“I can always write down the dimensions and you can double check. Then, if you decide you want it, we can just add it to the purchase and deliver it later with the others,” she suggested.
“That would be wonderful, thank you,” I said. She gave me a quick nod and went to go find the information.
“Leslie?” I heard a female voice say nearby. “Leslie Brown, is that you?”
I turned to see an old friend, “Kellie Carter?” I gasped. Kellie and I used to be good friends when I went to school in Beverly Hills. She looked almost exactly the same only a slight bit more mature. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her ivory skin was flawless.
“It is you! Oh my gosh, I haven’t seen you in forever!” she cried out as she rushed over to me and pulled me into her arms. She bounced up and down, squealing with delight. I was slightly embarrassed by her outburst but it was nice seeing her again.
“I know, it’s been ages,” I said smiling. I had missed her terribly when we moved.
“So things must be going really well for you and your family for you to be in this kind of store here in London. Don’t you just love this place? I heard all about the trouble you guys went through after you left. I’m so sorry. I’m sure that was such a stressful time. But hey, things are working out, right?” She was the same old perky and happy go lucky Kellie that I remembered.
“Well, not exactly,” I explained cringing. “I’m actually here because I’m doing some interior decorating for Brett Jackson.”
“Oh, that’s amazing. You have to tell me more,” she looked at her wrist. “It’s almost lunch time. Why don’t we grab a bite? My treat, I insist. I’m just so happy to bump into you like this. We just have to catch up.”
Part of me wanted to decline and go on my way, but I realized just how much I had missed Kellie for all these years. I decided that one lunch wouldn’t hurt anything and besides, it’s not like I would have to pay. She was biting her lip as she eagerly waited for my response.
“Okay, sure,” I said with a nod. “That sounds like fun.”
“Fabulous,” she said with a clap.
“Here are the dimensions,” the saleswoman said as she returned with a card. “Our number is on the back and I already have your other items marked and they will be pulled soon. So just check to see if it will fit and we’ll add it to the total. Once you get Mr. Jackson to approve of the items selected, we’ll have them delivered when it’s convenient for you,” she said with a smile.
“Great, thanks,” I said as I took it from her and slipped it in my purse. I was having a great day shopping and now I had run into an old friend. Things were getting better and better.
“Come, I know a great little outdoor bistro nearby,” Kellie said as she looped her arm through mine. “There we can grab a salad or something and catch up.” I nodded and followed her from the store. While I felt like I was having a great time on my own shopping, it had been years since I’d last seen my friend. Even with her I had dropped off the face of the planet, never speaking to her about what was happening. The least I could do was let her buy me lunch.
“Now I know why I just had to go shopping this morning. I didn’t have anything in particular that I was looking for, after all. But I was bored and had decided to come down here and stroll around. I honestly thought I was seeing things when I first laid eyes on you. And then when I heard your voice, I just knew it was you,” Kellie gushed as we walked together.
“I was pretty surprised to see you too,” I said. “The last thing I expected while in London is to see someone from Beverly Hills.”
“I came here on vacation once and never wanted to leave,” she explained. “I’ve been living here a little over a year now and I just love it. The people are so much more… I don’t know, real here,” she explained. “Of course, we are talking about Beverly Hills where most people there have made their money pretending to be something they aren’t and I’m not just talking about the movie stars.”
“You do have a point,” I said nodding. She was talking fast and jumping all over the place, but that was the way she had always been.
“So where did you guys go when you left Beverly Hills?” Kellie asked.
“My family moved to San Jose,” I explained. “We’ve been there ever since.”
“San Jose isn’t all that bad,” she said thoughtfully. “You could definitely be somewhere much worse. Do you like it there?” She seemed genuinely interested and I was glad she wasn’t being judgmental.
“It’s not bad,” I said shrugging. “Like you said, it could be a lot worse.”
“So how’s your family doing?” she asked carefully. “I’m sure it’s been tough after everything.” She gave me a sympathetic smile and I took a deep breath. At least she didn’t seem to be looking down her nose at me, wanting to rub our misfortune in my face.
“Mom and Dad are doing alright,” I said with a nod. “But my sister has become the bane of my existence. I swear that little heathen is determined to make my life hell.”
“She’s a teenager right?” Kellie asked. When I nodded, she continued. “That’s what teenagers do. They do their best to make everyone around them miserable. They think they are the smartest and the brightest beings on the planet when in reality, they are the most annoying.”
We rounded a corner and she pointed just ahead. “That’s where we’re going. I just love the place. They make the best of everything. They mainly serve sandwiches, salads, and soups, but I swear they are amazing. I’d eat there every day if possible.”
Once inside the bistro, Kellie and I continued catching up. We talked about old friends and other things we remembered from our time in high school together. It was kind of surprising all the things she reminded me of that I had forgotten. Sleepovers, pizza parties and the time at her seventh birthday when she kissed Aiden behind the clown tent. Pretty soon, we were talking about her many boyfriends.
“I can’t believe I dated Josh for as long as I did,” Kellie said as she tossed her head back and laughed. “What was up with that guy? He spent more time on his hair than most girls do!”
“Oh, I know!” I said chuckling. “I still swear he wore mascara or something. His eyes seemed to pop a little much for a guy.”
“You always thought that too?” Kellie asked, surprised. “I thought I was the only one.”
“No, I thought it from the first time I looked at him,” I admitted. “I just never said anything because, well, he was your boyfriend.”
“Speaking of guys, remember that asshole Richard Rees and how he tormented you? Not to mention Brett Jackson and how he kicked his ass for you like some macho man hero?” Kellie said as she wagged her eyebrows at me. I was wondering how long it would take before she came around to that subject.
“Oh, I remember Richard,” I began. “He only harassed me every day he was at school. At least, until Brett stepped in.”
“And boy did he step in,” Kellie said as she fanned herself. “The way he stood up to Richard was so freaking sexy. I swore even my panties hit the floor that day. I can only imagine how it felt for you.”
“It was pretty nice to watch,” I admitted. “And now I’m here working for Brett.”
“Really? I always thought you two were a couple,” Kellie confessed. “I mean, why else would a guy go out of his way to act like he’s your knight in shining armor? No guy I know would do that for a woman unless he had some sort of ulterior motive.”
“No, there wasn’t,” I said shaking my head. Of course, I remembered our shared kiss the last time I saw him, but that didn’t count. “He just did it because he knew what a jerk Richard was being to me. He had heard all my stories of everything Richard would do at school and I think he was just over it.”
“You didn’t sleep with him after that? I mean, come on. He beat up the guy who was bullying you and is just so damn hot. Like, I don’t know how the guy can wear clothes because he’s so sexy. How does the material not just spontaneously combust?
You had to have thrown yourself at him.” She gave me a skeptical look. Of course, I knew Kellie would have slept with him. She probably would have done him before he ever even had to stand up for her.
“Nope, I’m telling you, nothing happened. In all honesty, I haven’t slept with anyone. I’m still a virgin,” I confessed softly.
“Really?” she asked, in shock. “Wow. I mean, good for you. That’s crazy. I can’t believe it. It’s just sort of amazing is all. Most people can’t wait to lose it.” I thought if her mouth hung open much longer she might start catching flies.
“I know, but I just don’t see any rush,” I explained. “I’ve been fairly picky and nobody has really fit the bill yet.” I thought about how close I had been to giving it to Brett recently. I knew that if it hadn’t been for him being a good guy, he could have taken advantage of the situation. “When the time is right, I’ll know,” I shrugged.
“So you’re working for Brett now and there’s nothing going on between the two of you?” Kellie asked looking skeptical.
I paused. Technically, no. There was nothing really going on with Brett and I. Sure we’d fooled around a little, but that was far from a relationship. People sleep with each other all the time and don’t commit. I may have, quite literally, slept in his bed last night, but that didn’t mean that I could claim something was going on between us. “Nope, nothing,” I said as I shook my head.
“Well, then I’m starting to think it just might be my lucky day. If you don’t mind, I think I might try to land that big fish myself. But only if you guys really aren’t a thing,” she said giving me one last pointed look. “I don’t want to move in on your territory if you’ve got something going on.”
“We aren’t a thing,” I reiterated. “He’s a free man.” even as I said the words, I knew I didn’t mean them. I wanted to be able to lay claim to him and tell her he was mine. But what if he just didn’t feel that way? What if I was just some sort of past conquest of his? Some guys would do that. They would have some girl that they knew in their past that they had always been determined to sleep with. It was always possible that was all this was to him. A conquest. If that was the way it was between us, she could have him. I didn’t need that kind of thing in my life.
“If you’re sure,” she said giving me the opportunity and time to object. “Because if you aren’t claiming him, I sure would like a chance at that.”
“Whatever,” I said as I started getting irritated. How many times did I have to repeat myself before she got the point? “Sure, go for it.” Kellie clapped her hands and rubbed them together, oblivious to my irritation.
“So then what are you doing tonight?” Kellie asked. “Anything special planned?”
“I’ll have to meet with Brett later and let him know what I’ve purchased and when to start expecting things. Why?” I could tell by the look on her face she was up to something. She had this sort of lopsided grin that she would do when she was scheming. I’d learned that long ago in high school.
“I was just thinking the three of us could catch up some more over drinks tonight,” she looked at her watch and sighed. “I have a few more things I just have to do this afternoon but if you’re both free, I would love for us to go out. I mean, what are the odds that all of us are in London now? Granted, he’s moving here, but still! It’s like this just has to happen.”
Kellie seemed extremely happy at the thought so I didn’t want to rain on her parade. After all, how bad could it be? We could all go out, get a few drinks and call it a night. If anything, it could give me an idea if Brett was truly interested in me. If he made a pass at Kellie or responded to hers, then that would tell me all I needed to know. After all, I wouldn’t want a man that was so easily led away by another woman. No man I would want would respond to Kellie’s advances. While it irritated me that I was being put in this situation, it still would help me see things for how they were. I didn’t want to waste my time and energy on someone who could easily jump from one woman to the other, anyway. If I commit to a man, I wanted to know he was as dedicated to me as I was to him.
“Sure, we can do that. I’ll talk to him later. I don’t think he’s got any real plans yet,” I said.
“Wonderful!” Kellie said. “Let me give you my number. We’ll touch base later today to finalize our plans.”
I nodded and we exchanged numbers. Either I was being incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. Only time would tell for sure. We finished our lunch without another mention of Brett, which I was thankful for. She did tell me a few more great places to check out while I was looking for great finds. One was an older place that she said was hard to find but had the best antiques. I couldn’t wait to get a chance to go and check it out. She made it sound amazing.
“Well I’ll talk to you later,” she said after we were done eating and she had paid the bill. “We’re going to have so much fun tonight!” Kellie clapped her hands before heading off and leaving me at the table wondering what I was getting myself into.
Chapter 11
Brett
So far, my day had been going well. I had already met with most of the hotel staff throughout the day and now I was visiting with my new assistant, Jill. We were currently in my new office and she was leaning forward taking notes. The office seemed to leave quite a bit to be desired, but that could be changed eventually. For now, it was just a place for me to think.
Jill seemed to be incredibly capable and I was glad to have her. So far she’d proved to have a sense of humor but also knew when to be professional. I liked her right from the start, which was a good thing since we would be working so closely together from now on. She was a heavier woman but she was still very pretty. Her dark blonde hair was pulled back in a bun and her makeup was simple but flattering.
As we had toured the hotel earlier that morning, I had mentally made notes on the various things I wanted to change. Now, Jill and I were busy going over each one so that she could start looking into what we would need to do.
“I don’t plan to make any significant changes right at the moment,” I told her. “But I will want to make a few adjustments simply to try to find a more streamlined approach to things. I don’t want to do it all at once and confuse everyone. I understand they are used to a certain way of doing things. But I do feel there are a number of areas that we could be doing things in a more modern way.”
“I’m sure almost everyone would find that acceptable,” she said with a nod. “You’ve already heard from a few about how they would like to see a few changes. Pretty much everyone that you spoke with has been with us for a while and have great input into what would make their jobs easier.”
“Absolutely, and I really enjoyed hearing from them. Granted, not all of them are doable, but I will still take them into mind and see if I can find a compromise. I really want to make sure everyone knows that I am willing to listen to innovative ideas and ways to do things. I would like to remove the old and outdated systems and find more modern and efficient alternatives,” I told her. I had learned quite a bit in business school about creating a better work environment and company culture so that my employees are happier and now it was time to implement everything. It was the first thing I wanted to start working on. It was also a good way for me to start making my hotels stand out from the rest. My father wasn’t exactly a modern kind of guy and I didn’t want anyone mistaking hotels I ran for his. Granted, they would still be under the Jackson brand, but it was my goal to make mine stand out.
“What if we come up with a way that they can give you their ideas?” Jill supplied. “Perhaps a suggestion box or something?”
“Tell me honestly,” I said giving her a pointed look. “Have you ever used a suggestion box or felt like concerns put in one would be listened to?” I knew I hadn’t and there were plenty of others that felt the same way.
“I suppose not,” she said softly with a shrug. I was really starting to like my new assistant already. She and I were getting along much better than I could
have hoped for. She tapped her pen on her front teeth as she began to think. “So we need a more reliable version then. Something that is a bit more modern and people would actually feel as if their concerns or suggestions were heard.”
“Why not an email address?” I began. “One that we can post somewhere everyone can see. You and I both can check it and weed out the ones that aren’t valid or are impossible. After all, those will always end up coming through. But the ones that seem like they are legit and have some thought behind them, I want to know about. Even if they aren’t possible in the way they are suggested, doesn’t mean we can’t use them as a starting point and modify.”
Jill nodded. “I like it. That sounds like a good plan. I can get that set up soon. I would have to talk to the IT department, but I don’t see that taking them long to get going. Then we can put up notices in the break rooms so that everyone can see.”
“That’s a great idea. I want it where they will all be able to see it. Make sure it’s big enough to catch the eye. I don’t want it getting lost in the sea of notices we’re required to post.” I wondered if maybe there would be a better way to get the word out but couldn’t think of any right off the top of my head. For now, this would have to do.
As she started writing in her book, I gave her a moment. Unlike my father, I wouldn’t just barrel on and expect my assistant to be able to keep up. I had seen him do that numerous times when I was younger and would go into work with him. I had always felt sympathy for whoever was his assistant at the time. He was a difficult man at the best of times, which made me wonder how he always managed to find women who were willing to have an affair with him. While I was grateful that almost everything was set up for me to just step into my position, I didn’t want any extra help from my father. I was over his way of doing things and I wished to scrub him from every aspect of the hotels I was running. I wanted it to be obvious that he wasn’t the one in charge here. While it was nice I had something to step into, that was the only help I was willing to take from him. From then on, I was standing up and controlling my own future.
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