“Someone to share it with?” I suggested. “Someone who’s more than a friend? When was the last time you went on a date, Sophia?”
She rolled her eyes. “Typical male. My life isn’t complete if I don’t have a man in it.” She pointed a finger at me. “I have two men in my life, and that’s fine for now, thanks. You and Preston are enough testosterone to try my patience.”
“But maybe you need someone who’s . . .” I tried to think of the best way to say this. “Who’s providing you with more than just friendship.”
“I never think of you and Preston asjustfriends. That’s a crappy way to see people.” Her movements were sharp and precise as she tossed away junk mail and stacked other envelopes. That was how I could tell she was getting good and pissed off. When Sophia was truly angry, she was like a blade-thrower; no movement was wasted, and what she tossed my way could be deadly.
“Okay, sorry.” I decided backing down and getting out of here was probably my best bet. “I should probably get going. I told Tyla I’d meet her at the entrance to the park at three. She wanted me to get a good look around before it gets dark.”
Some of the mad drained from Sophia’s face, and one side of her mouth tipped upward. “I’m sure she does.”
I frowned as I stood at the door, my hand on the knob. “Whenever you talk about Tyla and her business, I get the distinct sense that I’m missing something. Are you sure there’s nothing you want to say before I leave?”
“Nope.” Sophia popped thep, her grin spreading over her face now. “I wouldn’t ruin this reveal for all the money in the world. But you have a good time.” She surveyed me again from head to toe. “You really do look good, Harry. And going with a shirt that you pull over your head, without buttons, was a good call.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I paused in the act of opening the door.
“Not a thing.” Sophia waved me off. “Call me later and tell me how it went.”
* * *
Tyla had sent me the address of the park, which was a good thing because the name of the place didn’t show up in my GPS app. I was kind of surprised by how out of the way it was. Lake County was a good thirty-minute drive from Orlando, and with traffic, it took me almost an hour to reach the place where I had to turn off the main highway.
Florida’s version of evergreens lined the road I bumped down, and I mused that at least the atmosphere was seasonal. When I reached the small dirt parking lot, there were twinkling lights draped over the fence and sparkly boughs on the windows of the small building that guarded the entrance.
The lot was surprisingly full of cars. I’d thought Tyla had said that the grand opening wasn’t happening until next month. But then again, maybe there were still people here working on the last-minute preparations.
When I thought about an adult leisure park, I’d pictured areas for meditation, maybe some picnic tables, outdoor climbing walls, jogging trails—a paradise for active adults without the occasional annoyance of kids running around. Not that I had anything against children, but I could see the appeal of a spot where they weren’t allowed.
“Harry! You found us.” Tyla stepped out of the building, a bright smile on her face as I walked across the parking lot. “So glad you could make it today.”
“Thanks for inviting me out.” I glanced around. “I’m pretty excited to check out what you have here.”
“Oh, wait until you see it all.” She beamed, and that attraction I’d felt when we’d met came rushing back in spades. “I’m so excited to give you the full experience.”
“I’m all for that.” I shot her the smolder, a half-smile on my lips as I gazed out from beneath hooded lids.
“Awesome.” She stepped aside, spreading her hands. “Let’s follow this path to start so you can get a sense of what we offer, and then we’ll stop at the shedding station.”
I thought I’d misheard her—what the bunny was ashedding station?But I didn’t want to sound clueless. Maybe it was something everyone who frequented this kind of park would understand.
So I just nodded. “That sounds perfect. Lead the way.”
We began to amble along the walkway through an open, empty field. “This is our buffer zone, which ensures our members’ complete privacy. While prospective members and guests can be here, no one can proceed beyond the second gate without a membership—” She flashed me a quick smile. “Or without an official escort, as the case may be.”
“Wow. That’s a lot of protection.” I wondered if some of the members were high-profile, famous people who didn’t want to worry about the media. “I have to tell you, I’m kind of surprised. I expected this to be a pretty simple operation. I pictured a little bit of green space just off the road. What you have is so much more extensive and involved.”
“Well, our members wouldn’t be comfortable being that accessible.” Tyla frowned slightly. “Of course, the real action is beyond the members’ gate. I can’t wait for you to see it all.”
We approached another building, this one a little bigger than the one near the entrance. “All of our member facilities are on the first floor here—the gym, the juice bar, the lounge, the pool, the meeting rooms . . . and our offices are on the second level.” Tyla stepped in front of me. “Come right this way. I may be biased, but I think the best place to get your first overall view of our outside space is from the cocktail deck.”
She led me into a small courtyard and up a set of open steps that ended at a wide wooden patio. Tables with umbrellas were scattered over the beautiful pine floor, and an expansive bar was tucked into the back.
“All right.” Tyla clasped her hands together, excitement dancing in her eyes. “Turn around and get an eyeful of this!”
It was kind of cute and endearing, how proud she was of this place. I was suitably impressed because even though I suspected she was older than me, I didn’t think she could be more than twenty-five or so. Owning this much land and using it for a venture as big as this one was seriously awe-inspiring.
“Okay.” With a wink, I slowly pivoted, prepared to be a make big fuss over whatever happened to meet my gaze.
