The Undercover Resort Billionaire

by Chelsea Hale

  Chapter 22

  Callie walked nervously toward the elevator. She hadn’t seen Liam for four days, not since the morning where they had the “let’s not make this weird” conversation. Well, it was weird, and except for seeing him fold towels after breakfast that morning, she hadn’t seen or heard from him. He’d never shown up for the excursion training she’d had set up that afternoon, and yesterday she’d been assigned a new employee to help train.

  She didn’t have Liam’s number, and she’d thought at least a dozen times that she was going to ask the supervisor for it, but never got up the courage to do it. She’d even tried waiting outside his room this morning, but gave up after an hour.

  Today she was going to pitch her ideas to the hotel manager, and she’d desperately wanted to pick his brain about the presentation. She didn’t realize how much she’d relied on his confidence in her. She’d assumed he had just helped her find her dream again, but the truth was, without him she was having trouble seeing the point of her dream.

  She pushed aside the feelings of loneliness at losing her friend by making the whole thing weird. He’d obviously asked for a new area to be trained on, and probably in the process, he’d requested that she not be the one training her. The idea stung. Her heart pounded louder, and the corners of her designs seemed to grow damp and wrinkled in her hand. She could do this, and she could do it alone, but oh how she wished she hadn’t pushed him away. She liked him, and if she was honest with herself, she more than liked him.

  But how could she tell him any of this when he was purposefully avoiding her? It was more than just a lost friendship, it was a lost opportunity. Next time, she wouldn’t be so cautious, er, stupid. Next time she wouldn’t shut something down based on principle. Would Liam have really been that much of a distraction from her dreams? More than all of this mental distraction at trying to figure him out was? Not likely. Had it really been a deal breaker? He’d asked if she would feel that way if she didn’t know what he did for a living, and the truth was that she didn’t know. And it scared her. It scared her to trust again, to love again, because of what happened with Michael.

  But that wasn’t love, that was manipulation, her heart seemed to say as it pounded in a dull rhythm. Maybe Liam being a distraction wasn’t ideal. But was her baggage ideal either? And he seemed to look past that without any hesitation. Love wasn’t about the perfect set of circumstances. It was about two people with their current circumstances making life better for each other and for their future. It didn’t have to start out perfectly.

  Why had she demonized his love of the beach? At one point she had enjoyed the beach too. Could she learn to love it again? Allow herself the ability to indulge in something again without being so hard on herself?

  She did an about face. She needed to find Liam. She still had fifteen minutes before her appointment, but she didn’t want to waste them just thinking about Liam. She needed to talk to him. Face to face. She knocked on the supervisor’s door and entered when she heard the words, “Come in.”

  She closed the door behind her, excitement flowing through her. She needed to apologize. Explain things to Liam. Tell him how she really felt about him. She’d been scared. But these last two days without him were just as scary.

  “I thought you were on an extended break right now, Callie?” Gina glanced down at her paper chart.

  “I was. I mean, I am.”

  “While you’re here, I have something for you. This was left with your name on it, to be delivered to you personally.” The supervisor held out an envelope with a window on the outside. Her name was indeed written on the outside.

  Callie took the envelope, turning it over once in her hand. Odd that it looked like a pay stub, when today wasn’t the usual payday. She didn’t think too much about it as she slid it into her portfolio for safe keeping. “Thanks,” she said.

  The supervisor tilted her head. “What can I do for you?”

  “I was just wondering where Liam Allen is stationed today? I have a few things I need to tell him.” She tried to keep the information about what she wanted to say as professional sounding as possible, but from the look on Gina’s face, she wasn’t buying Callie’s nonchalant tone.

  “Allen … Allen …” her supervisor said, glancing down two pages of charts. “Nope. No Allen scheduled today.”

  “Is he taking the day off?” she asked, surprised he would do that when he had been in a hurry to get through all of the trainings and orientation so quickly.

  The supervisor steepled her fingers over her scheduling charts. “You know, I’m not allowed to discuss other employees. Confidentiality. When they choose to leave and move on is not something I need to discuss with others.”

  Her eyes widened. “He left?” Callie asked.

  Gina blew out a breath, like she’d already said too much. She pursed her lips, lowering her voice. “I am not at liberty to discuss anything further, but suffice it to say that whatever you wanted to inform him of, he won’t be shadowing you anymore, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

  So he was shadowing someone else then? Or had he left? “Okay. Thanks. I’ll catch up with him another time,” she said, leaving the room.

  As she closed the door behind her, she thought she heard Gina mumble, “Not likely,” but she wasn’t quite sure.

  She walked more slowly back to the elevator. Liam was gone. Why had they never exchanged phone numbers? Probably because he wasn’t interested in her. But that was a silly thought. It was probably because like she’d suggested, they didn’t need to make it weird.

  She rode up in the elevator to the top floor. The doors opened, and she was next to the large executive conference room.

  A woman at the reception desk outside the conference room grabbed her attention. “You’re here for a meeting, right?” she asked.

  Suddenly Callie’s nerves were a jumble around her. She nodded, not finding her voice to speak, but the woman’s eyes were kind. She couldn’t have been much older than herself.

  “You’re early; that’s a good sign though. The hotel manager meeting is running a little behind.” She looked around as if wondering where she should put Callie to wait. “If you’ll wait in the conference room, I’ll let the hotel manager know that you’re here.”

  Callie walked into the conference room to a table covered with papers. She glanced down at them, scanning the different designs. They had hotel renderings on them. She tried not to stare at the columns and the classic style. Everything about it seemed so familiar, and yet not. She’d never seen a hotel like that before. She could swear they were ideas from her own head. The door opened and Callie looked up, expecting the hotel manager.

  Liam stood in the doorway, looking delicious in a suit that looked like it was made just for him. Her heart slammed into her chest. He hadn’t left the resort after all. She’d been so worried, but she hadn’t driven him away from the resort, even if he didn’t want to work with her anymore. Had Gina related her message that she had wanted to talk to him? Her heart soared that he would come right before her meeting.

  “Liam? What are you doing here? Were you meeting with the hotel manager?” she asked, looking past him as he walked toward her. “I was actually hoping to see you today,” she admitted.

  He stopped walking toward her. “You were?”

  She was going to lose her nerve, but she summoned the strength to push through. “I went to the supervisor looking for you. She wouldn’t tell me where you were working today, and I figured you were avoiding me. I’ve missed you.”

  He gave her a look. “Well, I suppose avoiding you might be part of it.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get all weird, I just, well, anyway, I didn’t want my dream to get away from me. What are you doing? You clean up really nice,” she said, observing the crisp lines on what looked like a tailored suit it fit him so well. “I mean, not that you need to clean up. I mean, you always looked amazing.” She shook her head. “I’m just going to keep quiet no
w.”

  “I don’t work for the hotel anymore,” he said.

  She smacked her forehead, not caring that it would probably leave a red mark right before her meeting with the hotel manager. “Please say you didn’t quit because of what I said. I didn’t mean it like it came out.”

  He gave her that lopsided smile that made her go weak in the knees. “I think you meant it, and it’s okay. I tried to tell you that I wasn’t going to be working this job forever.”

  “But you love resorts, and I just knew I couldn’t take that away from you. And my dreams will always take me away from staying at just one. That’s all I was trying to say.”

  He nodded. “You still want to stick to that, don’t you? Even though we aren’t working together.”

  “You quit because of me. How can I feel good about that?” She was now a jumble of nerves.

  “Trust me, it wasn’t because of you.”

  She arched an eyebrow at him. She knew it was because of her. He supplied no other explanation, and she felt horrible about it. After this meeting, she was going to go right back to Gina’s office and fight for his job back for him. It was the least she could do. But until it was settled and he got his job back the only thing to do was change the subject.

  “I’m pitching my purse line to the hotel.” She held up her black folder with all of her designs in it. “I know it’s a long shot but, I don’t know, I felt like maybe I could do it. I looked for you all morning so I could get your opinions. The truth is, I’ve missed them.”

  “I thought your dream was bigger than this place,” he said.

  It was the way he said it that made her pause, like he really cared to figure out what her dream was. It was a quality she’d admired in him even in the short time that they’d known each other.

  “It was. It still is. But, then I realized after talking to you that this place is where I’m getting my feet under me. I don’t mind trying the idea out a bit, and seeing how it goes.”

  “Callie, now that I’m not working with you, we could see where this goes, without it being awkward at work.”

  She was going to get her feet back under her, and she was going to make sure that he could come back to work here too. That meant it wouldn’t work, but she wasn’t going to be the reason he quit. She had to stay strong. He’d be giving up too much for her, and for what? She was trying hard, but she didn’t have her future solidly planned out. She didn’t want to jeopardize his happiness doing what he loved just for her passion. It was too much, and she’d feel selfish.

  “I don’t … I can’t … I need to work my double shifts right now. Please understand. I have a plan. It’s not a no, it’s just a not right now,” she said, not being able to finish any of her thoughts. How could she explain to him that she loved him too much to let him change his dreams for her? It wouldn’t be fair. She would get him his job back.

  He nodded. “I get it. You don’t need to explain.” He looked at her for a long moment, bravery seeming to mask his downturned expression, but his eyes still held sadness. He cleared his throat. “So what’s your pitch?”

  “I don’t really have one. I’m just going to tell my story—the condensed version. And I’m going to explain that this hotel is where I found … hope … again, and maybe there’s a way that I can contribute here instead of leaving to find something better.”

  She’d almost admitted that her hope had come in the form of him. That it wasn’t about her financial situation anymore. She realized after meeting Liam that love wasn’t something that had completely passed her by. She had grown to care and even love Liam here.

  She stopped.

  She loved Liam? How had that happened? Was it just because he’d cared enough to help her out? It was more than that.

  Suddenly Liam’s gaze narrowed. “I see. Well, I’m glad this was everything you were looking for. I wish you the very best. I better leave before the person you were expecting comes through the door.”

  She wanted to ask him to stay. Why? Just to help her with the pitch? She was a jumble of emotions. The truth was she wanted Liam in her life. “No, Liam, stay. The truth is—”

  But as she got the nerves up to say it, the door opened, and the hotel manager came in. She couldn’t admit anything.

  The hotel manager raised his eyebrow to Liam, but she couldn’t see Liam’s expression back. The hotel manager only nodded toward Liam, and once Liam was out of the room, the hotel manager shook her hand.

  “I don’t usually take internal meetings,” he began.

  “I’ll be brief,” she said, hope surging through her.

  He motioned for her to continue, and she opened her portfolio. She looked up to see Liam cross in front of the conference room windows. There goes everything, she thought and then snapped her attention back to the hotel manager. What was she thinking? Why was she pining over Liam? It didn’t make sense. Her dreams were finally coming true. She looked down at her first mock-up. It was now or never.

  * * *

  The meeting went in a blur. It was her explaining to Mr. Rupert everything about her purses and leaving out all of the drama of her personal life.

  Finally, he pushed back from the table, looking at one of her designs. “You know I’m not the owner of this resort, I only manage it.”

  She nodded. “Right. I just thought you were the first person to talk to.” Ugh. Was that the wrong thing to say?

  He smiled, seeming not to notice her blunder. “I think with all of the remodeling this place will be getting in the next little bit, that something like this would go well here.” He paused, scooping up some of the scattered papers from the other end of the conference table. “In fact, this might be the perfect place to put it.”

  Callie looked down at the drawing of the shops. A marquis at the top of the corner store had light swirls through it, giving an illusion that it was filled with writing, and Callie imagined that it was her name and her purses that could fill that space. Then she looked through two other views that Mr. Rupert showed her. They looked exactly like what she’d pictured when she had discussed changes with Liam. A niggling started in her brain. How strange that she’d just seen Liam and now she was seeing her designs. Could the two be related?

  Mr. Rupert was watching her closely. She swallowed. “These designs are incredible.”

  He nodded. “The owner was impressed with how well they matched his original ideas. I suppose it will be a lot of change. We’re looking for ways to keep business while going through the remodel. Announcing new and exclusive stores will help us do that.”

  Exclusive? On one hand it was exciting that she was getting her ideas out there, but on the other hand, exclusivity before she even knew what she wanted was not exactly what she had in mind. This resort wasn’t connected with a big company with multiple locations. It was just this resort. How could she be exclusive at the very beginning?

  “I’m not sure exclusive is exactly what I’m looking for,” she said, pulling her portfolio closer to her.

  Mr. Rupert nodded. “I understand. Not everything is in place to be able to solidify the deal right now … we’re internally going through some changes. The owner will be handling all of the negotiations himself, as we get closer to relaunching this resort under a new brand.”

  She nodded. “I look forward to meeting with the new owner then.” It was all she could think of to say. She couldn’t sign an exclusivity but maybe there was some wiggle room.

  Mr. Rupert laughed. “I assumed the way you were talking to Mr. Summers you already knew who the new owner was.”

  “Mr. Summers? As in the Summers Resorts?” Her mind whirled. Could they be taking over this hotel? That could change everything for her. Exclusivity with the Summers Resort would be a different conversation.

  “Yes, he was just here, talking to you.” Mr. Rupert furrowed his brow, like he was trying to figure out a puzzle. “I assumed you knew him personally or I would have introduced him to you.”

  He had been here talking
to her? Was Mr. Rupert losing it? The only person she’d talked to after seeing Gina was the receptionist at the desk and Mr. Rupert. And Liam came in for a little bit. Wait. “Liam?”

  Mr. Rupert let out a breath that he seemed to be holding. “Right. Liam Summers. I stick with Mr. Summers, but we haven’t known each other very long. How long have you known him?”

  How long? Obviously not long enough. “Not long,” she said.

  Her brain spun like a jolting carnival ride, sickness threatening to take over this out-of-control ride she was on. Liam Allen was actually Liam Summers?! All of their previous conversations poured around her. Each stupid comment and pie in the sky dream conversation with him rushed into her mind. How many times had she talked about the Summers Resorts, asking him why he’d left, and assuming that he wasn’t motivated? She caught her breath. Conflicting emotions ran through her. Why had Liam Allen er, Summers, Summers!, why had he pretended? She couldn’t take it in.

  “Is everything okay?” Mr. Rupert asked her.

  She wasn’t going to lose her composure, not in front of the hotel manager. She stretched her smile wider than was normal. “Just fine. Did Liam … er, Mr. Summers, did he come up with all of these designs?”

  Mr. Rupert’s smile joined hers, but his seemed genuine. “He did. Isn’t he something? In fact, the design company he works with was so impressed with his initial plans, they charged him a lot less than they normally do, which for this resort was a good thing.”

  “He certainly is something.” Ugh.

  She sure knew how to pick them. First Michael and now Liam. When was she going to learn? Sure, Michael’s actions were actually illegal, and so far, Liam hadn’t stooped that low—that she knew of. But he’d stolen her ideas, or at least used them without her permission. Maybe Liam had just thought of it as a brainstorming session. But why not just tell her? Why go to such lengths to get her ideas?

  Mr. Rupert glanced at his watch. “I apologize, I need to go to my next appointment. It was nice meeting with you, Miss Hayes. I’m sure we’ll be in touch. Feel free to reach out to either myself or Mr. Summers if you have any more questions.”