Kitabı oku: «Sex On Flamingo Beach», sayfa 3

Chapter 4

The first of Joya’s singles parties looked to be a huge hit when Emilie entered the lobby. There were wall-to-wall people. The noise level was deafening and the bar packed. Emilie had noticed how crowded the parking lot was when she’d pulled into the employee lot. Cars were double-and triple-parked.

Joya was to be credited for bringing in the business. As the resort’s in-house event planner, it had been her idea to partner with a party organizer. She’d negotiated a lucrative contract for at least half a dozen of these parties. The resort was also offering discounted rooms to those who hoped to get lucky.

Emilie was surprised Flamingo Beach had this many singles. She figured the advertisement must have gone out to the neighboring towns. It amazed her how much people were willing to pay for a social function with no guarantee of finding a soul mate. That reminded her it was high time she did something about finding her own Mr. Wonderful—someone with the potential to go somewhere.

As Emilie was about to slip into her office, a dark-skinned man in sunglasses stepped into her path, folding a business card into her palm.

“Hey, I’m Duncan,” he said. “I noticed you the moment you walked into the lobby.”

Emilie was so taken aback she stuttered, “Uh…I beg your pardon.”

“You’re here for the party, right?” He glanced at her ring finger and smiled. “The singles party?”

“Actually I’m not here for the event. I work here.”

“Too bad. Maybe you’ll change your mind and attend.”

“Some other time, perhaps.” Emilie smiled vacantly and attempted to slide by. A noticeably crestfallen Duncan slunk past her.

Duncan seemed pleasant enough but so not her type. The last thing she needed was to have it all over town that she attended a singles party at her work-place. It would surely scream “desperate” and get the tongues wagging even more.

Emilie entered her office and flipped on the light. Zoe was long gone, out of there on the dot of five. But Emilie had forgotten a folder she needed. She’d promised Tom Burke he’d have the room occupancy report on his desk first thing tomorrow and she planned on working at home. Hopefully business would pick up in the next two weeks. If not, it wouldn’t be for her lack of effort. Tom would be pleased with the signed six-month, two-hundred-room contract from Landsdale International but that still wasn’t enough.

Emilie grabbed the folder and left. As she was crossing the employee parking lot her cell phone jingled. She glanced at the screen, smiling as she recognized the number.

“Hey, Chere,” Emilie said, after pressing the receiver to her ear.

“Hey, girl, what’s the deal? I haven’t heard from you lately. You still interested in buying my husband’s condo?”

“Of course I am. I’ve just been crazy busy and haven’t had the time to do much about it. “

“Well, I’ve had an out-of-town offer so huge I’m going to have to talk to Quen about it. I thought maybe you’d want to counter.”

“How much are we talking about?”

Chere named a figure.

Emilie’s stomach plummeted. “Ouch! I can’t come even close to that. You’ll have to start shopping for something else in my price range.”

Just the thought of having to pack up and move made Emilie groan. Plus moving was expensive. She’d have to cough up first month’s rent, last and security. It would be a sizeable chunk and she’d have nothing to show for it afterward. Maybe she should try to rustle up the money for a down payment for a condo from somewhere.

Hardly good timing though, especially since she had no assurance she’d be in Flamingo Beach long-term. Tom’s instructions were clear: the hotel’s occupancy rate needed boosting or she would be out of a job, and therefore unable to pay a mortgage. She had to think about this.

“Emilie, you there?”

“I’m here. Just wondering how I can swing this.”

“Get creative, child. If this doesn’t work out I’ll find you something else. You know I got your back.”

By the time Emilie got to her rented condo in Flamingo Place her head was pounding. She had so much to think about. Quen’s two-bedroom apartment with the view of the bay suited her perfectly. Not often did you find a twelve-hundred-square-foot apartment in a gated community with really nice oak floors, and a fireplace that was seldom used. She used that fireplace to stash candles. The spacious balcony held a table and two lounge chairs where she liked to get sun.

Emilie’s cat, a rust-colored tabby she had rescused from a Dumpster, greeted her as she entered. She squatted down to pet the beast behind the ear.

“Did you have a good day, Big Red?”

The cat’s answering meow indicated she wanted her meal. Emilie kicked off her heels at the front door and went off to feed her. There would be no relaxing until Big Red had her dinner.

She changed her clothing and quickly heated up yesterday’s leftovers. Emilie gobbled her meal and booted up her laptop. For the next two hours she worked on spreadsheets, inputting numbers and deliberately ignoring the ringing phone.

Room occupancy was nowhere close to the winter months but it was slowly improving. By the time next month’s report was due she’d be darn close to meeting that sixty-five percent goal. Maybe she should jump on Joya’s suggestion and market to the travel-industry crowd.

Emilie sent off her report then continued typing as a myriad of ideas popped into her head. By the time she was through she had four pages of notes and had earned herself a glass of wine. Taking the wine and the Flamingo Beach Chronicle with her, she went out to the balcony.

A cool breeze blew off the water and the twinkling lights signified there were boats on the bay. It was a peaceful time of evening and one of the few times she relaxed. For the next hour Emilie read the paper from cover to cover. All of the news centered on the casino and Keith Lightfoot’s plans for a mega entertainment center. Already the Flamingo Beach Spa and Resort was being upstaged by a property that hadn’t yet been built. She had to be proactive.

The residents were doing something. Some had written letters to the editor about the type of clientele that gambling would attract. Others felt that the money and jobs that would be created were well worth the additional traffic. One concerned citizen addressed the rumor that Mayor Rabinowitz was getting kickbacks to make the casino happen. The editor didn’t seem to want to touch that and the citizen was quickly squashed.

Emilie figured she had six months before she would seriously worry. In that time a lot could happen. The Flamingo Beach Spa and Resort was already up and running, and that in and of itself gave her an advantage. It was up to her to make it the “it” place to be.

She made a mental note to meet with Owen Schwartz, the hotel’s general manager, in the next few days. No point in selling rooms if their service wasn’t top notch. They needed to make a concerted effort to get the hotel there, and that might mean training employees or replacing a few. She needed his buy in for that.

Continuing to flip through pages, Emilie found the “Dear Jenna” column and settled in. She was prepared to read all about the latest romances that had been derailed. Flamingo Beach was heartbreak hotel.

The telephone rang inside as it had been doing off and on since she got home. It was close to her bedtime and she was tempted to ignore it, but what if it was the hotel?

“Yes,” she said, somewhat impatiently.

“Miss Woodward, you need to get over here. Now.”

“Who is this?”

“Melody at the front desk. Mr. Schwartz asked me to call you again. We’ve been trying both of your phones for half an hour.”

“What’s the problem?”

A moment of hesitation as the woman debated. “Ma’am, the police are here and Mr. Schwartz wants all management to get over here on the double.”

“I’m on my way.”

In a New Jersey minute she was back in the clothing she’d hastily discarded. Driving like a person possessed, she made it to the hotel in record time. A huge crowd was gathered out front and all four of the town’s police cars had their sirens going. The WARP van was parked down the street, which meant reporters were there. Cameramen from the local television station had zoomed into action.

Realizing it would be an impossible feat to walk into the lobby, Emilie opted for the employee entrance instead. Inside, she was greeted by total chaos. Guests from the singles party milled around and people lay facedown on the floor being handcuffed.

The general manager, Owen Schwartz, was barking orders at security guards who’d been called in for backup. On the fringe of all the activity were the management types she worked with. Judging by their outfits they’d all been at home relaxing before the call came in.

Emilie, spotting a visibly distressed Joya, made her way over to her friend’s side.

“This is a disaster. What the hell happened here?”

Joya wheezed out an exasperated sigh. “I wish I could tell you. Everything seemed to be going well until a woman said she felt woozy and accused one of the men of slipping something into her drink. There was a huge argument and others got involved.”

“Did he really put something in her drink?”

“Who knows, but it set off a chain reaction. Several women claimed they were dizzy and nauseous. And they all claimed to have had only one drink. There was a lot of finger-pointing and name-calling.”

“I bet. How did things get to the point that the police became involved?”

“In the midst of all the screaming a man came to the front desk claiming there were people doing drugs in the mens’ room. Melody from the front desk called her boss at home, who insisted she call the police. By the time Greg and Lionel got here with backup, the drug users panicked and were trying to flush the evidence down the toilet. They were caught climbing out the windows.”

“Must have been some scene,” Emilie said. She looked over at the two policemen who were handcuffing several empty-eyed guests. Joya had introduced her to Greg Santana and his partner, Lionel. They were two very visible members of the small Flamingo Beach police force.

“Guests have started asking for their money back. What should we do?” Joya asked. “Chris, the party organizer, thinks we might both get sued,” she added.

Emilie hadn’t thought of that. The resort didn’t need that kind of press, especially now that a casino that provided guests with another option was being built in town.

“Let me see what Owen wants to do,” she said, heading over to the area where several colleagues were standing around openly gaping at the scene.

Owen Schwartz, spotting Emilie, met her halfway.

“It’s about time you showed up,” he chastised, as if she’d been in some way remiss or lacking in her duties.

Emilie was so surprised by the rebuke that she said nothing for a while, but then, conscious of her colleagues listening, she felt the need to defend herself.

“I got here as soon as I was notified, Owen,” she said, hoping that her irritation didn’t show. “The police seem to have everything well in hand. Is there something specific you’d like me to do or take care of?”

“Yes. I’d like you to work with the guest relations manager and get our guests calmed down. We need to be in control. Put your heads together and come up with some way to appease these people. I’d like to minimize the number of people wanting to check out.”

His gaze drifted to where a line was beginning to form at the front desk. The resort’s harried personnel were doing their best to pacify people and answer the questions being screamed at them.

“Who’s handling the media?” Emilie had the presence of mind to ask.

“Public relations. I want this lobby cleared immediately so we can get back to business as usual. Whose idea was it to have this singles bash, anyway?” Owen looked at her expectantly as if expecting her to fess up. Emilie refused to take the bait. Instead, she decided to take charge of the situation.

“I’ll go and help the folks at the front desk,” Emilie answered, retreating as soon as she decently could. She’d never been a fan of Owen Schwartz. She didn’t care for the way he did business.

For the next couple of hours Emilie worked with the front desk agents and other managers to allay the guests’ fears. And despite offers of free dinners and even a complimentary extra night, several people decided to check out. The lobby, meanwhile, was slowly being cleared. The cops were now leading away the drug dealers and buyers.

As more and more people exited, it became clear that the lobby was trashed. Cleaners were called in on overtime. The few that answered their phones were doing their best to pick up trash and mop the marble floors that were streaked interesting and colorful shades. But it was hard to mask the noxious odor of stale beer, cleansers and fragrances that lingered in the air.

“You look like you need to sit down,” a familiar male voice said when Emilie thought she would just about die from exhaustion.

She looked up to see Rowan regarding her with a look of both curiosity and sympathy. She wondered where he had come from. He couldn’t possibly have been at the singles event?

“I look that bad, huh?”

“You don’t look good. Why is the director of leisure sales working the front desk, anyway?”

“In crises management pitches in wherever they can. Were you here the entire time? Did you witness the nightmare?”

“I had a meeting in the Travelers Palm Room. It got interrupted when your singles party turned into a zoo,” he said.

“My singles party?” She raised an eyebrow.

“All right, the singles party your company hosted.”

Emilie was suddenly conscious of the surrounding employees regarding them with keen interest. Since the line at the desk was almost nonexistent now, there wasn’t much more she could do. She stepped out from behind the barrier and took Rowan by the arm, leading him to a more remote area.

“What happened to the other people attending your meeting?” she asked.

He laughed. “Are you kidding? They hightailed it out of here. No one with a smidgeon of common sense sticks around when drugs are involved, except for my man Derek, who was worried about his wife.”

“You stayed, too. Why?”

Those blue eyes regarded her carefully. “Because I was worried about you. I thought you might be working and could use my help so I pitched in and helped with crowd control.”

“That was nice of you.”

Rowan bowed from the waist, sweeping out his hand. “At your service, ma’am. Always at your service.”

Emilie wasn’t buying it. She doubted Rowan had stayed on because of her. There had to be an ulterior motive here. No one was that nice.

Derek Morse came hurrying toward them, an arm around his wife.

“What a mess this turned out to be,” he said, as a tearful Joya nodded her head in agreement.

When Joya was able to pull herself together she added, “So much for making a profit on this bash. You probably paid out a bundle in compensation.”

“We offered credits on future stays, complimentary drinks, meals, that kind of thing,” Emilie assured her.

“I was so proud of myself for snagging a contract for six singles parties. Owen’s probably not going to want any more of these parties on the premises now. Who would have guessed they would attract riffraff?” Joya blew her nose in the tissue her husband handed her.

“You’re beating yourself up unnecessarily,” Emilie said, giving her a hug. “The Knight Corporation would be hard-pressed to turn up its nose at a half-a-million-dollar contract. I doubt they would want to refund the sizeable deposit. Next time your party planner is going to be asked to pay for extra security and there’ll be a sizeable damage deposit requested.”

“There’s another positive,” Rowan chimed in. “The Flamingo Beach Spa and Resort will be the talk of the town tomorrow. You will have made every newspaper. You couldn’t buy yourself that publicity.”

Emilie shot him a disgusted look. “Who wants publicity of that kind? People were dealing drugs on the premises. Look at the condition of this lobby.” Her eyebrows shot to her hairline as she spotted Keith Lightfoot. “What’s he doing here?”

“He was part of my meeting,” Rowan explained. “When all hell broke loose he ended our conversation abruptly. Let me find out what’s going on.” Rowan loped off.

It would figure Keith Lightfoot had been a witness to this whole debacle. She wondered if he was spying on her or had even set up the whole thing. It seemed ironic that of all places to have a meeting he would choose her hotel. But maybe that was Rowan’s doing.

On the other hand, she couldn’t exactly ban Keith from coming on the premises. In some ways she was grateful to him. He had just committed to housing his workmen here for the next six months. If you counted meals and accommodations he was shelling out a small fortune. Money the resort desperately needed.

Still, it made Emilie wonder about the coincidence. Since the hotel had been built there hadn’t been one drug problem. It made her think that maybe the townsfolk were right. Talk of a casino was already attracting the worst human elements.

Were Keith Lightfoot and the Seminoles behind this? He wasn’t exactly the enemy but neither was he a friend. And what about Rowan? Whose side was he on…?

Chapter 5

A million thoughts flittered through her head as Emilie paced the lobby of 411 Flamingo Place. On one hand she was looking forward to seeing Rowan again, and on the other she had feelings of trepidation. He’d called last evening to remind her about the jam session. It was a popular event and parking was usually a nightmare, so they’d agreed to leave the cars behind and walk from her place to the beach.

The town was still talking about the drug bust, and it had made all of the local papers, preempting every story on the television channels. D’dawg, the popular radio personality, and his audience, practically all of Flamingo Beach, were having a field day. Nothing this big had ever happened in town. It was being blamed on the influx of new people moving in. But amazingly, bookings at the spa and resort for the summer months were now at a record high.

“This is not the way I’d hoped to get business,” Emilie’s boss, Tom Burke, groused when he saw the increase in bookings before quickly adding, “But I guess I’ll take it.”

It wasn’t the kind of press Emilie wanted for the hotel, either, but a jump in room occupancy meant she was closer to her goal.

Squealing tires now got Emilie’s attention. Rowan’s big black truck pulled into a visitor’s spot. Leaping out, he took long strides toward the building. His shorts rode low on his hips and stopped slightly below the knee, exposing bronze runner’s legs, the hairs almost as light as on his head. A short-sleeve linen shirt brought out the blue in his eyes. The lock of hair that peeked from under his baseball cap was even more sun streaked than she remembered.

“Hey, babe,” Rowan greeted her, dipping his head to steal a kiss. “Mmm, you look good enough to eat. Taste so, too.”

“Do I, now?”

“You know you do,” he said.

Emilie held up both arms and pirouetted. She loved to tease him. The eightysomething-degree weather called for skimpy attire, and her walking shorts and halter top were a perfect choice for a warm day. Because of the heat she’d piled her hair high, securing her curls with rhinestone and emerald clips, the same color as her earrings.

Was she leading Rowan on by flirting with him? If he thought the evening was going to end in the same manner it had a week or so ago, he was in for a rude awakening. She’d vowed it would not happen again. Good as the sex had been, this relationship couldn’t go anywhere.

“What’s in the bag?” Emilie asked, noticing for the first time the paper bag Rowan carried.

“A little something to cool us down.” He took her hand and walked with her through the condo’s grounds and toward the boardwalk. “How are things at the hotel? Is it back to business as usual?”

“Sort of.”

Emile told him all about how they’d increased security and that guards were now stationed in the paid parking lot. If you didn’t have identification you weren’t allowed on the premises.

“I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing,” Rowan said. “Other hotels have gone that route. It costs plenty to provide additional security so it makes sense to charge guests for parking.”

“But that’s not what the Flamingo Beach Spa and Resort is about. Parking’s always been rolled into the room price so guests feel as if they’re getting something for free. Our rooms aren’t exactly cheap.”

“How about we just concentrate on having a good time,” Rowan proposed, holding open the gate that led to the boardwalk and waiting for her to go through.

She’d put the shop talk on hold for now, but later she would ask if there was an update on the plans for the Seminole casino. According to the resort’s arrangement, the first set of workers would be arriving next week. That could mean only one thing: construction would start shortly after.

From the sounds coming from the beach the musicians were already tuning up. What had started off as an informal gathering with local musicians gathering to play had taken on a life of its own. People now came in from neighboring towns, and even as far away as South Florida. The jam had grown and grown, spilling onto the beach, showcasing the talented and untalented. Since most stores closed early on Saturdays, the session became a nice way to start off the weekend. What’s more it was free.

People whizzed by on bikes or skates. The little souvenir shops that had recently received face-lifts were crowded with browsers.

“Let’s find somewhere away from the madness,” Rowan proposed.

“Yes, let’s.”

They continued down the beach. Emilie was conscious of the stares and whispers. She was certain there was speculation that they were in a steamy relationship. And while there weren’t overt comments, she sensed the locals disapproved of interracial dating.

She’d never made a secret of being black. She strongly suspected that was the reason she’d been transferred to Flamingo Beach in the first place. Her employer’s decision probably had a lot to do with demographics.

“Oh, no,” Emilie muttered.

“Is there a problem?”

“A big one.” She pointed a discreet thumb in the direction of Camille Lewis. She was the last person Emilie wanted to run into.

Unfortunately, the busybody had spotted them.

A few feet away, Camille said loud enough for everyone to hear, “Well, just look at Ms. Thing. African-American males aren’t good enough for her. Got herself a white developer with money instead. Is he better in bed than our men?”

“It’s none of your business, Camille,” Emilie said. Her grip on Rowan’s hand tightened.

Rowan smiled blandly at Camille. “Well now, Camille, since from the looks of things you’re married, you’ll never know, will you?” Waving a hand, he continued on his way.

Emilie burst out laughing. “Thanks for putting that witch in her place.”

“Does that happen often?” Rowan asked when she’d finally stopped laughing.

“You mean people taking potshots at me?”

“Dissing you. Making inappropriate comments.”

“All my life. Interestingly enough no one has a problem with me dating a white guy when they think I’m white. But once they find out I’m African-American you’d think I’d committed some horrible crime.”

“They’re just ignorant people,” he said.

“Doesn’t it bother you when someone stares at you when you’re walking down the street with me?” Emilie asked.

“No. I figure they’re looking because we make such an attractive couple. Dating black women is not new for me.”

She looked at him through narrowed eyes. “You’re an unusual man.”

“Not all that unusual. I grew up in an urban neighborhood. Black women are all I know. They’re what I’m used to. No false airs. No pretensions. They’re really down-home and comfortable with themselves.”

“And your family didn’t have a problem with these relationships?”

“My parents were too busy putting food on the table for three children to care.”

Fascinated, Emilie flopped down at the end of the pier. She wanted to learn more about Rowan. He sat down next to her.

“You probably never had people spit at you and use the N word. I have,” she said. “It causes you to be really careful.”

“I’ve had far worse done to me, and sometimes just to gain respect I fought back with my fists. Flamingo Beach is relatively tolerant. I’ve yet to hear of crosses being burnt on anyone’s front lawn.”

What Rowan didn’t say was that he was once married to a black woman, short-lived as the marriage turned out to be. It had cost him plenty to get out of the relationship. But he’d done what he’d thought was the right thing at the time. And as soon as he’d discovered what his ex, Nija, was all about, he’d cut his losses and moved on.

“The residents are not as tolerant as you think. Look at the looks you and I got just walking here. When you’re in the hotel industry you could end up just about anywhere. It would be a heck of a lot easier if my man were black.”

Rowan said nothing for a while. He uncorked the wine he’d brought along and poured them both a glass.

“News flash. Most people don’t have a clue that you’re black, at least not at first sight. I think you’re the one with the chip on your shoulder. Nowadays people date whomever they please,” he said.

He was making a good argument for himself she supposed. And truthfully she was curious about a guy who by his own admission grew up the only white kid in a black neighborhood. She’d never quite met anyone as sure of himself as Rowan, or as comfortable in his own skin.

“You’re a strange man. You’re more comfortable with my people than your own.” Emilie looked at him curiously.

“Like I said before, your people are my people. They always have been. Let’s just listen to the music and shelve the topic of race for now.” Rowan looped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a kiss. “Let’s give them something more to talk about.”

He was so much cooler than she was. Emilie focused on the music and tried not to think about what people were saying. For the next couple of hours she listened to a number of musicians play their instruments. A few even attempted to sing. And as the sun sank low in the sky, and twilight made its appearance, she finally relaxed. She was actually liking having Rowan’s arm around her shoulders.

On their way back she spotted Chere Abrahams and her husband, Quen.

“Would you mind if we said hello for a moment?” Emilie asked, pointing to the couple.

Chere had never gotten back to her about the sale of the condo. Now was as good a time as any to find out whether she’d have to find another place to live.

As luck would have it, Camille Lewis got to Chere before Emilie could. There was a lot of eye rolling and huffing. The two weren’t exactly friends and Chere made it no secret she disliked Camille. It seemed doubly odd that the two were now engaged in conversation.

Having no desire to run into the woman again, Emilie deliberately slowed her steps. Camille, after tossing a disdainful look their way, took off.

“Hey, guys,” Emilie greeted. “Wasn’t that an awesome session? Wouldn’t it be great if we had more concerts?”

“I was just saying that to Chere.” Quen nudged his wife with his elbow. “Wasn’t I, sugar?”

“Yeah, yeah, you were. Sorry, that woman gets on my last nerve.” Chere aimed a poisonous glance at Camille’s departing back. “You’ll never guess what she just said to me.”

“Don’t repeat it and spread her cancer,” Quentin Abrahams warned, squeezing his wife’s hunched shoulders. “Camille’s bad news, sugar. Don’t pay her any mind.”

Rowan and Quen exchanged one of those bear hugs that men had perfected. It was the male version of the woman’s air kiss. Chere held her cheek out for the real thing.

“Mmm, mmm, mmm, if only you were single, girl,” Rowan said.

“Honey, if I were single you’d be dead of a heart attack.”

Rowan swept a handful of hair out of one eye and roared. “I’d be dying with a smile on my face.”

Chere forgot about Camille’s acid tongue and burst out laughing.

“Do I need to start looking for a place to live?” Emilie asked Chere.

“Not right away. Quen’s still thinking it over. He was hoping that you’d counter.” Chere elbowed her husband. “Say something.”

“Make me an offer and we’ll work something out. If I don’t have to pay a real estate agent a commission fee it just might work out.”

“Just you wait a minute,” Chere howled. “Just because we’re married doesn’t mean I’m waiving my commission.”

Rowan got in on the action. “Emilie, you’re thinking of buying a house?”

“It’s Quen’s condo, and thinking is the operative word. This market’s gotten ridiculous,” Emilie said.

Falling into step, they began to walk down the boardwalk together.

“I have a town house I could let you use for free,” Rowan whispered in Emilie’s ear.

“Nothing in this world is free. Everything comes with a price tag,” she shot back.

Rowan kept his voice low so the others wouldn’t hear. “You could move in with me. Most of the time I won’t even be there. You’ll have the place to yourself eventually, because I’ll only be in Flamingo Beach for as long as it takes to get the casino and mall up and running.”

Emilie came to a full stop. “You and I aren’t quite ready to take that step. We barely know each other.”

“We could be if you’d let us.”

He was moving way too fast for her.

Chere and Quen had slowed down waiting for them. Chere’s questions would come later.