Bargaining With the Boss

by Jennifer Shirk

  “Don’t let the charming Mrs. Claus act fool you. She’s out for blood, and I happen to be her latest prey.”

  Kinsley bit down on a laugh. “Might I remind you that you are sort of the perfect candidate for a fix-up, being the stereotypical young, handsome, widowed bachelor in town.”

  “Yeah, but I’d like to keep it that way,” he said gruffly.

  “Hey, there you are,” Arden said, coming up to their table. “Kathy saved us a spot by the window.” She looked down her nose at Wade and added, “You know, a table where people who like to be social sit.”

  “Hello, Arden,” he said, not bothering to spare her a second glance.

  “Hello, Unabomber.”

  That comment got him to look up. “Why am I the Unabomber?” he demanded.

  Arden’s pretty red lips stretched into a wide smile. “Because you’re a recluse and you save all polite conversation for your animal clients. And don’t bother denying it, because that’s what your receptionist confided to me when she showed up at her wedding consultation.”

  “I should fire her,” he muttered.

  “You wouldn’t dare. Not when she’s going to be married soon. And what happened here?” she said, waving a finger at Wade’s cheek and jaw, “your razor break or something? All you need is a hoodie, dark sunglasses, and a cabin up in Montana, and we’d have one perfect Unabomber match.”

  Wade tossed a few tens onto the table and stood. “I hope you’re finished with the insults, because the more you talk, the more I’m beginning to understand serial killers.”

  “You’re not the first person to tell me that.”

  Wade cracked a grin. “Why am I not surprised?”

  Kinsley grabbed her friend’s arm. “Okay, you two. Enough. Honestly, I don’t know how you managed to survive in the same town without me being here to referee. Arden, let’s go to our table, and Wade, I love you, but I’m sorry she does have a point about the razor. Find one. Use it.”

  Wade frowned, stroking the uneven hairs on his chin. “Not you, too, Brutus?”

  Smiling, Kinsley kissed him on the cheek. Then with a little wave, she led Arden to their table.

  Once they sat down, Kathy came over and handed them their menus. “Thanks for coming in tonight, ladies. It’s nice to see the locals’ support. Can I get you something to drink?”

  “An iced tea for me,” Kinsley answered.

  “Make it two,” said Arden.

  Kathy gave them both a thumbs-up then went to tend to another table. Kinsley closed the menu and folded her hands. “Order anything you want,” she told Arden. “It’s on me. This is a business dinner.”

  “Really?” Arden raised an eyebrow at her then continued to study the menu another minute. “So what’s this business proposition that you want to talk to me about?” she finally asked.

  “I think you should start showing your clients The Harbor Light as a wedding reception possibility.”

  Arden snapped the menu closed. “Oh, hell no.”

  “Why on earth not?”

  “Because I’ve seen the ballroom,” she said, flipping her long blond hair off her shoulders. “It’s a 1970s-style dungeon.”

  “Oh, come on. It is not. There’s nothing wrong with that room.” She paused. “Well, nothing that a coat of paint couldn’t fix.”

  “A coat of paint and a wrecking ball, you mean.”

  Oh, who am I kidding? Arden had a point. The ballroom needed work. Everything about it was overly ornate and out of date. If Damon wouldn’t increase her budget, her only solution was to win the lottery.

  “I’ll have to work on Damon some more,” she said, drumming her fingers on the table.

  “Who’s Damon?”

  “The man ruining my life.”

  Arden’s interest seemed to pique. “There’s a man in your life? Since when? You’ve been living in the duplex below me for more than four months and I’ve never seen a man anywhere near you.”

  “Damon is my boss. And right now, he holds the purse strings for my renovation plans. He’s not budging, though. I swear he just doesn’t get my vision for the place.”

  Arden wrinkled her nose. “Those old-school businessmen don’t have the stamina for risk. What is he, like, eighty years old?”

  Kinsley bit down on a breadstick. “Not quite that old.”

  “Ugly?”

  She glanced away. “Um…not so much. To be honest, I think it’s more his personality that I take issue with.”

  And the fact that he is not old or ugly…

  “Sounds like a real nightmare,” her friend said with a chuckle.

  “That much is correct. He expects me to work a miracle without any money.”

  “Oh, too bad. I wish I could help, hon. But I would really need to see some definite improvements to the hotel before I could risk my reputation to my clients. But you’re right. It really does have potential. If you think about it, it’s actually a perfect spot for a beach wedding. Rope off a spot on the sand right in front of the hotel, then everyone can walk back inside for cocktails and the reception. Very convenient,” she said, tapping a long blue fingernail against her lips in thought. “We could use something like that around here. Tell you what, update the place with at least some paint and we can talk.”

  “Yeah, I’ll see what I can do.” The problem was convincing Damon.

  “Good.” Arden folded her hands over the menu. “Now that that’s out of the way, what’s up with your brother?”

  Kinsley blinked at her friend. “Up with Wade?”

  “Yeah. He’s been acting weird. By that, I mean weirder than normal. To be honest, I haven’t seen him this low since Miranda passed away.”

  Kinsley grew concerned. Maybe selling the hotel had had more of an effect on her brother than he’d been letting on. That combined with his lack of female companionship and his long hours at the animal clinic since they’d lost one of their vets due to a spouse’s job transfer would all be putting a lot of stress on him. “He does seem a little lonely.”

  “Yeah, I’ve never seen Wade with a female. Unless you count Roxy.”

  Roxy was Wade’s golden retriever mix.

  “Arden, don’t you think it’s odd that a brother and sister would be so unlucky in love? I mean, Wade with Miranda. Me and Paul.” She placed her palms on the table and leaned in. “Level with me. Is there something wrong with us?”

  Arden smiled kindly. “Nothing is wrong with you guys. You’re both intelligent, lovely people. If anything, you’re both just too darn nice.”

  Too darn nice. Bleh. Translation: the Roberts family is as boring as melted ice.

  Kinsley made a face. “That’s a terrible thing to say to a friend.”

  Arden laughed. “Sorry, but it’s true. And in your case, your niceness also translates to being attracted to not-so-nice people who don’t treat you the way you deserve to be treated.”

  Was she really attracted to men like that? Before Paul, there had been Sebastian, who, the few times they went out, always seemed to forget his wallet. Even in high school, Kinsley had started dating a boy, Ryan, a few years older than she was just because he was on the football team. He happened to be gorgeous, too, but he wasn’t exactly the nicest guy in school. In fact, they had broken up when he’d demanded she stop hanging around with her “nerd” buddies on student council. He hadn’t taken her rejection well and, soon after their breakup, broke into her locker and tossed several slabs of raw liver into it. She couldn’t exactly prove it was Ryan, but he wasn’t the most creative person—plus, his dad was also a butcher.

  “You may have a point,” she told her friend.

  Arden nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll find you a nice guy.”

  “Ha. Good luck.” She’d really thought she had found a nice guy in Paul. But apparently nice guys didn’t necessarily want nice girls. Or if they did, they only stepped all over them in the end.

  “Hey, just because things didn’t work out with that guy you met at Lori’s wedding
doesn’t mean we give up hope yet. There are lots of nice guys in town.”

  As luck would have it, the door to the restaurant opened and in walked one not so nice guy: Damon St James.

  This town is getting way too small.

  Kinsley raised a hand to her face so he wouldn’t see her. “Don’t look now, but my boss just walked in.”

  Arden, of course, looked anyway. “Him?” Frowning, she swung back around for another look. “Wait a minute. Isn’t that the guy you met at the wedding? The same one you disappeared with that night?”

  Uh-oh. Kinsley’s mouth dropped open but nothing came out. She’d forgotten Arden was at the wedding and knew what Damon looked like. This was so not good.

  As if suddenly putting two and two together, Arden’s lips slowly formed a crafty smile. “Oh, this is so good.”

  Chapter Five

  Damon walked into the restaurant, feeling like a hundred dollars. Actually, more like a hundred pennies. His head was about as light and fuzzy as a dandelion blowing in the wind, and he had the beginnings of a sore throat, thanks to some post nasal drip.

  Happy friggin’ spring.

  At least, he assumed he was suffering from allergies. Allergies to that damn judgmental cat in his office. Or maybe he was allergic to this town. Either way, it had only been a few days and both were getting to him.

  Cape Harmony was about as 180 degrees from New York City as you could get. It took him forever to find a restaurant that was even open tonight. Apparently the town’s businesses really did count on the summer tourist season for income. No wonder the hotel was barely surviving. Another checkmark against it. He didn’t have time to play nursemaid. Business was business. No matter how much those sad brown eyes of Kinsley’s haunted him. She was just going to have to learn, like everyone else in his life, that Damon St. James was not one to count on when you needed help.

  Glancing around for the hostess, he spotted Wade Roberts heading in his direction. Wade looked to be on his way out but made a point to stop and shake his hand.

  “Damon,” he said with a slight nod of the head, “I’m surprised to see you here. I thought you’d be managing things from New York.”

  “Normally that would be the case, but I’m here for a few months, since I have some other business in the area. I’ve decided to give the hotel a second look.”

  Just then, a sparkling feminine laugh caught his attention. He gazed over Wade’s shoulder and saw Kinsley sitting at a table with what looked to be a girlfriend. As with every time he saw her, his body instantly became alert as if ready and waiting. Ready and waiting for what, he was afraid to know. Kinsley wasn’t glamorous or flashy in her blue paisley blouse and slim navy pants, but she still managed to shine in the crowded restaurant like moonlight on a starry night, and he had trouble looking away.

  Wade glanced over his shoulder to see what had captured his attention. When he turned back around to Damon, he wore the look of a warrior prepared for battle. “You’ve decided to give the hotel a second look?” he asked. “Really? Is that the only thing you’re giving a second look?”

  Damon was feeling a little congested, but he would have had to be downright deaf to miss the irritation in Wade’s tone. “Yes,” he stated, meeting Wade’s gaze. “Only the hotel. That’s all.”

  Wade sized him up for another couple of seconds then, appearing satisfied, backed down his guarded stance. “Good, because Kinsley’s not in a state to be toyed with, and, quite frankly, I’m not in a state to have to kick your ass. So I’m glad to hear that. See ya around,” he tossed out before turning away. He was out the door before Damon could muster a response.

  Well, that was interesting. A chilly encounter with his former friend for sure, but he didn’t blame Wade one bit. If Damon had a sister—and one as pretty as Kinsley—the last person he’d want sniffing around would be someone like himself.

  A woman appearing to be in her mid-fifties with spiky blond hair, carrying an armful of menus, finally came over to him. “Thanks for waiting. It’s been a crazy night. Oh hey, are you the guy who bought The Harbor Light?”

  Damon blinked at the woman. “I am.”

  “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  “You have? I’ve only been in town a few days.” Plus, the time he’d been here had hardly been spent talking about himself.

  She let out an easy laugh. “Small-town gossip.” She leaned in and added in a conspiring whisper, “You should know you’re even better-looking than what people have been saying.”

  “Uh, thank you,” he choked out. “That’s…good. I think.”

  The woman laughed again. “It is good. Very good. I’m Kathy, by the way. Are you single?”

  Talk about being direct… Nothing against Kathy, but she wasn’t exactly his type. Or his age. He hadn’t even sat down at a table yet and already he was wishing he’d just gone through a McDonald’s drive-thru.

  He hesitated. “I—”

  “It’s okay, hon. I wasn’t asking for myself. I’m just saying that if you’re single and want to keep it that way, or in a relationship and want to keep it that way, I’d steer clear of the coffee shop down the street.”

  “Thanks for the tip,” he said, already committing it to memory.

  “Consider it my welcoming gift to you. Are you dining alone tonight?”

  Damon glanced around the crowded restaurant. Once again, like a magnet to a refrigerator, his gaze landed on Kinsley. She was staring at him now, and surprise surprise, she didn’t seem pleased. That reaction would have been easy enough to deal with if she had just looked pissed off, but instead, a thin veil of vulnerability hung over her annoyed expression.

  Suppressing a sigh, he looked at Kathy and nodded. “Yeah, I’m alone.”

  Kathy sent him a perky smile. “I have a nice table over by the coffee bar for you, then. Follow me.”

  Considering the kind of day—and now night—he was having, Damon wasn’t at all shocked when Kathy showed him to a table right next to Kinsley’s. But with his allergies getting the best of him, he didn’t have the energy to ask to be moved. Kinsley was just going to have to get used to seeing him around town as well as at work.

  “Good evening, Kinsley,” he said, picking up a menu.

  She stiffened. “Hello, Damon.”

  “Can I get you anything to drink?” Kathy asked him.

  “Yes. Give me the strongest thing you have.”

  Kathy frowned. “You want a strong drink?”

  He’d thought he’d made himself pretty clear. But this town and the people in it were an oddity for sure. “Yeah. You know. Whatever will take the edge off.”

  Looking confused, Kathy glanced at the ladies next to him then shrugged. “Coming right up.”

  Once Kathy walked off, Kinsley’s pretty blond companion with the extra large dose of smiles extended her hand out to him. “Hi, I’m Arden. I remember seeing you last Saturday.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes. At Lori and Jim’s wedding. I was the wedding planner. And how funny that you and Kinsley ended up being there and now we find out that you’re her boss. Small world, huh?” she said with amusement bouncing in her blue eyes.

  Too small, he thought, but Damon remembered her now, and for some reason suddenly wondered if she was the one who would have been planning Kinsley’s wedding as well. “Nice to meet any friend of Kinsley’s.”

  “Oh, we’re not just two friends having dinner,” Kinsley chimed in.

  Arden gaped at her. “We’re not?”

  Kinsley shook her head, widening her eyes at Arden. “No. This is a business dinner, remember? About hosting weddings and receptions at The Harbor Light.”

  Damon ran a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing at the are-you-out-of-your-mind expression all but spewing off Arden’s face. “Oh, really?” he asked in all seriousness.

  “Yes, really,” she said with a defiant lift to her chin.

  Damon turned his attention to Arden. “And how is this little business dinner
going? Do you think you would have clients interested in having their wedding at the hotel?”

  “Um…well…” Arden shifted uncomfortably under his unwavering stare. “I think it’s a great venue for sure.”

  Kinsley’s expression grew smug as she folded her arms. “See?” she said to him. “I told you there is business to be had in the off season with events like that. We’re small, but we are in a great location.”

  “I did say it was a great venue,” Arden hedged, “however, it does need some work.”

  “You said some paint,” Kinsley countered. “A little paint and then we could talk again.”

  “I did?” Arden suddenly glanced up and pointed. “Oh, look, there’s Ronnie Lafferty. He’s been wanting to ask me out forever. Today is obviously his lucky day,” she said, popping out of her seat and rushing over to him.

  “Some friend she is,” Kinsley muttered. “Ronnie has bad breath and still lives with his mother.”

  Damon suppressed a grin. Kinsley looked about as down as a child who didn’t receive a puppy for Christmas. Her lower lip all but jutted out in a sexy little pout. Along with beauty and heart, she had tenacity, too. He admired that kind of spirit in business.

  “Look, Kinsley, don’t get upset at Arden. I understand she has to look out for her clients. What’s business is business and what’s personal is personal. Don’t confuse the two.”

  She folded her arms. “You sound like Donald Trump.”

  “Actually, I was going more for Vito Corleone from The Godfather.”

  “Same difference.”

  He chuckled. “Believe it or not, I’m trying to sound like a friend, too.”

  Her espresso-colored eyes narrowed. “You want to be my friend?” she asked with a dose of incredulousness.

  Her friend? Damon paused, a little shocked at his own words as well. He had very few friends—and none of them were women. He preferred to not get involved with people in general, to keep them at a safe distance. That arrangement benefited everyone. Less chance of him letting people down and less chance of people pulling away from him when that eventually happened. But it seemed as if Kinsley was searching for something by investing so much time and energy into the business, something he might be looking for himself, and he felt a strong pull to know more about her, if only to understand himself.