by Mary Maxwell
Amanda snickered. “This is so exciting!” she said. “And I owe it all to you, Gillian. I guess being college roommates with you all those years ago is paying off for me now!”
The other woman laughed, filling the empty corridor with a chillingly brittle sound. “Actually, Amanda,” she said. “You owe it all to Abby and her friend. If Bree hadn’t bought the story you told her about the red hat and caftan that you left in her room, then I don’t see—”
“Good evening, ladies!” I blurted, stepping from the shadows so the two women could see me. “Thank you for walking right into my little trap.”
They were both stunned into silence for a moment or two. Amanda’s head swiveled back and forth between my smiling face and Gillian Smart’s horrified scowl. But then, as I walked toward them, they both seemed to shift back into predatory mode. Their expressions of dismay were replaced by equally unnerving grins.
“Your little trap?” snapped Gillian. “What on earth are you talking about, darling?”
I took another step closer. “First of all,” I said in a calm, even tone. “Please don’t ever call me darling again.”
Gillian sneered. “Oh, don’t worry, darling,” she hissed. “I wouldn’t dream of it!”
“And second of all,” I continued, “I’m going to truly relish the look on your faces when you confess all of this to Felicia Gold in a few minutes.”
Amanda burst into a high-pitched giggle. “Confess?” she jeered. “To what, Abby?”
I pointed at the envelope in Gillian’s hand. “To showing up here to retrieve what you thought would be my letter withdrawing from the Achiever competition.”
“What are you blathering about?” asked Gillian.
“Are you really going to deny everything now?” I said. “When you’ve been caught red handed?”
Gillian glanced at Amanda as they both tittered loudly.
“Red handed?” Gillian said. “Are you feeling quite alright, Abby?”
“Yeah,” Amanda taunted. “Maybe you’ve had one too many glasses of wine or something.”
I shook my head and lifted my chin. “I’m fine,” I said. “Especially now that I know you two were behind the scheme to scare me out of the Achiever contest. I’m not sure how you did it exactly, but I know you’re responsible for the anonymous notes and the messages on the mirrors and the woman at my house the other—”
“Save your breath, darling,” Gillian said, her eyes narrowed into a hair-raising sneer. “And stop being a stupid child. Your reputation is in the gutter. Nobody will believe you. I mean, even if anything you’ve just said was true, there are no witnesses.”
“Yeah!” Amanda said, glaring at me with disdain. “So what? Yes, I wrote those notes! And yes, I snuck into your suite to leave that hat and caftan so you might suspect Bree! It was all my idea. I need to be Achiever of the Year, Abby. My marriage just fell apart. I’m in debt up to my chin. And there’s a chance Felicia Gold will offer me a great job at the headquarters in Dallas if I get the award.”
Gillian walked slowly toward me. “And my friend Amanda is going to cut me in on the prize money,” she said. “Which will help repay the loan I took out when my investments tanked.”
I watched them both grinning with delight as they slithered closer. I felt a chill down my back, but then realized there was nothing to fear. I gulped in a breath and gestured over my shoulder at the shadowy alcove.
“Well, what if I told you there are witnesses to your confession?” I asked.
Gillian Smart heaved a sigh. “I’d say you’re more bonkers than I imagined, darling.”
Trevor Cole stepped into view. “And what about me, ma’am?” he said evenly. “Would you say that I’m bonkers, too?”
The look on Gillian’s face was priceless. And when the two hotel security guards joined us in the corridor, I thought both Amanda and her snooty ally were going to faint right there on the spot.
“Well, well,” I said as the two guards approached. “What do you have to say for yourselves now?”
Chapter 25
Felicia Gold stood in the offstage area of the Venice Ballroom, shaking her head and listening to Trevor Cole as he explained what had transpired less than twenty minutes earlier. After a brief silence, she smiled at me.
“Abby, I’m so sorry that you…” Her eyes narrowed as she considered what to say. “That you endured such childish and unprofessional behavior,” Felicia continued. “I’m very nearly speechless, and that rarely happens to me.” A bright, wide smile appeared. “Gillian Smart has been a trusted member of my team for almost two years. I’m dumbfounded to hear that she jeopardized her career for a measly few thousand dollars.”
“What’s going to happen to her?” I asked.
The grin on Felicia’s face vanished. “I suppose she’ll be looking for a new job,” she said. “I have limitless reserves of patience and trust, but I will not tolerate manipulation, deceit or the types of things that Gillian and Ms. Woodworth did this weekend.”
“Did you already fire Gillian?”
Felicia nodded. “I don’t have time for her nonsense,” she explained. “I told her she was done with Splendora, and asked her to meet me later in the lobby for a final conversation. I suggested she pack her bags first and settle up her room charges.”
“And what about Amanda?”
“I’m sorry to say that she will no longer be part of our Splendora family,” Felicia answered. “While I can certainly understand when difficult circumstances arise for someone, I cannot allow such behavior to go unpunished.”
A nervous feeling swept through me as I listened to Felicia Gold describe how disappointed she was in both Gillian and Amanda. The look of pain in her eyes was genuine; she had clearly been broadsided by the pair’s plot to force me out of the Achiever competition.
“There’s really not much else to say about the matter at this very instant,” Felicia offered. “We should continue the evening’s program, don’t you think?”
I shrugged. “I suppose so. I’ll go back and find my seat. I bet the other women at my table are wondering what happened to me.”
Felicia gave me a warm hug. “Again, Abby,” she said. “I want you to know how truly sorry I am for all of the difficulties you’ve endured this weekend. You’ve demonstrated great fortitude by maintaining your composure under such stressful circumstances.”
We shared another hug before one of her assistants guided me to the steps leading from the backstage area to the ballroom.
“Good luck, okay?” the woman said.
I looked at her blankly. “With what?”
She smiled. “Achiever of the Year, of course! Felicia’s getting ready to make the announcement.”
I walked back through the crowded ballroom to the table where Emma waited anxiously.
“How did it go?” she nearly squeaked. “I’m about ready to lose my mind from all of the anticipation!”
I settled into the chair beside her. “It was really, really…surreal,” I said.
“Well, who was it?” she demanded. “Was it Amanda?”
I smiled. “Amanda and Gillian Smart.”
Emma screamed loudly. “Are you kidding me?”
“Not at all,” I said. “It turns out that Amanda and Gillian were roommates in college. When they both confided in the other about being in debt, they cooked up the idea to rig the Achiever competition and split the prize money.”
Emma yelped again. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
I shook my head. “Not at all. I’m telling you what they confessed after we busted them by the spa.”
One of the other women asked what was going on. Emma quickly offered to explain later before turning back to face me.
“I cannot believe this!” she gushed. “Amanda and the company’s public relations director?”
“Yep.”
“Why?” Emma said. “What was it all about?”
I shrugged. “What’re things like this usually about?” I said
. “Greed and money and weakness.”
She fell back in her chair, clamping both hands to her cheeks. “I mean, really,” she said. “This is so incredibly crazy!”
“Tell me about it.” I rolled my eyes and reached for my wine. “I felt like I was on some kind of police stakeout or something. You know—hiding in the shadows, waiting for the crooks to show up, springing the surprise on them when they finally appeared.”
Emma smiled. “And Trevor Cole was there with you?”
“Yep. The whole thing happened just as he and I planned it. Two of his security guys watched so we’d have additional witnesses. Amanda and Gillian nearly passed out from the shock. And Felicia Gold gave them both the boot the second she heard about what they’d been conspiring to do.”
Emma gasped. “No, she didn’t!”
“Oh, yes she did! When Trevor escorted Gillian and Amanda up to the lobby, he’d already alerted Felicia with a text. He told her there was an emergency situation that needed her immediate attention.”
“That’s so wild!” Emma cheered. “What did she do when she heard the news?”
I sipped my wine as the lights in the ballroom dimmed. “She’s amazing,” I said. “One corner of her mouth sort of twitched a little, but she barely blinked. That woman is one cool customer.”
“Well, she’d have to be after creating a billion-dollar empire like she did.”
Before I could comment on Emma’s remark, Felicia Gold returned to the stage.
“Hello again, everyone!” she announced from the podium. “Before our special guest speaker comes out, I’d like to invite the three Achiever of the Year nominees to the stage, please.”
I felt my stomach lurch.
“Here it is, Abs!” Emma chirped. “Are you ready?”
I looked at her and did my best to smile. “I don’t know,” I said weakly. “I’m feeling a little nervous.”
Emma stood up and helped me from my chair. “Go get ’em, tiger!” she said, giving me a warm hug. “This is your big moment!”
As Felicia called my name along with those of the other two nominees, I drifted through the ballroom like I was floating on air. It all seemed suddenly dreamlike—the crowd of cheerful attendees, the music booming from the speakers, the spotlight sweeping the room to heighten the excitement.
“Thank you, ladies,” Felicia said when I finally reached the stage and took my place beside the two other women. “And congratulations! You have been nominated by your peers for this year’s Achiever Award. Through your dedication to Splendora’s customers and your diligent work to deliver impeccable service, you have earned a place on our stage tonight!”
The room erupted in a roar of cheers and applause. I gulped back my anxiousness and squinted as the spotlight washed over us.
“While each of you surpassed not only your previous year’s performance as well as the sales volume of all other Splendora image consultants,” Felicia continued, “only one of you can be named Achiever of the Year.”
I took a deep breath and grabbed the hand of the woman beside me. I’d seen her in the hallways during the conference, but had never met her. She smiled back at me and reached for the other nominee’s hand standing to her right.
“But I want to remind you of one important aspect of our annual competition,” said Felicia. “Being nominated by your peers is truly an achievement in and of itself. Please keep that in mind as I prepare to announce the winner of our Achiever of the Year Award.”
My mind began to spin as someone walked onto the stage with an envelope and the glittering Achiever trophy. It was sculpted from sterling silver with a large marble base. It seemed to take an eternity for Felicia to open the envelope and pull out a small white card.
“Our second runner up this year is…” She looked at the card again and then turned to the audience. “Belinda Jordan from Tampa, Florida!”
A wave of cheers erupted from the crowd as the woman beside me dropped my hand and walked to the podium.
“Congratulations, Belinda,” Felicia said warmly. “I have a gift certificate for you along with a trip to New York for next year’s fashion week.”
I shifted to my right and stood beside the other nominee. Her name tag read ERICA SULLIVAN, CHICAGO.
“Good luck!” I whispered.
She squeezed my hand. “You, too!”
“Alright,” Felicia said into the microphone. “It’s time for our first runner-up.”
She checked the information on the card again and smiled.
“Well, I can hardly believe this,” she said breathlessly. “Never before in the history of our company has this happened.”
I felt an anxious tickle in my throat. For a moment, all of the bizarre events from the past three days flashed through my mind: Robert with the blonde stranger, the anonymous threats, Bree acting so curiously, the hectic pace of the various meetings and meals with the crowd of conference attendees. The swirl of fractured images was still spinning when I heard Felicia again.
“…goes to prove,” she was saying, “that anything is possible.”
She turned and motioned for Erica and I to step forward.
“Ladies, it’s my pleasure to announce that our competition for Achiever of the Year has resulted in a tie for the very first time in Splendora’s history!”
Erica squeezed my hand.
“Are you serious?” she asked Felicia.
“Absolutely serious,” answered the company founder. “For our conference finale this year, I’m pleased to announce that both Abby Edison of St. Louis and Erica Sullivan from Chicago will share the honor as Achiever of the Year.”
She laughed with delight as another trophy was delivered to the podium. She carefully handed one to me and the other to Erica.
“Congratulations, ladies!” Felicia offered cheerfully. “I’d like to invite everyone to join me now in a round of applause for our Achievers of the Year!”
Chapter 26
Emma and Bree were waiting at the edge of the stage when I walked down the steps with my gleaming silver trophy a few minutes later.
“Okay, this is now officially the best conference ever!” Emma said happily.
“Totally!” Bree agreed. “I never doubted for a second that you’d win, Abs!”
I accepted a hug from each before they escorted me back to our table. For a few minutes, the entire ballroom buzzed with excited conversations, raucous cheers and congratulatory shouts. I sat between Emma and Bree, gazing with joy at my award and accepting the nonstop flood of compliments and best wishes.
“May I have your attention, please?” Felicia Gold announced from the stage. “I know we all want to pass on congratulations to Erica and Abby, but I’d like to ask for everyone to take their seats again so I can welcome Elizabeth Ashland to the podium for her keynote address, which she titles ‘Finding Your Inner Wonder.’”
It took a minute or two for the room to quiet again. I felt Emma nudge me with her elbow.
“I’m really proud of you, sweetie,” she whispered.
“That makes two of us,” Bree added on my other side. “I’m sorry if I’ve been a grouch this weekend, Abs.”
“Thanks, Em,” I said quietly. “And don’t you worry about it, Bree. We all have our ups and downs, right?”
She smiled. “Yes, we do,” she said.
“And we’ll get through it if we have each other’s backs,” Emma added.
“True enough!” I whispered. “Together forever—through thick and thin!”
The rest of the evening passed in a flash of heartwarming advice from the keynote speaker, a few more brief remarks from Felicia about the company’s upcoming new products and then a final toast to everyone at the conference.
I was exhausted when Emma, Bree and I finally tottered into our suite around midnight.
“Ugh,” Emma groaned. “We have to get up at seven for the final morning session.”
Bree flopped onto a sofa. “Maybe we can sleep in,” she suggested. “I think I�
��m going to need lots of rest before we fly home tomorrow afternoon.”
I walked to the chaise near the windows and sat down to take off my shoes. “We shouldn’t skip the last session,” I said. “I heard a rumor that Gerard Butler is making a surprise appearance.”
Bree scrunched up her face. “The actor?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I guess Felicia met him at dinner the other night or something. They have a mutual friend from London, and Gerard’s in town for a few days. Felicia asked if he’d just come on stage for a few seconds tomorrow at the end of the conference.”
The curious look on Bree’s face transformed into a mischievous grin. “Well, we didn’t get to Chippendales,” she said. “But I think Gerard Butler will be even better—with or without his clothes!”
We giggled together for a few more minutes, rehashing gossipy tidbits overheard during the evening. Bree shared a story about a woman who was getting married to a man twice her age because he was a distant cousin of the British royal family. And Emma told us about a conversation she’d had with one of the banquet servers.
“He said our group is one of the best behaved he’d ever seen,” she said. “But then I asked how long he’d worked at the hotel, and he said he just started last month. I told him to wait for the tech conference in a couple of weeks if he wanted to see some truly naughty stuff.”
Bree sat up and frowned. “How would you know about that?”
Emma made a face. “Perhaps in a former life I was in town during the tech conference,” she said in a smoky, sultry tone. “And perhaps I lived it up a bit with one of the fellas from Silicon Valley.”
“Aha!” Bree said. “I guess we all have our secrets.”
“Not me,” I said, grabbing my shoes and heading to bed. “After all of the anonymous notes and strange threats this weekend, I’m done with secrets and skullduggery and all the rest.”