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“Well, those feelings aren’t reciprocated,” I replied. “Though you were right earlier… I could use a little fun. What was the name of that resort again?”
Rosie turned my screen toward me.The Gilded Peak’s website was already open and ready for me to make my reservation.
2
REED
“Good morning!” I called out as the last few members of the team entered the conference room.
Sean plopped down in his seat, his eyes barely open as he struggled to stay awake. He yawned and drank from a massive coffee mug. Gage sat beside him and grumbled his response. While Sean wasn’t a morning person, Gage was always grumpy regardless of the time of day.
“Why are you always so cheerful, even in the godforsaken morning?” Anthony asked as he joined the table.
“I can’t help it, I just know today is going to be a good day,” I said with a smile.
The group groaned, all except Jason who smiled back at me. I could usually count on him to be chipper.Doc sat near the back with a serious expression on his face. He wore his white lab coat, ready to start the day. And there was Bash standing in the corner by himself with his arms crossed in front of his chest. He was a man of few words but at least he didn’t grumble at me.
“Fine, I’ll bite,” Jason said with a goofy chuckle. “Why is today going to be a good day?”
“Well, for one, we have a fairly large group arriving today, which is always a good thing.”
“But not unusual,” Gage growled.
“No, except we are hosting a very special person today,” I said. “And it could end up being really good for us.”
“Out with it already, Reed.” Gage stared at me, his dark eyes narrowing.
“Fine, fine,” I said with a laugh, holding my hands up in defeat. “We have a journalist staying with us. A travel writer. She is hoping to write an article about her experience here and pitch it to multiple magazines. This could be great for business since most of our success has come from word-of-mouth so far. But if this gets picked up by a major magazine… just imagine.”
“We’re doing pretty well now,” Sean said with another big yawn.
Anthony, who was in charge of the finances, piped in, “Yeah, but we could always do better. Imagine if we had every cottage filled. Not only would it be great for our pockets, but it would improve the customer experience as well, since the more choices they have, the better.”
“Exactly!” I said as I clapped my hands together. “This is all about giving our customers the experience of their lives, for them to potentially meet new people and create lasting relationships. So the more people we have, the more fun it will be for everyone, ourselves included.”I smiled at the guys.
We were an odd bunch; a random hodgepodge of men that met in college as frat brothers. We hit it off, staying in touch for years and eventually deciding to go into business together. For some, the success of the business was difficult to understand because of the extreme differences between us. But our differences were exactly what made it work so well.We each had our strengths and interests, and they happened to form a successful business team.
I checked the time. “Alright, so let’s go greet the newcomers and give them a warm welcome!”
“They’re arriving this early? Are they all masochists?” Sean groaned.
“Here’s hoping,” Jason said as he hopped from his chair. His foot hit the table leg and he nearly went tumbling down but managed to catch himself in the nick of time, a shit-eating grin on his face. “You guys thought you almost lost me there, huh?” He winked as he headed out of the room.
Together, we walked toward the front entrance. We tried to greet the larger groups as a unit whenever we could. It was difficult at times to get all of us in the same place at once, but when we could make it work, it made the guests feel extra welcome. And it was nice to see who was arriving, getting to know them a bit before seeing them around the resort. The bus pulled up and I was the first to greet the group as they exited.
“Welcome to The Gilded Peak!” I exclaimed. “We are so happy to have you joining us.”I tried to keep an eye out for the journalist—not that I had any idea what she would look like—and I was pleasantly surprised when a twenty-something woman stepped off the bus all by herself.
I opened my mouth to continue the introductions, but as my gaze landed on her, I momentarily forgot how to speak. She smiled at me with cherry red lips and pearlescent skin. Her hair was jet blackand fell to her waist. It was the silkiest, shiniest hair that I had ever laid eyes on, and my hands ached to feel it under my fingers. Her eyes were a stark contrast to her dark hair—bright blue like the sky above.Sean nudged me, and I realized that I was supposed to say something. None of the other guys had chimed in, and I wondered if the woman had left them just as speechless.
I shook myself out of the trance. “Uh, yes, as I was saying, welcome to The Golden Peak…”
“Gilded,” Anthony corrected me.
“Yes, The Gilded Peak. Welcome.” I had never been left speechless before and I felt like I was acting a lot like Jason, a bit dopey as I tried to put my sentences back together. “My name is Reed Harrison, and along with my six friends here, we own and operate the resort. If you need anything, anything at all, please do not hesitate to reach out to any one of us.”
Anthony took it from there, allowing me to have a moment to collect my thoughts.
My gaze had narrowed in on the raven-haired woman. She noticed and her smile grew wider, but she looked away as if shy. Adorable. Most of the people who came to our resort were not shy in the least; I couldn’t help but wonder what had inspired her to visit and how she was going to adapt during her stay.Unless… Yes, of course, it all made sense. She was the writer. Her name was Snow.
