Eight Reasons Why

by Jeannette Winters

  “This has nothing to do with my liking children or not. I was trying to respect the woman’s privacy. I came up here, hoping we could discuss options for women at the resort who may also have such a . . . need.” Allyson was going to have to try a lot harder if she thought she could shake him. I’m unshakable. Trust me, many have tried. None have succeeded.

  Allyson looked at him then looked down the aisle. Finally she asked the attendant, “Would it be possible for me to exchange seats with someone?”

  “You want to give this man your seat?” she asked.

  Allyson shook her head. “I was thinking about the mother with the baby. I’m sure she’d be more comfortable in my seat. If it’s permitted, I’d like to change with her.”

  “It’s not standard practice due to regulations, but—”

  “Make it happen,” Caydan said. I’m not going to be ignored.

  Although he wasn’t meant to hear it, Allyson muttered, “A bit harsh.”

  This is me asking nice. Caydan was used to getting what he wanted because he understood how the world functioned. Rules were in place to keep order; he had plenty in his own company, but there always were exceptions. The request she’d made wasn’t unreasonable.

  He kept his focus on the attendant, who looked flustered but waved another attendant over. He watched them whisper back and forth as though unsure what to do. Finally one walked over and spoke to the mother with the baby. A moment later she was on her feet, approaching them.

  “Hi. I was told you’re offering me your seat in first class. Thank you so much, but why?”

  Allyson smiled and said, “Because I work with this gentleman, and we wanted to travel together. I hope this isn’t an inconvenience for you.”

  The mother beamed with joy. “Are you kidding me? I can’t remember the last time someone waited on me. Thank you so much.”

  Allyson stood and the woman took her spot. Caydan motioned for Allyson to go first and he followed her back to their seats in coach. Once they were settled, he asked, “Why did you tell her that?”

  “You mean let her believe you and I are together?” He nodded. “The outcome was going to be the same. Why not let her believe she was doing us a favor instead of the other way around. Think about how much more she’ll enjoy her new seat now.”

  “I don’t get it,” Caydan stated. “You did something nice. She should be grateful.”

  “Sometimes the nicest thing you can do is not let the other person know you did it for them.” Pulling out her laptop, she said, “So, you wanted to discuss Tabiq. What do you want to know?”

  Caydan looked at her as he processed her words. She wasn’t at all what he’d thought. She was tough and obviously wasn’t going to take any of his shit, but she also had a softer side. That concerned him. Not because he thought she couldn’t do the job she was hired for, but she’d become prey in a place like Tabiq.

  Not sure you know what you’ve gotten yourself into. He looked up the aisle again and saw the mother now reclined with the baby resting his head on her shoulder, apparently fed and asleep.

  Although he already knew the answer, he asked, “What do you offer in terms of daycare?” In Tabiq, a family was lucky if one person worked, never mind two.

  * * *

  Allyson had found it easy to think the worst of Caydan from the interview, however she’d learned on the flight he had some really good suggestions. She’d send some of them to Drake for his approval at High View Falls Casino and Hotel. Things were a bit more challenging at New Hope. Though Drake wasn’t the sole owner, he was a partner with the Hendersons, who were well known for their successes, but the service industry wasn’t one of them.

  New Hope had been up and running for almost a year now, and from what she’d learned, nothing had changed. Everything was as it was on day one. That was great, but Allyson knew if you wanted return visitors, you needed to anticipate their needs and adjust accordingly. Apparently Caydan had a knack of picking up on such things. She was glad, because having someone on board with a similar vision to hers could make all the difference in effecting change. Time will tell.

  She wasn’t about to inform Caydan, but during the early part of the flight she had managed to reach out to Alex Henderson. She had asked when he might be free to come by the resort. Since this was also her first week there without Scott, she knew it wouldn’t come off as an odd request. But her intention wasn’t to have an owner there for her as much as it was to have one of the Hendersons meet Caydan.

  It wasn’t like her to feel so paranoid, yet from the moment the elevator doors opened and her eyes met his, her stomach had done flips. Being left with an uneasy feeling each time she was near him was surely a sign that something was amiss. Scott hadn’t sensed anything, but Allyson needed another set of eyes on Caydan. If Alex agreed with Scott, she would drop it and chalk it up to nerves about her new position.

  I really hope that’s all it is. It was her job to make sure the employees were accountable for upholding the standards set forth by the owners. And when she met with them, they had no problem reminding her of that.

  Of course, with Alex living in Tabiq, she wasn’t putting him out of his way. His reply wasn’t what she’d hoped for. Like Drake, Alex happened to be back in the States. The timing couldn’t be worse. How was it all of the owners were out of Tabiq? She understood they trusted her; she’d proven herself working for Drake for the past few years. But Caydan was new to them, and they were blindly letting him handle things. It was a somewhat backhanded compliment to Scott and her that they’d found someone so competent. So why did she still feel uneasy?

  As though she didn’t have enough on her plate, she now was going to personally keep a close eye on Caydan.

  It was like he already knew everything about New Hope, and sitting with her had only been a formality. He seemed to flip their roles, questioning her knowledge and knowing things she didn’t. How was he was so good right out of the gate?

  No one is that perfect.

  I’m missing something and need to find his flaws.

  Their flight hadn’t been direct, since most people still had no clue Tabiq, let alone New Hope, even existed. The Hendersons had a small charter plane for the last leg of the trip to Tabiq. Their airport couldn’t yet accept large planes, and she hated puddle jumpers that only held thirty-six people. Small boats and planes didn’t agree with her stomach, so she was queasy the entire drive to the resort. The only place she wanted to be was in her room alone.

  Caydan, on the other hand, still wanted to engage in conversation.

  “Maybe if you open your window, you’ll feel better.”

  “I’m not sure the heat is going to help any,” Allyson said, not looking at him.

  “But the fresh air might,” Caydan said. “Listen, I don’t care if you don’t think so, but I don’t want you vomiting all over the car. At least not with me in it.”

  She turned and shot him a warning look, but even in her nauseated state she could see he was trying to lighten the mood. Giving in, she rolled down the window. As expected, the hot breeze came rushing in, and it eased her queasy stomach slightly. No way was she going to acknowledge that. Caydan seemed too cocky already. What really helped was seeing New Hope in the distance.

  “It really is impressive, don’t you think?” Allyson asked.

  “New Hope stands out.”

  She wasn’t sure if he meant that as a good thing or not. Turning back to face him, she asked, “You don’t like it?”

  “Did I say that?”

  “No.”

  “Then don’t put words in my mouth,” Caydan said flatly.

  “Maybe you didn’t express yourself clearly,” Allyson retorted.

  “I can see the fresh air helped.”

  She was puzzled. “How?”

  “You’re back to your normal snippy self.”

  With a huff she said, “You might know a lot about New Hope, but trust me, Mr. Pintino, you know nothing about me.”

  Cay
dan laughed. “I think you’re a lot easier to read than you’d like to think.”

  Then you must know you’re really pissing me off. Pulling herself upright, she blurted, “As are you. You might have everyone else fooled, but I’m not.”

  He cocked a brow, “Fooled? How?”

  She wrinkled her nose and snarled, “You just worry about doing your job and let me worry about doing mine.” Which includes making sure you deliver everything you said you would at your interview. And more. She needed him to know she wasn’t intimidated by him. He wasn’t her boss any more than she was his.

  The driver pulled up in front of the employee entrance and turned around with a paper for her to sign. The resort paid for all the transportation from the airport for guests as well as employees. Allyson signed it and then handed him a twenty dollar bill. All she had with her was US currency. The man grinned widely and said something she hoped was a thank you in Tabiqian.

  Caydan said as he got out of the car, “I’d be happy too if someone handed me such a large tip.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Are you forgetting that US currency is worth a hell of a lot more than Tabiqian? If you’re dishing it out like that, they’re going to think you’re rich.”

  Once again Caydan was correct, and it was foolish on her part to have been so generous. Even in the US, that was a damn good tip. If she’d seen another employee do such a thing, she’d reprimand them, but more likely, her words would’ve been . . . softer. Did Caydan use that tone with everyone, or was she just lucky? If so, the staff won’t last long. In a dry tone, she said, “Your knowledge of Tabiq is . . . impressive.” What she really meant was annoying as hell. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I want to go to my room. We both have a big day tomorrow.”

  As they started to enter, Allyson recognized Janet Holly. She was one of the first who had transferred from High View Falls to New Hope when it opened. It still struck her funny, because Janet didn’t seem like a person who’d like Tabiq. But her performance review had been outstanding. I guess I underestimated her.

  “Hi, Allyson. I was thrilled to hear you were coming here. Not that I don’t love Scott, but really, the guy can be a bit . . . stiff, if you know what I mean,” Janet said in the bubbly tone Allyson remembered.

  “Glad to hear you don’t think I’m so rigid.” She heard Caydan cough behind her, knowing darn well it was meant for her.

  Janet looked at Caydan and extended her hand. “You must be the infamous Mr. Pintino.”

  Allyson turned and noticed a twitch of his jaw before shaking Janet’s hand. “Call me Caydan.”

  “Yup, they were right,” Janet proclaimed.

  “About what?” Allyson asked.

  Janet shook her head, “That Caydan could be a cover model.”

  Caydan laughed and Allyson huffed. “May I remind you, Janet, that Mr. Pintino is your boss. It is inappropriate to make such comments about another coworker or a guest. Is that understood?”

  Janet snickered, and in a soft voice she said to Caydan, “Maybe a bit stiff.” Before Allyson could reply, Janet brushed past them. “I’m off for the night, but I’ll be back bright and early if either of you need me. Nice meeting you, Caydan.”

  When she was out of ear shot, Caydan said, “She seems . . . nice.”

  More like an HR nightmare. Without responding, Allyson walked into the building and headed to her residential room. She could hear Caydan following behind so she turned and asked, “Is there a problem?”

  “Just following you since you seem to know where you’re going.”

  “I’m going to my room. And you?” Allyson asked.

  “I figured it would be best if I had one of my own,” Caydan said, teasing.

  Why was it no one took policy seriously? “You’re management. I shouldn’t be required to remind you that—”

  He raised a hand and said, “I’d be happy if you’d just tell me where my room is. If you recall, this is my first visit to New Hope.”

  How had she forgotten that? Scott had given her instructions to show him around and make sure he felt comfortable. She could pretend it had been the flight over that had her wanting to be in the confines of her room, but she knew a large part of it had to do with him.

  “My apologies. Let me drop my suitcase off in my room, then I’ll show you to yours, if that’s okay?”

  “Would you like me to follow you or wait here?”

  She wanted to tell him she didn’t care what he did, but there wasn’t any reason to be so hostile. “You can come with me. Yours isn’t that far away.” Unfortunately. They were going to be working closely together for the next year, and somehow she needed to find a way to . . . tolerate him. She’d been around people who were absolutely obnoxious, but that wasn’t Caydan. As for arrogant men, there were plenty of those around as well. Maybe she needed to face it, the problem wasn’t with him as much as it was with her.

  The man intimidated her with just his gorgeous dark eyes. They were almost black, which made him look even more mysterious. She could pretend she hadn’t noticed his chiseled jaw, accented even more by his well-trimmed beard. Janet had only voiced what Allyson had already deducted. But as far as she was concerned, his looks actually might be more of a problem than an asset. The female guests might create issues just to have the resort manager, Caydan, fix them. Allyson didn’t want to think about all the young female staff members who might forget what they were being paid to do each time he walked by. Thankfully, Allyson had more self-control than that. I’m not going to go gaga because of his looks. But it has been a while since someone . . . appealed to me. It was her job to remain professional at all times, stiffness be damned. Oh hell, now I’m thinking about stiff. Enough. Moving on.

  When they got to her room, she put in the code to her door. New Hope had an excellent security system. Even the cleaning staff didn’t have the code to employees’ rooms because it was part of their contract, they were responsible for keeping their own living quarters clean. She entered and flipped on the lights. It was as she remembered from her prior trip. It wasn’t luxurious, nor did it need to be, but it was large enough to host a meeting or call it home if she wanted to.

  Allyson wasn’t about to invite Caydan in, so she dropped her bag and closed the door. “Okay, let me show you to your room. It’s late, but I can show you around tonight if you’d like me to.” She sent a silent prayer that he’d decline her offer.

  “I believe I’ll see more in the daylight. How about I come to your room and we have breakfast together? After that, you can show me around the property.”

  She normally started her day with a run, hot shower, and then breakfast. That meant getting up even earlier. Since she was suffering from jetlag, she figured he’d understand if she slept in.

  “You can have breakfast without me; I’ll come by your room at ten. This will give me time to handle some business prior to our meeting.” Which hopefully included sleep.

  “As you wish.” Caydan blocked her view as he pressed the code provided with his travel itinerary and went inside. “I’ll see you at ten.”

  When he closed the door, she felt her energy drain from her. Allyson had no idea why she’d been so tense. Making her way back to her room, she decided it didn’t matter. Tomorrow was another day, and as far as she was concerned, it was a fresh start.

  Once inside, her phone chimed. It was her mother.

  HAVEN’T HEARD FROM YOU. DID YOU MAKE IT THERE SAFELY?

  YES, MOM. I’M AT THE RESORT NOW.

  She should’ve texted her the minute they landed, but too much had been going on.

  Another ding. DID YOU EAT?

  Allyson smiled. She was on the other side of the world, but her mother wouldn’t let that interfere with her parenting. I might need to take a job on the moon before she’d quit checking on me. Lying was the only way to end this.

  YES, MOM. NOW I’M GOING TO BED. I LOVE YOU. TELL DAD GOODNIGHT TOO.

  WE LOVE YOU TOO. TALK TO YOU TOMORROW.
>
  Of course you will.

  Picking up her suitcase, she headed to her bedroom. She unpacked what she needed and left the rest for later. Her other belongings would arrive in the next few days, so it only made sense to wait and organize it all at once.

  Her mother said she was borderline OCD. That wasn’t the case at all. There was nothing wrong with liking things in a certain order. It was what made her good at her job. She followed orders, didn’t break policy, and her paperwork was delivered on time without errors. Allyson believed that should be considered normal.

  High View Falls thought it was a good character trait. I hope it is as welcomed here in Tabiq.

  She already knew one person who didn’t seem to appreciate it. Good thing his opinion doesn’t hold any weight.

  Caydan might be the new manager for New Hope, but he didn’t manage her.

  Chapter 3

  Caydan woke up early. It’d been a long time since he’d stepped foot on Tabiqian soil. He had family here who didn’t know he existed. Since his mother had never returned, there was no reason for him to drop in and make introductions. He’d gone his entire life without any family, and it was too late to start having one now.

  But he couldn’t help feeling a sense of belonging. It made absolutely no sense. He hadn’t grown up there. His accent wasn’t Tabiqian. The only thing bonding him to that country was his mother.

  There was no doubt in his mind that if she had a clue of what he was doing, she’d be furious. She didn’t have a mean or revengeful bone in her body. Caydan, on the other hand, seemed to have taken after his father. He had a long memory and wouldn’t rest until he got what he wanted.