by Malone, Nana
The rail-thin receptionist gave her a wan smile. “You may go in now. Ms. Westhorpe only has ten minutes to spare.”
Geez. How the hell was she supposed to impress after only ten minutes? Somehow she doubted her geek super-status would qualify her as hire-worthy.
Alec's strong hand on her knee made her jump.
“Go on in. Adele doesn’t bite. I promise.”
She might not bite, but Jaya had a feeling she barked really loud.
“Yeah, sure. Fine.”
“I told you. She’ll love you. Just go on in and be—” Alec’s gaze flicked over her prim and proper suit and killer $3000 stilettos, “you. Just be you. I'll meet you in the lobby around three. We’ll tour the hotel afterwards.”
Jaya should have been focusing on what he was saying. Instead, she was too busy eying the male figure leaving Adele Westhorpe's office. He looked ill. His eyes said, “Give me a moment to clear” and his posture said, “I've just been whipped with a shoe.” His knuckles were white with a side of Casper.
Her feet rooted into the floor. Going in there didn’t seem like an option. But really, what choice did she have? It was either this or go to Tamara and Derrick's wedding sans date.
But if there was one thing Jaya was good at, she could fake it ‘til she made it. That was a skill she'd mastered early. Striding into the office, she closed the door behind her. “Ms. Westhorpe, I'm Ja—”
The older woman cut her off. “I know who you are. If I wanted introductions, I'd have invited you to a garden party. “
Whipcord-lean, Adele Westhorpe looked fit for a woman her age. Shit, for a woman any age. Jaya had a feeling the woman never indulged in cookies and cream, the likes of which made Jaya afraid to look at her scale.
As she sat across from the Westhorpe matriarch, all Jaya could think was how the woman could give the devil a run for her money. If you don't nail this interview, your failure status will be solidified. If she made it through this interview, she wouldn’t be dateless to her sister’s wedding. She’d be elevated from desperate loser status. At least, for a little while. Not to mention, the Westhorpes were just the kind of client Trudeaux would love on their roster. Fail at this and, well—she didn’t want to think what would happen if she failed.
She cleared her throat. “Fair enough, ma'am. You know why I'm here. How about you tell me what you're looking to do for the end-of-year anniversary gala, and I'll tell you what I can provide.” She helped herself to a seat on the soft chaise instead of in the uncomfortable monstrosity across from the scary woman.
The old lady pursed her lips. Her salt-and-pepper hair, cut in a sleek Anna Wintour bob, framed her face. It should have looked severe, but it somehow made her prettier. If pretty was a word you used to describe a dragon. And now Jaya had poked her with a stick. Just Perfect.
Looking from Jaya to the chair across her desk, the old bat’s lips turn up at the corners, but she remained silent. Jaya usually tried to hold out for a client to speak, but she had a feeling Adele Westhorpe could outwait the devil.
She busted out her notes. “What sort of theme are you looking for?”
Adele gave a slight nod, as if she approved Jaya's jumping right into business.
“Dancing on the Eiffel tower in the evening.”
Wow. As descriptions went, Jaya usually had more vague clients and she had to pull teeth just to get a response. Not Adele, though. She knew what she wanted. “Do you want candle light, or do you have a preference for LED?”
Adele pursed her lips again. Not good. Pursed lips were never a good sign. “They might be green, but they look tacky.”
Tacky. Check. No to tacky. Jaya nodded. “Done. Food?” She clicked her pen in nervous habit.
Adele waved a hand. “I'm tired of the same old boring benefit food. Even when it's expensive, it still tastes like rubber and it's never enough. I want something exotic, but light. Nothing too heavy or so unrecognizable the plebeians won’t eat it.”
Yikes. Plebeians. She cleared her throat. “Music? I'm thinking given the Paris theme, a big, jazzy band.” Another pursed lip. So far not so great. Get it together, Trudeaux. No assumptions with this woman.
“You’d be wrong. I might look old and moneyed, but I want this to be a party. So there has to be dancing. And not that boring, old-people stuffy shit. I want lively dancing. Though I really do hope to refrain from that Britney Spears type of poppy fluff.”
Jaya fiddled with her pen, rolling it between her fingers. Her pinky’s gray polish gleamed as the light hit it. She wasn’t sure what warranted the most surprise, that Adele Westhorpe had just said shit or that she knew who Britney Spears was. “Okay, how about Nina Simone? She’s classic, and her up-tempo songs can play in the background. Mix in a little Joe Cocker, James Brown and Billie Holiday.”
Adele nodded. Her finger tapping her chin. “Yes, I do enjoy Nina. But I want something youthful, too. That Beyoncé girl. She'd good. Make sure there’s some of her.”
Well, well. Who knew Beyoncé’s music would have filtered into a billionaire’s sphere of knowledge? Jaya took notes for the next seven minutes. Adele made commentary on everything from the dress to the decor. Flashy but not gaudy. A hint of the holiday season as a nod to the timing, but no over-the-top decorations. The guest list would come later, but the members of the board would be there and the employees not working that night would also be invited. All those who had to work would be thrown a different party. Jaya took notes like she already had the job. No sense trying to redo the info-gathering.
Jaya wrote at all kinds of break-neck speeds until she realized Adele was no longer speaking. She looked up from her notepad into the expectant face of the Westhorpe owner. Shit. Now or never. Do your pitch, girlie, and get it right.
“The feeling, as we discussed, is dancing at the top of the Eiffel tower. So the theme will be lights of Paris. We’ll use candles where we can. Those floating ones would be great if we can get a water feature. Also, hanging ones just above the guest’s heads. We'll do holly and mistletoe as nod to the holidays but otherwise, we'll downplay the season. Music choices, we’ll hire a band.” She put up a hand to stop Adele’s impending protest. “One young enough that they know how to play Beyoncé and Katy Perry, but with big band capabilities to do real justice to Nina, James and Billie.”
She took a quick breath and plowed on. No reason to give Adele a chance to say no before she was done. “As for the food, I suggest Gael's Fusion in La Jolla. They do a lovely round-the-world sampling that will have your guests trying Kenyan stew, along with Indian curry and Scottish mutton. He does a lovely small-sized sampling.”
Before Adele could remind her that she didn't want appetizers or those boring hors d’oeuvres, Jaya barreled on. “Of course I'll have him do a sampling for you, so you can see the portion sizes. He'll modify to your tastes. And finally, the venue.” She drew in a breath. “While it is technically a Westhorpe party, might I suggest a different locale? The gallery space in downtown San Diego on Kettner. It's not the usual posh and swank that your guests are accustomed to, but it will give you the industrial feel of being on the Eiffel tower. And the penthouse loft has garage doors as windows that we can slide up to give a spectacular view of San Diego.
“We’ll use invisible rails for safety, of course, since there will be alcohol.”
Jaya finished talking and drew in a breath. Had she gotten it right? She forced her body into calm as she straightened her back. Adele would either love it or hate it. Nothing she could do about it now. She'd given it her best. When her quarry said nothing, but went back to the papers on her desk, Jaya wasn’t sure if she should speak or not.
Was that it? Was she just dismissed as if she'd never been there? Holy rudeness. She stood abruptly. A small tearing sound had her looking down at her jacket. Nothing. She smoothed down her black tailored pants and found the source of the ripping—the seam in the back. Perfect end to the interview from hell.
Using her portfolio cover, she covered her
butt and strode to the door. Jaya didn’t need Adele knowing about her wardrobe malfunction. Put-together event planners didn’t have these kinds of things happen to them. She'd be dammed if she let this woman make her feel like her father had.
In an even tone, she said, “I'll anticipate your answer by the end of the week.” Then she stalked to the door. But not before hearing another tearing sound from the back of her pants. Three days with Cookies and Cream would do that to a Stella McCartney suit. Shit. Could this week get any worse? Whatever. She’d given it her best shot. Maybe she could still convince Alec to do the date thing? He asked her to try with no guarantees. So what if—
“You’ve got spunk.”
Jaya used her purse to cover her behind as she whipped around to face the older woman. Maybe she’d stepped in it, but so be it. She wasn’t going to run around and kiss anybody’s ass. She needed a job and she’d given a strong pitch, considering she had nothing to go on and an hour to get ready. “I’ve heard that before. Most people call it nerve.”
Adele actually smiled. A genuine warm smile and it transformed her face. Jaya could only stare as her eyes softened and smile lines appeared. “I like nerve. Are you sure you can work for me? I don’t tolerate fools and I hate stupidity which can make me difficult. You don’t seem like a fool or an idiot, so maybe we’ll get along.”
Was that a job offer? Jaya couldn’t tell. Even as she opened her mouth, she knew she should shut it. But then, she’d always had trouble controlling her words. “Well, I don’t do bullies and tyrants. The jury’s still out on you.”
This time, Adele laughed. A genuine belly laugh and Jaya staggered back, unsure what to do. Adele reached out a hand. “Leave your portfolio. I’ll get it back to you. And yes, you’ll know by early next week.” She shook her head as she scanned Jaya up and down. “You know, I didn’t think Alec would ever make it happen. But he continues to surprise me.”
Cocking her head, she asked, “But wasn’t it his job to find you an event planner?”
After taking Jaya's portfolio, she sat back down with a beatific smile. “That’s not what I’m talking about, love.”
***
Alec knew he was on a fool’s errand. He also knew it probably wasn’t a good idea to leave Jaya alone with Adele. But he couldn’t be in two places at once. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen? From the workup Caleb had pulled on Jaya, he knew she had a good idea what she was doing. And that was the most important thing with Adele. She didn’t suffer fools. But Jaya was smart and capable and loved to plan.
“It’s a match made in heaven,” he muttered to himself. “Stop worrying and focus on getting Max back so you can get back to your life.”
He pulled up to the swank, modern two-story bungalow nestled in the hills of Mulholland drive. This part of the road was littered with windy, twisty alleyways and make-your-knees-hurt hills. But the properties were gorgeous and Max's place was no different. He had to smirk at the bungalow’s defiant nod to the sixties as the properties surrounding it had been modernized to reflect sleek modern architecture.
Glancing up at the house, he searched the windows, but couldn’t see anything. “What the hell did you expect, moron? Max in the front window holding out a drink for you?” He shook his head. His brother may make bad decisions, but at the end of the day, he wasn’t stupid. The only reason Alec even knew about the property was because of Max’s obsession with Patsy Klein. She’d supposedly lived in this house when it was first built. Max had paid cash for it years ago under a corporation name.
Leaving the car unlocked, he strode toward the front door, opting for the brash route. It’s not like Max didn’t know why he was there. And it’s not like his brother didn’t have some pride. He wouldn’t run. He’d refuse to come home, but he wouldn’t run.
A clang came from the back door area and he wondered if his little brother had guests. Jogging around the back, Alec used the code to open the back fence. This may be one of the coolest places in the Hollywood hills, but their father had been a stickler for security and instilled that one hard rule: Protect yourself. There was no point in leaving yourself open to disaster. Too bad Max used the same password for everything.
Swinging in the gate, Alec found his brother lying out on a lounge chair with a whole lot of “”what the fuck plastered on his face. Sloshing his drink, he jerked upright. “Alec, what the hell are you doing here?”
“Chasing your ass all over God's green. What do you think I’m doing here? Adele couldn't find you. You haven’t been picking up your phone. And every time she sends someone after you, all your properties are buttoned up like Victorian hookers.”
Max stood, open shirt sleeves flapping in the breeze. He darted a furtive glance around. “How did you find me? Did you come alone? Is Mom out front?”
Alec had to shake his head. They might be as far apart as the mountains of the Grand Canyon in temperament, but they were near carbon copies of each other when it came to their looks. Their jaws, their eyes, the Roman noses. No one wouldn’t mistake them for brothers. Except Alec's dark hair favored his mother and Max's blond looks were all Westhorpe.
“Come on, man. Patsy Klein. You’ve only been obsessed with her for forever. Lucky for you, I don’t think Adele knows about this place. Otherwise she might have sent her security. She’s pissed.”
Max grabbed at the hair on his head with his left hand. “Of course you would know where to come find me. You didn’t tell her where I was, did you?”
“No. I’ll let you keep your sanctuary, but you’ve got to come home, bro. This mess you’re in, it won’t clean itself up. And—” he sucked a breath in past the emotion, “—Adele is torn up.”
Max’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you worry about, mom. I’m sure she’s just as tough as she ever was.” He sagged a little, letting the bitter edge to his tone seep out. “Look. I know I’m in a world of trouble. I just needed a couple of days to sort myself out. I’m going to go back.”
Alec shoved his hands in his pockets, needing to channel the urge to hit his brother into somewhere less destructive. “What the hell were you thinking? Adele wanted me to look into why the Westhorpes with clubs are losing cash. I’ve had a quick look at the accounts. I assume it’s gambling? The Sandovals are the only ones you can get into that much debt with around San Diego. Have you lost your fucking mind? Why the hell didn’t you call me?”
“And say what? ‘Dude, I fucked up bad.’ You would have told me to handle my shit.”
That did sound like him. “You know better than that. If I’d known it was this bad, I would have helped you. “
Max rolled his eyes and some of the amber liquid in his glass sloshed. “That’s right. St. Alec, to the rescue. I can’t go back.”
The hairs on Alec’s neck stood up. “You don’t really have a choice. This is some serious shit. Imagine what this is doing to Sue.”
Disbelief contorted Max’s face. “Don’t you talk about Sue. You don’t know anything about her.”
“You’re right. I don’t. Other than the fact that she’s pregnant. I know nothing about your life or hers. But I do know the real reason you booked like Michael Johnson in oh-eight. You’re a selfish asshole. Dude, you left your pregnant fiancée behind after you drained your trust fund. Who does that?”
Max’s jaw tightened. “Adele sent you to keep things quiet. She doesn’t want anyone at Westhorpe knowing what a screw-up her son is.”
“Thing is, little brother, you only owed three hundred. I had Caleb check. Why did you drain your trust fund? What kind of trouble are you really in? Even you aren’t callous enough to leave Sue behind without any money.”
“Look. I know what you think, but it’s bigger than just the money I took. I’m going to come back. Just not now. I need more time to figure it out.”
“What the hell are you talking about? You can be a selfish little prick, but you’re not a complete bastard.”
Max’s grin went from surly to evil. “Nope, that’s your
job title, right? Westhorpe Bastard. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it.”
Alec tried to reason with his mind and emotions, telling himself that they were just words. That Max didn’t really believe what he was saying. That he wasn’t just an errand boy, that he really couldn’t hurt his brother. But his fists didn’t feel like listening as they clenched and unclenched at his sides. “Enough screwing around, Max. Get your scrawny ass in the car. I’m taking you back.”
“Or what, you’ll drag me kicking and screaming?”
Alec leveled a glare at his brother. He was spoiling for a fight. “If it comes to that.”
Then Max did the unexpected—the one thing Alec was completely unprepared for. He ran.
Chapter Ten
Alec was late. But then, Jaya expected nothing less. Prompt time wouldn’t be on Mr. Fast and Loose’s radar. It would be the proper end to the day she’d had. She checked the time again on her phone. Thirty minutes late. Maybe Alec had abandoned her in Los Angles. She should have just driven herself. Or better yet, not come at all.
She felt like she could be in a MasterCard commercial. Drive to Los Angeles, two hours. Waiting room time, ten minutes. Time spent humiliating oneself by splitting pants in front of Adele Westhorpe, then subsequent hour trying to find needle and thread, priceless.
It’s wasn’t even like her pitch to Adele had been successful. She’d pretty much blown it with her big mouth. She usually aimed for capable and organized, but this time she’d come across as a pain in the ass with too much to say. When Alec said make an impression, pretty sure being a klutz wasn’t the impression she was been going for.
Letting her obsessive personality come out to play, Jaya checked her phone again. Three more minutes. How much longer could she wait there without acting? If she wanted to get back to San Diego tonight, she’d need a cab to the train station. “Okay, ten more minutes, Jai. Then I’m outta here. No sitting around waiting for a man to rescue you,” she mumbled to no on one in particular. The hotel bar was blissfully empty. No one questioned her when she’d spilled a couple of tears after the interview with Dragon Lady.