Hunter's Desire

by Meg Ripley

  "Yes," Jason said with a bit of hesitation. "I'm here to meet with Shayne Simmons, I believe he's expecting me."

  "Come in."

  The woman stepped out of the way and Jason walked past her, taking in a breath of the spicy, yet distinctly feminine scent that she wore as he stepped into the foyer.

  It almost made him dizzy and he had a flashback to the way she clenched around him, the way she screamed for him. He was so distracted by the memory that he thought he must have misheard her when she said, "I'm Shayne."

  She held out her hand to him and Jason took it, wondering if he was caught in a strange nightmare. Or maybe this was a setup? Perhaps Vincent had discovered his one-night stand and concocted all of this in an elaborate attempt to drive Jason crazy and destroy his life? Jason honestly couldn't say Vincent wasn't capable of it, but he couldn't think of a single motive for the other man to go to all of the trouble.

  "Hi," Jason said, knowing that his voice probably sounded higher and more tremulous that he would have wanted it to, but not able to control it.

  "Shayne. It's a pleasure to meet you."

  "Likewise. Let's speak in the parlor."

  What the hell did that mean? Had she been drunk that night? Was that why she didn't remember him?

  "Okay."

  Shayne started toward the parlor and Jason followed her, taking a moment to appreciate the sway of her lush hips beneath her prim navy suit. Even in this weird bizarro-land, she made him itch to touch her. She had pinned her hair up into a severe knot at the back of her head and Jason couldn't help but remember what it looked like when she let her locks tumble down.

  Jason entered the parlor and crossed to the same chair that he had sat in when he spoke to Neil, setting his briefcase at his feet again and reaching to release the clasp.

  "I don't know how much your father has told you about the opportunity, but I brought along some information—"

  "Let me stop you, Mr. Cross."

  Shayne cut Jason off and he looked up at her, realizing that she hadn't sat down yet.

  "Excuse me?"

  "I'm sure that you went to a lot of effort to put together a presentation, but I don't want to waste your time. I only asked you here tonight to let you know that we are not interested in this investment. I know that my father has built you up and told you that he is really excited, but I don't look at potential investments as opportunities to do something fun. I look at them as business, and frankly, an old family theme park is just not a good business to get involved with. I'm sorry, but we are not going to be making this investment."

  "How do you know that it isn't a good business?" Jason asked. "Have you invested in a theme park before?"

  "No, and for good reason. These parks are not sustainable."

  "This one has been in continuous operation for more than a century."

  "But it's failing. No amount of money can bring back the dead. It would be kinder to put the park out its misery and allow the old man running it to retire."

  "You're right. Money can't bring back the dead. But I'm not interested in flushing your money down the toilet and I'm not here to waste your time, either. If I didn't think I had a sustainable business model, I would not have requested this meeting."

  "So, you have a chart and some numbers. You make your commission whether or not you're right. My father stands to lose much more than he has to gain."

  "Has it ever occurred to you that your father might value something more than money?"

  She snorted. "Of course it has. That's why I'm the one who handles the money."

  "And do you really think I'm here to scam your father out of his money?"

  "Your intentions are none of my concern. I only care about the outcome."

  "And you can predict the future?"

  "It's not difficult to predict the future of a disintegrating amusement park in a poor economy."

  "It's not as dire as you think. That's why I'm asking you to hear me out on this."

  Suddenly, he was feeling far more involved in this account than he had ever thought he was going to, and the idea that Neil's daughter was ready to just reject him without even taking the time to hear what he had to say about the park was infuriating.

  "I don't think that I need to hear anything more."

  "What have you heard?"

  "That it's a small family-owned theme park with attendance that is dwindling rapidly and has no discernable theme to build off of, which translates to a dying park with little to no chance of revival. An investment would be a waste of time and a waste of money."

  "What about Mr. Kelsey and everything his family has worked for?"

  Shayne's face remained cold and still.

  "An investment would just be getting his hopes up to have them dashed even harder. It would be cruel to give him a sense that he could save his park when the truth is that those small family parks are dropping like flies and there's no stopping it. It’s kinder to just let the park die now so he can move on."

  "Yeah, I heard you the first time." He exhaled slowly. "Is this because of...the other night?"

  Her eyebrow twitched and he saw a crack in the mask for the first time. "It has nothing to do with that."

  "Why didn't you tell me your real name?"

  "I did. Only my father calls me Shayne."

  "I like Mary better."

  "If you think just because we..." She sighed and he caught a glimpse of the woman that had been so difficult to leave behind. "Jason, my father has lost millions of dollars to poorly made investments. He can't afford to lose anymore. Good luck. I hope you find what you're looking for and I hope the park is a huge success. But you won't find your investor here."

  Jason could see the conversation was over. Knowing he'd lost the battle, feeling like he lost the war, too, he rose from his seat. "Thank you for your time. I can find my own way out."

  ****

  Jason drove to Adventure Isle without a plan. He didn't know what to say to Mr. Kelsey. He wasn't quite prepared to admit defeat, but he didn't have much hope for a miracle, either. Some part of him thought that if he saw the park again, he might be struck by fresh inspiration, but deep down inside, he knew what the likely outcome of this meeting was. He didn't want to disappoint the older man, but Mary's—Shayne's—words kept circling in his mind. It was kinder to put the park—and by extension, Mr. Kelsey—out of his misery now, rather than string him along with half-baked promises and pointless hope.

  There were fewer cars in the overgrown parking lot on this visit, which made sense as the sun was low on the horizon. Realizing how late it was, he hoped he hadn't made a mistake by driving all the way out to the boonies without at least making a call. He grabbed his phone and scrolled through the contacts, searching for Mr. Kelsey's phone number. The front booth was empty and the gate beneath the half-dark dragon was closed. Jason sighed. He supposed it would serve him right to waste an entire trip out there.

  Mr. Kelsey picked up on the third ring. "Adventure Isle!"

  "Hi. It's Jason. I hate to just drop in on you, but I'm at the park and—"

  "You're here? I'll be right out." The call disconnected, and moments later, the great gate swung open, admitting Jason inside. He shivered with a sense of déjà vu, thinking about the door to his father's den. "Jason! How wonderful it is to see you. Come in, come in."

  His first tour through the park had been lackluster; now, it was just depressing to see the half-dead blinking lights and hear the rising and falling music playing for no one. "I was hoping to hear from you."

  "I'm sorry, I don't have any good news to report."

  Mr. Kelsey's face fell and Jason regretted driving out there more than ever. "No one wants to invest?"

  "Not yet." And probably not ever. Was he ready to deliver that final blow? How much time could he spend on this account with his promotion, his entire career, in the balance? "A park like this...it's a difficult sell."

  "What would make it an easier sell?"

  That was a good
question. Location would make a hell of a difference, but there wasn't anything they could do about that. The proximity to the city was helpful—a family could take a day trip—but it would have been better with other tourist attractions, or at least more lodging available. There were bigger, better parks available throughout the region, and most of them more conveniently located with up-to-date attractions.

  "At this point...I'm not sure."

  Their previous tour did not include Mr. Kelsey's office, but now he led Jason through a door marked PRIVATE and turned on the light. The walls of the office were covered in photographs from the past sixty years—some in black and white, some in color—most of them faded and worn around the edges. The photos marked the history of the park, chronicling the passage of each year, of every new and failing trend, of generation after generation. Jason's eyes roamed over the images until his gaze landed on a familiar face. He crossed the room and stood directly in front of it, staring intently, unable to believe his eyes.

  It was his mother. Young, fresh-faced, vibrant, and happy, dressed in yellow pedal pushers and white T-shirt, her red hair pulled back in a bouncy ponytail, her eyes bright and laughing. Jason turned questioning eyes to the older man and tapped lightly on the photo with his knuckle.

  "Oh yes, Vivian. She worked here throughout high school, and I hoped she’d want to stick around. Maybe take over for me. But the summer she met her boyfriend, she told me she wouldn’t be coming back. Of course, I couldn’t blame her.” His smile became nostalgic, his eyes looking away, as though he was peering into the past. "Vivian and Damian. That was the last really good summer the park had. Viv worked so hard and Damian loved the place. He drove out to see her every weekend."

  Jason blinked, not sure how to process what he just heard. "Damian loved the park?"

  "Oh yeah. The rides, the games, the food, everything." Mr. Kelsey laughed. "Maybe that's why I did so well that summer. He couldn't get enough of the place and he insisted on paying for everything, even though Viv would have given him a roll of tickets."

  Jason studied the surrounding faces until he found the features he was seeking; younger, more striking—yet more carefree—he found his father riding a dragon on the carousel.

  "Mr. Kelsey, did you contact the investing firm?"

  "What? Oh no. I wouldn't have ever thought of that. No, no, Damian contacted me and said he would be sending somebody over to discuss my options."

  "Have you...met me before, Mr. Kelsey?"

  The old man's eye twinkled. "When you were just knee-high to a grasshopper. Your favorite ride was the roller coaster."

  ****

  Jason took a deep breath before stepping through the door, praying that Mary would be behind the bar. Mary, not Shayne. The woman he had an instant connection with. The woman who talked and laughed with him. The woman who seemed reasonable and willing to give a humble man a fair shake.

  His brain had been ticking the whole drive over, returning to his parents again and again. They had clearly loved Adventure Isle, and it wasn't hard for Jason to imagine why. For a few hours a day, for a few months over one summer, they were free of the restrictions placed on them by their very nature. Away from the Club, from their families, from the burden of their constant secret, they could pretend they were just normal kids for a little while. No wonder his father didn't want to see the park shut down forever.

  One more try. He owed it to his father. And to the memory of his mother.

  "Just the woman I'm looking for," Jason said, as he sauntered up to the bar.

  Her brow furrowed. "I guess I should have expected you."

  "I just want to talk."

  "I don't have anything else to say. No is a complete sentence, you know."

  "Do you work here full time?" Jason asked, shifting gears.

  "No. I'm just helping out until we can find somebody."

  "So, you manage your father's empire during the day and tend bar at night?"

  "Something like that."

  "You're a busy woman."

  "Yes, I am. Which is why I don't have the time to have this conversation with you over and over."

  "Fair enough. Look, I understand you're just trying to act in your father's best interest. I have a personal investment in the situation as well. That's where my parents fell in love. Where they were happy.”

  “What does that have to do with me?”

  “You’re doing what’s best for your father. I get that. I’m not close with mine, but for the first time since I’ve known him, my father is acting out of a sense of sentimentality. And he asked me for a favor. I’d like to tell him I did my best, if nothing else. Now I can go back to his office and tell him I failed tonight. Or I can give you my presentation."

  She studied him for a long beat, as if weighing his sincerity. "You can give your presentation tonight, but it will only be delaying the inevitable."

  "But you will listen?" Jason asked.

  "Yes. I'll hear you out. I’m assuming you came prepared?"

  "Absolutely."

  "You can get set up in the back office."

  Jason grinned. "I knew I liked Mary better."

  She rolled her eyes but didn't bother to correct him. He hurried out to the car for his briefcase and laptop, his step light. He didn't know if she was actually interested in the information, or just in shutting him up, and frankly, he didn't care. He was going to give it his best shot and have faith in his ideas. They were good ideas. Good enough to turn around the stumbling park? He thought so. He could only hope she agreed.

  His heart hammered in his ears as he set up his presentation, but he couldn't tell if the nerves were of a professional or personal nature. He wanted to impress Shayne the investor—but he'd really like to spend another night with Mary the bartender.

  Once he had everything ready, he passed the time reviewing his notes and mentally rehearsing the points he wanted to make. The minutes ticked by, turning into an hour. Then two. Jason didn't sweat it. If he had to wait in her office all night, he would. Sooner or later she'd listen to him, if only so she could lock up the bar and go home.

  Finally, the door swung open and a tired looking Mary slumped inside, pushing the door shut behind her and collapsing into her chair. She sighed, dropped her head back, and closed her eyes. The silence might have been awkward, but Jason felt at ease for the first time that night, being near her.

  "Sorry," she finally said. "I really didn't mean to forget you back here. There was a bowling tournament tonight and we got slammed. They drank us dry."

  "It's no problem at all. In fact, if you need a few more minutes to get a bite to eat or rest your eyes, I'm happy to wait."

  She opened her eyes to study his face, looking at him like he was a quandary she couldn't quite explain. "Are you this tenacious with all your accounts?"

  "None of my accounts have ever been this...challenging."

  "Did you know who I was?" She tilted her head. "Is that why you came in here the other night?"

  "No," Jason said emphatically. "I came in here the other night for a drink. Meeting you was a wonderful, unexpected, fantastic surprise."

  She turned the chair to face him, sat up and squared her shoulders. Suddenly he was looking at Shayne Simmons, pit bull and consummate businesswoman. Jason knew he had to dig deep. Tired or not, her sharp mind would question everything, and if he faltered, she wouldn't give him an inch.

  He began with a presentation of the park's history, a short summary from the day Adventure Isle opened its gates, through its heyday, to its current situation, his words augmented by some of the photos he took from Kelsey’s office, including the one of his mother. Next, he detailed the renovations the park would need, explained which areas would see the quickest profits, and how he would target the market to expand growth over the next two years. Concessions and updated rides were a huge part of that, but there was not a concert venue within a 50-mile radius, and adding a stage and soundboard would help attract customers.

  "But
you were right, Ms. Simmons, the amusement park is a dying industry. Especially one the size of and in the location of Adventure Isle. That's why I'm going to propose a name change and a shift in focus. The games, concessions, and rides are a lot of fun, but they're not going to be the major pull that the park will need to really turn its books around," Jason added.

  "Change its name to what?"

  "Dragon Isle."

  "Dragon Isle?" She didn't look impressed and Jason rushed forward to add, "Well, a professional branding company will choose the name. But that will be the focus."

  She sighed. "Dragons? That's your big idea? I don't see how that's going to be the major draw you need."

  "What about real dragons?"

  Shayne's eyes widened. “What?"

  "Well, lizards. Snakes. See, one of the attractions we could add is Reptile Land. Courtesy of the Simmons Trust, it will be dedicated to education and conservation of reptiles from all over the world. We'll also be the only place you can go to see life-sized replicas of dragons. Other than your father's backyard, of course. Now finally, what I want to discuss is how we can truly get the community involved in turning the park around."

  From there, he transitioned into his actual forecast, offering her the most conservative numbers he could, erring on the side of caution. But the numbers were solid. It was not a bad investment. If she still did not want to sign on, at least he knew he gave his best.

  By the time he finished speaking, an hour had passed. She hadn't interrupted again, allowing him to finish his entire spiel without another word. He had no idea if that was a good thing or not.

  "Jason, this may be the exhaustion talking, but your ideas are not terrible."

  "Thank you."

  "I didn't say they were great."

  "And you didn't tell me we should all just give up and let it die, so I'm going to appreciate the victory."

  She snorted. "I want to see this place."

  Something on Jason's face must have given his thoughts away because Shayne leaned forward. "What? Don't you want me to see it?"