The Bedroom

by Annabel Lucas

  Shane felt the jet lag, a surreal sense of not quite being. It didn’t help that her watch stopped sometime during the flight. She had no idea what time it was. Ryan hailed the cab. She followed, fighting the jet lag that clung to her. The cabbie and Ryan exchanged small talk as she took in the sites. Casinos and hotels wrapped in neon lights climbed high into the night sky.

  The streets were filled with wide-eyed tourists in various stages of consciousness; street vendors, tourists, and locals. People blended into the crowd, which seemed to take a life of its own as it moved the Boulevard.

  “Hey,” Ryan leaned into her. His voice low, pulling her from her revelry, Shane turned into him and met his kiss, warm and wanting. His fingers grazed her thigh, drawing her attention away from the need for sleep. “Listen, once we get there, we’ll have a quick drink and touch on the agenda tomorrow, and then…” His voice trailed off.

  She smiled up into his eyes. Feeling grounded for the first time since she stepped off the plane, "And then?" His eyes flashed with the unspoken promise as the cab slowed.

  He slipped away from her, then leaned back in with a quick kiss and whispered, “They are going to love you.”

  She laughed. “Yes, I know they will.” Her words weren’t boastful or off-target. The clients always loved her.

  He was talking to the cabbie again, giving final directions to the hotel. Shane reached into her bag and brought a small mirror into the light to reveal her tired eyes and curls of dark hair. She fluffed her hair and applied sheen of lip gloss to her pouty lips. She couldn't do anything about her tired eyes. Nothing but sleep would improve that look. The cab had come to a halt. They had arrived.

  "Shane." She turned at the sound of her name to see him cock his head. An unspoken, "come on." She slid across the seat and stepped out onto the strip. The hotel beyond the bustle was bright with welcome. Beyond the fountains and flowers, shops lined the hotel lobby. The bellman was already taking charge of their luggage.

  “We are already checked in. They will take the luggage up to the suite,” he corrected “suites.”

  "Okay." She waited while Ryan tipped the bellman. Tip in hand, the bellman, a young fit Latino man with dark eyes, moved passed them, but not without noticing her. He smiled and gave her a wink. "Hello, Missus."

  She smiled back, pleased. “Hello.” Well, her mental assessment was probably more critical than that of the bellman. Her body coaxed her into a stretch; she indulged, feeling the bones in her spine separate, leaning side to side as her ribs opened up. Oh, well. Hello, Las Vegas. The tinted window gave the shadow of a reflection, and she could see herself, as the world could. Dark curls spilling over her shoulders, ivory skin, deep-set eyes that at first glance looked like a pool of blue; but shifted in the lights but not as wrinkled from the travel as she felt. Her ivory silk collared button-down top hugged the curve of her breasts and skimmed her hips while the well-tailored black pants complimented her figure. Underneath, she wore her favorite leather boots.

  Shane pushed her hair out of her eyes and sucked her lips together, tasting strawberry from the lip gloss. Ryan smiled a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. She cocked her head in a silent question. He winked back.

  “Come on. Let’s get our keys.”

  They found their way through red silk ropes, hung on brass posts, and waited for the pretty dark-haired hotel clerk to help them. She finished up with the gentleman and his wife before them nodding off the older couple with what appeared to be genuine warmth.

  Then the clerk turned her gaze to Ryan. He matched her energy. He was good like that, kind to everyone. Open and warm. It was one of the things she liked best about him. He leaned into the front desk while she stood slightly behind him.

  He had all the trip details, and it was a comfort to leave it in his hands.

  “Shane.” He said her name softly. "She needs you to sign for your room."

  "Ma'am," the pretty girl was saying. "If you could just sign right here."

  “Oh, sure.” Shane leaned up into the desk and signed. They’d have two rooms this trip.

  He leaned in but did not touch her. She could feel the warmth coming off his skin, a stark contrast to the artificial arctic air they pumped out to rival the summer heat. His hand hovered at the small of her back. She knew his fingers wanted to touch her as much as her skin craved it. This is a work trip. This is a work trip. Shane closed her eyes, accepting his caress without touch and breathed into the gap between them.

  “They’ve already taken our bags up to the rooms. We’ll just…”

  "Ryan!" A voice called out from across the lobby. Shane turned to see a group rising at a table just inside the lobby. Two of the three men had their arms raised in greeting as they stood to meet him. The third man took more time to rise, but the smile on his face was enough greeting.

  “Well, look who it is!” Ryan shifted direction, his hovering hand now ushering her in the direction of Harvest, the dimly lit restaurant. This was the first of many pairing Vino wanted to make. Her mind turned to the details of the campaign as Ryan bear-hugged his way around the table.

  It was a boutique restaurant focused on seasonal food. The website boasted of fresh flavor farm to table food. They had a new chef, and the people raved about the food here.

  The space was simple, clean lines, with an industrial twist of wood and metal and glass. She could almost taste the food through the aromatic flavor that wafted through the air and the mouth-watering scent of red wine. Two open wine bottles stood on the table- Vino’s wine.

  Shane let Ryan lead. His hand still hovering over the small of her back; as he introduced her to the men, she recognized from her research. "Michael and Andrew, well, Drew." Ryan drew her attention to the older gentleman. “Micah.” Of course, Micah.

  Shane nodded, adding her own niceties to the greeting. "It's nice to meet you.” She said to Michael then Drew. Their large working man's hands dwarfed hers. Men who spent their lives crafting the wine and the name that now sat beautifully packaged in the center of the table.

  Men were easy for her. She knew she was pretty and warm. She knew how to set them at ease to make them laugh. She felt the approval and welcome immediately.

  “Hi, Ryan.” Her voice was sultry, smug. Women could be another story. Shane turned to see the person who had spoken. She emerged from the depths of the restaurant with another bottle of wine. When Ryan’s eyes landed on her, she watched the shift. He had easy greetings for men he’d known all his adult life. The easy way about him caught, snagged on something, and she watched his spine stiffen.

  “Hi, Elizabeth.” She stood where she was, on the outskirts of the group, and he went to her. She smiled, her eyes never leaving his. He wrapped one arm around her and pulled her into him, kissing her cheek. His face momentarily pressed into her golden tresses. She leaned into him; a beat too long.

  “We brought you something.” He pulled away from her, taking the bottle she offered. Taking it in his hands, he turned it over, examining the label. He was silent for a moment before he threw his head back and laughed. The tension in his spine and shoulders seemed to snap. “Oh my god. Where did you get this?”

  She smiled as her cousins clamored to share the secret.

  “Jesus Ryan, don’t you know she has a secret stash.”

  Shane looked at Ryan, puzzled, not in on the secret. He shook his head, disbelief in his eyes. “This is a bottle of wine we made the first year I worked at the vineyard.” He laughed. “First wine I ever made.”

  “Elizabeth, this is Shane.” His hand now hovered behind Elizabeth’s back, guiding her forward. They moved together quickly, and now it was Shane who stood on the edge. Hovering and taking in the new woman.

  Shane smiled and reached for her. Taking Elizabeth’s perfectly manicured hand in hers, “so nice to meet you.”

  Elizabeth squeezed her hand “Nice to meet you too. How was your flight?”

  Small talk, that was easy. “It was good, quick flight.”

>   “I tried to bring you over on our jet, but Ryan said no. He wanted to fly commercial.” She laughed a cheerful sound that reminded Shane of tiny bells chiming. Elizabeth touched his chest. His arm still hovered behind her back. “I’ll never understand.”

  He laughed the stiffness in his spine, shifting. "It's a company thing; you know ethics and all that. We are here to cater to you. I hear you wanted to discuss the new business venture." He paused. There was the beat again, "in person.”

  “I do want to discuss the deal in person. These mean boys wanted to make a deal without me.” She pouted playfully, complaining to Shane while their voices rose in mock indignation. “Once Uncle Micah got wind of things, he thought it would be best if we all sat down to talk.” Her voice was as silky as the honey-blond hair that slipped over her shoulders when she moved. Glancing up, she caught Shane’s eyes. Elizabeth’s beautiful golden eyes held her own. Jesus. She was striking. Elizabeth smiled and winked at Shane, pulling her into the moment. "Please," she gestured as she implored, "sit down."

  Elizabeth waved to a server, kept watch from a nearby station. He nodded and disappeared into the kitchen, emerging moments later carrying a large tray filled with decadent hors d’oeuvre, two more servers in tow.

  One filled the table with sweet and savory morsels while the other set about opening the house wine that bore the family’s label. Pleased murmurs rose generously as filled wine goblets were set in front of each guest. Shane’s swirled the glass before her, fragrant and mouth-watering.

  The boys dug in first, and the table came to life with clinking utensils and passing of plates and quieted only once plates and mouths were full. Shane selected meatballs and tiny quiches. She tried the meatball first, to answer the mouth-watering smell of herbs and ground venison. The first bite was an explosion of flavor in her mouth. She turned to Ryan,

  “Ry, did you try? It’s wonderful.” She reached for the wine and sipped. Simply delicious.

  Elizabeth was pleased. She wasn’t eating. Her plate remained empty. Her glass untouched.

  “I brought you here today because I have a surprise.” Behind her, a dark-haired man in a chef’s coat approached. Elizabeth cast a glance over her shoulder and smiled. She pulled him into the circle, and Shane realized he’d been reaching out to her as well.

  “This is Anthony. Anthony Gaza.” As he stepped into the light, Shane saw he was compact and fit. Elizabeth’s height, in heels, matched his. She slipped an arm around his waist, and he mirrored the gesture. “He is the creative genius behind Harvest.” Oh yes. Anthony Gaza. Shane remembered reading his name. Elizabeth went on. “About six months ago, I came out to visit the Vegas area. I was having dinner at the bar raving about it to the bartender”. She lowered her voice. “It was wonderful. Anyway, I was going on and on. Asking about the owners, how business was, what the favorite dish was. You know, questioning that poor bartender. He was charming and quite attentive.” Anthony smiled. “That’s generous.”

  She laughed. “Well, he was. You know, you could have told me.” He bowed his head. Pleased with the praise, but not used to it.

  “I didn’t realize Anthony was tending the bar in his restaurant until it was time to close. By then, we’d been talking for hours. And...” She smiled, taking him in with her golden eyes.

  He nodded and picked up her story. “And…she hasn’t been able to keep me away since.”

  Shane glanced at Ryan. He had gone very still.

  Elizabeth was smiling now, her golden eyes on her cousins. “Uncle Micah is a bit more familiar with what the past six months have meant to me,” She paused. “Anthony is very special to me, and we’ve been able to partner with our passions- Food and Wine. Currently we are working to develop a new wine, especially for Harvest.” She nodded at Ryan. “This is where you come in. We want to focus on a brand, especially for Anthony’s patrons, and if it goes well”, she reached for Anthony’s free hand and squeezed. “When it goes well, we want to duplicate the business model with other three-star restaurants. This means we will be need of the absolute best design team in the country.”

  Her golden eyes now fixed on Ryan. “I couldn’t think of anyone better than you to pitch us your ideas.”

  Something Shane couldn’t read passed between them.

  Praise and congratulations rose from the table, hugs, and handshakes sealing the partnership between Vino and Harvest. A perfect pairing.

  Elizabeth’s buy-in on the design team secured their deal. There were intentions to win her over by the next four days. The deal sealed without a word from the “design team.” Shane felt like she’d missed a step. Ryan didn’t.

  He was smooth and sincere, as he listened to the vision. The secret to design and successful marketing lay within the story and the concept. It was a secret that wasn't obvious to all marketing teams. The intrinsic knowing gave Shane and Ryan an edge. Anthony pulled up a chair beside Elizabeth. Now it was the men's turn to give him the inquisition. The waiter was back, filling the wine glasses. Shane leaned back to listen. Storytime.

  By the time the wine bottles were empty, any stiffness she’d sensed from Ryan had worn away through the reliving of memories. There was an easy camaraderie between Anthony, Michael and Drew. With Elizabeth’s acceptance, theirs was automatic.

  Elizabeth sat tucked into Anthony’s side. Their companionship had a familiar feel to it.

  Micah pushed back his chair. "Time for the old man to go to bed." He rose and patted his sons and niece with his large work-worn hand as he passed by, saying good night.

  When he reached Elizabeth, Shane wondered where she’d gotten her golden hair and tawny eyes. The men that circled the table were like Anthony. Dark-haired, dark-eyed, olive-skinned Italians, a classic handsome breed. She was not. Maybe her mother Shane mused. Elizabeth stood and leaned in to kiss her Uncle, her golden hair moved like silk. Shane wanted to reach and touch. Jesus, she was drunk, still the thought of her fingers slipping through Elizabeth’s blond hair brought a small smile to her lips. Shane clasped her fingers together and held them in her lap.

  All the men at the table were shifting now, the rustle of napkins and chair legs familiar, the sound of the meal coming to an end.

  She felt Ryan’s hand on her shoulder. He hadn’t touched her since they left the cab. She brushed the thought away as quickly as it had come. Stop it. As he should, this was business, a business trip. She looked up at him, and he was smiling. “Let’s call it a night. It’s been a long day.”

  “Yes, it had.”

  Another round of “So nice to meet you” had begun.

  Shane had to focus on names and faces. The men so alike one another, her hand dwarfed in each handshake. And then there was Elizabeth.

  Shane smiled, taking Elizabeth’s hand in hers. Soft and firm “So nice to meet you, Elizabeth. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

  Elizabeth smiled back. Her free hand came down on top of Shane's to hold her in both hands, friendly and warm. “Me too. And please, call me Tess.”

  Shane’s smile faltered for a moment, “Tess?”

  "Yes, Tess. Only to my family and to him." She nodded at Ryan. "I've always been Tess. In the business world, it felt a little too familiar and makes me feel like a child. So, I'm Elizabeth. I save Tess for those I love best. Under the circumstances, you can call me Tess too."

  The world shifted a little, and the wine flowing through her blood helped Shane absorb the tilt. Shane smiled back. "Then, Tess it is." The gentle ease that came drinking too much wine washed away by clarity. Tess.

  Those perfectly shaped letters. Asking again and again. Please come home. Please, Ryan. Please.

  Tess.

  Thank you for reading Book Two of the Boardroom Series!

  Check out what happens next in The Waiting Room; Book Three of the Boardroom Series.

  Beautiful readers, I write for you. If you have enjoyed our time together, please take time to leave a five-star review.

  Annabel xoxo


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