by Jenna Brandt
“Hello, Samuel,” Wade said into the phone.
“Good evening, Wade. Just wanted to check in with you before I headed to bed. What do you think of the club so far?”
“It’s fine,” Wade said, not wanting to commit one way or the other about the place.
“Just fine?” Wade could hear the disappointment in his friend’s voice. “What does it take to impress you, Wade?”
“I’ve only been here a few hours. My birthday celebration doesn’t even start officially until tomorrow.”
“Did they tell you what they had planned?”
“No, guess they want it to be a surprise.”
“That’s good. They probably figured out, based off your profile, you like to be in control way too much. They want to keep you guessing.”
“I have to admit, the concierge seemed to know a lot more about me than I expected. I thought they would simply go off my questionnaire, but it turns out she researched me, too.”
“They do that. It’s what makes the club so special. The experience they deliver is truly one of a kind. I can’t wait to hear about yours once you get back in a few days.”
Wade glanced up and noticed that Miss Wilson was standing next to his table. She had a perturbed look on her face which made it clear she needed to talk to him. “I have to go, Samuel. I’ll talk to you later.” He ended the call and then slipped his phone back into his coat pocket. “Is something the matter, Miss Wilson?”
“I wasn’t going to bring this up until tomorrow, but it seems I need to do this now. Several of the guests have complained that you’re using your cell phone here in the restaurant. We have a strict policy of no phones in the public areas of the resort, which was outlined in the guidelines that were sent to you along with the non-disclosure agreement.”
Wade vaguely remembered something about no cell phones, but he hadn’t taken it seriously. Most billionaires wouldn’t want to be without theirs, so he had thought it more of a suggestion. “I’m sorry, but with my business, I have to be available at all times.”
“You’re defeating the purpose of being here if all you do is spend time focusing on other things like work. How can you enjoy the resort if you are on your phone all the time?”
Wade was shocked to have Miss Wilson call him out the way she was, but oddly, it didn’t put him off or make him mad. Instead, he found himself intrigued by her. He liked her tenaciousness. No matter how gently she tried to do it, it was clear that she was putting him in his place. Wade wasn’t used to anyone trying to do that. It proved she wasn’t the type of woman to be intimidated by a man with money, or the power that came with it.
“You should join me for dessert,” he offered, gesturing to the empty seat across from him. Her eyebrows bunched together as she touched the base of her neck, making it clear she was confused by his invitation. When she didn’t immediately move to sit down, he added, “Isn’t it your job to make me happy while I’m here?”
“If it will make you happy, I suppose I can stay for a little bit,” she conceded, hesitantly taking the seat across from him.
“I’m glad to hear it. Even though I’m content to eat alone, I much prefer the company of a fascinating woman.”
Miss Wilson’s cheeks tinged pink in the most irresistible way, causing Wade to flash her his most charming smile. He hoped it would have the same effect on her as it did on all his adoring fans. When she smiled back at him, he felt victorious, like he’d just received a Michelin Star for a new dish.
“Which dessert did you order?” Miss Wilson asked with curiosity.
“The chocolate layer mousse cake.”
“I thought you would like that. I made sure the chef had it on the menu for you. Wasn’t it the first dessert that put you on the map as an up-and-coming pastry chef?”
He nodded. “I thought it was odd that it was on the menu.”
“Like I said, I did my research. I want to make sure you have everything you could ever want while you’re here at the club.”
“Everything?” he asked with raised eyebrows as he tilted his head to the side. “That could be a very long list, with lots of things you might be surprised by.”
“Believe me, being in this line of work for over a decade, there isn’t anything that would surprise me. I’ve seen it all.”
“You know, I like a good challenge,” he teased. “I wonder what I could come up with.”
“Name it; I can make it happen,” she said with a flick of her wrist.
“Hmm, choices, choices,” he said with a wink. “How about this; I’ll see what you have planned for me tomorrow, Miss Wilson. If I’m not dazzled, then I’ll come up with something better.”
“That’s fair, but I can guarantee you, you’re going to love what I have in store for you.”
“Challenge accepted,” he said, just as his dessert arrived. He took his first bite and was marveled by the perfect balance of ingredients in the decadent dessert. The resort chef must have gotten his recipe from his first baking book. It was the closest replica to his own version he’d ever tasted.
“How is it?” Miss Wilson asked, the anticipation clearly written across her face. “Does it live up to your standards?”
He nodded. “I hate to admit this, but you just keep outdoing yourself.”
“I told you, I’ve thought of everything,” she said, a smile spreading across her pink, full lips. She stood up from the table, then added, “I need to get some rest for tomorrow. I suggest you do the same. It’s going to be a long day.”
“As soon as I finish this. I can’t let it go to waste,” he said, tapping the top of the slice of cake with his fork.
“See you in the morning, Mr. McAllister. Have a good night’s rest.”
“You, too, Miss Wilson.”
As he watched the beautiful blonde sashay away, he realized that he was disappointed to see her go. He should have asked her to stay longer, but by the time he realized he wanted her to, she was already gone. There was always tomorrow. Even though he was curious to see what she had planned for him, he was more excited to spend time with her again. He wasn’t sure how it was happening, but he was finding himself smitten with his concierge.
Chapter Four
Tara glanced around the ballroom, making sure that everything was in place for the first part of Wade McAllister’s birthday surprise. Once she was sure, she made her way through the halls until she reached the resort’s lobby. She adjusted her beige suit and made sure she looked perfect for his arrival.
As she waited for him to arrive, she couldn’t help but think about how handsome and charming he had been the night before, when they spent some time together over dessert. If she didn’t know any better, she would have sworn he had been flirting with her. When he flashed his dimple-filled smile at her, she nearly went weak in her knees. She had to hide her reaction to it, knowing that it wouldn’t be professional to flirt back. It didn’t keep her from wanting to, though. Oh, how she wished she had met him in some other place and time. If she had, she might have actually stayed longer and pursued where the flirting could have gone. The problem was, he was a guest of the club, which meant he was strictly off-limits. She’d never gotten involved with a guest before, and she wasn’t going to start now, especially with him being such an important one for the club. No, her only goal concerning Wade McAllister was to impress him with her birthday surprises, and thereby also doing the same with her boss.
True to form, Wade McAllister appeared in the lobby, cell phone pressed to his ear. He was talking in a way that made it clear it was business, though she supposed from his reputation, it was always business. She’d never seen him linked with any one woman more than a handful of times through any of her internet searches. He seemed to date, but he always kept it casual. That was another reason Tara wasn’t interested in him. She didn’t have time for a fling, especially one that would cost her job.
He came to a stop just in front of her, raising his hand with a finger up. She assumed it was a sign
al to let her know he wanted her to wait until he was finished with the call. She had a good mind to reach out and grab his phone from him, but she didn’t want the day to start off on a negative note. She waited patiently, trying to keep a calm and composed expression on her face the entire time. The longer the call went, however, the more irritated she got. She knew she was there to be of assistance to him, but it didn’t mean he should be disrespectful of her time. After another few moments of waiting, she decided to politely address the issue. “It seems you’re really busy right now. I really want to show you your birthday surprise, but if you need to tackle that call first, let’s meet up later.”
Wade’s eyes darted over to her with an incredulous stare. He paused for a moment, then said into the phone, “I have to go, Frederick. We’ll have to discuss the rest of this later.”
“Thank you,” Tara said, reaching out and taking his phone from him. “You can have this back at the end of the day.”
She could tell he wanted to argue with her, but he didn’t. He simply slipped his hands into his pants’ pockets and asked, “Where are we going?”
“I told you, it’s a surprise. Why don’t you follow me this way,” she suggested as she gestured towards the hall that led back to the ballroom.
“You know, if you didn’t have a job here at the club, I would hire you to work for one of my companies. You have a natural knack for taking charge of a situation without coming off as intrusive.”
“Is that so?”
“I’d say you remind me of a drill sergeant from a movie, but you’re much too diplomatic to be compared to one of those. You’re more like a drill sergeant in the disguise of a pretty, blonde cheerleader.”
“That’s funny that’s what you think about me.”
“Why is that?”
“I’ve never been a cheerleader. I was more into academics than social activities while in school. The closest I ever got was being on the debate team.”
“Ah, that explains it. You used your ‘Jedi mind-trick’ on me,” he teased.
“What can I say, I’m more of a Rey than a Padmé when it comes down to it.”
He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. “You like Star Wars?”
“Just so we’re clear, I would have watched the movies anyway, because they were on your questionnaire, but I didn’t have to. I’ve already seen them dozens of times. My family grew up watching them. I know every line of the originals, and most of the ones from the new movies.”
“You need to stop right now. There’s nothing sexier than a woman that can quote Star Wars. You’re going to make me want to reach out and kiss you right here and now.”
Tara’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as she felt her cheeks burn red. She hadn’t expected him to blurt that out. She knew he was mostly kidding, but for some reason, the thought of him kissing her seemed like something she wouldn’t mind. On the contrary, she was fairly certain she would enjoy it. Pushing the troubling thought away, she quickly turned and continued down the hall. “That’s enough teasing for now,” she stated dismissively, using the lightest tone she could muster. “We have a birthday surprise to get to.”
They reached the double doors that led to the ballroom. She stopped outside them and then turned to face her guest. “We’re here.”
“Tell me you didn’t bring me here to take dance lessons,” he said, glancing at the name above the doors that read: The Grand Luxe Ballroom.
“No, there will be no dancing today. I know that’s not one of your preferences.” She pushed the doors open and added, “Welcome to your own personal art gallery.”
Wade couldn’t believe his eyes as he walked into the massive ballroom that had been converted into a modern art gallery. There were dividers arranged to make rows and every wall was covered in Ian Campbell paintings. There were dozens of them, spanning all the way back to the beginning of his career. From a distance, Wade recognized several of the works from various art shows and galas, but several of the other pieces were ones he’d never seen before.
“How did you do all of this?” Wade asked in awe. “I can’t believe you were able to gain access to so much of his art.”
“What can I say, the club has a lot of connections, and where their pull ended, I was able to call in a few favors of my own.”
“You set all of this up for me?”
She nodded. “I had Mr. Campbell’s art flown in from all over the world, and set up this private showing just for you. You can spend as much time as you want with each painting, with no distractions or prying eyes watching you and your reactions to his work.”
“I can’t believe it,” Wade said, moving over to the first painting. It was a mural of an inner city park with graffiti on it. “This was from his urban era. I’ve only seen pictures of this one. I heard some big Russian collector snatched it up a few years back.”
“That’s right. His twin daughters were just here for their birthday. I asked them if I could borrow their father’s painting for this private showing.”
“They must have been really impressed with their birthday celebration to allow this piece to be here. It’s one-of-a-kind and priceless.”
“There’s a kind of pay-it-forward system here at the club. A lot of the billionaires who come to celebrate at the club are willing to help make other billionaires dreams come true. They understand that even when you can buy anything, there are still things you can want which you can’t have.”
Wade couldn’t believe how lucky he was to be here and have this experience. Not in a million years did he ever think he would be able to view so many of Ian Campbell’s paintings in a single room like this. Whenever Wade heard about an art show in New York that featured one of his pieces, he would snatch up tickets to see it.
“I’ll leave you to view the paintings at your leisure,” Tara said, as she headed towards the doors. “There’s wine and a board of cheese at the table over there. I’ll come back to check on you in a couple of hours.”
“You don’t have to leave; you can stay,” he offered.
She paused and turned around. “Only if you want me to.”
“I think I would.”
She nodded, then quietly came over to stand beside him.
As they moved along the rows of paintings, his mind drifted back to his own time spent in the art world straight out of high school. He had loved painting, and his art teachers had told him that he had a real gift. They had encouraged him to pursue a career in the field. When he graduated, he took off for New York. He spent two years trying to make a name for himself, and only had one failed art exhibit. To show for his time, only a single painting sold. He realized after that, being an artist wasn’t in the cards for him. With the added pressure of knowing he was going to have to help take care of his mother in the future due to her chronic lung disease, he had gone to pastry chef school to find a way to make a living. He figured he could at least be creative when it came to decorating cakes and making desserts. Even though he enjoyed pastry work, part of him always missed painting. It was why he continued to support the fine arts and attend shows whenever he could.
“I’ve never seen this one before,” Wade whispered, as they stopped in front of a painting of a young woman from behind her. She was looking through a window at the ocean. “It’s breathtaking.”
“It is,” Tara agreed. “Mr. Campbell has a way of making the viewer connect with his art in a way that is masterful.”
“He’s amazing. If I had had even half as much talent as him, I wouldn’t have quit painting.”
“You know, I read in an old press release, you were quite talented, and you even had an art show at one point,” Tara said as they continued to move down the rows.
“Yes, an art show that sold only one painting. I wasn’t good enough to make it professionally.”
“Sometimes what you love becomes more of a hobby rather than a career. Why didn’t you keep painting just for yourself?”
“I didn’t have enough time. My baking e
mpire took over my whole life.”
“I’m a firm believer that you should make time for the things you love,” Tara pointed out. “It’s never too late to start painting again.”
Wade knew that Tara was right. He shouldn’t have quit painting, but when he realized he wasn’t going to make it as an artist, it was too painful to paint anymore. He hadn’t picked up a brush in years. Could he do it again? Did he want to?
“I have to admit; this was well worth the trip here to the club. Whenever or wherever I go, I’m always being watched. I never really get to just enjoy something for the sake of enjoyment. This was priceless for me.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“Samuel was right. The Billionaire Birthday Club didn’t fail to delight. I’m going to owe him big when I get back to New York,” he said as they headed towards the doors.
“Well, that’s going to have to wait a bit,” Tara said, causing Wade to look over at her with surprise.
“Why’s that?” he inquired with an arched eyebrow.
“Because today is just the first part of your surprise. You have another part tomorrow. Tonight, I want you to enjoy a gourmet meal at the restaurant, maybe squeeze in a massage, and then go to bed early. You’re going to want plenty of rest for tomorrow.”
Chapter Five
Tara was pleased with how well the first day of Wade McAllister’s birthday celebration went. Today, she was eager to continue with her string of masterfully planned events. For the third time, she confirmed that everything was ready for the second part of her guest’s surprise.
The previous day had gone well, and by the end of it, she felt like she knew Wade better than she did based simply off his questionnaire and dossier. It confirmed that her plans for today were on target for him. He was going to be amazed by what she had in store.
Beyond proving to her boss that she could continue her flawless record of successes, she was looking forward to seeing the appreciative smile on Wade’s face again. It wasn’t every day that she got along with one of her guests. Yes, she was professional enough to be polite to all of them and make sure they got exactly what they wanted. Many times she couldn’t wait for her time with them to be over. She’d met a lot of rich men in her line of work, and it wasn’t often that she both respected and liked them. Wade was the rare exception. He didn’t come off as if he thought he was better than her, which was refreshing. The more time she spent with him, the more she found herself enjoying his company. It was why when she had offered to leave him alone with the paintings; part of her had wanted to find a reason to stay. From previous experiences, however, she had learned that many of her guests preferred to enjoy their entertainment without her present. This was usually fine by her. Most of what they wanted to do, didn’t appeal to her. She was happy to set up table service at nightclubs, or arrange in-hotel options, but it didn’t mean she wanted to be there to see her guests “blow off steam” as they often put it. When he had asked her to stay with him to view the collection of art, it had been a welcome surprise. Watching his face change with each new emotion a different painting evoked had been an intimate experience; one she hadn’t expected but felt privileged he was willing to share with her. She wasn’t sure how it happened, but she was looking for any reason to spend more time with the handsome billionaire.