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Another smile, and she’s on to the next portion, while I’m enjoying the melodic tones of her speech. It’s almost like music and if I don’t get her out of here soon—
My watch flashes with a message. I try to be subtle about checking it, but subtle is not my strength. From my lawyer, “The contract is air tight. Unless you want to pay several million in penalties, there is nothing we can do.”
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
My lawyers are the best and if even they cannot find a decent way out, then I am screwed. I cannot ask Cormac to find more financial backers simply because I want to break a contract. Word would get out, and we would look like irresponsible fools.
So, Elsie Braudel is here to stay. It is all I can do to maintain my composure, but the flashes of pink lace help. I am both pissed off and turned on, and neither of those feelings is suitable for a proper business meeting, so I am forced to keep everything inside at the moment. Thankfully, a childhood of maintaining appearances serves me well in times such as these.
I continue to smile and nod and consider what she’s telling me, even though all I want to do is have a stiff drink and gripe about my situation. Though, in fairness to Elsie, her presentation is much better than I’d thought it would be. Her ideas are considerate, polished, and she’s waving her hand in my face.
“Um, yes?”
She chuckles. “I think you might need that caffeine sooner rather than later, Beau.”
“You are absolutely right. My assistant usually keeps me caffeinated throughout the day, and without her around, I forget to do it myself. She deserves a raise.”
When she hits me with her full smile, my brain resets. It’s incredible and not reserved at all. The kind of smile dentists wish they had on their billboards, because it’s contagious. Even though I’m angrier than I’ve been in years, I can’t help but smile right along with her. Elsie nods. “Sounds like she is due for one, if you need her to function.”
“Too true. Please go on.”
“I noticed on the drawings from the other firm that you hadn’t marked out the spa. Why not?”
“It was one of the few features they didn’t screw up. I thought it was good as is.”
She hesitates. “Their design was fine, if you want something traditional and to offer the services people expect.”
“You do a marvelous job of making traditional and expect sound like curse words, Elsie.”
She laughs. “I don’t know about you, but when I try a new spa, I want to try something I’ve never had before. Swedish massage, your standard facial, couples’ massages, you need those for people who want the normal stuff. But not everyone is going to come all the way out to Somerset Harbor for the appeal of average. If you want to pull people in from around the world, you’ll need to surprise them.”
“Obviously, you have something in mind.”
The gleam in her eye is mesmerizing. If I have to be stuck with someone, at least she is entertaining to watch. She pulls up a new drawing to show me, and it is...bold. “This is the—"
“Is that a waterfall in an indoor cave?”
“Yes. That is the cold pool and there is the heated pool. These are for contrast therapy while guests wait between services. Here, there is a juice and smoothie bar, lockers, of course, and an adjacent salon, good for weddings and other events. In the salon, there will be hair, makeup, nails, all the things people want for their beauty fix—"
“I hadn’t thought of needing a salon.” It hadn’t occurred to me.
“The great thing about salons in resorts is the exorbitant markup you can throw at guests and they won’t bat an eye at paying those rates because they generally don’t want to leave the property if there’s an event happening, so they either go to your salon or have stylists come to their rooms. If you make salon room service an offer from your salon team, you can clean up there, too.”
I cannot believe I hadn’t thought of any of that. As someone who sees his manicurist regularly, it’s embarrassing to admit.Perhaps we can hire Ramona as a manicurist on staff. Before I get ahead of myself on that thought, I tell her, “That is a great idea, Elsie.”
“Thank you. But wait, there’s more...”
I was hoping there would be.
8
ELSIE
Aside from the occasional cocktail, I do not do drugs. I’ve never been interested. My work has always been sort of a drug, something I need to do. The high being when someone says they like my idea, that’s the best feeling in the world. That rush is amazing, particularly when I know they came to the table prepared to brush me off.
I fully expected Beau to be blasé about my presentation, or whiny about Pavel, or something else equally insulting. It is why the drive to Somerset Harbor felt like torture—I was sure I’d end up fired because of this guy. So, when his soulful hazel-green eyes go from cocky, but polite to completely impressed it gives me a hell of a high.
I try not to ramble. The poor guy is too under caffeinated for a full Elsie ramble, and I’ve been told I tend to drone on when I’m overly pleased with myself. Brevity is the soul of wit and all that, but when I’m excited, it’s hard to contain it.
