Chapter Twenty-One
Tristan
“Merry Christmas,” I whispered to Molly as she stirred next to me.
She turned and gave me a brilliant smile. “Merry Christmas,” she replied. “Today’s the big day, huh?”
“In more ways than one,” I nodded.
“Are you nervous?”
“A little,” I admitted. “It’s always nerve-wracking opening yourself up to the public. Things are going to get a lot busier from here on out.”
“Is everything in order?”
“We have been dealing with some staff issues of late,” I replied, remembering my proposal to Jason at the beginning of Molly’s trip. I sat up in bed and looked down at her. Her golden hair was spread across the pillow, and a few strands were lying on my arm.
“What?” she asked.
“I have a job vacancy I need filled,” I said, easing into the topic.
“Oh?” she said, acting as though she didn’t know what I was talking about.
I smiled. “I could really use someone to head my human resources department,” I said. “Do you know anyone qualified enough for that job?”
She thought about it for a while. “I do know someone,” she nodded. “But she’s too expensive for you.”
“Is she?” I asked. “Well, I don’t mind paying well for someone good. But the job comes with one condition.”
“Which is?”
“She has to be willing to sleep with the boss,” I teased. “Often.”
Molly laughed. Then her expression turned serious, and she sat up, too. “But seriously, Tristan,” she said. “I know you made me that offer when I first arrived…”
“I’m still serious about it.”
“Aren’t you worried things will get messy?” she asked. “Now that we’re involved with each other, don’t you worry that things will get complicated?”
“No.”
“No?” she asked with raised eyebrows.
“I know you, Molly,” I said. “I know enough of you to know that you’re a true professional. I’d like to think I am, too. I think we’d be good at working together. In fact, I think the fact that we’re involved with one another might actually help.”
“Until it doesn’t.”
“So pessimistic,” I said. “I wouldn’t have expected that of you.”
“Sorry,” she said, coloring a little. “I guess I’m just not used to this.”
“What?” I teased. “Waking up with me?”
She laughed.
“So?” I pressed. “Will you please consider it? I really do need someone to head the department. Ben and I are spread too thin as it stands. I want someone competent and passionate; I want someone I can trust. And there’s no one I trust more than you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “If I accept this job, that would involve a move to Hawaii.”
“Yes.”
“That’s a big commitment,” she pointed out. “Not just for me personally, but for us, too.”
“I’m aware of that,” I nodded. “And shockingly, that doesn’t scare me.”
“It might once we’re living on top of one another.”
“It sounds to me like you are the one that’s scared,” I told Molly.
She smiled guiltily.
“Are you?” I asked.
“Well, maybe a little,” I said. “I’ve been dreaming about us for years, Tristan. And now that’s my dreams have become a reality, it’s hard to wrap my head around it.”
“You’ll get used to it,” I told her softly, kissing her on the forehead. It amazed me how easily those familiar little intimacies came to me, as though I were a veteran at relationships.
Molly stretched and got out of bed, pulling the sheets with her. I could see the faint outline of her body through the thin fabric and felt myself harden slightly. If it weren’t for the fact that I had a hundred things to get done before the ribbon cutting ceremony, I would have pulled her back into bed and made her cum again. As it stood, I was already running late.
“Will you think about it?” I asked, getting out of bed myself.
Molly turned to me, and her blue eyes looked nervous and excited. “I’ll take the job.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “I’m not just taking the job because of us,” she said. “I’m taking it because I think I can actually do a good job at it. I think I can make your life, and Ben’s for that matter, a little easier.”
I smiled. “I know you will,” I nodded. “Guess it’s official then?”
“Guess it is,” she nodded.
I pulled her in for a quick hug. Then I drew back a little as another thought came to me. “Hey,” I said. “Will you open the ceremony with me this evening?”
“What?” she said as her eyes went wide.
“Come on,” I said. “It’ll be fun.”
“That is your moment, Tristan,” she insisted. “I wouldn’t want to steal your thunder.”
“You’d be sharing my thunder.”
“Still…”
“Come on,” I insisted. “I want you by my side.”
Molly bit her lip. “Are you sure?”
“A hundred percent.”
Her smile was slow in coming, but I saw the willingness on her face. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll open the ceremony with you.”
I smiled in triumph and kissed her hard on the lips. Then I grabbed her hand, and we headed to the bathroom together. We showered together quickly and helped each other dress. It was the hardest thing in the world to keep my desire in check, but I knew that would have to wait until tonight when the opening was behind us, and our responsibilities had been fulfilled.
We were walking towards my office together when Molly turned to me. There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “So, when are you planning on telling Jason about us?”
“Fuck,” I groaned.
She laughed. “Don’t worry; I doubt he’ll care.”
“What if he doesn’t take it well?” I said. “What if he flies over here just to kick my ass?”
“He might have reacted that way when I was sixteen,” she said. “But not anymore. I think he’ll be happy for us.”
“He knows my history, Molly,” I said, with concern. “He knows the complete list of all my…uh…girlfriends.”
“Are you using the term girlfriends loosely?”
I smiled. “Very.”
“What’s your point?”
“My point is Jason’s going to be worried about you…with me.”
“Then I suppose you’ll have to reassure him,” Molly said. She didn’t sound too concerned. “If you want, I can tell him.”
“No,” I said quickly. “No way; he should hear it from me. I just slept with his sister; the least I can do is admit that to him like a man.”
Molly looked at me in amusement. “I’d be impressed if you didn’t look so scared.”
I nudged her playfully as we rode up on the elevators to my office. I checked my phone and realized that I had a number of missed calls from Ben. “Shit,” I said.
“What’s wrong?”
“Looks like Ben has called a couple of times,” I said. “My phone was on silent.”
When we walked into my office, Ben was standing behind my desk talking to someone in a harassed voice. The moment he saw me, relief washed over his face. He made an excuse and hung up.
“Where the hell were you?” he demanded.
“Sorry, Ben,” Molly said, stepping forward. “That was my fault. He was with me.”
“Ah,” he said, and I noticed his expression softened immediately. “Good morning, Molly.”
“Morning, Ben.”
“Am I to assume that you’re staying on with us?”
“Fuck,” she exclaimed. “I forgot to cancel my cab.”
“I can inform reception,” he said..
“No, don’t worry,” she said, holding up her hands. “I’ll handle it, you and Tristan have enough to deal with today. “I’ll just go down and speak to Alani. Excuse me for a moment, boys.”
Molly slipped her hand out of mine and headed for the door.
“Will you come back up here when you’re done?” I asked.
“Sure,” she nodded, giving me a wink before she left the room.
When I turned to Ben, he was looking at me with a knowing smile. “Things worked out then, did they?”
“Exceptionally well,” I smiled. “Thanks for the advice.”
“No problem,” Ben nodded.
I walked over to my desk and sat down behind it. “I found our new head of human resources.”
“Molly?” he asked. “You offered her the job?”
“She’s qualified, she’s competent, and she’s perfect for the job.”
“Not to mention it’s an excuse to keep her around permanently.”
“That, too,” I smiled.
“This is a big step for you,” Ben said.
“I know,” I nodded. “I’m surprised at how well I’m handling it all. I thought I’d be more scared than I am. I actually feel like everything has fallen into place. This was exactly what was supposed to happen.”
“I’m happy for you,” he said, in his usual monotone way.
“Thank you,” I said. “Now, on to business… I’ll need you to brief Molly before she starts.”
“I’ll get her familiarized with the staff,” he assured me. “When is she starting?”
“As soon as possible,” I said. “It’s a big job, and she has a lot to familiarize herself with.”
“Don’t worry,” Ben said. “I’ll prepare her. No doubt Alani will, too; the two of them have become thick as thieves.”
“Good,” I nodded. “I want Molly to feel at home here, and friends will certainly speed that process along.”
“You’ve really jumped into this thing.”
“It took me a long time to realize how I really felt about Molly,” I said. “And now that I’ve finally admitted it to myself, things seem simple. Now…what time do we have the ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled for?”
“Four-thirty,” Ben replied. “Followed by aperitifs in the ballroom.”
“Has the staff been prepped?”
“Yes,” he nodded. “We’ll have to handle the disputes after the opening. Ah, but I suppose that’ll fall to Molly.”
“It will,” I nodded.
The morning passed in a blur of activity. I oversaw all the last-minute preparations for the ceremony and our arriving guests. Molly was with me the whole time, lending a helping hand wherever she could. When it came time for the ceremony, Molly and I parted to get dressed in our separate suites. I arrived at the entrance of the resort in my tux a little before schedule. Ben was there too, looking sharp in a tux of his own.
It seemed as though the whole of Hawaii had congregated outside our steps. The press was there, too, and thankfully the sun shone down in grand fashion, which I took to be a sign of good luck. Despite the crowd and the photographers in attendance, my eyes kept searching for Molly. She appeared from inside the resort, wearing a cream-colored sheath, with her hair tied up in a classic topknot.
I moved directly to her and took her hand. “You look spectacular,” I said.
“So do you,” she replied, giving me a dazzling smile.
“Are you ready to do this with me?” I asked as flashes went off all around us.
“I am,” she nodded, squeezing my hand.
Molly turned to speak to Ben, and I was preparing myself to make my little speech before we cut the ribbon when I heard a snippet of someone else’s conversation.
“He’s the owner?” the voice belonged to an older woman.
“He is.”
“Very young.”
“He’s an ambitious man.”
“Is that his new girlfriend, the one in the cream dress?”
“The latest one, I suppose. Men like him never stick to one woman for long. She’ll be replaced before long.”
I turned to try and figure out who was speaking but I couldn’t figure it out. I was forced to turn away from the crowd and towards the podium, battling with the sinking feeling in my gut.