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“Now tell me the real reason you wanted to meet for dinner,” he spoke.
I sighed as I took a drink of my bourbon.
“I’m curious about this new hotel you’re building in Vegas.”
“Ah, the digital hotel. What about it? My father and I are very excited to break ground.”
“It’s a great idea. Where did you get it from?”
He stared at me while he picked up his drink and swirled the ice cubes in his glass.
“What is this really about, Gabriel?”
“You know what it’s about!” I spoke through gritted teeth as I leaned across the table. “Building a hotel like that had been my father’s dream for the past ten years.”
“And?” he asked. “Do you think you’re the only hotel chain that has thought of this? Let me ask you, Gabriel, why do you think your company is so special? Do you honestly think that you’re the only one who wants to build hotels of the future? Many more companies will be jumping on this. Marriott, Hilton, Mandarin, Royals, Westin; they all will.” He got up from his seat. “Competition is fierce, my friend, and we all do what we have to in order to get to the top. I’m afraid I must go now.” He started to walk away, but before he did, he turned and looked at me. “By the way, how is your friend Kate doing? I thoroughly enjoyed our conversations in Hawaii. I was hoping to take her out some time. Have her give me a call.” He winked with a smile as he walked away.
I sat there, my blood pressure at an all-time high. I began to sweat with anger, and it took everything I had not to go after him and beat the shit out of him. When I got home, I pulled the article out and began reading it over again. Marcel had explained what his hotel would consist of, word for word what I told Kate.
“Fuck!” I threw the article on my desk.
* * *
Kate
I decided to forget about Thaddeus and go straight to the source: Marcel. He was a slime ball, and just by talking to him the brief time I did in Hawaii, I already had a feel on how to handle him. I did as much research as I could. I found an interesting article that was published about six months ago in a magazine where he was interviewed as one of New York’s most eligible bachelors.
Interviewer: “You’re handsome and wealthy. I’m surprised you’re still single. Do you like the bachelor life or is it you just haven’t found the right woman yet to settle down with?”
Marcel: “The bachelor life is good and I’m enjoying it very much. Men like me need to be careful about the women we date. A lot of them are only interested in the money we have to offer. But I’m not giving up hope. I come from a background where family is very important, and I know the right woman is out there for me. I just haven’t met her yet.”
Interviewer: “Describe the perfect woman in your eyes.”
Marcel: “She must be intelligent and family oriented. Well-educated and knows what she wants. She must have a good heart and a beautiful soul.”
Interviewer: “How about on the outside? Is there a certain type of woman that catches your eye? Describe your dream girl.”
Marcel: “If you’re talking about looks, yes, there is. Since I am six foot three, I am attracted to taller women and I love long hair, preferably brunettes with deep green eyes. Eyes that resemble an emerald. I like a woman who takes great pride in the way she looks and dresses.”
Interviewer: “Well, I guess I can count myself out since I’m a redhead.”
Marcel: “You’re still a beautiful woman and judging by that gorgeous diamond ring you’re wearing on your left hand, you’re also married.”
Okay. He liked tall brunettes with dark green eyes. Perfect. The article also talked about his hobbies and how he liked to take his coffee. Two creams and one teaspoon of sugar. Check. He loved children and wanted at least four. I shuddered at the thought. Maybe one or two, but for me, four was too many. He loved long walks, chess, and listening to classical music. Chess was good. I knew how to play, and I was good at it. My father loved to play and taught me. He always said chess was the perfect game to keep your mind sharp and always thinking. Strategy was the key, not only in the game, but in life. Tomorrow, I would start the process. Follow him, watch him, get him to notice me and then start my deception. I needed to do this one last time. Not only for Gabriel, but for me. Once I found what I was looking for, it would be time to move on and start my life over.
Chapter 34
Kate
Ispent a week watching Marcel. I followed him to a diner in Harlem one afternoon. He walked in and took a seat, and I made sure I sat at a table behind him. He looked at me but didn’t give a second look. I wasn’t his type, for I was dressed in ripped jeans, an oversized sweatshirt, a pair of dirty tennis shoes, and I had on my short platinum wig with a pair of brown contacts in my eyes and a makeup-less face. I would admit that I wouldn’t even give me a second look. I found it odd he would choose this hole-in-the-wall diner in Harlem. It wasn’t his style. He kept looking at the door as if he was waiting to meet someone. Holding the menu up, covering my face, I peered over it when the bell over the diner door chimed and a man dressed in a navy-blue business suit walked in and took the seat across from him. A man whom I’d seen before. Thaddeus Wilson.
“You’re late, Thaddeus,” Marcel spoke as he looked at his watch.
“Sorry, but I was in a meeting that took longer than expected.”
“What’s with this secret lunch? I told you that I would be in contact with you once things were squared away,” Marcel spoke.
“And it seems to be taking longer than expected. I gave you what you asked for six months ago, Marcel.”
