He noticed she didn’t mention anything about her family and that had his curiosity piqued. It would certainly be their topic of conversation on the car ride to the resort. Reaching for his second bag, Hugh straightened and looked at Aubrey. “That’s everything.” He looked down and noticed she only had one large suitcase with her and thankfully, it wasn’t hot pink. “Is that your only bag?”
She nodded.
“I’m impressed. It’s been my observation most women travel with multiple pieces of luggage.”
“Oh, I was tempted, believe me. But I also am a champion at consolidating and maximizing what I can fit in my bag. Looks can be very deceiving. Inside this one piece of luggage is a whopping twenty-one outfits.”
“Your last suitcase contained mostly shoes,” he said with a grin. “Did you cut back this time?”
That made her laugh. “Kind of. I stuck to the basics I’d be able to use over the course of the week.”
He eyed her, still grinning. “How many pairs?”
“I think our car should be here by now,” she said, stopping when she realized Hugh wasn’t following her. She turned and saw him standing five feet behind her, his luggage on the ground. “What?”
“Come on. Out with it. How many pairs of shoes did you bring?” Why he felt the need to tease her like this, he didn’t know. All he knew was he was enjoying it. He spent his time surrounded by people—Dorothy, his employees—but he never found someone he enjoyed this silly, carefree banter with. It was a nice feeling.
She rolled her eyes. “Six.”
“Six pairs of shoes?”
She nodded.
“You know you’re only going to be gone for eight days, right?”
“Then technically, I’m two pairs short,” she replied saucily. “Now come on, chief. The car is probably out front and we shouldn’t keep him waiting.”
And damn if he didn’t follow her command like some sort of trained puppy.
Only Hugh was fairly certain puppies didn’t focus their attention on the soft sway of a woman’s hips as she led the way.
Thankful for the distraction of the car’s arrival and getting settled in, Hugh felt slightly more in control by the time they pulled away from the airport. For a few minutes he was content to simply sit and watch the scenery go by, but then he remembered he wanted to get to know her better.
“So,” he began, breaking the silence, “you’re not missing out on anything by being away for another week?”
Aubrey shook her head. “Not really.”
“Tell me about your work—I mean, the work you were doing before coming to Napa.”
She sighed. “There’s not a whole lot to tell. I’ve done a lot of work organizing charity events and fund-raisers in the community. I’ve worked with a lot of nonprofits close to home.”
He looked at her oddly. “How did you support yourself? Working for nonprofits certainly wasn’t paying your bills.”
“I had been on the payroll of my father’s company. He’s kind of a big deal in the world of finance. His work bores me to death, but there was always a need for parties and galas and whatnot. I was cheap labor and he knew I’d follow his instructions to a T.”
Daddy issues. Great. “You said you ‘had’ been. You quit?”
She nodded. “I hit a point where I couldn’t stand putting on the same party over and over and over. To be honest, this isn’t my first career choice. But things happen and…here I am.” She met his gaze evenly. “I’m very good at what I do, don’t get me wrong, and I’m not settling. I know I may have made it sound that way, but it’s not. I…I don’t want you to think I’m going to be phoning this in.”
He never would have thought it. “So what was your first choice?”
“Excuse me?”
“You said this wasn’t your first career choice. What was?”
Aubrey looked away and focused on the passing scenery. “It was nothing more than a silly childhood dream. It doesn’t matter. This sort of fell into my lap and I enjoy it.”
Hugh knew enough about people to know when they were trying to convince themselves of something. He knew he was going to have to go the long way around if he was going to get an answer out of her. “When I was a kid, I used to dream of being a surfer.”
Her eyes widened before she broke out in a fit of giggles. “A surfer? Like a professional one?”
He shrugged. “Sure. Why not? I thought I was so awesome at it, people would come to the beach and pay to watch me.”
“And how old were you when this was your dream?”
“Fourteen.” He sighed. “I really was good. Everyone said so.”
“So what kept you from going pro?”
Life, he admitted to himself. “I realized I enjoyed being inside and wearing dry clothes rather than being out in the hot sun in wet shorts all day.” Resting his head back against the seat, he turned to look at her. “And the sand gets to be a real nuisance after a while.”
It made her giggle all the more. “I can only imagine.”
“So come on… I just shared my failed claim to fame. What did you want to be?”
Aubrey shook her head, her laughter fading. “No. It’s too… It was nothing.”
Nudging her with his elbow, he pleaded. “Come on. No one outside my family knows about my surfer dreams. They all thought I just did it for fun. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine. I…I wanted to be a dancer.”
He straightened in his seat as his brows rose at her. “A dancer? That’s pretty damn cool. What kind of dancing? Ballroom? Ballet? Modern?”
“I was trained in ballet. I started dancing when I was three.” She chuckled at the memory. “In most of the pictures from my childhood, I’m wearing a tutu.”
Hugh smiled at the imagery. “So what happened? Injury?”
A sad smile played across her lips. “A dancer’s life is very regimented. If you step away from it for any length of time, it’s hard to get back in. The hours of practicing are brutal. I…I guess I didn’t want it bad enough.”
He had a feeling there was more to it, but when Aubrey grew silent and turned her attention back out the window, Hugh let the topic go for now and simply relaxed with the silence for the remainder of the drive.
Once they arrived, relaxation quickly became a distant memory. Hugh’s management team was waiting for them. As soon as they were out of the car, introductions were made and they were immediately swept up in resort business.
Hugh assigned the resort’s assistant event coordinator, Elaine, to give Aubrey a tour and show her to her room while he dealt with some issues that needed his immediate attention. He had meetings planned with the head of each department—it was what he always did. He liked to be informed on how everything was operating, and offer his staff the opportunity to have one-on-one time with him to voice their concerns.
By the time he had his office to himself, it was after eight in the evening and he was starving. Picking up the phone, he called the front desk and asked to be connected to Aubrey’s room. All of the tension of the last four hours seemed to ebb away at the sound of her voice.
“Hey,” he said with a relaxed sigh. “Did you get settled in all right?”
“Oh my goodness, the staff here is wonderful! Elaine showed me around. I didn’t think I’d like anything better than Napa, but I’m seriously starting to reconsider. This entire place is beautiful, Hugh! How do you do it?”
“Have you eaten dinner yet? I know it’s late, but…”
“I just got back to my room a few minutes ago. I was so wrapped up in looking around and talking to everyone, I completely forgot about it.”
“Would you like to meet me for dinner?”
“That sounds fabulous. I didn’t realize I was hungry until you said the word dinner.” She chuckled. “Which rest
aurant?”
The thought of the noise and having to socialize with anyone else was not appealing in the least. Most of the time when Hugh was at a resort, unless he was meeting with a client, he ate in his apartment. Which was what he said to Aubrey. “It’s been a really long day. Would you mind if we just ordered dinner to my place? I’d like to hear about what you saw today and what ideas you’ve come up with, and we can do that a lot easier in the apartment than we could in one of the restaurants.”
“I don’t mind at all. If you can believe it, I’m pretty much done smiling and being social for the day. It’s exhausting.”
“Well, I hope it doesn’t mean you’re going to frown and be quietly grumpy while we eat,” he teased, smiling when he heard her laugh.
“You know what I mean. Sometimes it’s nice to step away from the crowds.” She paused. “You don’t mind if I change into casual clothes, do you?”
If she had said “something more comfortable,” he might have groaned at the image, but “casual” was a little less tantalizing. “Go right ahead. Give me about thirty minutes and come on over. Do you know how to get here?”
“Elaine gave me a map,” she replied. “What are we having for dinner?”
Wednesday was fried chicken night. Hugh wasn’t ready to let her in on his OCD about meals, so he simply left the option up to her. “Whatever you want. I can have the kitchen prepare whatever you’re in the mood for.”
“What are you having?”
“Me? I think…” He pretended to consider his options. “I think I’m in the mood for a little comfort food. Maybe some fried chicken and mashed potatoes.”
“Ooo…that does sound good. Same for me, please!”
“You got it. I’ll see you in thirty,” he said before hanging up the phone.
* * *
Aubrey stood outside Hugh’s apartment for a solid five minutes trying to calm her nerves. Everything about the day had been perfect—the people, the resort, her room—and as much as she didn’t want to admit it, having a little bit of time away from Hugh had been a blessing. The man had a way of distracting her whenever he was near, and having the afternoon to work with other members of his staff meant she accomplished everything she had hoped for on her first day.
Looking down at herself, she felt a little self-conscious. She was basically one step above wearing her pajamas—black capri-length yoga pants and a white T-shirt. It was far from glamorous and even further from the business attire she’d been in all day. Looking down, she wiggled her toes and smiled at her hot-pink flip-flops with the giant flower on the top. She’d seen them in one of the resort shops earlier while being shown around and couldn’t resist buying them. Besides being adorable, they were very comfortable, therefore a practical purchase. Even if they were a little bright for a business dinner.
Yeah, maybe she’d gone a little too casual. Maybe she could run back to her room and…
The door opened and Hugh stood there, magnificent in a pair of well-worn jeans and a T-shirt with some sort of logo faded from many, many wears. “I was wondering if you were ever going to knock on the door. Is everything okay?”
“What?” she croaked, then cleared her throat. “I mean, yes. Sorry. I guess my mind wandered there for a bit and I lost track of the time.”
Standing back, he motioned for her to come in. “Cute shoes,” he teased as she started toward him. “I seem to recall us selling some almost exactly like them down in the boutique.”
Busted. “I…um…I was just doing my part to support the company and all. Some would call it being a good employee.”
“Or some would say you have a shoe addiction.” His tone was light, his grin big as he waited for her to walk through the door.
When she did, Aubrey made it all of five steps before she froze. Everything was exactly the same as it was in Napa. Everything. The layout, the furniture, the decor…it was as if she was transported back to California.
Hugh shut the door and walked around her, seemingly unaware of her dismay. “Dinner arrived a few minutes ago. I’ve got it set up at the table. We can set up the files over there if you’d like, or we can wait until after dinner.” He was standing next to the dining room table when he finally noticed Aubrey hadn’t moved. “Are you all right?”
What could she possibly say? “I think I just had a moment of déjà vu,” she managed to say with a nervous giggle.
Hugh looked around the place. “Oh, the decor. Yeah. I get it. I pretty much live at my resorts. I don’t have a place of my own, you know, off property.”
“What about by your family?”
He shrugged. “When I go home to visit, I stay with my father, and sleep in the bedroom I grew up in.”
And the weirdness continued. “Don’t you…maybe want a place of your own that isn’t at a resort?”
Holding out a chair, Hugh motioned for Aubrey to join him. “I don’t know. I would never be there. Believe it or not, the resorts keep me busy, and while I’m not always stopping in and problem solving, there are times when I stay for a month or so and just enjoy the simplicity of the day-to-day stuff. It’s not a bad way to live.” She sat and then Hugh took his seat. “It never seemed like a necessity or a smart choice financially to purchase a place I would only live in a month or two out of the year.”
“Maybe you wouldn’t spend so much time at the resorts if you had a place to live. You could set up a home office to oversee the day-to-day stuff and then space out your travel time so you wouldn’t have to be gone for such long amounts of time.”
Reaching across the table, Hugh lifted the lid off her plate and then did the same for his own. “I don’t know. I don’t even know where I’d want to live.”
“Where does your family live?”
“Everywhere,” he said with a chuckle.
“No, I’m serious. Where is your dad?”
“Coastal North Carolina.”
“Seriously? Don’t you think it’s a coincidence we’re both from North Carolina but met in Napa?” she asked with a hint of excitement in her voice.
“Well, to be fair, North Carolina is a pretty big state…”
“Oh, you’re no fun,” she teased and then looked down at her plate. It was piled high with large pieces of fried chicken, a mountain of mashed potatoes, and glazed baby carrots. Looking up at Hugh, she asked, “Is all this for one person?”
He laughed. “Don’t feel obligated. I told the chef to make two plates and I guess he figured they were either both for me or at least for two guys. Just promise you won’t pick at it. I want you to enjoy it.”
From the scents rolling off the plate, Aubrey had no doubt she’d be enjoying it. Tomorrow her clothes might not appreciate it, but for now, she was pretty much in heaven. It was obvious Hugh was waiting for her to take the first bite before he would start eating, so she didn’t hesitate to dig in.
The first bite was nearly orgasmic.
“Oh…my…God,” she moaned. “Whoever the chef is, I want to marry him.”
Hugh smiled and began to eat. “I take it that means you like it?”
“Like is too mild a word. This is love, pure and simple. I may never eat another salad ever again.”
They ate the rest of the meal in silence. Aubrey made it through half her portion before crying uncle. “I hate that I’m full, but it was way too much for one person.” Then she looked over and saw Hugh had pretty much devoured every last bite. “Or for this particular person,” she teased.
“I’m a lot bigger than you,” he said and leaned back in his seat. “And I’m used to eating like this.”
“I think I’ll have to stop eating with you because if this is how you do it, I’ll need a whole new wardrobe.”
“Everything in moderation,” he said with a wink as he stood up and began clearing the dishes.
“Please, let me help.” Together they
loaded dishes in the dishwasher, and when they were done Aubrey looked around curiously.
“What are you thinking about now?” Hugh asked.
“If one of the restaurants brought up the food, why are you doing the dishes? Couldn’t you just leave it on a tray outside your door like your guests do?”
“I do leave them outside the door. After they’re clean. I can’t stand the thought of dirty dishes sitting on my doorstep. It looks bad.” He wiped his hands on a dish towel and then rubbed them together. “Now, why don’t you show me what you accomplished today? It sounded like you had a pretty full day yourself.”
Aubrey set the files out on the table and took her tablet out of her satchel, bristling with excitement. “I was so inspired! Everywhere I looked, something would catch my eye and the next thing I knew, I had a clear picture in mind for how I envisioned the launch party.”
Hugh could not only see, but feel her excitement. She was so animated when she spoke and there was such passion behind her words; he was absolutely captivated. “Where do you picture us holding the event? We do have a banquet room for special events that would work…”
Aubrey shook her head. “No. Anyone can do a banquet room. We’ll utilize the amazing landscape and do this outdoors.”
“What about the weather? You can’t control whether it’s going to rain.”
“I understand that, so we’ll use tents. It’s a little more invasive to the property and might detract from the beauty you’ve created, but my plan is to bring some of it into the tent. We’ll do white, twinkly lights on the ceiling and—weather permitting—we’ll leave the sides of the tent off so guests can wander the grounds and really appreciate all you’ve done here.”
He nodded in approval.
“Once you give me a list of wines you’ll be focusing on for each resort, I’ll work with the chefs on the menus. They’re already aware of what we’re doing, and I want to give them ample time to create something new and different that’s not already on any of their menus. We want this to be an event even your regular guests will want to come to because everything will be exclusive to the night.”
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