by Calista King
"Oh so happy to help, sir! Anything for you, sir," Laila mimicked.
"Hey, that's not fair! I didn't sound like that. What's your problem anyways? I was just helping him out after you were rude to him. Did he do something to you that got your panties all in a bunch?"
"Oh please. I wasn't rude. I just told him the truth. The restaurant is under construction."
"Yeah, but it's the way you said it. You feeling okay today?"
"I'm fine. I guess I could've toned down the bitchiness but I'm just too tired and run down. Every little thing is getting on my nerves lately," Laila confessed.
"Aw I'm sorry to hear that. Anything I can do?" Corinne asked.
"Nah, don't worry about it. I'll be OK."
"All right." Corinne eyed Laila for a minute. She looked like she was just bursting to ask her something, bouncing from foot to foot.
"What is it?" Laila finally asked.
"Who is he? What room is he in? Don't hold out on me!" Corinne gushed.
"Why are you so interested?" Laila asked. "Don't you already have a boyfriend?"
"Don't give me that!" Corinne waved her hand in the air as if swatting down Laila's questions. "That man was gorgeous, and what Hector doesn't know won't hurt him. Besides, it's not like I'm gonna sneak into his room and seduce him or anything."
"Then why do you want to know about him?"
"Because he's hot!" Corinne answered, as if that were the most obvious thing in the world. "Don't tell me you weren't thinking the same things when you first saw him."
Laila shrugged her shoulders. "I was a professional."
"Sure, whatever. So what's his name?" Corrine said, sounding unconvinced.
"Mr. De Berg."
"What's his first name?"
"Jeez is this twenty questions? You need to know his mother's maiden name too?"
"Ugh, getting info out of you is like trying to squeeze blood from a rock. Just tell me so I can get the whole picture."
Laila quirked one eyebrow but didn't comment on Corrine's remark. "It's Andreas De Berg. He's in room 1212, and that's all I know about him."
Corrine's eyebrows shot up her head so far they disappeared behind her bangs.
"Did you give him that room?" she asked.
Laila looked sheepish and hesitated before answering. She was about to lie and say she had nothing to do with it, but decided to tell the truth. What did it really matter anyways?
"Yes I did."
"Damn he must have pissed you off big time for you to give him that room."
It was common knowledge among the hotel staff that room 1212 was one of the worst rooms to have in the city. The phone would be ringing off the hook at all hours of the night with other guests trying to call out and forgetting to dial 9 before hand. Everyone knew you only gave that room to major assholes.
"For your information, that was the only room we had available at the time. He came last night with no reservation or anything. It was lucky we even had that room available," Laila lied.
"Oh I didn't know that. Did he come by himself or with a wife? Girlfriend?"
"By himself." Laila gave up trying to hold Corinne off. There was no point. She'd just bother and nag her until she spilled all the information.
"How long is he staying for? Where's he from? His accent sounds yummy!"
"Two weeks, and I don't know where he's from and I really don't care."
"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Corrine muttered under her breath.
"You know how it is with guys like him. They come in here like they own the place and expect everyone to just jump at their command. It just pisses me off sometimes, you know?" Laila said.
"I understand, but Laila, we work at a hotel. This is the service industry, you know? It's our job to 'jump at their command'," Corrine said.
"Humph whatever," Laila said, knowing she was beat.
Corrine held off on questioning Laila anymore about the mysterious stranger. Laila was grateful for the break. She'd been thinking about Andreas for longer than she would admit to anyone. For some reason, she just couldn't get him off her mind. He was nothing like the guys she normally dated.
She'd actually only been with two men in her life. One was an old high school boyfriend who she dated for two years during freshman and sophomore year. The other was her ex, Marc. She'd been with him for six years. They started dating during her senior year of high school and had just recently broken up six months ago.
The kind of men she met in her day to day life were nothing like Andreas. She could tell he came from money and probably never worked hard a day in his life, or had to struggle for anything. She laughed to herself thinking about Andreas hanging out at her favorite spots--the little diner on Delancey Street, people watching at Tompkins Square park, or just relaxing in her small apartment on the Lower East Side. She couldn't imagine Andreas inside her apartment. The man would practically take up all the space. He probably had closets bigger than her whole apartment. Laila shook her head ruefully. Why am I even thinking about that? There's no chance of that ever happening, she thought.
She was angry at herself for letting him get into her head. She knew she had enough problems to deal with and didn't need to go adding any more into the mix. And Andreas was trouble. There was no doubt in her mind about that. She'd be better off avoiding him for the rest of his stay, which wasn't hard to do, considering the size of the hotel.
CHAPTER 4
Andreas sat at a table on the rooftop terrace of the Grammercy Lounge. He had ordered a ham and wild mushroom omelet with a toasted English muffin and fresh berries. The restaurant was empty except for a table to his right with another business man chatting away on his cell phone.
When the waitress arrived with his food, she took an extra long time setting it on the table, making sure she bent over to give him a good look at her ample cleavage. Andreas smiled at her before turning back to his food and digging in. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the waitress giving him a frown at his casual dismissal, and finally turn back to leave.
He didn't want to be rude, but he just wasn't interested. It wasn't that she was unattractive--she was. She was a tall, thin beauty with blond hair and blue eyes. If he had to guess, he would assume she was a struggling model or actress, waitressing to pay the bills until her big break came, if it ever did.
The waitress had two things going against her. One was that she reminded him too much of his ex, Caroline. Two was that she wasn't that hotel clerk from the front desk. Laila. That was her name. It suited her well. Try as he might, he just couldn't get her off his mind. She intrigued him because she wasn't like all the other women he'd met. She didn't fawn over him or try to get his attention. If anything, she didn't seem to like him at all. Far from turning him off, it made him even more interested.
Andreas had always been someone who enjoyed the chase. It was once he caught his prize that he soon got bored. Something about Laila told him she'd keep him on his toes. He shook his head at the turn of his thoughts. He should be focusing on work and the upcoming meeting, but instead he was thinking about a pretty girl. If only his parents could read his mind at that moment! It was exactly what they expected him to be thinking about.
He had to prove to them and everyone that he had changed. He was no longer the reckless, irresponsible playboy. This assignment in New York would be his opportunity to prove himself, and he didn't intend to waste it. Andreas quickly finished his meal and checked his watch. It was already 7:30am, and he only had half an hour before his meeting.
He didn't even bother calling the waitress over with his check and just left a hundred dollar bill on the table. He made his way back towards the elevator, and hit the ground floor button. He was running late and wanted to kick himself for dawdling at breakfast. The last thing Andreas wanted to do was be late for his first meeting. He wanted to change everyone's opinion of him and showing up late would only cement what they probably already thought of him.
His uncle wou
ld be angry as well and run and tell his parents about his tardiness. Andreas' mind was so occupied, he barely looked up when the elevator finally arrived at the ground level. He rushed out, nearly running someone over, and didn't even bother to apologize. He thought it might have been the hotel clerk, Laila, but there was no time to look back or investigate. Oh well, just another reason for her to hate me, he thought. He couldn't worry about that now. All that mattered was getting to the meeting on time.
Once outside, the doorman hailed a cab for him.
"244 5th Avenue," Andreas said to the cab driver once he got in. He sat back while the driver pulled back into traffic. It was not his morning as he looked out at all the traffic ahead of him. At this rate, he'd be lucky if he was only 15 minutes late.
"Is there any other route that would be quicker?" Andreas asked the cab driver.
"Sorry sir. This is the best route to take. There's going to be traffic on all the roads since it's rush hour," the cab driver replied.
Andreas sat back and sighed as he ran his hands through his hair, giving him a disheveled appearance. There was nothing he could do but wait. He supposed he could call his uncle to let him know he was running late, but thought better of it. A part of him was still hoping for a miracle--that somehow the traffic gods would shine down on him and part the roads giving him a free lane towards the offices. But that didn't happen.
It was an exercise in patience sitting in the cab, moving every few feet, only to stop dead again at another traffic light. By the end of it, he was ready to tear his hair out. When they were one block from the building, Andreas paid the driver and got out of the cab, determined to walk the rest of the way to the office.
When he finally made it into the spacious lobby of the building, Andreas was hot, sweaty, and out of breath. His wavy hair which he had combed and styled was unruly and windblown. It was definitely not the calm, cool, and collected demeanor he wanted to exude.
Andreas strode to the elevator and punched the button for the penthouse floor where the board meeting was to take place. He'd only ever been to these offices twice in his life, and each time he had come with either his mother or brother, and had been nursing a hangover both times. He almost wished his mother or brother was here with him since they would take some of the attention and pressure off of him, but as soon as the thought popped up, he disregarded it. Andreas didn't need anyone to hold his hand and help him through this meeting. He was a grown man and he would do it all on his own.
The elevator dinged once it reached the penthouse level and Andreas snapped his head up surprised he had already arrived. He took a quick glance at his watch and saw it was already 8:35pm. Over half an hour late. "Perfect", he muttered to himself. He stepped out of the elevator onto the lobby.
If he wasn't so preoccupied with getting to the board room, Andreas would have taken time to look around. It looked much different than the last time he was there. They had remodeled in the last few years. The lobby had a sleek modern feel to it with clean lines and stark white walls and furniture. There were chrome tables and chairs and white orchids on the reception table. Andreas walked the short distance to the board room where everyone was already waiting.
Once he stepped inside, all conversation stopped. Twelve pairs of eyes focused on him, some with looks of amusement and some with disdain. His uncle sat at the head of the table with an unreadable expression on his face. He felt like he was a little boy again who had gotten in trouble and was waiting for punishment.
"I apologize for my lateness," Andreas said addressing everyone in the room. "I didn't realize traffic would be so bad at this time." Andreas walked up the room to the head of the table and took the empty seat to the right of his uncle.
"Yes well, now that you're finally here, we can begin," his uncle said.
"I agree. It was good of you to show up, Your Highness," one of the members remarked snidely.
"Please call me Andreas," Andreas answered, ignoring the other man's rudeness. "That goes for all of you as well. I won't be acting in any official capacity as Prince in my role here, so we can hold off on the formalities," he said to the rest of the room.
"As I was saying," his Uncle Albert began again, "Andreas De Berg has been appointed as the new COO. Before we get any further, I'd like to give him the opportunity to speak a few words."
"Thank you Uncle," Andreas began, as he stood up. "I'd like to start out by saying how pleased I am to be here today. Carstens Ecklund Group has been the crown jewel in my family's real estate holdings and I intend to do all that I can to ensure it continues to be successful. I have many ideas and a vision to reach out into new ventures and improve this company and its profits, and I know I can count on all of you to help us succeed."
Andreas looked around after his short speech to stunned silence. He didn't know what he was expecting, applause maybe, but it wasn't dead silence. He shot a questioning glance at his uncle who shrugged his shoulders.
"A nice speech, but I'm afraid you've mistaken your role, Andreas," the man stressed his name. It was the same person who made the snide remark from earlier.
"I'm sorry, what is your name?" Andreas asked.
The man sat there with a smirk on his face and his hand steepled in front of him as if enjoying himself. He was in his mid forties, with a full head of straw colored hair cropped short, and a round red face. His eyes were large and fringed by long dark lashes. He almost looked like an innocent cherub, but the look behind his eyes held nothing but contempt. Andreas didn't like the look of this man or his attitude.
"Bradley Henriks," the man said introducing himself. "I'm an executive member of this board. By the way, I voted against your appointment as the COO, but unfortunately, as you no doubt have already figured out in that pretty little head of yours, I was out voted."
"Henriks-" Albert cut in menacingly.
He waved him off carelessly. "Oh I make no bones about it. Your appointment was barely approved by this board; no doubt your uncle and family bullied some of the more...shall we say...easily influenced members to do their bidding."
There were some murmurs of agreement and Andreas knew he had to take the meeting in hand before he lost whatever control and self respect he had left.
"And just what is your point?" Andreas asked, eyeing the man coldly.
"My point is this, just because mommy and daddy saw it fit to install the black sheep of the family to run this company, doesn't mean we all have to agree with it. Your role in this company will be limited to just a figurehead and a pretty face. I wanted to disabuse you of the notion that you wielded any actual power to fulfill your 'vision'."
"How kind of you to outline for me what my 'role' is, but I assure you, it is unnecessary. I know exactly what I need to do, and you can either help me or get out of my way," Andreas ground out.
It was one thing for his family to question his ability, but another thing entirely for a complete stranger to do it in front of the rest of the board. It took a monumental effort for Andreas to keep his temper in check. He threw his hand behind his back and clenched it in a fist, not wanting everyone to see the sign of his anger and frustration.
His uncle, sensing the tension in the room brought everyone's attention back to the matters at hand.
"There's no need for that, Henriks," Albert said, frowning at the man seated to his left. "We all want what is best for this company, and I have every confidence in Andreas and his abilities. Besides that, the Carstens-De Berg family owns a majority stake in this firm," he added as a warning to Henriks.
The last line seemed to wipe the smile off of Henriks' face. Yes, his family did own the majority stake in Carstens Ecklund Group, but Andreas didn't want to use that as a Trump card. He'd wanted everyone to stand behind him because of his own merits, not what his family owned. Perhaps it was naive of him to think like that, but Andreas was an eternal optimist. He thought that if he worked hard and proved himself, their opinions would change and he'd have their support. But then again Rome wasn
't built in a day, and gaining the respect of these people would take some time.
The meeting continued rather uneventfully after the dramatic showdown. Andreas kept his head down and tried to soak in all the information, avoiding any further confrontation or provocations. They went over administrative concerns as well as the financial performance of the company.
Soon the meeting was over. Andreas didn't know whether to be relieved of disappointed. He had been counting on proposing his ideas for the future of the company and exciting new ventures he was interested in pursuing, but there had been no time for strategy or planning.
His uncle, the acting CEO and chairman of the board, had been eager to wrap the meeting up. After the last board member had filed out of the meeting room, Andreas remained seated along with his uncle.
"Well, that went better than I expected," Andreas quipped.
"Don't be smart, boy," his uncle replied seriously. "Henriks is not someone you want to make an enemy."
"I don't think I made him my enemy, Uncle. It seemed he had it out for me even before I walked in here," Andreas said.
"Yes, well you must understand, he had his own hopes for who would be appointed as the next COO."
"A pity, but it makes very little difference to me what his hopes were."
"Don't be a fool, Andreas. You need people like Henriks if you want to be successful."
Andreas frowned at his uncle. "I'll reserve my opinion on that, Uncle."
"Suit yourself, but Andreas know this. You cannot act like you used to if you want to succeed in this role. Your mother, my sister, has charged me with looking out for you and making sure you stay out of trouble. Any more scandal from you, and I will not hesitate to act accordingly. Do you understand?"
"I think I do," Andreas said, eyeing his uncle shrewdly.
"Oh don't look at me like that, boy. I'm on your side, but I'm just letting you know you've got an uphill climb. People like Henriks will do anything to see you fail and use any means necessary. Don't let them see your weakness."
"I understand, and I thank you," Andreas said sincerely.