He broke into a grin. “Apology accepted, but it’s only been a few days.”
“I thought you’d be overwhelmed, but you’re not.” Natasha checked her watch. “Oh, it’s time for the conference call with your parents.”
As soon as they had his mother and father on the line, Ari gave them updates on everything that had been done so far. “His brother, William, is still on the payroll. He had a heart attack and is still recuperating.”
“I’ll reach out to him sometime next week,” Malcolm stated.
“I’m actually going to see him later this afternoon,” Natasha offered. “I’ll schedule a day and time for you.”
“That would be great,” Malcolm responded.
They were on the phone for about forty-five minutes. When the call ended, Ari rose to his feet and stretched.
“So your brother and sister are flying in to help you,” Natasha said. “I think that’s great.”
“I do, too. There’s a lot of work to do.”
Natasha had grown quiet.
“Hey, are you okay?” Ari inquired.
“I’m fine.”
He wasn’t sure he believed her. She was fine until the conference call. He wondered what had happened to change her mood.
Natasha left fifteen minutes later to meet with her employees regarding one of her other clients. Ari used this time alone to make some phone calls and review the information on the Nevada hotels.
“I’m looking at a copy of the permit right now,” he said to the clerk at Las Vegas Building Services. After a moment, he added, “I’ll fax them over to you.”
He hung up and scratched his ear. Something isn’t right about all of this.
Ari called his father. “Dad, they’re saying that we never had permits for the remodeling, but I’m looking at them right now.”
“Son, that’s strange. They must have misplaced them.”
“I don’t know what happened, but I’m going to fax what we have over to them right now. I just wanted to give you an update.”
They talked a few minutes more before ending the call.
Ari faxed over documents to the City of Las Vegas Building Services.
Natasha called a few minutes later.
“Have you had lunch yet?” she asked.
He smiled at the sound of her voice. “No, I haven’t.”
“Why don’t you meet me at the Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant on Wilshire? It’s not too far from the office. You can just take a taxi there, or you can use the limo. You do like sushi, don’t you?”
“I love sushi, but I’ll pass on the limo,” he said with a chuckle. “Not my style. I need to look into renting a car until mine arrives.”
“Why don’t you have Tammie arrange it for you?” Natasha inquired.
“I guess I could do that.”
“That’s what she’s there for, Ari. Tammie is very good at her job, and she is there to assist you.”
“Got it,” he responded. “What time should I meet you?”
“In about thirty minutes,” Natasha said. “Will this work for you?”
“Sure. I’ll see you then.
“Tammie, could you arrange a rental car for me? Nothing fancy,” Ari stated before he left for the restaurant. “I just need something to drive until my own car arrives.”
“I’ll get right on it.”
“Thank you, Tammie.”
Ari took a taxi to the address Natasha had given him.
She was waiting inside the lobby.
He glanced around. “Where is the restaurant?”
She smiled. “It’s on the twenty-first floor.”
They rode the elevator up to the penthouse that housed the restaurant.
“This view is spectacular,” Ari commented.
“I love coming here,” Natasha confessed. “Great ambiance, and the food is excellent.”
He looked over the menu. “What do you recommend?”
“How about the Takami edamame for starters? My favorite entrée is the chicken teriyaki. Ari, you have to try the baked king crab roll and the spicy tuna.” She grinned. “They’re awesome. If you have room for dessert, then you should try the chocolate lava cake. Yummm.”
Amused, Ari enjoyed seeing this side of her. He laid down his menu when their waiter approached the table. “I’m going to let the lady order for me.”
It didn’t take long for the appetizers to arrive.
Ari sampled the sautéed soybeans in garlic butter and soy sauce. “This is delicious. What is this called again?”
“It’s the Takami edamame,” Natasha replied. “Wait until you try the baked king crab roll. Ari, you’re going to love it.”
He enjoyed everything Natasha ordered.
“So which did you like best?” she asked.
“I’d have to say it was the baked king crab roll.”
His phone started to vibrate. Ari checked it and said, “That was Tammie. My rental car has been delivered.”
“So what type of car did you rent?”
“I don’t know for sure. I just told her that I didn’t need anything fancy. Just something with four wheels that will get me around the city until my car arrives.”
“You’re having it transported here?”
“Yes,” Ari replied. “It should be here by the end of the week. I wasn’t sure if I was going to sell it or give it to my brother. I decided to keep it.”
“You look like an SUV type of man.”
He smiled. “I am.”
“Let’s see…do you drive an Escalade?”
Ari shook his head. “I’m not much for fancy cars. I drive a Land Rover.”
“Nice car, or should I say truck. I looked into getting one, but it drove like a truck. I didn’t like that.”
“That may be why I like it so much,” he responded with a smile.
Their food arrived.
“How are you enjoying your job so far?” Natasha inquired as they enjoyed their meal.
“I’m enjoying it,” Ari responded. “It is a little different being over at the corporate offices and not at the hotel in the center of everything, but I’m getting used to it.”
“You will be spending a lot of time on the road, visiting all of the properties. You may soon appreciate being in a real office.”
When they returned to the corporate offices, Ari got out of Natasha’s car, pointed to a Bentley Continental GTC convertible and said, “Now that’s a car.”
“It’s a very nice car,” Natasha murmured. “You’re going to love driving it.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s your rental car.”
He stood there a moment, tongue-tied. Ari shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
“It’s yours,” she countered. Natasha was trying to keep from laughing but failing miserably. “You should see the look on your face. Ari, this isn’t a bad thing. The car is gorgeous. Robert enjoyed the finer things in life, and so do all of the hotel guests. Soon, you will, too.”
“Do you know how much a car like that costs?”
“I do,” she murmured.
He shook his head in denial. “That can’t be a rental car…my rental car.”
The concierge met them at the door. “Mr. Alexander, your rental car is parked outside and ready.”
Ari stared at the keys to the Bentley. After a moment, he accepted them from the young woman. “Beth, thank you.”
“If you are not leaving anytime soon, I can have a valet park it for you.”
Ari handed her the keys. “I won’t be leaving until after six.”
Beth gave a slight nod. “I’ll have someone park the car near the entrance at 6:00 p.m.”
“The company has an exclusive contract with Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car,” Natasha explained. “They specialize in Bentleys, BMWs, Mercedes and Jaguars…those types of cars.”
“I don’t even want to know how much this is costing the company.”
She patted his arm. “No, I don’t think you do.”
“I was thinking Enterprise, Hertz…”
Natasha shook her head. “Exclusive contract.”
“You wouldn’t happen to know when it’s up for renewal?”
She gave in to her laughter.
They sat down in his office facing each other. As their eyes met, Ari felt a shock run through him. Clearing his throat, Ari turned on his computer. “I didn’t know you could rent a Bentley.”
“Wait until you drive it,” she assured him. “You’re going to fall in love.”
“I don’t want to fall in love with it. I would never buy a car like that.”
“You’ll be surprised what you will do when you have the money to do it.”
“My dad has money,” he corrected. “I’m doing okay, but I don’t roll like that.”
She gave him a sidelong glance.
“Okay…I’m doing better than okay, but it doesn’t mean that I intend to go out and purchase a luxury car like that. I’m a save-for-a-rainy-day type of man.”
“I like that,” she said. “I’m the same way, although I do have a weakness for a Mercedes-Benz. I’ve always wanted to own one.”
“I have to admit that yours is nice,” he told her. “It’s very nice.”
“Thank you.”
“What are you reading?” Ari asked when he glimpsed a book in her tote.
“It’s the new book by James Patterson.”
“Swimsuit?”
Natasha was surprised. “You read him?”
Ari nodded. “He’s a favorite of mine. I’m a huge mystery reader.”
“So am I.” She grinned. “He’s definitely my favorite author. I’ve read everything he’s ever written.”
“We have that in common,” he responded.
A soft gasp escaped her. “I never thought I’d hear those words come out of your mouth.”
Ari chuckled. “Me, either.”
Natasha had brought his long-dead senses back to life. Everything took on a clean brightness when she was around. He found that he truly enjoyed her company.
“Are you listening to me?”
He turned his attention to Natasha. “I’m sorry. What were you saying?” Ari found that she consumed most of his thoughts these days. He was still stunned by his intense attraction to Natasha—a woman he wasn’t sure he could trust.
Now that all of the employees loyal to the DePaul family had cleared out, Ari decided it was time to call a staff meeting with the remainder of the executive team.
Natasha had conferenced Malcolm in to discuss the future of the Alexander-DePaul Hotel Group.
After the meeting, Ari spent some time with the PR department to go over the press release that would be going out within the hour.
He waited until everyone left his office.
Ari pushed away from the desk and walked over to the window. He stood there admiring the picturesque view of the city.
He had accomplished a lot in two weeks. Ari had had the hotel website updated with job openings. Ari also had the job openings posted in the L.A. Times. He was moving forward.
“I never imagined we’d be able to get so much done in two weeks,” Natasha said when she entered the corner office.
“We still have so much left to do,” he said. “But I have a sinking feeling that Harold took some files we may need in the future.”
“Security was watching his every move,” Natasha told him. “At least that’s what you told me.”
“He still had plenty of time to destroy information.”
“Harold loves the hotels too much to sabotage them,” Natasha countered. “I just don’t believe he would ever do anything like that.”
“I don’t trust the man,” Ari said.
“You don’t have to worry about Harold,” Natasha assured him. “He would never do anything to hurt this company.”
Ari gave her a look that clearly showed he didn’t believe her.
Chapter 12
Natasha sat down on the sofa and pulled out her BlackBerry. “I think that once your family is in place, we should host a huge gala for members of the press, celebrities and other dignitaries as a formal introduction of the Alexander-DePaul Hotel Group. But not only that—we need to formally introduce your family. You are now the Alexanders of Beverly Hills.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Ari asked.
She folded her arms across her chest. “No, actually I’m very serious.”
“We don’t do galas, Natasha,” he responded. “We are more of a down-home-barbecue kind of family.”
“Well, you’re in Beverly Hills now.”
Ari shrugged in nonchalance. “Doesn’t matter. We are not about to let money change who we are and what we stand for.”
“This chain of hotels has a reputation for being the finest in luxury. They have all earned some of the world’s most prestigious awards and are unquestionably the pinnacle of resorts. The Beverly Hills property alone has—”
“Despite earning the Five Diamond Award five years in a row, being voted one of the top 500 Best Hotels and appearing on the Gold List of the World’s Best Places to Stay, the hotels are not an extension of our family,” Ari interjected. “I agree with you on the hotel’s reputation, and my family won’t do anything to tarnish that reputation, but we do not intend to change who we are, Natasha. We do enjoy a good party—however, we’re not about tuxedos and ball gowns.”
“I think you’d look handsome in a tuxedo.” The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them.
Ari broke into a grin. “You really think so?”
“Can we just forget I said that?” Natasha asked. “I didn’t really mean to say it out loud.”
“You can’t take it back,” he teased.
Their eyes met and held for a moment.
It was Ari who finally broke the connection. He got up and began to pace back and forth.
Natasha detected a shift in his mood. She surveyed him for a moment before saying, “We’ve done enough for today.”
He turned around to face her. “Huh?”
She smiled. “We’re playing hooky for the rest of the afternoon.”
“Where are we going?” Ari asked.
“I think you need some recreation, so we’re going to do something fun.” Natasha rose to her feet and began packing up her laptop computer. “C’mon.”
He smiled. “You’re really serious?”
Natasha nodded. “Have you done anything besides work since moving to Los Angeles?”
Ari shook his head no.
“That’s what I thought.” She gestured toward the door. “Let’s get out of here.”
Natasha could hardly believe she was asking a client to play hooky with her. I am losing all perspective where Ari is concerned.
For a brief second, she considered backing out, but Ari really looked as if he needed to get out of the office.
She didn’t tell him that they were going to the beach. Natasha wanted to surprise him.
“Where are you taking me?” Ari questioned. “We’re heading to Santa Monica.”
“We’re going to the pier.”
“The Santa Monica Pier,” he murmured. “I heard that it was really pretty at night.”
“It is,” she confirmed. “But you looked like you really needed some downtime. Besides, wasn’t it you who said that you can’t work all of the time? People need to have fun every now and then.”
She pulled into a parking lot.
“The water is so beautiful here,” Ari murmured. “I had planned to come to the beach at some point, but I’m glad we’re here now. It’s a perfect day for it.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Natasha responded. “I love coming out here when I’m in search of inspiration.”
“I can see why.”
Ari and Natasha removed their shoes and walked along the sandy strip of land, talking.
“I can’t wait for Blaze and Sage to arrive. Maybe then, I’ll be able to see my desk.”
“I’m looking forward to meet
ing your brother and sister,” Natasha said.
She stepped on something hard and then started to fall.
Almost instinctively, Ari captured her in his arms. “You okay?”
“I’m just embarrassed more than anything.” The warmth of his embrace ignited a wave of desire through Natasha.
“This is nice.”
“What is?” Natasha asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.
“Being out here with you.” He paused a moment, then said, “I’m enjoying myself.”
“I’m glad,” she murmured.
Ari seemed more at ease, which pleased her. It was good to see him more relaxed and not so focused on work.
“I can’t believe we’ve been here for two hours,” Ari said. “It didn’t seem that long to me.”
“You really needed some downtime.”
“You’re right, Natasha.” He glanced around. “I needed this.”
“I love coming out here,” Natasha told him. “Especially around sunset. The view is absolutely gorgeous.”
“I bet,” Ari responded.
“So how are you adjusting to your new lifestyle?”
Ari chuckled. “It’s pretty strange to have someone waiting on me. Franklin…he weirds me out. Don’t get me wrong. The dude is cool, but he just appears out of nowhere. I’m glad he will be at the house in Pacific Palisades.”
Natasha burst into laughter.
“He seems like a really nice guy, though.”
“He is,” she responded. “Franklin is loyal. He will be an asset to your family. I don’t know if you know this already, but Tammie is his daughter.”
“I figured it out,” he responded. “She looks just like him.”
Natasha checked her watch. “I guess we should head back. We don’t want to get caught in rush-hour traffic.”
“Thanks for this break,” Ari said as they headed back in the direction of the parking lot. “I really needed to get out of that office for a while. I’d like to show my appreciation by cooking dinner for you.”
She was surprised by his words. “Really? You can cook?”
Ari nodded. “I actually enjoy it. I’ve been told that I’m a good cook.”
“You are a man of many talents, I see,” responded Natasha.
“I’m thinking you should come by around seven.”
Five Star Attraction Page 11