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Gradually, as I answered the journalist’s questions, they dispersed into the party, and I began to chat with some of my executives. The Kauai Continental was already fully booked for the next three months, and we talked for a while about when to release the next slot of dates. We’d already made our money back on the initial investment, and it looked like our profits were going to rise to over 200% in the first year. It was another success for which I was to be congratulated.
Only, it didn’t feel like a success. I felt like all the people around us, and all the attention were only serving to drive me and Lena apart more and more. How would I ever find time to explain to her the way I felt about her with all these people around?
I was glad when my cell phone rang, and I had to excuse myself from the crowd of people around me, slapping me on the back and congratulating me.
“Alex Alson, private number,” I said. “Who’s this?”
“Oh. Hey,” said a familiar voice.
“Hi Jared,” I said. “What’s up?”
JaredandIwerea difficult pair. He was almost a decade younger than me. Our parents always wanted more kids, but when Jared was born, they were older, much older than they had planned. By the time Jared arrived, I was at the age where you’re a little too old to play with your younger sibling, but not quite mature enough to look after them. By the time I’d left to join the Navy at 18 after graduating high school, Jared was finishing grade school. We bonded a little more as adults while I was on leave. But long deployments, and the subsequent toll my business had taken on my personal life, had meant that I hadn’t seen much of him since we were kids. And when my parents had split up, Jared had gone with my dad to LA, where he was starting his own business ventures.
“So, it’s going well?” said Jared, nonchalantly. My brother hadn’t even bothered to congratulate me yet. But then, it wasn’t his way.
“About as well as it possibly could,” I said politely in return. I knew Jared had been struggling to get his ideas off the ground and I didn’t want to stoke his insecurities by gloating.
“I hear you got some fancy model working for you,” said Jared.
“That’s right,” I said.
“Speaking of models. You remember my ex-girlfriend? The one I told you about?”
“Oh, yeah,” I said. I barely remembered a snatch of conversation at a Thanksgiving dinner I’d attended a year or two ago. Jared had told us all he was dating a supermodel.
“Well, after we broke up, she moved out to Hawaii. I haven’t been in contact with her since. Kind of worried about her, honestly.”
“Sounds like it’s not your problem,” I said. “If the two of you broke up, that is.”
“It’s not like that,” snapped Jared. He was irritable and moody about this sort of thing sometimes.
“So, your ex is a model in Hawaii. Do I know her?”
I grinned. The only people I really knew who worked in fashion were Lena and her friend Krista. And as far as I knew, Krista had grown up in Hawaii, and Lena?
Well, Lena wasn’t Jared’s type. I knew that for sure. She was far too sensible. And not enough of a party girl for my younger brother’s hedonistic tastes.
“Yeah, anyway. I’ve been trying to track her down, to find out what she’s up to. Don’t suppose you could help me?”
I frowned. “What for?” I said. “Can’t you just call her?”
“We don’t really have that kind of relationship.”
“Well, if you don’t have the kind of relationship where you can just call her up, it wouldn’t really be appropriate for me to find out.”
“Come on, Alex. I know you have like, an army of private detectives and ex-military guys and whatever.”
“Yeah. When I need them,” I said. “Not when my younger brother needs to stalk someone for him.”
I thought I heard Jared curse under his breath. “Fine,” he said. “It’s nothing bad, anyway. Just thought I might be able to give her some work, that’s all.”
“You give someone else work?” I said incredulously.
“You know, believe it or not, Alex, I’m not as much of a failure as you believe!” snapped Jared, and hung the phone up in my face.
I sighed. That conversation hadn’t gone as well as I planned. But at the same time, my brother’s demand felt unreasonable and borderlinecreepy. And to top it all off, his attitude was just plain immature.
I returned to the party, where a bunch of people had been looking for me. I chatted with them, answering their questions about the hotel. But as I was explaining how we’d designed the atrium on the second floor, I was struck by the sight of Lena.
