Chapter 10
Wesley
“What do you mean, we’re at less than sixty percent?”
I knew calling the office to check in was going to be a mistake before I picked up the phone, but I did it anyway. That’s the workaholic in me, I suppose. Sure enough, the news that I’m greeted with is less than ideal.
“Sorry, Boss, those are the numbers.” The voice on the other end of the line belongs to my assistant, John Noto. “We’re close on a few deals that’ll start making up the difference - the Tyler property has half a dozen offers out, and we’re leveraging that into a bidding war; the Lindholm estate is nearly closed…”
“And?” I ask, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice.
John’s been my office assistant for years now, and I know better than to berate him for issues that he can’t control. Still, you’d think I could take one week off without everything grinding to a halt.
“Well, that’s it on the estate side. You should know, though, a few of the senior sales guys…”
“What about them?” My pulse quickens. Plenty of other companies spend way too much of their time trying to poach my top guys - and the last thing I need right now is for one of them to be successful.
“They’ve hired two new assistants. For reception, and someone to do coffee rounds and things like that.”
“You’re kidding.” I sit back in the suite’s desk chair, practically feeling my eyes wanting to roll back into my head. “We’re hemorrhaging money from a lack of sales, and the sales team has decided that the way to make up for that is by hiring new people? And for useless positions, at that. What, we can’t pour our own coffee? It’s a complete waste of money.”
“That’s what I told them you’d say. But listening to me isn’t really something they’re all that interested in. Especially when the alternative is hiring two attractive young women.”
“Ugh. All right. Thanks for the heads up, John.”
I hang up the phone, lean back in my chair, and stare at the ceiling. I can’t even leave the office for a week without things going up in flames, apparently. And hiring a coffee girl? Really? Not only is it ridiculous, it smacks of desperation on their parts.
Hiring a woman for a job that doesn’t really exist, just so they can try to find tail without leaving the office? Not only is it a gross misuse of power, but it’s also truly scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to dating techniques. Hearing about it is just making me more and more certain that I want something real, not some manufactured relationship or hookup that I grab onto just because it’s right there in front of me, in easy reach.
I’d secretly been hoping that this little vacation would be the thing I needed to kickstart a relationship like that. New place, new people, no responsibilities… plenty of time to meet new women and get to know them, maybe even long enough to fall for one.
As it turns out, though, this resort is the last place for that to happen. Every woman I’ve met in the last six days has had either a boyfriend on their arm or a ring on their finger. It’s been a total waste.
“Maybe I should just give up,” I say to the empty room. “Just quit chasing some dream that doesn’t exist, and go back to focusing on what does.”
By that, I mean my work. This is the first vacation I’ve taken in… God, I don’t even know how many years. And the second I left, things apparently started crumbling. If that’s not proof that I belong behind a desk managing my company, I don’t know what is.
“That settles it then.” The remnants of last night’s cocktail are still sitting in a glass on the desk. I grab the drink and toss it back, in an attempt at a decisive gesture. This just results in a spit-take, as I realize that the sweet liquid doesn’t taste even remotely good after sitting out all night.
I wipe my tongue on my sleeve, and stand up. “Back to work, Wesley.”