by Mandy Baggot
‘Okay,’ Chase answered with a nod.
He looked worried. A complete contrast to the gung-ho, let’s-all-build-a-mammoth-complex-and-call-it-a-village individual he’d been in the boardroom.
‘It’s a false alarm.’ It was Aaron sidling up to them as Isla power-walked toward the doors to the staircase. ‘Hello, Mr Bryan, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Aaron Kincaid.’
‘Aaron, we’re shifting out of a burning building here,’ Isla pointed out.
‘I told you, it’s a false alarm.’ Aaron smiled at Chase, nudging a little close into personal space. ‘Denise called me on my mobile. Of course, we all follow strict protocol here. File out. Wait for the guys with the big hoses to tell us its safe.’
‘Well,’ Isla breathed. ‘That’s a relief.’ She slowed pace a little, then considered how Denise could be so sure it was a false alarm.
‘Wonderful hotel,’ Aaron continued now he had a captive audience. ‘Or should I say super-hotel.’
‘Thank you,’ Chase replied. ‘I’m glad you like it.’
‘I don’t like it,’ Isla said bluntly. Bugger. She really hadn’t meant to say that out loud. She needed to remember that the guy next to her was the head of the whole company and she did not want to be working in M&S Food this time next week. ‘I mean … I just think it’s a little large and … not in keeping with London’s unique … personality.’
‘You hate it,’ Chase responded. ‘It’s okay. I totally got that vibe back there in the boardroom.’
Isla pushed open the door to the back stairs and took a breath. She was going to be fired, the feather Christmas tree would never be Hannah’s and if she didn’t find something as equally well paid they might have to move house, something smaller … in Crawley.
‘I don’t know enough about it yet, that’s all. And I think we were all a little shocked to learn that Breekers are moving from construction to the hotelier business.’
‘It’s not as big a leap as you might think,’ Chase stated.
‘I agree,’ Aaron replied, keeping pace as Isla hurried down the steps. ‘I think it’s a smart move.’
‘We build the hotels for other big chains and then we hand the product over for them to make millions of dollars out of something we ultimately helped to design and create.’
‘Yes, but those chains have been running hotels for decades, very successfully. And you’re planning to start competing with some of our best clients,’ Isla protested.
‘Are you afraid of a little competition, Miss Winters?’ Chase inquired.
She didn’t need to look at him to know how his eyes and mouth would be set. Those cinnamon eyes would be resting on her, inviting her to engage, his full lips set to amused. She carried on down the next flight of steps. It was both annoying and irritatingly sexy. Had she really just thought that?
‘I’m afraid that this super-hotel is going to suck a whole lot of the profit away from all the other highly successful global projects the company has been working on over the last twenty-five years and, while Breekers is busy breaking into shoe shines, concierge management and trim trails, Blox Limited are going to steal the lion’s share of the construction contracts.’ She took a breath. ‘And if the super-hotel isn’t so super …’
She was astute. Although Chase hadn’t really doubted it. He had looked her up earlier, wanting to know a little more about the Go-To Girl who had held Maddie’s hand and had wet wipes to dab at her lips when the chocolate Santa had been overindulged in. Isla Winters had been involved in most of the high-profile deals Breekers London had been part of. And, if the client testimonials were all fact, she was highly thought of by pretty much everyone. He suspected she didn’t have the killer instinct like some of the women he worked alongside in NYC, but sometimes it took a softer approach to get the job done and he was getting to thinking that this was where Miss Winters came into her own. Perhaps she reeled people in with that smile and then sucker-punched them when they weren’t looking. He found that idea strangely alluring.
‘Trust me,’ Chase said, his mouth close to her ear and tendrils of that red hair. ‘It’s going to be more than super.’
An icy snow flurry hit him as they stepped on to the street. God, it was cold and he’d left his jacket in the boardroom.
‘Daddy!’
It was Maddie’s voice but he couldn’t see her. His heart kicked up a gear as he searched the throng ahead of him. Where was she? Was she okay? Had this really been a false alarm? Why wasn’t Brooke with her?
‘She’s over there,’ Isla’s voice cut through the background moans and groans about having to go out in the cold.
‘Where?’
Isla pointed and then he saw his younger daughter. Hat on her head, jumping up and down and making her hair flash about, snowflakes taking hold. The receptionist was with her. There was no sign of Brooke.
‘Hey,’ Chase greeted Maddie as she ran into him, arms clinging and squeezing tight. ‘Were you scared, Pumpkin?’
Maddie looked up at him, immediately shaking her head. ‘No.’
‘That’s good,’ Chase answered, putting a hand to her hat and trying to shield her from the weather with his body.
‘We don’t think there’s a fire,’ Isla explained. ‘So, there’s nothing to worry about. We just have to stay warm.’ She nudged Aaron. ‘Have you got any sweets?’
Aaron shook his head and looked bemused. ‘No.’
‘Aaron, I know you carry a packet of fruit pastilles around to eat when you’re not chewing on your nails,’ Isla replied.
‘We’re good here,’ Chase said. ‘Given the whole chocolate Santa episode I think Maddie’s gonna be just fine for sugar.’
Aaron dug his hand into his trouser pocket and pulled out a tube. ‘Fruit pastille?’ He offered it to Isla then retracted a little. ‘Or maybe a pony?’
‘A pony?!’ Maddie exclaimed excitedly. ‘Do you have ponies at Breekers London?’
Chase watched the exchange of expressions between the pair.
Isla could have gladly throttled Aaron right about now with his horse references. The only horse she was interested in was the one currently in her bedroom that had the job of drying all the clothes before the weekend. They could really do with a tumble drier in the winter. Perhaps it should be a present to themselves if they could find a good deal in the sales.
And then something caught her attention, driving away the thought of warm clothes. There, right in front of her, across the path, seemingly uncaring that office workers were rushing from the skyscraper in chaos, was another perfect couple locked at the lips under the snow-laden boughs of one of the trees next to the Canary Wharf station entrance. She sighed. She would have to tell Hannah … or maybe not. Maybe all this Christmas love in the air was best forgotten.
She quickly regrouped. ‘Take no notice of this silly man, Maddie,’ Isla said. ‘This is my friend Aaron and he seems to be a little horse mad at the moment.’
‘Just stallions, actually,’ Aaron responded. ‘With either Mexican or Cuban in their lineage.’
‘T.M.I.,’ Isla whispered through gritted teeth. This was not the sort of conversation you wanted to have in front of your boss and your boss’s young daughter.
Maddie looked up at Chase. ‘Don’t be mad at Brooke, Daddy.’
‘Why would I be mad at Brooke?’ Chase paused, then: ‘What has she done now?’
‘Well, she got antsy when Denise wouldn’t let her go on her computer for YouTube,’ Maddie began. ‘And then we thought we would move some of the garlands on the Christmas tree, but Denise didn’t like that either so—’
‘So …’ Chase interjected.
‘I don’t think Brooke meant to set off the fire alarm but—’
Isla watched the colour fall from Chase’s face as the realisation that his teenage girl had caused this commotion became implanted on his psyche.
‘She said she just wanted to see how tough the tough glass really was and … well, then the glass smashed and the n
oise started.’
‘Where is she?’ Chase questioned. Colour, vibrant colour was returning to his face.
‘I’m afraid she’s with security, Mr Bryan.’ It was Denise. She really had overdone the eyeliner and blusher today.
Isla’s gaze went back to the CEO of Breekers. He was biting his bottom lip in an obvious attempt at regrouping. She couldn’t help but wonder whether controlling his unruly daughter was harder work than being the figurehead of a global company.
‘Show me where she is,’ Chase ordered. ‘Miss Winters, you’ll come with me.’
‘I will?’
‘You will,’ Aaron said, giving her a shove then mouthing the word ‘pony’ and working his hips like he was writhing to the Magic Mike soundtrack.
Isla took steps towards Chase, following Denise, just as the first fire engine turned up.
Twenty-Three
‘Can I ask a question?’
Isla had been wanting to ask this particular question for the last thirty minutes. She had been in the boardroom with Chase for the past hour helping him with contact details for people he wanted to get in touch with about the super-hotel. She hated that name. It reminded her of that ridiculous computer on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. What she really wanted to be doing was gazing out of the window at the beautifully festive London streets noting down ideas for the decoration for the Breekers’ Christmas party. She needed something vintage, traditional, cosy … warm, glowing lights alongside cool, silver sparkle …
‘You’re not going to put your hand up again like you did earlier?’
Mind back in the room Isla realised Chase hadn’t even raised his head from his laptop. She looked over to the other side of the room where a still-moody Brooke and Maddie were gathered around the big screen, headphones on, watching Elf.
‘So, what’s the question?’ Chase had looked up and was looking at her. She swallowed. Risk of unemployment for Christmas aside, she needed to know.
‘Why London?’
‘For the super-hotel?’ he queried.
How she hated that word. Super-hotel. It wasn’t even a proper word. She managed a nod. ‘Why not New York … or Tokyo? I think it would go down so well in Tokyo.’
‘Have you been there as well as Las Vegas?’ Chase queried.
She shook her head. She hadn’t really been to Las Vegas. She’d fibbed to get herself off the spot in the meeting earlier. But she’d seen plenty of photos that told a tale – several tales – with more than enough Elvises.
‘No, but they love everything big over there. I just think they would be exactly the type of city to fully embrace your circus and your zoo and your …’
‘Nine-hole golf course?’
‘It has a golf course as well?’
He nodded. ‘We thought about a water park too but decided the climate wasn’t quite right, so we went for an ice rink/bowling/cinema combination.’
‘You did?’ The more she heard about this project the more it frightened the life out of her. This wasn’t just a hotel, super-sized or not, this was a city in itself. Where did London have the capacity for this? It wasn’t that long ago since they developed Olympic Park.
‘Have you not read the brochure?’
She hadn’t. He had been keeping her busy and, in truth, she wasn’t sure she wanted to see it. Perhaps, as soon as Chase had gone back to America, she could sidestep away from the project completely, as she was sure Aaron would be more than keen to take a lead role. Then she could get back to the clients she loved working for, helping them with buildings that didn’t look like they were capable of leading an alien invasion. And the Christmas party … it was coming up so fast.
She cleared her throat. ‘We’ve been talking planning and committees for the past—’
‘You really do hate it, don’t you?’ Chase said. He closed the lid of his laptop. ‘Can I ask why?’
She swallowed as he paid her his full attention, turning in his chair a little, those firm thighs appearing from under the desk.
‘I told you,’ she answered. ‘I’m not sure something that big fits with London.’
He nodded, eyes still trained on her. ‘Okay, well, how about instead you think about whether London fits with something that big?’
She almost laughed. ‘I don’t mean to be rude, given you’re the CEO, but answering a question with a question has never worked for me and actually neither has someone turning my sentences around to suit their own remit.’
He smiled. ‘Okay, Miss Winters. Duly noted.’
He had put on that British accent again and as patronisingly unfunny as it was, it was also a little bit sexy. God, why had she thought that? It was official. She was morphing into her sister. Any more Christmas kisses and she was completely done for. She would be sobbing into a box of man-size tissues to the soundtrack of The Snowman before Christmas Eve Eve.
‘So,’ Isla said. ‘Do I get an answer? Why London?’
He sat back in his seat, stretching his arms over his head and elongating his spine, his shirt pulling tight over a well-defined chest.
‘Well, what you said about Tokyo is kinda right. The super-village would work well for them, but only because they already have habitation and vacation parks like this over there—’
‘A “habitation and vacation park”? Is that what you’re calling it?’ How on earth were they going to soften that for branding purposes? It sounded almost clinical.
‘Here in London it’s gonna make a mark,’ Chase continued. ‘It’s gonna be new, be even bigger than anything in Shanghai and the States. It’s gonna stand out.’
‘Like a sore thumb,’ Isla replied.
‘Like a what now?’
‘A sore thumb … something that looks completely opposed to its surroundings.’
‘So, like the Shard?’ Chase offered. ‘Bigger than anything around it.’ He smiled again. ‘Iconic.’
How exceedingly irritating. He did have a point. She had hated the Shard too, until she got used to it and everyone said how utterly amazing the views were. Then she had seen it for herself. Getting Hannah comfortable in the lift had been a bit of a task but it had been worth it for the sights from the very top. She had thought about going again now it was Christmas. The festive lights were hung all over the city and with a layer of snowfall on roofs it would be quite the sight. London did look beautiful in the winter.
‘You and the rest of Breekers London need to trust the New York decision-makers,’ Chase told her. ‘And trust me.’
‘We don’t have much to do with the New York office,’ Isla responded. ‘And we don’t know you yet.’ Her mind went to Big Bill. She hadn’t really known much about him either.
‘I’m hoping to put that right,’ Chase answered, adding another dazzling smile.
‘Well, I think you’ve scared people.’ Good one, Isla. Nothing like being blunt to the CEO. She could almost feel the Marks & Spencer uniform creeping over her shoulders.
‘Scared people?’ he queried.
Now he looked confused. She needed to elaborate.
‘Pardon my frankness but … you’ve been here a day and you’ve come in and told the team that Breekers is going to start running hotels. That’s a big shock in itself,’ she told him. ‘Then you’ve sprung it on them that this office is going to be in charge of building this giant vacation and … and …’
‘Habitation,’ Chase filled in.
‘Yes, that. And they don’t know what to think right away or what to do.’ She sighed, pushing her hair back off her face. ‘These are people skilled in construction, so arranging the building isn’t a problem, but they’re seeing the shopping malls and the casinos and they’re wondering how they are going to fit in to it all.’
Again, Isla had made an excellent point. He had steamed in like a snowplough in fifth gear expecting a little hesitance and surprise but not really having considered the bigger picture for the staff. They were going to have to adapt in their roles. This development was going to be the m
ain focus for this office for the foreseeable future. It had to be successful, so it needed their full attention and cooperation.
‘You’re right,’ he said with a nod.
‘I am,’ Isla said with a nod and no hint of questioning.
‘I’ve come straight off the plane and blustered in here like the ass of a Yank you probably all think I am.’
‘Well …’
She seemed to deliberately leave the sentence hanging and he smiled. She wasn’t someone who was going to let him have his own way without questioning him. He could do with a dose of that type of honesty in the New York office. Most people seemed to think keeping their heads down and their enthusiasm up – be it real or fake – was enough. Isla’s take on this project was interesting and refreshing … even if he was going to end up getting his own way in the long run. Her inquisitiveness could help him iron out any creases. She could be like his business satnav, reliably showing the optimum route while he explored off-course options.
‘Let’s go out to dinner,’ he said.
‘Dinner,’ Isla repeated. She moved in her chair, wheeling it slightly backwards.
‘Yeah. I promised the girls I would take them somewhere real nice. You could show us some place fancy and join us.’ He could really use a nice cold beer right about now, in a warm, cosy, British restaurant, with a roaring fire on the go. He was on vacation. Kind of. He could do cute and kitsch instead of sleek and contemporary for once. Take a time-out.
‘I can’t,’ Isla stated. ‘I have to leave soon to get my sister.’
‘Your sister?’
‘Yes. Hannah. We live together. You actually saw her, the other day, in the café. In Sugar High when I … when we first met,’ she finished with a slight cough.
The girl in the wheelchair. The girl in the wheelchair was her sister.
Isla started to pack up her laptop and iPad portfolio. It had been a long day. A really long day. And she was convinced she was going to be seeing mocked-up shoe shiners in their candy-striped aprons, circus lion tamers and roulette wheels in her sleep. All she wanted to do was get home and tell Hannah the disaster that was this super-hotel-stroke-village-stroke-habitation-vacation-whatever-it-was. Except she couldn’t do that, could she? It was all confidential and had to remain so.