet in a private environment where they could go over the amenities of the resort, and expectations at work and while off-duty, as well as what they were expected to do during the remodeling and rebranding of the island.
What Peyton didn’t account for was the instructors’ near-worship like reactions to Blake as he walked into the room. The men were reaching out to shake his hand, going over his stats from the Olympics while the women were fawning all over him. The worst of them was the red-headed yoga instructor, Joelle Sanders, who made it clear she was interested in Blake as more than a boss.
“Mr. Holliday, I can’t believe I’m getting the chance to finally meet you. I mean, I’ve followed you on social media ever since I won my first cheerleading competition when I was in high school,” the twenty-two-year-old social media influencer gushed, placing her hand on Blake’s arm. “I think if we did a few posts together, we could boost both our followings to the next level.”
Peyton wanted to slap the woman’s hand off of Blake, along with the smug look on her face. When she had hired the woman, she had no idea she was the type to make a play for her boss. It wouldn’t have bothered Peyton as much a few days ago. She would have been grateful if Blake were distracted by the other woman, but now that she had gotten to know him, she didn’t want that type of woman getting her claws into him. If she were honest with herself, it was also more than just that. She also didn’t like seeing any woman flirt with Blake, let alone one like the vapid airhead in front of her. It made her jealous, which was a surprising and unsettling realization. What did that mean? Was she starting to have feelings for Blake, and could it happen that suddenly? She’d always found him attractive, but his egotistical, domineering ways had put her off. Things began to change, however, when she was alone with him at breakfast the other day, and then earlier in the gym office. As he let down his walls and she got to know him, she realized he was actually a nice guy. Was that why feelings were starting to manif
est for her?
“I guess we could do that,” Blake said with a shrug. “What did you have in mind? A few videos while we’re working out in the gym?”
“Oh, it doesn’t have to be in the gym,” Joelle cooed with a wink as she placed her hand on his chest. “I’m sure we can find a much more private place to go over what we plan to post.”
Blake’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and he glanced around the room as if he didn’t know what to do. His eyes met Peyton’s and he genuinely looked uncomfortable with Joelle’s obvious advances.
Peyton decided it was time to intervene. “Joelle, Mr. Holliday and I need to be heading to our next appointment. Please excuse us,” she said, gently grabbing Blake’s arm and pulling him away from the other woman.
Once they were safely out of the conference room where no one could hear them, Blake said, “Thanks for the intervention. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get away from her.”
“Does that happen often?”
“Far more than I like. People don’t really see me as a person, just as a sports icon or a dollar sign.”
“That must be hard,” Peyton acknowledged. “You don’t deserve to be treated that way.”
“So, do we really have an appointment, or was that just an excuse to help me escape?” Blake probed.
“We really do have somewhere to be. We need to head over to the spa so we can go over the new treatments we’re going to offer to guests.”
“I’m willing to go, but honestly, I’m not really into any of that. It’s why I’ve put off working on it for so long. I don’t know how much help I’m going to be.”
“You’ll do fine,” she said with a smile. “Besides, I need a man’s opinion for research purposes.”
The truth was, now that she was getting to know Blake, she was enjoying his company. She was looking for any reason she could come up with to spend more time with him.
They arrived in the state-of-the-art building that was freshly painted a crisp white with marble pillars and floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the mountains. As they entered, she pointed out the new crystal chandeliers as well as the marble front desk where guests would check-in for their appointments.
“What do you think?” she asked, hoping he approved.
“It’s a marked improvement from the spa that was shoved at the back of the gym. This will definitely appeal to a more high-end clientele.”
“Good, that’s exactly what I was hoping for. Wait until you see the session rooms. They are amazing—people aren’t going to want to leave.”
“Maybe they’ll book the whole place out for the day then,” Blake teased. “My dad would love that. Maybe then he would get off my back about this place.”
“Is he really that bad?”
Blake shrugged. “I wouldn’t put it that way. It’s more like he can’t help himself but to strive for perfection in every aspect of his life, so he expects it of his sons, too. It’s kind of a hard standard to live up to.”
“But you’re a multi-winning Olympic gold medalist. You’ve already proven you meet the standard, and then some.”
“One would think, but it’s different with my dad. Ever since my mom died, he has poured himself into work. He doesn’t get it. Not all of his sons want to do the same, I mean, I spent over a decade of my life pouring myself into running. I kind of just want to relax a bit now.”
“I get that. I’ve done the same thing with my business. I knew if I was going to make it a success, I would have to give every inch of myself, which didn’t really leave room for anything else. Now that I’m so close to opening my own wellness center, I’m starting to see a bit of light on the other end of the tunnel. It would be nice to be settled into a less hectic pace.”
Cindy Winslow, hand-picked by Peyton to run the spa and the newest hire, rushed up to them with a giant smile on her face. “Good afternoon, Peyton.” Then glancing at Blake, she added, “Mr. Holliday.”
“You can call me Blake.”
The sophisticated, brunette woman nodded. “I have the new signature line of treatments we’ll be offering exclusively here at the Aurora Spa on Comet Island ready to show you. Why don’t you both go in here and change into the robes I have laid out for you.”
Peyton and Blake entered the temporary changing area. The construction crew hadn’t finished the session areas which would have separate changing areas for each guest or couple.
“Turn around,” Peyton gestured with her hand.
Blake complied as she quickly took off her outfit down to her undergarments and then slipped on the plush white robe.
“Who picked the name for the new spa?” Blake asked, while she assumed he was changing into his own robe.
“I did,” Peyton admitted, as she secured her robe and turned around. “After the Northern Lights. I figured everyone is so fascinated with them, we might as well capitalize on it.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a glimpse of Blake’s chiseled chest that looked smooth and golden, beckoning to be touched.
“It’s smart,” Blake conceded, his voice causing her to blush and look away. She was grateful that he either didn’t notice or decided not to embarrass her about her gawking at him. “I’ve had similar ideas about adding stargazing tours, but have always been worried about broaching the subject with my dad. He wouldn’t think it has any reason to be on a fitness island.”
“Why? He wants you to take charge. You should do what you think best. If you want stargazing, we can add a tour as one of the excursions for the wellness program. Nature and fresh air are at the top of the list for helping in recovery and maintaining health.”
“Really? You think guests would be interested in it?”
“Absolutely, who wouldn’t want to cuddle with their sweetheart under the stars in Alaska?”
As soon as she asked the question, she realized it made it sound like she would want that. She wondered if he thought she was hinting at the fact she wouldn’t mind doing that with him. Did he feel the same? Before she could ponder it further, Cindy knocked on the door.
“Are you two ready?”
They came back out and Cindy explained their first treatment on the agenda. “We’re going to start with the Daybreak Manicure and Pedicure which will be our premium pedicure at $600. With the mixture of white chocolate strawberry truffle and organic rose petals infused with the water we import from the Hawaiian waterfalls at the Ohana Resort, guests are going to love it.”
“My dad knows the owner of that place,” Blake said with surprise. “They’ve been friends for years. How did you end up picking them to supply the water here?”
“I helped set up their spa and wellness center. It’s how your father heard about me.”
“Is that so,” Blake said with an approving grin. “You really have gotten around.” Then his eyes grew wide, as he quickly added, “With your job, I meant with your job.”
Peyton let out a laugh and shook her head. “It’s okay, Blake. I knew what you meant.”
A couple of the pedicure stations were available, and they climbed into the plush leather chairs, placing their feet into the water basins. While their feet soaked, Peyton handed a list over to Blake. “These are going to be the top of the line treatments. They can get the Aurora Borealis Ultimate Experience for $5,000 per person, but they can also pick and choose what they like a la carte.”
—The Dawn Cleanse: a 60-minute cleansing treatment including water therapy and a calming cocoon of organic seaweed gel that exfoliates and renews the skin: $400
—Eos Caviar Conditioner and Blow Out: caviar flown in from France and used in a truffle-based conditioner, created to give lush texture and rich color along with a professional cut and style by one of the salon’s elite hair artists: $600
— Daybreak Manicure and Pedicure: 60-minute soak in white chocolate strawberry truffle and organic rose petals infused with the water imported from Hawaiian waterfalls: $600
—First Light Treatment: an 80-minute relaxing experience includ
ing a 50-minute Thai oil and herbs massage and a 30-minute botanical scalp treatment of wild lime: $500
—Sunrise Gold Facial: 30-minute Galvanic current treatment that will sculpt the face and neck along with a 30-minute facial that uses a 24-karat gold leaf mask to hydrate and add nutrients to the skin along with an omega-6 treatment for the eyes: $700
—Aurora-Listic Bath: 1000 liters of Hawaiian waterfalls in a marble tub for two filled with golden Gerbera daisies. While relaxing in the water, enjoy salmon lollipops, Godiva chocolates, and foie gras: $2200
“Wow, this is impressive, as good as any spa offerings I’ve seen while traveling.”
“And how many spas have you been to?”
He shrugged. “Not me as much as my Step-Monster. She would constantly go on-and-on about all the different ones she tried and wanted to visit on her next trip. She’s seen the inside of more spas than any one woman I’ve ever known.”
“Really? Sounds like she spent more time in them than with you and your brothers.” Then realizing it was none of her business, she quickly apologized. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, you’re right. It was tough after losing my mom. I was only four, and when my dad married Mara, I thought I would at least have someone to read me a bedtime story and tuck me in at night. That was definitely not Mara; she’s not the tucking in type. She let the nannies take care of that.”
Once they were done with their manicures and pedicures, Cindy suggested that they try out the new Galvanic current treatment. They made their way into the room where the cutting-edge machine was sitting next to two leather massage tables.
Blake’s face turned white as he looked at all the wires and the mask that would go over his face. “What is all this?”
“It’s part of the treatment. Your entire face and upper torso is wrapped so the wires can conduct the current through them and into your body,” Cindy explained.
“Are you okay, Blake?” Peyton asked with concern.
“Sure, I’m fine,” he clipped out as he quickly laid down on the table, then gripped the edge with his hands.