by Claire Adams
"Welcome to La Mage. We're glad to have you girls. Check-in is that way, and information on restaurants and bars is at the end of the hall on the wall mount." The girl smiled at us with a warmth I didn't expect.
"Yep, and there are parties non-stop here. Make sure you grab an activities schedule from the front desk, and if you need anything at all, I'm Marco." He took my hand, kissed my fingers and smiled seductively. "Anything at all."
"Thanks," I responded, a little breathless more from the frontal assault of beautiful people and less from the guy’s attention on me. It was all part of the production, anyway.
"Why do you always get the sexy ones?" Casey grumbled at me as we got in line.
"What?" I laughed and turned back in time to see Marco kissing an older woman's hand as she giggled and blushed. "Nothing to worry about. He's already moved on."
Casey glanced back and busted out laughing. "Such a typical male, right?"
"Age before beauty, young lady." I poked at her softly. "Besides, I'm saving myself for a nerdy type this time around. Looks and money have a stigma with them, and it's rang true in my life since I started dating."
"They're all assholes, Viv. Money, looks, nerdy, sensitive...all of them."
"Then why do we try?" I picked up my bag and moved up to stand at the front of the line. A handsome, frat-boy type called us toward him to check-in.
"Because they're so pretty to look at?" Casey giggled and dropped her bag in front of the counter before glancing toward me. "Am I right?"
"Spot on." I pulled out my credit card and played along as he flirted his way into talking us into an upgrade on our dining package. Little did he know that it was far more about the culinary treats and less about the twinkle in his eyes that sold me.
Chapter 6
Easton
It was best to leave the girls behind on the plane. I didn't want any further connection to the lovely woman that was sure to haunt my dreams that night. My career was first and foremost in my life. Getting involved with anyone, especially a girl still in college, wasn't going to happen. I glanced down at my phone, contemplating deleting the number her ballsy friend had typed in, but decided against it. I didn't have to call her, and without her having my number, there was no way we would connect again without me initiating it.
"Easton! Wait up, dude." Kevin's voice surprised me as I moved through the terminal toward baggage claim. The guy wasn't supposed to be in Miami until later that day.
"Hey, Kev. What are you doing here?" I glanced around idly, not looking for Viv and yet very much looking for her.
"I got on that flight with you. You must have scored first class or something." He snorted and ran his chubby fingers over his balding head. "The sandwich they served was horrible. Far too dry for my liking."
"They had mayonnaise that you could have used." I gave him a sideways glance as we paused by the baggage turn style.
"There's no need to add sauce of any sort to a properly made sandwich." Kevin rubbed his protruding belly and gave me a cocky smile. "I'm the food critic, remember? Stick with me, and you'll never have a bad meal."
I awarded him a short chuckle, grabbed my bag and glanced back at him. "Are you headed to La Mage now?"
"Yeah. Let's grab a cab together. Maybe we can chat about the various events coming up this week. I want to try and hit most of them if you're up for it." He wrestled his over-sized bag to his side and nodded toward the door. "You grab the cab. I'll meet you there in a minute. I need to go to the bathroom. Actually, can you drag my bag with you?"
I took a sharp breath and nodded, wanting very much to be a dick, but knowing it would do no good. "Yeah. I'll see you out there."
"Good man." He winked and walked off as my eyes moved across the hordes of people that walked from the main terminal to the baggage claim area. Viv was nowhere in sight, but some part of me wanted one more encounter with her. It was silly and rather childish, but I couldn't help but stand there for a few, elongated minutes.
Turning on my heel, I walked languidly to the exit and moved to the line of yellow cabs, getting behind the ten people who were waiting, their voices a chorus of excitement. I couldn't remember the last time I was on vacation, and I wasn't now either. The feeling of anticipation was almost dead inside of me, but contemplating running into the cute girl from my flight left it swirling in the pit of my stomach.
"Damn," I growled and turned back to watch the door. Maybe I should just go back in and wait for her. A drink wouldn't hurt anything. A night of dancing? Making love until the morning and letting her go? It doesn't have to be a relationship, right?
"Next!" A gruff voice called from behind me, and surprisingly, I turned to find the line gone.
"Right. Thanks. I'm headed downtown to La Mage." I worked to help the guy get my and Kevin's bags in the back of the car. "My co-worker is–”
"Right here." Kevin moved up beside the car and got in without offering to help with the bags.
Typical ass.
"No problem, man. Get in, and I'll have you down there in a jiffy." The cab driver closed the trunk and moved to his side of the car.
I paused and glanced back over my shoulder before giving up on having one more chance encounter with Vivian.
After getting in the car, I worked on my seatbelt and turned to find Kevin watching me with uncomfortable intensity.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing. Just wondering why you're not married. Seems weird to me." He shrugged and worked to get something out of his teeth.
I adverted my attention from him and leaned back in the seat, turning my head to watch the people walk from the airport building. "I just haven't found the right girl. Forever is a long time."
"Ahhh, so you're a romantic who believes in true love and such. Not at all the type of guy I pegged you to be." He chuckled.
I turned my head toward him. "No? And what kind of guy did you peg me to be?"
"The turn and burn kind. You're young, obviously smart, good looking... And don't forget, I've seen you in a few meetings that didn't go well. You know how to handle yourself and how to shut someone down pretty quickly." He sucked at his teeth once more and shrugged. "Romantic wouldn't have been on the list."
"I'm not a romantic, or at least I don't think I am." I closed my eyes and ran my hand down my face. "I'm far too focused on my career right now to even think about it, to be perfectly honest. Marriage and family isn't on my radar at all right now."
"I get that. I turn the ladies down all the time because they're far too needy nowadays."
I kept my eyes closed and simply nodded, hoping like hell he would shut up and leave me be. He was full of hot air, and if it were up to me, his days would be significantly limited. He was an ass to the restaurants he serviced, and I'd yet to see a favorable write up from him in the two years I'd been with my employer.
"We're here," the cabbie called out from the front seat. "Credit or cash?"
"You got this, right?" Kevin opened his door and got out without waiting for my reply.
"Yeah. I guess." I pulled out my card and let my eyes scan the beautiful design at the front of the resort. It was one of my favorites and I was glad to be back in Florida, though I was a New Yorker through and through.
Vivian moved past my mind's eyes again, her pretty blue eyes watching me over the top of her drink as she seemingly played with my emotions. She had no clue of her power as a beautiful woman. She'd been through something recently from what I could tell, and now that I'd lost the chance to ask what, I was kicking myself. I shouldn't have wanted to know, but I did.
I paid, got out of the car and took a deep breath. The salty goodness of the ocean filled my senses and I lifted my hands to the heavens and stretched, taking a moment to enjoy the beauty around me.
"Mr. Parks. So nice to have you back with us again, Sir." An older gentleman in a nice suit walked from the hotel and extended his hand. "I'm Jeffry Bryan. One of the managers here at La Mage."
"Jeffry, of cou
rse. I remember you." I extended my hand and shook his firmly. "This is my co-worker, Kevin Jarrett. He'll be sampling some of the new dishes you have in your restaurants this year."
"Ah yes..." The manager turned and extended his hand to Kevin. "I believe we've met as well."
"I don't remember you at all, actually." Kevin shook his hand as I cringed. The man had no class at all.
"Well, thanks for hosting us again this year. We're going to get settled in this afternoon, and then I'd like to meet with your hospitality manager around five, if possible." I picked up my bag as someone rushed toward me, taking it and welcoming me warmly.
The two models at the door offered their greeting as well, which was a nice touch from my previous visit. Where I might expect them to be stiff and uppity, they weren't at all. Both the male and female were warm in their greeting and conversational to the guest that moved in alongside me.
"I will arrange that, no worries. We have you in a penthouse suite tonight and other various sizes of rooms throughout the week. I remember that you like to try out everything while you're here." Jeffry motioned for me to move up to the checkout. "One of our staff will get you checked in and settled. Come down a few minutes before five and we'll have a room set up for you to talk with Brian. He's new to us, but I think you'll find him pleasant."
"Excellent." I turned and moved into the VIP line for check-in. The brilliant, silky, red locks of a pretty girl just to my right grabbed my attention and my breath caught in my chest. Viv?
"Why do you get to stay in the penthouse and I have to have a regular room?" Kevin grumbled as he moved up beside me in the non-VIP line. The scowl on his face almost caused my lip to turn up in a smirk, but I forced myself to behave. No need to egg the poor guy on unless he kept pressing his luck. He would find a reason to be pissy no matter what. He didn't need my help with it, but he’d get some if he wasn’t careful.
"I'm here testing out their resort, Kev. I have to experience everything from decor to food to the hotel rooms. My write up covers everything. Yours covers the dining experience. You should feel lucky that they didn't give you a cot in the kitchen." I smirked at him as his face shaded red.
"Whatever. I'm asking for an upgrade. I'm an important client and if they want a good review on their culinary offerings, then they'd better treat me well." He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Your opinion should be unbiased and focused solely on the food." I lifted my eyebrow at him. "That's how you critique, correct? If not, Jon should be made aware of the score card you're using."
"Are you threatening me?" He asked, his voice pinching slightly.
"Absolutely. Your ethics reflect the company I'm investing my future in. Don't fuck around with it." I locked my jaw and turned to pin him with a warning stare.
He lifted his hands as the crimson on his cheeks bled to white. "Alright. Damn. I was just saying."
"Well don't." I turned to the front and moved up as the pretty redhead and her blonde friend moved down toward the elevators. It was Viv and Casey. I pressed my hands to the counter in front of me and let my eyes follow her, memorizing how well her small rear fit into her jeans.
"Mr. Parks. Nice to have you with us. Will you need just one key?"
I bit my bottom lip as I contemplated how fun it would be to have a fling with her. Was she up for it? Here she was at the same hotel as me. Was I up for it?
"No. I'll take two." I turned back to face the woman.
"Sounds good. We'll switch your room each afternoon at three, and I'll be sure to leave a note in your file that you are to receive a text with the new room numbers. The card will work without fail as you shift around. Should you need anything at all, just let us know." The woman smiled and handed me the cards. "Don't forget the penthouse has a code, too. It's four-one-five."
"Excellent." I picked up my bag and walked toward the elevator. Kevin's voice rose up behind me as if he were owed something by the hotel for simply being there. I shook my head, pressed the button and pulled out my phone, putting in a call to my boss.
"This is Jon." He was out of breath, which gave me pause.
"Bad time, boss?" I asked.
"No. Just got done with my mid-day run. You in Florida?"
"Yeah. Kevin is here as well." I moved over to let more people in the elevator and wondered why the hell I didn't wait a few minutes to call. Idiot.
"Oh yeah? That will be nice to have someone to hang out with in your down time."
"Try again. The guy's a jerk, Jon. We need to look for someone else. He has no ethics and he thinks that everyone owes him something." I moved out of the elevator as we reached the top floor and typed in the code on my key before slipping it into the reader.
"He's a little unconventional, but honestly he's a great writer and it's hard as hell to find a food critic that has the ability to express flavor and write well. Most of their time is spent giving less-than-stellar reviews. You know how it is."
"I do, but we can do better than him. He's an embarrassment to the company."
"Find someone, and I'll interview them. Good luck with it, too. They're hard as hell to find with experience."
"Are we looking for experience or can we perhaps think about talking with someone green, just out of college?" I walked into the room and felt a fluttering of regret. I should have had a beautiful woman by my side to enjoy the room with. It was extravagant and bled lust and wealth.
"I'm willing to talk to someone if we think we can mold them.”
"Let me call you back. I just got into my room. I need to take a few notes on the experience. Later." I dropped the call and pressed the audio recorder on my phone. "Extravagant, breath-taking, luxurious. The room is spacious and built for housing an all-night party with the rich and famous. The view from the living room balcony is befitting a king, and the crimson and gold decor reminds me of old money. I need a glass of brandy and a robe...but don't we all?"
I turned the recording off and pulled out my stylus, starting to take notes as I moved room to room analyzing, judging, critiquing. There was very little I could find wrong with the penthouse, which would be a golden jewel in the resort’s proverbial crown.
The fact that I couldn't shake Viv from my mind during the entire tour was a bit unnerving. I stood in stony silence at the entrance to the master bedroom and let my imagination go wild. The bed was large enough for a family of five to spread out comfortably, but how exquisite it would be to have the pretty girl in her panties and bra, laid out before me? Her hair spayed wildly along the silk sheets and that sultry look in her eyes that said she was more than ready for a long night of staining each other with our lust.
My body hardened, and I groaned, sliding my hand over my erection as it pressed against my slacks. Why was I having a hard time not thinking about a woman I just fucking met? It made no sense, and yet there she was...already in the middle of my fantasies. It had to be because of my family's belief in fate. They felt that there were no coincidences. I'd run into Vivian in the airport because we were meant to meet. She was my seatmate because she was meant to be in my life.
She was checking into the same hotel as me because she would most certainly be in my bed.
I chuckled at my faulty reasoning and pulled out my phone, glancing down at her number once more and letting out a long sigh. If we were meant to be anything other than a casual oddity, then we would be.
I started to press the delete button, but didn't. Instead, I dropped onto the bed face first, wanting a nap before I had to begin the arduous task of analyzing everything around me.
Chapter 7
Vivian
"I feel ridiculous in this." I held my towel in front of me as we walked down the beach.
Casey reached over and tugged it away, grimacing at me. "You look fucking hot. Stop hiding yourself, silly. You have the best body of anyone I know."
"You don't get out much, do ya?" I smirked and pulled the towel away. "It's all those years of playing volleyball and swimming,
though I think guys actually prefer a little more meat on a girl’s bones. I want to be curvy like you."
"Yeah, we call this fat in my house." She winked at me and pointed ahead of us. "Enough about us. Let's talk about them."
A group of guys stood around a margarita hut that was situated in the middle of the sand, just a hundred feet from the crashing waves. They were laughing loudly and trying to talk over each other.
"No thanks. Grab me a drink while you're over there. I'll go get us a seat on this crowded beach." I smiled, pulling my sunglasses down and doing an about-face. I wasn't shy around guys, but grabbing the attention of a gaggle of them was out completely.
Casey was a ham and wanted everyone’s attention, which I was good with. She'd always been out in front in our relationship, and I was rather comfortable with my supporting role to the princess.
A laugh left me as I laid out my towel and dropped down onto the cold sand. The sun pulsed above me in the cloudless sky, but its warmth was thwarted by the cool breeze coming off of the ocean.
Closing my eyes, I let my head drop back and let out a slow breath. Nothing could disturb the peace that wrapped around me. My life back in New York could stay there for the week. Casey was right. I needed the vacation more than I could have imagined.
"You missed out." She dropped down in the sand next to me and pressed something cold to my bare shoulder.
I yelped and sat up, turning to threaten her as a good-looking guy dropped down in the sand next to her and lifted his beer to me.
"Hey." He smiled and nodded to Casey. "Your friend here says you guys are from New York. I've always wanted to visit."
"Me too," a deep voice resounded on my other side, and I jerked around to see a muscled guy leaning toward me.
"Here's your beer." Casey wagged the sweaty bottle in front of me, and I yanked it from her grasp and gave her a look.
"You bring the party with you every time, don't you?" I pressed the bottle to my lips and turned from Casey to the guy beside me. "I'm Vivian. Nice to meet you."