by Claire Adams
I was interrupted from my haze of self-pity by a knock on the door. “Come in,” I called. A second later the door opened, and Jason walked in. “Think of the devil,” I smiled.
“You were thinking about me?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I was brooding, to be honest,” I admitted. “And feeling very inadequate.”
“Come on now,” he said, ruffling my hair with his hand. “You’re far from inadequate.”
I pushed his hand away and ducked out of his reach. “Maybe not in comparison to the average twenty-something-year-old. But in this family, I am decidedly inadequate.”
“You want to explain that to me?” Jason asked, humoring me as he sat on the edge of my bed.
“Mom is the president of several charities that make a ton of cash for foundations all over the world. Dad was running, like, a dozen companies before he hit fifty, and then you came along and surpassed his track record in next to no time. Oh yeah…and you’re not even thirty yet. Which was something Forbes mentioned about thirty fucking times in five paragraphs.”
Jason let me vent. The moment I finished, his face broke out into a huge smile.
“Mom showed you the article, huh?”
I rolled my eyes. “It was a bit heavy-handed if you ask me.”
“The interviewer was fantastic,” he laughed. “Did you check out Tristan? He was number thirty-four.”
“I saw,” I nodded.
Tristan had been Jason’s best friend since college, and for the ten years that I’d known him, I had been head over heels in love with him. Not that he’d ever really noticed. My mind flew back to the family Christmas party six years ago, but I forced the memory away.
“Fucker beat me,” Jason was saying. “I was number thirty-eight.”
“You made the list,” I reminded him.
“Still,” he replied, as though that were a valid answer.
I couldn’t help but smile. “Did I ever tell you how proud I was when I saw the article?”
“You didn’t actually,” he said.
“Sorry… I guess I was busy being a petty bitch.”
He laughed. “You are not petty,” he insisted. “And, you’re certainly not a bitch. Trust me; I’ve known you your whole life. I would know.”
“You’re sweet,” I smiled. “You really are perfect. The perfect businessman, the perfect son, and the perfect brother.”
“Please…”
“No really,” I said jokingly. “I’m glad you’re so perfect. It makes up for all my failures. Mom and Dad have one child they can be proud of.”
Jason narrowed his eyes at me. “Are you done feeling sorry for yourself?”
“Umm no,” I said. “The whole reason I came down to spend the week with Mom and Dad was so that I could really dig my heels in and feel sorry for myself. You know, get a really good pity party going.”
Jason guffawed. “You’re funny; you know that?”
“I try,” I replied seriously.
He shook his head at me in amusement. Then I saw his eyes slip to the computer screen behind me. “Been doing some trolling, have you?”
“Please,” I said. “Trolling is not my style. Though if anyone deserved to be trolled, it would be Martin Lithgow.”
“What’s the internet saying about him?”
“Apparently, there’s talk of an SEC investigation being opened up,” I replied. “I’m not sure if it was really bad management or money laundering, but either way, he’s not going to be able to get away that easy.”
“That’s something.”
“I guess,” I nodded. “I just… I really liked working there. The atmosphere was great, the people were great, and even the money was decent.”
“Were any of your friends laid off?”
“Seven.” Jason let out a low whistle. “I was closest to Anita. She’s a single mom who really needed this job. I keep thinking of all the other people who depended on this company to keep them employed so that they could support their families and pay their mortgages.”
“I know it’s hard, Molls,” Jason said. “But the sad truth is that layoffs come with the corporate territory.”
“Apparently, so does scandal.”
Jason laughed darkly. “How are you doing…financially?”
“I got a severance package,” I reminded him.
“I know, but that won’t last you too long,” he pointed out.
“If you’re about to offer me money, Mom and Dad already beat you to the punch, and I already turned them down.”
Jason sighed. “Where did all this pride come from?” he demanded. “Because it certainly doesn’t run in the family.”
I laughed. “Are you saying you would accept money from me if the roles were reversed?”
“In a heartbeat,” he nodded. “You’re my sister; who better to borrow money from?”
“You’re a good liar.”
“I happen to be telling the truth.”
“Please,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You know that you’d never be in a position to accept money from anyone, which is why you can afford to say you would.”
“Come on, Molls,” Jason persisted. “What’s the point in making so much money if I can’t help out my baby sister. I’m just talking about giving you a couple of grand.”
“A couple of grand?” I repeated. “Are you nuts?”
“Uh…my therapist seems to think I’m neurotic,” he replied sheepishly. “But not nuts…no.”
I gave him a half smile. “I appreciate the offer, big brother, I really do,” I assured him. “But I want to do this on my own. But I promise that if I’m ever that hard up, I’ll come to you.”
He smirked. “Funny…”
“What is?” I asked.
“I used to love hearing that line from women in college.”
“Eww.”
He laughed. “Sorry,” he said. “TMI.”
“Sometimes I forget what a slut you were in college.”
Jason laughed louder this time. “I take that as a high compliment,” he said. “Speaking of sluts… I spoke to Tristan this morning.”
I smiled. “Okay?”
“He made me a really nice offer,” he continued. “One that I, unfortunately, was forced to turn down.”
“What was the offer?”
“He’s opened up a new resort—”
“Another one?” I interrupted.
“Yup,” he nodded. “The boy is going places fast.”
“Apparently,” I said, impressed despite myself.
“This new hotel is a luxury resort in Hawaii, and it’s opening on Christmas Day. In the meantime, Tristan’s been hosting a few VIP guests from all over the world who’ve come at his invitation.”
“And, you’re on the VIP list?”
“Of course,” Jason replied smugly. “He offered to take care of my plane ticket and the cost of the stay. And since I’m too busy to take him up on his offer, we thought you might as well make use of it.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Whose suggestion was it?” I asked. “Yours or Tristan’s?”
“Uh…does it matter?” Jason asked, in confusion.
I hadn’t seen Tristan in six years, and the last time I had seen him, we had left things on awkward terms. Again, the family Christmas party sprang to mind, and I remembered Tristan standing by the punch bowl in a crisp white shirt that made him look like a Versace model.
“I’m curious,” I said, with a shrug.
“It was Tristan’s suggestion,” Jason admitted.
“And why would he make that suggestion in the first place?” I questioned.
“You’re not an easy girl to do favors for, are you?”
I gave him a mocking smile. “Did you tell him I was just laid off?”
“Uh…was that a secret?”
“Jason!”
“What?” he asked defensively. “Is it that big a deal?”
“It is to me,” I said. “It’s humiliating.”
“Why s
hould it be?” Jason asked. “It’s not like you were fired for misconduct or incompetence. The CEO of the company you worked for is a douche. That’s the reason you lost your job.”
“I know… But still—”
“Are we back to talking about your feelings of inadequacy?”
I suppressed a laugh. “I don’t need anyone feeling sorry for me,” I said firmly.
“Trust me, no one feels sorry for you,” he insisted. “Tristan was only offering because he’s my best friend and you’re my baby sister, and it’s an easy favor for him to do. Plus…”
“Plus?”
“Well…he did mention that he needed to hire someone for his human resources department.”
“He’s offering me a job?” I exclaimed. “Great, just great. He definitely feels sorry for me.”
Jason shook his head. “He’s heard how amazing you are at your job,” he insisted. “In any case, there’s no pressure. You go down, relax for a few weeks, and get the lay of the land. If you feel like it would be a good fit for you…”
“Tristan will hire me?”
“Only if you’re interested,” Jason said quickly. “And if you’re not, then pack your bags and come back home, having enjoyed a luxurious vacation.”
I bit my lip. “I don’t know how I feel about staying at his resort for free.”
“Tristan and I have been friends for a long time,” Jason reminded me. “I’ve helped him out, and he’s done the same for me. You’d just insult him by offering to pay, trust me.”
I sighed. “It does sound nice,” I admitted.
“See?”
I bit my lip and seriously considered the offer. I wondered if my interest had anything to do with seeing Tristan again.
“Okay,” I blurted out spontaneously.
“Okay?”
I nodded. “What the hell?” I said. “I accept.”
Jason smiled and gave me an approving nod. “Atta girl; it’s time you lived a little. I’ll call Tristan tonight and let him know you’ll be flying down.”
“Has he changed much since the last time I met him?” I asked tentatively, remembering the smooth and savvy playboy from my memories.
“Not at all,” Jason replied. “He’s the same guy he’s always been.”
“Still a player, then?” I asked casually.
“Always.”
I smiled and waved Jason out of my room. The moment the door was closed, I turned back to my computer, but my thoughts had traveled back six years ago.
I had relived that memory so many times that it was clear and well preserved. I may have still been underage, but since it was Christmas, I had indulged in a couple of glasses of champagne and a glass of wine. I had been watching Tristan all night. He and Jason were fresh off their graduation, and both were high on ambition.
I, on the other hand, felt like I was high on Tristan.
For the past four years, Tristan had been the star in all my daydreams. He was everything you could want in a man. He was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. But I had always been his best friend’s little sister, and I feared he would never see me as anything more.
But that night at the family Christmas party, it seemed as though something had changed. Tristan looked at me differently, and when he smiled at me, I felt as though he were seeing me as a woman and not just Jason’s kid sister. I remembered that intoxicatingly elicit moment when Tristan had grabbed me suddenly and pulled me into a quiet little nook of the house. Before I could catch my breath, his lips had come down over mine, and he was kissing me, hard and passionate, as though he had wanted to kiss me for years.
I had been walking on sunshine the whole night and the next the morning. That is, until it became clear that Tristan didn’t even remember what had happened between us.
I was forced to face the fact that perhaps I had idealized the moment and that maybe, I had projected my feelings onto Tristan. I had created a connection between us that was far from mutual, and in the process, I had become just another forgotten name on his famously long list.
Again, I questioned why I had agreed to go to Tristan’s resort in Hawaii. Was this some desperate attempt to rewrite our narrative and win him over? Or was this just a way to find some much-needed closure? Personally, I hoped for the latter but feared that the truth was an altogether different story.
Chapter 3
Tristan
“Senator Everett asked me to personally thank you for the suite and your acquiescence to the late booking,” Ben said as we walked around the grand suite Everett and his wife had just vacated.
“He can thank me by lauding our hospitality all over New York,” I replied. “Did you tell him that?”
“Uh…no I didn’t,” Ben replied. “I thought it would be in poor taste.”
I laughed and rolled my eyes at him. “I was kidding, Ben,” I said. “Can’t you recognize a joke?”
“I don’t joke on the job,” he replied seriously.
I laughed, used to Ben’s rigid manner and unflinching professionalism. It was hard to believe that there was a time when I didn’t like him, but slowly and surely, he had started to grow on me.
I walked out to the large balcony to admire the view for a moment, and Ben was forced to follow me, with his clipboard in hand.
“This is heaven,” I said, admiring the breathtaking view.
“If it was, you certainly wouldn’t be allowed in,” he replied dryly.
“See? I knew you could crack a joke.”
“What makes you think I was joking?” he asked with a serious face.
I frowned. “Why do I let you get away with so much cheek?”
“Because you could never find anyone good enough to replace me,” he replied in a self-satisfied way.
“Fair enough,” I admitted. I saw the corner of Ben’s mouth turn up. “So, how are we doing so far? Any complaints?”
“None worth mentioning,” he replied. “A few construction issues on the west wing of the resort, but I managed to sort them out.”
“Don’t I have a meeting with the head of construction today?”
“Tomorrow,” Ben replied, referring his clipboard. “At five.”
“Five seems a bit late—”
“Five a.m.,” he clarified.
“Fuck,” I groaned. “That seems a bit early.”
“The team’s working around the clock to make sure we’re ready for our opening day on Christmas.”
“How many rooms are still under construction?”
“Seven rooms, two suites,” he replied promptly.
“What about the amenities shipment?” I asked. “Has it arrived yet?”
“It’ll arrive tomorrow,” he replied. “Or so I’ve been told.”
“It was supposed to have arrived three days ago,” I said in annoyance.
“There was a little trouble at customs.”
“Call Hans and get him to pull some strings,” I said. “He knows a few people in customs.”
Ben nodded and made a small note. “There’s also the entertainment act to confirm,” he reminded me.
“Ah right,” I nodded distractedly. “Didn’t we already do that?”
“We have a classical pianist for the formal lounge, a jazz band for the outdoor lounge, and three singers for three of the restaurants. Our fourth restaurant doesn’t have an entertainment act yet. I’ve narrowed it down to two contenders; you just have to make the final decision.”
I nodded. “Pencil in an hour sometime tomorrow,” I said. “I’ll audition both of them and get it out of the way.”
“Your schedule is booked solid tomorrow,” Ben said, looking down at my schedule. “Unless you want to audition them at eleven p.m.?”
“Eleven is fine,” I nodded. “Pencil it in and send me a reminder half an hour before.”
“Got it,” he nodded.
“Anything else?”
“Our seafood restaurant is doing well, but it seems to be understaffed,” Ben informed me. “Which is fin
e now, but after Christmas, we’ll be at capacity, and we’ll need more wait staff in all four restaurants.”
“Put the word out that we’re hiring,” I said. “Give preference to the locals.”
Ben nodded. “One last thing… Should I have someone move your stuff back up here?”
I left the balcony and walked back into the grand suite. It was an impressive layout, sprawling and incredibly luxurious, but I had other plans in mind.
“No.”
“No?”
“I have another guest coming down in a few days,” I informed him. “She’ll be staying in this suite.”
Ben raised his eyebrows. “I’ll leave instructions at the reception,” he said. “What’s her name?”
“Molly,” I said. “Molly Sinclair.”
Ben looked incredulously amused.
“What?” I demanded, noticing his expression.
“Nothing.”
“Spit it out,” I insisted.
“I just never pegged you as the type of guy who’d give up his digs for an old flame,” he said. “She must have been something special.”
“Whoa, it’s not like that at all,” I corrected him immediately. “She’s not an ex-girlfriend.”
“Oh.”
“She’s my best friend’s little sister,” I said. “I’m just doing him a solid, that’s all. It’s strictly innocent.”
Ben frowned. “Okay.”
“What?” I demanded.
“Nothing,” he said, shrugging.
“I’m serious; we’re just friends.”
He smiled. “You don’t have to protest so hard,” he told me calmly. “I believe you.”
I could tell from his tone and his expression that he didn’t, but I knew if I kept trying to convince him, it would only work against me. So I shut my mouth and turned my attention to the suite.
“Have some fresh fruit and chocolates sent up,” I informed Ben.
“Champagne?”
“Uh…no,” I said. “Fruit and chocolates are fine.”
“And, when I inform the front desk of her arrival, should I tell them to expect two people or just Ms. Sinclair?”
I paused for a moment. Jason hadn’t mentioned anything about Molly coming with someone. I wondered how I would feel if she did. “Uh… I don’t know, to be honest,” I replied. “Tell them to be prepared just in case. As far as I know, however, it might be just Molly.”