Randa laughed. She couldn’t help it. She didn’t know what she’d expected or what her father thought would happen when they showed up to take over down here. More money than God? There was no way they’d ever find a price that she would take if she didn’t want to sell.
Randa was so happy. No matter where her next assignment was, she would know the Rock’n’Rolla Hotel was doing very well in Memphis. And that Tony was too.
“That was an excellent choice you made, Willodean. Maybe I should hire you to find me a rich man.” Randa was relieved to see her smile back but the glint in her eye made her nervous.
“Well, now, that’s kind of become a hobby of mine lately. Maybe I could help you. No charge. Just for the joy of helping.”
Randa cleared her throat. “So, love of your life. And the man who made you rich. Any other husbands we ought to talk about before I sign on with the Jackson matchmaking service?”
Willodean brushed off the table. “Well, there were two more, each successes in their own rights and I should tell you I loved ’em all. I did. Just… they were different men. The love was different too.”
Randa sighed. “So you don’t believe in soul mates?”
“Oh, honey, I surely do. I just don’t think there’s only one for a lifetime.” Willodean wagged her eyebrows. “Plus I got some more recent success too. You know about Laura and KT, right? I count them on my list of happy matches. They ain’t married yet, but they will be by the time Santa hits the rooftops.”
“Satisfaction guaranteed?” Randa had no idea why she was even pursuing this conversation. She was headed back to Chicago. Soon. Unless she got brave enough to take a chance of living life without the family job and support, her father would set up some other marital merger. Soon. And she was just about ready to take her chances with whoever he picked, just to make a change. That scared her more than struggling to make her own way.
Willodean shrugged. “Maybe I’m not quite that good. Besides, you’ve got enough people trying to tell you how to live your life. Could be it’s time for you to do just exactly what you want to do, make your own decisions and your own mistakes.”
They were both quiet for a minute.
And she hated the way the teasing light in Willodean’s eyes dimmed. It sort of looked like pity. She wasn’t really a charity case. Thanks to her time in Memphis, she was starting to think she could try stepping away from her old life. She didn’t want to be the poor little rich girl. She was ready to prove to the world and to herself that she was strong, independent, and a damn good money maker. She didn’t need pity.
She knew business. For some reason, she wanted Willodean to be impressed, not sad for her.
“You need to raise your prices to match the quality of what you’re serving here. If you’re worried about customer budgets, offer lower-priced, less-expensive-to-produce choices, maybe a kid’s menu.” Willodean leaned back in her chair so Randa continued, “For your staffing problem, you need to add an incentive program. First, offer a bonus for anyone who recruits someone who’s hired and stays for three months or six months or whatever length of time you think will recoup the expense of training. People who are good at their jobs often know others who are good too. And second, you can offer some kind of incentive matched to time in service. I don’t know what that might be. We’d need to look at the average time on staff, maybe talk to employees to find out why they stay and what makes them happy to be here. If you aren’t already doing quarterly reviews, you should be. Turnover is an expensive problem and unless you talk to employees regularly, you can’t address it.”
Randa ground to a halt and twisted her hands in front of her on the table. They were good ideas, even if Willodean hadn’t asked for them.
Willodean sniffed. And Randa was pretty sure she’d gone too far. Eventually, Willodean nodded. “I like everything you just said there. Maybe I’ve been running this place a little too small, a little too much like my own house. Maybe a little more structure would help.”
Randa did her best to pretend that she’d known all along that Willodean would benefit from her expertise. She tilted her chin up and promised herself she’d savor Willodean’s approval later. During most Whitmore family meetings, she kept her mouth shut. Every idea was her father’s, no matter who made the suggestion. Having someone take her unsolicited advice seriously was a heady experience.
Randa straightened her shoulders. “Now, since the hotel business is officially concluded, I’ll be sending a follow-up e-mail tonight containing all this new information on the owner and then I’m going to speak at the get-together of the southern Alabama Elvis Belles in one of your meeting rooms tomorrow. Monday I’m headed back to Chicago. And I’m going to be happy because I know that the Rock’n’Rolla Hotel is alive and well in the world. I might also dream of this cheeseburger now and then.”
Randa could hear the sadness in her voice and hated it. She didn’t want to leave, but there was no reason to stay. Was there?
Willodean frowned. “What about Tony?”
“I’m going to tell him why I’m here. I’m sure he’ll already know it was a wasted trip. And then…” Randa shook her head. “I guess I’m going to take a chance, see if we could talk or… whatever.”
Willodean inhaled deeply and then let out a long, slow breath. “You’re just going to go on back home?”
Randa didn’t have an answer to that. She didn’t want to, but she was a Whitmore. She’d done a lot to help the business grow. And some part of her didn’t want to give up on the idea that there was some magic piece that would change her father, convince him to treat her differently. She didn’t really plan to accept her old life. Her time in Memphis had convinced her she had to make a change. But once she got back home and was surrounded by the people who wouldn’t accept anything other than the behavior they expected, would she be able to keep to her plan? Believing in herself seemed a whole lot easier with a Tony and a Willodean close at hand.
Willodean patted her hand. “Life is short and the way it’s going to go can be unexpected but it ain’t outta your control. If you don’t like where you are, you can change it. Ask yourself what you’d do if you could be anything you want. What do you love?”
Randa snorted. “You mean, other than spending money and spa treatments? I know hotels, men, and the best way to smooth wrinkles.” She grimaced. “Well, I’m also pretty good with payroll and accounts payable, but I’d rather do anything else, maybe even skip weekly facials, than do that again.” She huffed out a heavy sigh. “And Tony’s shaken my faith in how well I know men. So better make it just hotels.”
Willodean laughed. “Oh, girl… you just wait. Tell Tony the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and I bet he’ll be ready to restore all that faith and then some.” She held out her hand and Randa slipped hers in. The feeling of connection between them strengthened as Willodean clasped her hand between both of hers. When she caught Randa’s eye, she said, “Don’t look so sad, Randa. There’s one thing I do know. It doesn’t take a lot of magic to make things work out just like they’re supposed to. But that much I’ve got.”
Randa couldn’t catch her breath. Something fluttered in her chest. It might have been hope. And she hadn’t felt hope in forever. It was seductive. She wanted to curl her arms around Willodean’s neck and promise to do whatever it took to stay right there.
Willodean leaned back. “Now go talk to your man.”
Randa knew she was dismissed but she wanted to stay where she was comfortable. Then, with the loud sound of feedback, Lucky, the hotel’s tiny Elvis impersonator took the stage. “All right, ladies and gents, it’s karaoke time! You know the rules. You want to sing, you sign up, and wait your turn. All Elvis, all the time and away we go!”
Willodean clapped her hands like this was exactly how she wanted to spend her evening and Randa made a quick exit to the quieter lobby. One quick glance showed her Tony wasn’t behind the desk yet. Misty was in her usual spot soaking up the air condition
ing so Randa sauntered across the lobby and bent down. “Hey, Miss Misty, how have you been? I’ve missed you today.”
Misty didn’t answer, just swept her tongue halfway up Randa’s arm. She laughed and wiped dog slobber on her shirt. “Guess it’s time to change anyway, huh?”
Misty nodded her head and then stretched back out. Randa kicked off her shoes and headed for her staff apartment. As she went, she tried to figure out what she was going to say to Tony. She wished he’d been behind the desk. She could blurt out the truth immediately instead of making herself crazy imagining a hundred different scenarios. As it was, she was going to mark one thing off her list of worries. She’d break the news to her father. Then, when she was ready, she’d find Tony and go after what she really wanted.
Chapter Ten
* * *
WHEN TONY LOOKED up from the computer solitaire game to see Randa walking through the shadowy lobby at midnight, at first he thought he was seeing things. He’d imagined something like this ever since the first day she’d appeared and stalked him in those crazy high heels. But instead of a sexy prowl, she was flip-flopping in her sea horse flip-flops and her hair was a tangled mess on top of her head.
She was also wearing her green-rimmed glasses.
And he wanted her. Not like he had that first day, which had been sort of like a man wants winning lottery numbers or a shooting star or maybe the model on the swimsuit edition cover. He’d wanted her like something he knew he’d never have, a kind of hollow or even disconnected idea that she might be fun to get to know. But now he wanted her like breathing, like something that was necessary for life. And that was crazy. He barely knew her. She’d been here for days and had been completely honest for none of them. He hated lies.
But on her, he just didn’t give a damn. Not tonight.
Tonight she looked like a normal girl. A beautiful, messy, long-legged blonde with bad eyesight and wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.
She paused in front of the desk and rolled the edge of her tank up like she was nervous. “I was going to give you my best sex-on-a-stick walk.” She shrugged a shoulder. “I guess I should have changed my shoes.” They both looked down as she said, “Sea horses are so not sexy.”
Tony crossed his arms over his chest. “No, they’re more cute than sexy.”
She tried her best flirty smile. “So maybe you think I’m cute? That’s not bad.”
He shook his head and watched her shoulders droop. He sighed. “Randa, you’re so damn sexy you make sea horses work. Don’t ever doubt it.”
Her laugh was garbled but he was happy to see it. She pushed the glasses farther up her nose. “I know how you feel about women who wear glasses, too, so I put these on just for you.”
Tony’s laugh rumbled out. He was glad to know he’d made an impression on her during the ride home from the bookstore.
She pointed over at Misty’s usual spot. “I was hoping for some moral support.”
Tony said, “Willodean’s back so Misty’s currently sprawled out on her own version of a princess bed in her penthouse.”
Randa nodded and looked around the lobby. “Willodean stays here on-site?”
“Here on the third floor. Always has. Guess she always will.”
Randa nodded again and the silence stretched out in the quiet lobby.
Tony rubbed his forehead. “How did your dinner go?” He was a little curious about Randa’s take on Willodean.
Randa leaned her hips against the desk and picked up a pen. She twirled it between her fingers like a flaming baton. A question about what her pageant talent had been streaked through his mind but he didn’t ask it. “Willodean’s pretty great. I enjoyed it.”
They both watched her fingers work for a drawn-out minute.
Finally she said, “So, uh… who’s on duty with you tonight?”
Tony said, “Just me. Leon had a short shift tonight. He’s on duty tomorrow night, and I guess I’ll be off.” He had no idea what to do with himself on the nights he had off, but Willodean had insisted and she’d looked pretty determined so he wasn’t going to argue. Not this time anyway.
Randa tossed the pen up in the air, snatched it out of free fall, and dropped it back in the cup. When she crossed her arms tightly over her chest and darted a quick glance at him, he figured the time had come. She was about to tell him the reason she was here. She looked nervous and that made him a little worried. Before he could figure out a way to tell her to just hit him with it, she squeezed her eyes shut and said, “So, I came to tell you the truth. I know you know my family is in hotels. I was here to do a cost estimate on how much it would take to buy and renovate this hotel. Undercover was my father’s requirement. He likes to get property at rock-bottom prices. That’s easier to do if the owners are the last to know they’re selling.”
Tony snorted. “Like Willodean would ever sell it.” The idea that anyone would think they could buy the Rock’n’Rolla would have never crossed his mind. He was relieved and a little worried too. Randa was the kind of girl who wanted to do a good job, no matter what the job might be. Failing here wasn’t going to go well at home.
“Whitmores believe there is a price for everything. And that they are smart enough and mean enough to get the best one, no matter what it is.” Her face was miserable as she said it, but he didn’t doubt she believed every bit of what she was saying.
“All Whitmores?”
Randa looked a little sad as she said, “Maybe not. Or maybe I did before I actually talked to Willodean.”
Tony knew exactly what she meant. “She’s one of a kind, that’s for sure.”
“You’re really lucky, Tony.” Randa cleared her throat. “I mean, now. I know you had a hard beginning and have done some tough stuff.” Her eyes traced his tattoo and then shot to his face. “I just meant it’s great to find a home like this one.”
Tony nodded. “I know what you mean.”
“Yeah, she had some crazy idea that maybe you thought that I was one of the people who needed help.”
He nodded.
“Maybe you were right, but…”
Tony waited to see what she finished that with, but she just shook her head.
“Anyway, I wanted to say… now that I’ve told the truth, if you think you might be interested, I was wondering if you’d…” She licked her lips. “God, I don’t even know what to say here. It’s crazy to think that we… I mean, I’m leaving on Monday.”
Tony pressed both hands against the desk in the effort to keep from grabbing her and hauling her across it. He knew what she was asking. Now that he knew why she was here, it didn’t even matter. He was annoyed, mainly because they’d wasted time. Of course, if she’d told him she was here to buy the hotel, he’d have laughed her back onto the sidewalk the first day. He’d have never gotten to know who she really was. He would never have kissed her. And that would be worse.
And he was damn glad she seemed to have been as affected by their last kiss as he was. “You’re saying one night. I get to touch the cover girl for one night.”
She pointed at her hair and glasses. “No, I want you to touch me.” She shook her head. “God, if you want to. I mean, I know how to talk to men. I just have no idea how to talk to you.”
Tony hung his head. He didn’t want to think about her charming other men, the kind of guys who bought and sold companies over lunch and wore tuxedoes to charity functions. And he sure as hell didn’t want to hear the note of uncertainty in her voice. She’d need self-confidence when she made it home.
“Tony, I don’t know… maybe I owe you an apology? I mean, I didn’t come here to lie to you, but it happened. And I like you so much. I just… things are easier for me when I follow my father’s orders, and there was no reason to change that, not before I got to know you. I wasn’t really hurting anyone. I was sure this would be the place. My first hotel. I’d do a great job and he’d decide it was time for me to run my own. It’s what I’ve always wanted. I want that so much, enough to do a jo
b I don’t love, follow his orders, even if I had to… not tell all the truth.”
Tony shook his head. “Except you were targeting the person who means the most to me in the world and the place I call home.” He looked up at her. “You get that, right? And I don’t like liars.”
“Does anyone really?” She shook her head. “I apologize. I tried to charm you into getting me information. I shouldn’t have done that.” She straightened her shoulders. “And I’m not going to do business that way anymore, no matter what my father says. I mean it.”
He wanted to believe her. The look on her face said she believed it now. He wondered how long it would last under her father’s pressure. “Are you going to change, Randa? When you go back to Chicago, will anything be different?”
She rubbed the faint wrinkle between her eyebrows. “I really hope so. I don’t think I can do business like my father demands anymore. Not since I’ve seen how this place works and met Willodean. And you. I guess I thought his way was the only way. Now I see the rules can change depending on the results you want.”
He wanted her to be certain that things were going to be different, but at least she was being realistic, honest enough to acknowledge the challenges to making a change. He wanted her to say firmly that she wasn’t going back. She didn’t like her life. That much he knew. It would be scary, sure, but not impossible.
And he wasn’t fooling himself. No matter what she did, she wasn’t going to stay here and miraculously transform into a girl who’d be happy with a guy like him. That didn’t mean he didn’t want to grab every minute he could with her before she moved on.
He straightened up and waited for her to look at him. “Thought I’d stop by to see what you had to say to the fan club tomorrow. Then we can have lunch, see where we go next. What do you think?”
The smile that lit her face was like the sun peeking over the horizon. It started slow but by the time it rose completely it was blinding. She put her hands on the desk and leaned over as far as she could to press her lips against his. “Pretty sure I’m going to knock your socks off, Tony.”
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