“Do you have a better idea?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do,” he says, letting out a wide yawn.
“Like what? Hiring a security team to patrol the halls?”
Raising one eyebrow at me, he says, “Sure. While you’re at it, give them military uniforms, including helmets with spikes on top.”
“Are you calling me a Nazi?”
“Yes, except you’re anti-sex instead of antisemitic. I said I had a better idea, but you didn’t give me a chance to give it to you.”
“Fine. Tell me.”
Rubbing his face, he says, “You should get to know everyone. Hang out with them, be friendly. That way, you’ll have a heads up if something is about to go down.”
“That’ll never work. First of all, I’m not good at making friends. Second, everyone knows I don’t want them hooking up. They’re not going to tell me anything.”
“Good point. Your speech this evening undoubtedly left an impression,” Markos says. “Why not leave this to me? I’ll keep an eye on people, see what I can find out as far as scandalous activities go.”
I give him a hard look. “I can’t tell if you’re making fun of me or not.”
“Honestly, I’m not sure if I am either,” he says. “It’s three in the morning, Theo, and you’re acting like a crazy person. On the other hand, I badly want to make up for the damage James caused to our company, so…”
“So you’re willing to act as a spy?”
“It goes against all my core values, but in this case, I’m willing to be your cock-blocking wingman. I can tell you that nothing nefarious is going to happen tonight, so we might as well get some sleep.”
“How do you know for sure?”
“Because I was the last one at the party, and everyone was far too loaded to be capable of hooking up.” He pats me on the back. “Go to bed, Theo.”
“Fine, but you better not be wrong about this.”
“I’m not.” He returns to his room and closes the adjoining door.
I stand at the door for another minute, glancing out at the empty hallway, then decide he’s right. It is far too late at night for booty calls. I shut off my light and grope around in the dark until I get to my bed, knowing that no matter how crazy my brother thinks this is, I’m doing what must be done to save our company. That must be my singular focus for the next two weeks. Except when I climb in and lay my head on the pillow, the last thing my mind’s eye sees before I drift off is Nora Cooper’s lovely face.
13
And the Plot Thickens
Nora
It’s Tuesday afternoon,and I'm seated at my new desk in the lobby of Building C, heart racing. A certain handsome, friendly, charming bartender has booked the two o’clock slot at the practice bar. This means he'll be strolling over to my desk in a few minutes, asking me to let him into the Captain Cook Ballroom, which has been set aside for the competitors to use as a practice space. I smooth my skirt for the millionth time, even though it doesn’t need it. I spent way too long getting ready this morning, and all that hard work had better pay off, because, let’s face it, I haven’t felt butterflies in my stomach about a guy in a very long time.
Paz is everything a man should be. He's not only handsome and charming, but he's clearly ambitious, judging by how far he's come in his chosen career. There are millions of bartenders in the world, but only a few of them have risen to the top and made this into both an art form and a competitive sport. Paz is going places in life, and I know it sounds nuts, but I may or may not have entertained a fantasy of him choosing Santa Valentina Island as the perfect place to set up his flagship bar—assuming he wins the competition and all the money that comes with it. But even if he doesn't win, maybe he’ll decide he fancies someone here (okay, me) enough to stay. He'd be a shoo-in to work at the resort if he wants to.
But I'm gettingwayahead of myself. After all, he and I only had one conversation, the night we met. I wasn't here when he came to book his practice time, so Kat helped him out. Whenever we see each other in passing, which has happened exactly four times since he got here, he always makes a point of saying something deliciously flirty. Yesterday, when he walked through the lobby, he was with some of the other guys, and he pointed to me and said, “There she is, the most stunning woman on the planet.” Just like that. Infrontof his friends.
Wistful sigh.
Checking the time, I see Paz should be arriving any minute. I look over at Kat, who is deeply engrossed in a text conversation. Not wanting her to tag along, I pick up a folder that's been waiting on my desk all day to be returned to Rosy. I walk the three steps over to Kat’s makeshift desk, which is a small folding table and a chair from one of the ballrooms. "I need you to take this to the main lobby and leave it for Rosy, okay?"
Without looking up, she says, "Now?"
"That would be the idea, yes. Then, if you want, you can knock off early."
That got her attention. Her eyes light up and she shoots out of her chair. Grabbing her handbag, she tosses her phone in and starts towards the front door, stopping only when I call, "The folder!"
