by Ali Parker
She hopped up. “Harper!” she squealed and threw her arms around me.
“Hi,” I said and hugged her back. “It’s good to see you.”
We both sat down. I couldn’t stop smiling and neither could she. “You look good,” she said. “Really good. Did you fall into the fountain of youth?”
“Ha, ha. You don’t look like you have aged a bit.”
“We cannot be twenty-eight-year-old women on the brink of the big three oh. No way.”
I cringed at the thought. “I like to say I’m in my twenties. It keeps me from feeling old.”
“How have you been?”
“Good. Great.”
“Chase told me he ran into you at Banners and you were the head of marketing. That’s awesome.”
My smile slipped a little. How did he know what my job was? I wasn’t a liar and wasn’t going to lie to her to keep up the charade I was doing well for myself. I had been, but now I wasn’t. “I did.”
“You did what?”
“I did work at Banners. I don’t now.”
She looked confused. “He told me he saw you yesterday.”
I smiled and picked up my water glass. “He did.”
“Oh my god,” she gasped. “Did he do something to get you fired?”
“No,” I said with a laugh. It was just like Cori to take my side. She always did when it came to Chase and me. “It’s a long story.”
“Let’s order cocktails and you can tell me all about it. It’s not like you have to go back to work, right?”
We both burst into laughter.
I nodded. “Works for me.”
A few minutes later, we were drinking some cinnamon and nutmeg drink that had a little kick to it, but it warmed all the way down.
“Tell me what happened,” Cori said.
“There is a Santa strike and I refused to hire a scab.”
She looked at me, blinking several times. “Um, a what?”
“The Santas have formed a union. Technically, they formed it years ago. Banners and some of the other major department stores and festivals use the Santas for the holidays. The Santas are all trained and have background checks. It makes things easier from a business perspective. This year, the Santas asked for two dollars more an hour and some perks, like discounts at the stores they worked at or some kind of incentive for working extra hours and stuff like that. Bob Banner and his crony friends decided they didn’t want to pay a fair wage. They refused. The Santas went on strike, and now you will not see any of the good Santas in Boulder.”
“Oh my god,” she said with a laugh. “I feel like I have stepped into another dimension.”
“Oh, it’s very real. These guys got organized. I don’t see why it would hurt to pay them a little more. They are better than any of the other average Santas out there. When Bob told me to hire a scab, I told him I wouldn’t do it. He fired me.”
She shook her head. “I’m so confused. I cannot believe this is a thing. I definitely can’t believe the guy fired you over something you had no control over. Isn’t it his fault for not paying the wage?”
“I think so, but he’s the boss, and that’s that. I’m now out of a job.”
She was grinning. I just told her my life imploded and she was smiling. “Really?” she said, dragging out the word.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Because I’m proud of you for standing up for what you believe is right. That is pretty impressive and so much like the girl I knew forever go. I’m glad you haven’t changed.”
“I don’t know how impressive it is since I’m now out of a job.”
“This is very fortuitous.”
She must have forgotten I wasn’t rich. I wasn’t from a rich family. Being out of a job was very not fortuitous. “I’m glad you think so.”
“Oh, you’ll think so as well.”
It all added up. Chase just happened to run into me at work, and then out of the blue, Cori calls me. They were up to something. It was that twin energy. They could plan and plot without blinking an eye or even speaking real words. They were pulling me into one of their new schemes.
“Does this have anything to do with the new resort Chase is opening?”
“Actually, it does.”
I sighed, a little disappointed there was an ulterior motive to her wanting to meet with me. I really thought it was going to be two old friends catching up. “Just tell me. Let’s get it over with. I’m going to need another drink.”
“This is a good thing, I promise. It will get you some exposure. Add to your resume.”
“What will add to my resume?”
“He needs someone to help with the grand opening.”
“When is that?”
“The thirteenth.”
My eyes widened. “The thirteenth! Way to wait until the last minute.”
“I agree, but the resort is going to attract some pretty big names. This could be a great way for you to get your work seen. You do marketing, right? Chase said he saw the displays and they were really good. That’s what he needs for the place. Something really snazzy. Something different that will stand out in a crowd.”
“Is that what he was doing?”
She laughed. “He was looking for inspiration. He wandered into the store and was taken by the beautiful displays he saw. I’m trying to convince him we could do a pop-up shop with ornaments and baubles all with the resort name on them. It is like free advertisement.”
“Free advertisement for what?”
“You.”
“Me?”
“Come work with us,” she said. “Him mostly but the family too. You come, do your thing, and if you like it, you stay on. If you hate it, you can look for another job. I guarantee Chase will pay you well—very well. You can save the money and take your time looking for a new job. You won’t have to take anything that comes your way.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “This could only end badly.”
“Why?”
“Because we are old friends and you know the history with me and Chase.”
“It will be okay. It will be a chance for the two of us to work together again. Remember when we used to babysit the Carter twins?”
I groaned. “Those boys were wild.”
“We used to have so much fun with them though. You’d make the mac and cheese while I wrangled kids. Then we’d switch.”
“I remember going home and collapsing.”
“They did wipe everyone out, including their parents, which was why they hired us. You know there is no way they had all those late work meetings. They just didn’t want to be at home with those little monsters.”
“They almost turned me off from wanting kids of my own.”
“Almost? You are still on that, huh?”
“You mean the ‘have a family’ thing?”
“Yes, that.”
She grinned. “I am. I’m still looking for my husband. He seems to be missing in action.”
“You always said you had to kiss a lot of frogs.”
“I’ve certainly been doing that.”
I mulled over everything she had said. I did need a job. It would be nice to have a good job for at least the next month. That would cover my rent and allow me to have a nice Christmas before I had to start the hunt for a new job.
“I’ll do it, but I have one condition,” I said.
She clapped her hands together. “What is it?”
“I would like to bring my art consultant. She’s the reason those displays looked so good. She’s creative and a great worker.”
“I’m sure that would be fine. The more the merrier. This resort is important to Chase, to the whole family. I know he will be willing to do whatever it takes to get you on board.”
I smiled, hoping I could handle being near him. “I’ll need to talk to her but I’m sure she would love to come on board.”
“It’s going to be great. I know you are going to love it.”
“And Chase?”
&nbs
p; “What about him?”
“He wants this?”
“He does. He’s very serious about making this resort a huge success.”
In the back of my mind, I was thinking that sounded just like Chase. He’d be willing to do just about anything to prove to his father he was good at his job. Chase was always trying to impress his father. I couldn’t let that, or our history, get in the way of things. After all, it wasn’t like I was going to get another job offer anytime soon. Bob would probably have me black-balled. I’d have to move to find another job.
“All right, then I guess we are working together again.”
“This is going to be so awesome. Chase is going to be thrilled.”
“I hope so.”
“When can you start?”
I shrugged. “My schedule is pretty clear. The opening is the thirteenth?”
“Yes.”
“What does the current marketing manager have to say about someone coming in and stepping all over their toes?”
“He doesn’t really have a marketing manager. There is a firm that does the ads and brochures and stuff, but this is different. This resort needs to be special. He doesn’t want anything basic. He wants it to be different and fresh and appealing to families.”
I was already coming up with ideas. I did love a new project. I loved the planning and the ideas. I couldn’t wait to talk to Parker. “I’ll need to see the space right away.”
“Absolutely.”
“And I’ll need specs and budgets and current ads to make sure there is no contradicting information.”
“There isn’t a budget. Chase’s words, and I’m quoting, ‘give her carte blanche’.”
That didn’t surprise me. Chase did like to show off. “That’s a vague, slightly dangerous offer.”
“I’m telling you, this is his pet project. This is his time to shine. The other places he took over and worked with what my dad built. This one is all Chase. This is his baby.”
I debated backing out. I didn’t think I wanted to get involved with his pet project. It made it all very personal. Chase and I needed to keep our distance. Then again, it wasn’t like I would be working alongside him. I would do my job, I would impress him, and then I would quit and never see him again.
I could do that. It would essentially save Christmas for me. I supposed I should be grateful and happy for the job, no matter who it meant I had to work with—or under.
Chapter 8
Chase
I was actually nervous for the day. It was the day Harper was coming up. I still couldn’t believe Cori got her to come on board. I thought for sure she would have rejected the idea. When Cori told me she would start right away, I couldn’t believe it.
That day was here. I wanted everything to be perfect. I wanted her to see how well I had done for myself. She was not an easy person to impress. At least, she never used to be. I doubted much had changed.
I walked through the lobby, noting the work being done and was happy with the progress. It was coming along nicely. I just needed Harper to put the finishing touches on things. I was hoping she could take it over the top. This resort was different than the others. It was luxurious and comfortable without being too sterile.
This was the first one I was doing that would be all mine. It had my personal stamp on it. I was hoping to eventually upgrade the others if this one was a success. It was time to move our resorts out of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. We needed to up our game if we wanted to stay at the top. That was why I needed Harper.
I called out the name of my assistant. “Jake Brown.”
“Here. I’m here.”
I spun around and saw his dark hair moving through the crowd of workers painting and cleaning the lounge area. “There you are.”
“I was checking on the dishes,” he said, a little out of breath.
“Are they all here?”
“Most.”
“Most?” I repeated. “What does that mean?”
“The champagne flutes were broken. I’ve already placed a rush order.”
He was about half an inch shorter than I was. “Good. Thank you. What about the linens? Did you send them back?”
I was micromanaging. I knew I was, but I couldn’t stop it. I was nervous and had the jitters. It wasn’t just about Harper. It was a lot about Harper but not just about her. I was nervous about opening on time. Not just opening on time but doing it right. It all had to be right. I couldn’t afford to have any of those first-day disasters. It had to be perfect.
“Relax. It’s going to be fine. Everything is moving along just fine.”
“Did you get the spa manager lined out?”
“Yes, she is going to use the towels you ordered instead of the ones she thought she should use.”
I nodded. “Good. Mine are better.”
He gave me a look that said he didn’t think so. “It’s handled. Everything is going to be fine.”
“But—”
“I’m going to your office to work. You’re going to be out here, right?”
“What?”
“I can’t get shit done with you yakking in my ear all the time, asking me the same questions over and over.”
If he were a normal assistant, I would have been pissed, but he wasn’t a normal assistant. He was a friend and I credited him for keeping me on the right path. I had a lot of balls in the air. It was his ability to stay organized that kept things running.
“I only wanted to make sure—”
He held up a hand. “Yes, you’ve lost your mind.”
“I have not.”
“This is all going to go just fine. I’m going to go check on a few more details. You greet your guests and get that situated. I’ll be doing everything else.”
I smiled, appreciating his bluntness. “Got it. I’ll call if I need you.”
“Please don’t,” he groaned as he walked away.
I had to smile as I walked toward the doors that led to the indoor pool. It was already filled with water and, from the smells of it, a lot of chemicals. I pulled out my phone and spoke into it, sending Jake a voice message to tell the pool guy to back off on the chemicals a bit.
I imagined we would be hosting some bottle blondes. I remembered an incident with one of Cori’s friends that dyed her hair. There was too much chlorine in the pool and her hair turned green. I didn’t want to leave my guests with green hair.
The response to voice text was a thumbs-up. I imagined it was a substitute for the middle finger. I strolled around the pool and moved to the hot tubs positioned around a warm enclosure. Tall palm plants and lots of other greenery hung from the walls. It had a Grecian-waterhole feel to it. That was exactly what I was going for.
“Mr. Adams.” I heard my name called through the small walkie I had clipped to my pants.
I quickly pulled it to my mouth. “What’s up?”
“You have someone here asking for you. A Miss Lincoln.”
Harper. “I’ll be right there,” I said, feeling the familiar butterflies in my stomach.
I turned and headed back to the main lobby. I hoped she was impressed by what she saw. I opened the double doors, slowing my pace when I saw her. Damn she was beautiful. She was wearing a pair of black slacks and a pink blouse. Her auburn hair was pulled back in a ponytail.
“Harper,” I called.
She turned to look at me and it was like being hit with a two-by-four. Damn if she didn’t take my breath away.
She offered a small smile and waved. “We’re here.”
“We?”
The same young woman from the store rushed to stand beside her.
“I don’t think you guys formally met last time,” Harper said. “This is Parker Grant. She is a creative art director. Parker, this is Chase Adams, the owner of the resort.”
Parker grinned and extended her hand. “My new boss.”
I smiled and shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you Parker. Harper, thank you for coming.”
I appreciated her humor. “Good to know. We can leave your bags with the porter and I’ll give you the grand tour.”
“This place is amazing!” Parker exclaimed.
“Thank you.”
“You’ve gone all out,” Harper said.
“I am hoping to make a good first impression.”
“You’re definitely going to do that.”
“We’ll start with the greeting room,” I said, leading them into what looked very much like a piano bar.
“What’s a greeting room?” Parker asked.
“Guests will come here before they go to their rooms if they like. This is basically the holding place for those that arrive before check-in. They can check their bags and enjoy a drink and some appetizers.”
Harper was nodding as she looked around at the décor. “Nice.”
“Thank you. Through here is the outdoor pool.”
“You have an outdoor pool?” she asked.
“It isn’t always twenty degrees with three feet of snow on the ground. I want to make sure we have a year-round attraction.”
“Good thinking.”
“Through here, you can access the indoor pool,” I said.
“Woah!” Parker exclaimed. “I think I just turned a shade paler. That is some serious chlorine you’ve got going on.”
“It’s being handled,” I muttered.
I showed them around the ground floor and the many amenities we offered our guests.
“I think if you send another message to your assistant, he’s going to be on the first flight out of here,” Harper said.
I grimaced, realizing I had been sending the poor guy a lot of messages. “I’m a little nervous.”
“You think?”
“Why don’t I show you to your room?” I said.
I was a little disappointed she had company. I’d purposely placed her in the suite next to mine. I was hoping there could be a chance we could maybe run into each other. Fortunately, my plan would not be exposed. The suite had two bedrooms. I could play it off like I had planned it that way all along.