Hotel Liasion

by JLee Meyer

  “I will tell each and every one of you that I had no trouble ignoring that request. The hotel, and all of the holdings that he had not squandered, were mine. I was delighted when the opportunity to restore the hotel to women arose. Before I could offer more support, before I could once again unite with my beloved Irina, my son usurped me and I was incarcerated.”

  A pin dropping would have made every woman in the room jump. All were riveted to Seraphina Drake. She took the water that Sika offered and sipped thoughtfully, her hand trembling slightly.

  “I must thank all of you for not only freeing me from that dreadful place, but for taking care of my Irina. We wish to begin the Elysium Society anew, with the women in this room. As you know, the Society is by invitation only, but the dues are commensurate with your ability to pay. It is character and dedication we seek, not wealth and exclusivity. This isn’t a social club, it is an organization dedicated to women and the issues that affect us worldwide. And now I’m turning this over to Sika Phelps, who, with Laurel Hoffman, has developed the first membership list of the New Elysium.”

  Stef whipped her head around to look at Laurel, wondering why Laurel hadn’t told her. But she thought of their busy lives over the past month and understood. Laurel was a natural choice, of course. Her researching capability and knowledge of the society would be invaluable assistance to Sika, Seraphina, and Irina. She hoped her eyes conveyed that she was proud of her.

  A sinking feeling overcame her when she thought of what she had to report: that they couldn’t go forward without further financing, that she would need to ask her father to help. Her stomach lurched at what she saw as failing not only her business partners and the women in this room, but giving up her dream of independence from her family.

  Sika’s voice, strong and calm, interrupted her thoughts. “There are several points of business to attend to. First, each one of you has been asked to pay an initiation fee that you will choose.

  “Please stand and introduce yourself and tell us about your background and talents, education, or particular skills you wish to include in our master list of resources. You might be called upon to help with particular projects, based on this list. After you introduce yourself, give your envelope to Stefanie Beresford. Our first order of business, our first project, is to secure our home, the Hotel Liaison.”

  Laurel had to elbow Stef to snap her out of her daze as women started handing envelopes to her. Carolyn Flemons was first and a check for $100,000 was enclosed, along with a note canceling her design fee.

  Ember looked her hot and babydyke-cute self when she stood and pledged whatever skills she developed in the future and volunteer labor when it was needed. Her envelope contained one hundred dollars in cash.

  And so it went. Doctors, lawyers, scientists, technology experts, CEOs, chefs, students, politicians, executive assistants, actresses, plumbers, photographers, authors, artists, and so on. All had high levels of expertise in various subjects and connections to other women all over the world. The average check was similar to Carolyn Flemons’s. But Conn Stryker and her partner, Leigh Grove, provided a check for one million dollars, along with all the planning and security equipment for the top two floors of the hotel. There was another stack of envelopes from those unable to attend. Stef’s eyes must have been popping because there were a few chuckles from the audience. Kate Hoffman slipped Laurel a check that made Laurel give her a huge hug.

  The top floors were designated to become a private club to house the Elysium Society, comprising some luxurious hotel rooms, meeting rooms, and a tech center. All with state-of-the-art security. Each and every service would be provided by women for women. Although there might be some rooms in the lower floors that would rent to men, the men would be unable to gain entrance to the Club.

  Tears flowed freely down Stef’s face as she realized what this meant. They would not only be able to finish the hotel the way it had been envisioned, they would be able to meet their mortgage payments each month without worry.

  Irina Castic stood before her with her envelope in her hands. It was larger and thicker than the others. She grinned mischievously.

  “Irina, you are automatically a lifetime member of the society, you know that. You have been…grandmothered in.” Stef smiled to reassure her friend that she didn’t have to feel she owed anything.

  “Ah. How nice. But this is for you and Sika and Denny. And Laurel, of course.”

  Careful not to tear the envelope, Stef opened it and took out a fairly thick file of paper. She read and then reread the documents. “This can’t be true. Irina? How could this be true?”

  Denny piped up with, “Stefanie Beresford, if you don’t tell us what you’re looking at, I’m gonna get after you.” From the background noise, Denny wasn’t the only one.

  “It is the first and second deed to the hotel. Paid in full. Our debt has been retired.”

  The cheer that went up from the members was so loud, no one could hear Stef asking Irina a question. When they calmed down, she repeated it.

  “How did you do this? The debt is over twenty million dollars. Are these papers real?” She hated to insult Irina, but really, did she win the lottery? This was nothing to joke about.

  “Oh, my dear, I assure you they are real. My mother country finally decided to join the twenty-first century and return the land stolen from my family by the Nazis and then the Communists. As it turns out, my property is worth quite a bit, so I sold some parcels and paid off the hotel.” Turning around to face the others, she said, “The hotel is ours. No one can take it from us again. Our work can proceed unencumbered by outside detractors.”

  Stef was out of her chair and hugging Irina, Denny, Sika, and anyone she could get her hands on, ending with Laurel. “Did you know?”

  “I knew something was going on and I helped Sika with the list, but I couldn’t have imagined this. I think Ember might have had some idea. She helped Irina file the papers.”

  “That’s why the people at the nursing home fell all over themselves trying to sign Irina up. I always wondered how she pulled that off. Wow.”

  Stef sat heavily on her chair and closed her eyes. She felt Laurel beside her and smiled. Surrounded by old friends and new, she started to absorb the full meaning of family. She was exactly where she belonged, with people who believed in her, and a partner who loved her. And the real work of building their future was just beginning.

  As the afternoon drew to a close, she led Laurel to the small garden that consisted of well-established roses, canopies of flowering vines, and benches that brought privacy even in the midst of this beautiful city. They sat on a bench and stared at the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge before them. Fog was creeping over the Marin Headlands and through the towers of the bridge, giving everything around them a magical feel.

  Stef slid her arm over Laurel’s shoulder and kissed her slowly. “It’s all coming true, Laurel. Every bit of it. Will you share it with me?”

  Laurel leaned back and took in all of Stefanie Beresford. “My sister approves of you. She told me she’s jealous because it looks like I’ve finally found the one. She’s right. I’ll share every bit of it with you, my love. Every minute. I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” Stef said. “You complete my dreams, do you know that?”

  Laurel held her tightly, emotions brimming. “And you’ve built brand-new dreams for me.”

  They kissed again and held hands, laying silent claim to one another and to the future they would build together. Stef smiled in contentment.

  Their future. She couldn’t wait.

  About the Author

  JLee Meyer utilizes her background in psychology and speech pathology in her work as an international communication consultant. Spending hours in airports, planes, and hotel rooms allows her the opportunity to pursue two of her favorite passions: reading and writing lesbian fiction. JLee’s hobbies are photography, hiking, tennis, and skiing but she hasn’t had time for them recently. Writing is her passion, an
d learning this new craft has been a joy. She and her partner CC live in Northern California with their two dogs. Hotel Liaison is her fourth novel.

  Visit JLee at www.myspace.com/jleemeyer, or at her Web site, jleemeyer.com, or e-mail her at jlee@jleemeyer.com. You can also find her at www.boldstrokesbooks.com.

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