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For just a minute she wanted to pretend she was Vivian, the millionaire fashion heiress who had checked into the hotel under a false name in order to rendezvous with her secret lover. He was her former bodyguard. A forbidden romance, frowned upon by her wealthy parents. They had sent him away. But true love couldn’t be denied.
When her cell buzzed a second time, she snapped out of her fairytale. The real world could, and did, deny people like her their happily ever after. A message from Grace popped up.
Where are you?
Florida. Why?
???
After she’d lit into Bryce the previous evening, Grace would no doubt be keen to know how the night had ended up. It was with a good deal of reluctance that Vivian hit the video call button. Grace’s warm smile instantly appeared.
“Galveston was ok. I left this morning. I’m at the resort in Florida.” She didn’t have the emotional energy to add much more detail.
Grace sighed. Her dark brown eyes held the glint of concern. “I don’t know what happened after I spoke to Bryce, but something must have, because a friend of a friend called me a little while ago. You remember Mia, the girl with flawless legs that I swear went all the way to her…”
Vivian stifled a laugh. Her friend had a way with words. “You mean Mia, who used to work at LHRW. How did she get your number?”
Her friend’s eyebrows rose and fell. Grace Collins seemed to know everyone in NYC. And if she didn’t know someone, she knew someone who did. “We were at school together. Mia had a full scholarship, that’s how smart she is, the rest of us dumbasses had to rely on our parent’s bank accounts.”
Grace laughed at her own joke, and it occurred to Vivian that only the rich could possibly think themselves hard done by when they had to pay for tuition fees at one of New York’s most exclusive academies for girls. Her friend was one of the sharpest people Vivian knew, which only served to show how clever Mia was, and why she had been selected for the management program at Royal Resorts.
“Anyhoo. Mia called me earlier this morning and wanted to know how your trip to Texas had gone. Considering that she now works for Royal Resorts, I thought it a little strange for her to get in touch. But when I remembered that it was her billionaire boss who you had dinner with last night…” Grace waved her hand about the air. “Oh, and don’t think I haven’t forgotten about that dating app. I’m going to talk to my dad’s attorney and see what she can do to get your thousand bucks back.”
Oh great. Now Mister Collins will know about my billionaire humiliation.
“My credit card says thanks but let me have a think before you do that, ok.”
At least she now knew who had given Bryce the details of where to find her in Galveston. The second her boss asked her, uber efficient Mia would have been on the phone to someone at the magazine and schmoozed her way into getting them to reveal Vivian’s whereabouts.
She was not going to be allowed to end the call before she gave Grace the details of what had transpired earlier this morning. But her heart wasn’t in a sharing mood.
“We said our farewells not long after you spoke to Bryce. I flew here this morning. Alone.”
Grace’s dirty chuckle carried to her over the ether. “So that’s the story you are going to go with, is it? Did he bow and beg to take his leave, like a duke? Mia tells me Bryce’s great granddaddy was a real live English duke.”
There was no easy way of getting out of this, only the truth would work. “Things have gone from awful to just plain terrible. His company is threatening to sue the magazine. They think I was too harsh with the review on their Laguna Beach resort. Bryce was all nice as pie last night, he even kissed me. Then early this morning I read about the pending lawsuit. I checked out the hotel and changed my flight and booking to come here a day early.”
Grace said several words that were more Brooklyn than Manhattan in their origin. “That dirty, filthy…oh, I can’t believe it. He flew all the way to Texas just to mess with you. What kind of guy does that? And he was all ‘yes ma’am’ on the phone to me. Fuck. I seriously underestimated how much of an ass this Bryce Royal guy is. Wow, just fucking wow!”
“I can really pick them, can’t I? But seriously, just forget about it. I’m going to do my best not to think about him.” Vivian turned the camera around on her phone and pointed it at the window. “See that gorgeous vista. That’s what I am here for. And their day spa. Apparently, they have a deep sea pedicure. I have no idea what that is, but I am booking myself in for one. Lionel still owes me two hundred dollars of spa treatments from my ill-fated California trip, and I am going to use every cent. I’m all about self-love from now on.” She pointed the camera back to herself. “If Mia calls again, tell her…”
Words failed her. What should she say? ‘Mia, your boss is a complete ass and tell him to call off his attack dogs’. Her former work colleague had clearly kept on her stellar career trajectory. Mia was a girl determined to make it to the top. To break through both gender and racial glass ceilings. It wouldn’t be fair to drag her into any of this, no matter her intentions. And if Vivian’s memories of Mia still held true, her intentions would be good ones.
“Just tell Mia, thank you for thinking of me, and I wish her all the best.”
“Ok, sweetheart. Are you sure you are alright?”
Vivian nodded. “Yeah. I will survive. I’m going to look into doing a day trip tomorrow. I’m here for two nights, so if all goes according to plan, I should be on a flight into New York sometime on Saturday.”
She had been keeping a close eye on the weather reports for Florida. Fortunately this time of the year was nearing the end of hurricane season, and there was nothing currently on the forecast.
“Alright, I’ll let you go. But if you want to talk, call me. I’m here for you. You know that.”
“Thanks hon. And yes, I know you’re here for me. Say hi to Marlon for me. See you in a few days.” She hit end, then tossed the cell at the bed. It missed, falling onto the floor. In any other hotel room, it would have made it but the suites at White Foam Breakers were just that big. Even the enormous bed with its blue and aqua marine striped duvet seemed tiny in the generous space.
Vivian bent and picked up her phone. She grinned at the bed. Tonight she would be sleeping in it.
With the curtains fully open, and dreaming of anything other than tall, heartbreaking billionaires.
