by Holly Jaymes
My aunt and uncle thought the dinner was a big hit. Like me, they were taken in with Reece’s charm and wit. If they only knew he probably thought they were a bunch of backwoods hillbillies.
When dinner was finally over, I walked him to the door, wanting to make sure he left.
“You’re close to your aunt and uncle,” he said as he opened the door.
“They raised me after my mom died.”
He cocked his head to the side. “I’m sorry.” I was surprised by his reaction. Not that he’d be sorry, but the level of compassion. It wasn’t just words. I could see in his eyes that he was sad for me.
I shrugged. “I was eight. I miss her, but Carly and George are great.”
“What about your dad?”
I sighed. “I don’t think we should talk about ourselves.”
“Colleagues can talk about personal things. But if it’s a sensitive subject, I get it. My dad ended up in jail for drug dealing. My mom… I’m not sure where she ended up.”
My heart stuttered in my chest. To look at him, he didn’t appear to be someone that had a difficult life. Not that he came off rich and snooty, but he definitely had an air of bourgeoise.
“I’m sorry,” I said. And I was. I couldn’t imagine having a parent in jail and another one MIA. What sort of mom disappeared?
He shrugged. “Life is full of curveballs. I just keep swinging.”
I smiled, liking his attitude.
“Thank you for dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Lane,” he called over my shoulder.
“Any time, Reece,” my aunt called back.
“I’ll see you Monday,” he said to me.
Oh yeah, he was my boss now. “See you Monday.” I shut the door behind him and went to help my aunt and uncle with dishes.
“He was a nice young man,” George said, taking a dish towel from the rack.
“How interesting that he works at your place.” Carly handed George a pot to dry.
“Yes, he got the job I wanted.”
George frowned. “Why didn’t you tell us? We wouldn’t have had him for dinner. Hell, we’d have refused to rent to him.”
“We’re better than that, George,” my aunt said with a disapproving glare. “I am sorry about the job, though. Are you okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I’ll get over it.”
“I think he likes you,” Carly said, dunking her hands in the soapy water and furiously scrubbing a pan.
I turned away in case my face gave away what we did the night before. “He’s just being nice. He knows he took my job.”
“At least he doesn’t rub it in,” George observed.
“Or maybe he likes you,” Carly reiterated. She was often worried that I worked too much. Or maybe she wanted me married so I could give her grand-nieces and nephews.
“Even if he did, it wouldn’t matter. Fraternization is strictly prohibited.”
She shook her head. “Why people try to regulate relationships is beyond me. It’s downright inhumane.”
I shrugged. “I should head out. I have a breakfast tomorrow with the soroptimists.”
“Woman power. I love it,” my aunt said, giving me a hug.
“I’ll walk you out, kiddo,” George said.
***
The breakfast event went off without a hitch. I had Sunday to myself and then was back at work on Monday. Reece held a short meeting at the start of the day, but for the most part, I had the sense that he wanted people not to feel like their lives had changed, so we all did our regular routine.
On Tuesday though, I was a wreck. I knew I was good at my job, but I didn’t need my boss watching me work, especially one that thought I didn’t put on glamorous enough events.
In the car ride over, I pointed out a few areas of town like Carolyn said I should.
“Where’s the Java place?” he asked.
“Paradise Java? It’s back in the center of town. Do you like coffee?”
“Who doesn’t? The scones Carolyn brought were good too.”
“It is a nice place,” I said.
“Do your aunt and uncle own a lot of property they rent out?” he asked.
I glanced at him. Was he making small talk or trying to get information to use against me? I wasn’t sure how my aunt and uncle’s business could hurt me, so I took the question at face value.
“About ten years ago, there was a family in town, the Haynesvilles, who owned a ton of property. They were descendants of the original founders. Anyway, they had some financial trouble and ended up selling everything except a house on Haynesville Ridge, and moving to Arizona. My aunt and uncle bought three as an investment.”
“Haynesville Ridge. They must have been a big deal to have an area named after them. Probably was quite a fall they took to have to sell.”
“Yeah, well, it all burnt down about a year ago. Most people didn’t like them much and weren’t sorry to see them go. But their daughter is back. She’s married to Mason McLean. Their home is near you. She’s very nice. Nothing like her parents. And she married the enemy.” I’d always loved that story. Deep down, I was a romantic.
“The enemy?” he asked.
“You looked up all the stuff about our planning events, but didn’t bother to learn about the town?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t realize it was important.”
“Do you think Hollywood is important to know about in planning for celebrities?”
He frowned. “Yes, of course.”
“But because we’re mountain folk, it doesn’t matter?”
“You’re putting words in my mouth.”
“Celebrities come here for a reason.” Even so, the Haynesville-McLean feud probably wasn’t it.
“Tell me about the story,” he said on a long-annoyed sigh.
“Jeb McLean and Henry Haynesville came to this area in the late 1800s to mine for Gold. They were successful, but had a falling out, and Henry ended up staking the claim and getting all the gold. He used that gold to invest in real estate, logging and other ventures. The family grew quite rich and powerful and stayed that way until ten years ago. The McLeans had a harder time of it, much in part to the Haynesvilles keeping them down. Interestingly, ten years ago, Mason and Tucker’s father could have helped William Haynesville, but opted not to. It’s hard to blame them after a century-and-a-half of oppression.”
“Sort of like the Hatfields and McCoys?”
“Right. I like to think of Mason and Willa like Romeo and Juliet, only with a happy ending.”
His brow furrowed. “I’ll have to read up on all that. Sounds like a great story.”
I wondered if it was stirring up ideas for his screenwriting.
We left the edge town as we continued north east to Pine Rest.
“What’s the story about this place?” he asked.
“Mr. and Mrs. Minor started it about fifty years ago. It’s on the lake and has cabins and a main recreational lodge area. For a long time, it was the place to come to. Sort of like the Poconos in the fifties. But since the fancy resorts have gone up, it’s a place locals come to. Some of the summer camps are here. Growing up, lots of us kids would go there to swim and play. A year or so ago, Mason and Tucker McLean invested in the area and have since renovated the cabins and the lodge. A new dock is going in soon.”
I turned off the road into Pine Rest.
“There are paths and trails. You can often see Tucker running here when he’s home,” I said as we bumped along the dirt road.
“The media doesn’t bother him?”
“Not out here. The sheriff made it clear when Lily was here that media types were to be kept out. It’s private property and the Minors will call the police if there’s trespassing.”
He scoffed. “Since when do photographers care about that?”
“Mr. Minor has a shotgun. That scared off the last guy.”
He laughed. “Good to know.”
I parked in front of the recreational building that had a yoga studio, art rooms, kitchen and a
large open room we used for banquets.
We arrived before Allie and Mason. I always liked to be at my meetings first so my clients knew I was eager and on top of the job. “Wait here. I’ll get the key from Mrs. Minor.”
I trotted up the front steps as Reece got out of the car. He shivered and closed his overcoat. If he had a fedora, he’d look like a mobster.
I was about to knock, when the door opened. “Sasha, how are you? I’ve got the key right here.” Mrs. Minor was in her eighties and looked every year of it, except in her eyes, which always shone with a bit of mischief. “Who’s that?” she asked with a nod towards Reece.
“He’s my new boss.”
She looked at me. “He looks slick. Is he slick?”
Reece must have heard, as his eyes narrowed at us.
“It's too soon to tell.”
“He doesn’t trust you to do your job? Because I’ll tell him. I’ll tell him you’re the best one.”
I smiled. “He’s just wanting to see how we work out here.”
“Who’s at the door, Mary?” Mr. Minor’s voice echoed out the door.
“It’s Sasha.”
Mr. Minor appeared at the door and grinned at me. “I thought I told you to never come by when my wife was home. She might get suspicious.”
I laughed. It was such a silly game they played when they pretended to have a side piece, but it was sweet too.
“She brought me a present, Harry.” Mrs. Minor nodded towards Reece.
Mr. Minor’s brows knitted into a single long white harry line, as he took in Reece. “He looks slick.”
I snorted.
A car pulled in and Mason and Allie got out.
The Minors said hello and I took the key to meet my clients. I introduced Mason and Allie to Reece. Allie scrutinized him as Mary had, but didn’t say anything.
We walked around the lodge and then reviewed a map where they showed me where they wanted to set up a variety of wellness activities.
“At the Condor, there are more spacious lake view options for your classes,” Reece said, referring to the biggest and most expensive resort on the lake that included skiing, spas, shops and more. It’s nearly its own town. “Have you considered that?”
I frowned at him.
“You could have a larger retreat. Maybe bring in some bigger names in the industry. Some of Oprah’s mind-body-spirit-friends,” Reece finished.
Mason and Allie looked at me.
I shrugged. “He must have forgotten that I told him Mason was part-owner of this place,” I said by way of explanation.
Reece didn’t look chagrined. “My job is to help your event reach its full potential. This place is lovely, but limited and out of the way.”
I glared at him because it was my job, not his, to help in this event.
“Mr. Alexander-” Allie started.
“I’ll take this,” Mason interrupted. “This place is exactly what we need to reach the potential outlined in our vision and mission statements. It’s why my brother and I invested in it. The other places are slick, but that’s not what we want.” Mason ended his comment with a solid nod.
“Okay then.” Reece smiled, but I could see he felt a little like he’d been reprimanded, which he had been.
After that, the meeting went well, mostly because Reece simply observed. Back at the office, I was glad to be in my own space away from him. Slick or not, my hormones liked him.
I started on the plans for the retreat, making a list of vendors and then following up on events I had coming in the next days and weeks.
There was a knock on my door and Reece peered in. “You’re paid on a salary but not overtime.”
I looked at my watch. It was well after six. It wasn’t unusual for me to work late because I didn’t have anything else to do.
“Just finishing up. What’s your excuse?”
“You.”
Chapter 6: A Kiss Worth the Risk
Reece
At five-thirty, most of the office had left. By six, only Sasha was still in her office. I waited to see how long she’d work, wondering why she was still here. I knew her event was coming up and I’d been impressed with her ideas and handling of her clients today. But a young beautiful woman like her should have been out with friends or at spin class or something. Not holed up in her office.
Finally, as seven o’clock approached, I went to her office. I gave a quick knock and opened the door. “You’re paid on a salary but not overtime.”
She looked at her watch, then up at me. “Just finishing up. What’s your excuse?”
“You.” It was probably the wrong thing to say. It had a tone of something intimate and personal that could get me fired. “Why are you working so late when you should be out enjoying life?”
She leaned back in her chair and stretched. It pulled the hem of her shirt up, exposing that soft skin I’d run my tongue over last week. My mouth salivated at the memory.
I took a seat in the chair by her desk as my body also responded. Getting a hardon when visiting my staff’s office was a definite fast-track to getting fired.
“I just wanted to get started on the retreat.” She sat forward again. “Unless you’re going to talk them out of it.”
I held my hands up in surrender. “Nope. But I am curious. Is being slick as bad as it sounds?”
Her lips twitched upward. She really was beautiful when she smiled. “It’s not great. It’s more like being fake or putting too much into appearances. It works in Hollywood, but your fancy suit and overcoat are out of place here.”
“So I noticed,” I quipped. “I didn’t know I needed to shop for a new wardrobe to be accepted in this place.”
She flinched slightly.
“The thing is, Sasha, everyone here is busy telling me how laid back and friendly y’all are. And for the most part it's true, but it’s not without its cliques and a snobbery of its own. Calling me slick is proof of that.”
She seemed to consider that. “Okay. But you are here now and while you don’t need a new wardrobe, you need to accept that people around here don’t need balls and galas.”
“Isn’t it your job to provide options so they can make choices?”
“Yes. You seem to think I haven’t done that.”
Shit. She was right. Was my own bias getting in the way of things?
She continued, “We have many celebrities that visit, have homes, or even live full time here. They choose this place to get away from slick. Tucker lives with his wife in a home at Pine Rest. Pax Ryder and his new wife, are looking at buying a home as well.”
I put my elbows on the arms of the chair and clasped my hands over my belly. “Tell me about the snowtubing thing. Maybe I’m too slick, but I don’t get it.”
She laughed and shook her head. “I’ll give you that one. It’s not the strangest event I’ve done but it was definitely a first. Still, I imagine, when it gets out, we’ll have calls to do more.”
“So why the tubing?” I asked again, knowing she was right. People often took their cues from what celebrities did.
“That’s what they wanted.”
“They said they wanted to get married on a tubing hill?” I arched a brow, finding it hard to believe.
“Well it wasn’t my idea. They said something about it being a special place. And, I have to admit, they really were happy as they slid down.” A wistful smile spread on her face, making me think she believed in romance.
“Different strokes, I guess.”
She nodded. “That’s what people pay us for too. They come with their own visions and it’s my job to make it happen.”
I nodded. The truth was, I admired her ability to do that. She took the time to really understand her clients so she could give them the experience they truly wanted. It made me wonder why they didn’t give her my job. She clearly had experience with celebrities and she was good.
She said she liked her job and I could see she had a real future here. Maybe I could help her realize that. S
omeday, hopefully soon, I’d be gone. She’d be the best person to replace me.
“I’d like to help on the retreat,” I said.
Her smile faltered, a clear sign she didn’t like that idea.
I quickly added, “I’m not spying or micromanaging. The truth is, I think you’re good. I know you wanted my job. Maybe with my help or…actually, by working with you, I could put in a good word at the home office.”
“Carolyn put in a good word.” She pursed her lips at me. “It didn’t seem to matter.”
“Carolyn didn’t work in the home office. I did. I know them. And I think my input would make a difference.”
I swore I could see a tug of war in her eyes. I wasn’t sure if she was concerned about having her boss looking over her shoulder or afraid that her boss was thinking of her naked. I wondered if I should tell her that the latter was her biggest concern.
“Sure. Why not.” She pulled out a binder, stood and took it to a table along the wall. I rose from my chair and joined her. “This is what I have so far for the retreat.”
For the next twenty minutes, she outlined her lists of vendors, the logistics of the space, and the budget, which was significant. Mason had deep pockets. I wondered how he could recoup his expenses since Pine Rest had a smaller capacity to house people.
As she finished up, I found myself asking questions just to prolong my time with her. She was smart, funny, and creative. And my body couldn’t forget how it felt to be inside her.
“Reece?”
“Hmm?” I turned my head to look at her, not realizing she’d asked me a question. Our heads were closer than I anticipated. Immediately I felt a zap of awareness. My gaze drifted down to her lips. She licked them, and I knew that I was well and truly fucked.
“You shouldn’t look at me like that.” Her voice was breathless. I noted that while her words suggested I was crossing a line; she didn’t move away.
“Like what?” Jesus, my voice was breathless too. My heart was beating a million miles a minute.