5 - Adriana
Adriana
The rest of the tasting was more of the same. I tried to manage both the insane tension between Nolan and I, as well as politely dealing with Celeste’s criticism. Throughout it all, I still did my best to make Dahlia and Forrest’s experience a good one.
By the end of it, I was fairly exhausted, and glad to send the three guests off with one final smile and a thank you.
Of course, that didn’t mean I could get any kind of break.
As soon as they were gone, I received a message from Mr. Klein to join him by the pool.
I checked the hallway to make sure that no one was around, before letting out a deep sigh.
My feet were killing me in my uniform shoes, and I desperately wanted a nap after that crazy tasting.
I hoped that I would get used to it all, because I really wasn’t sure how long I’d make it if I didn’t.
After getting myself together, I headed for the pool, checking in the mirrors I passed that everything was still perfectly in place. Somehow, some of Celeste’s words had gotten to me. I was used to being the best, and this felt as if I needed to prove myself all over again.
The pool area was enormous and elaborate; the absolute epitome of extreme wealth and consumerism.
The stone had intricate patterns inlaid with precious metals.
The legs of every umbrella stand and lounger were made of gold, and I’m sure the thread count of all of the materials was sky-high.
The pool itself was large, with a fountain at the far end, and water bluer than any of the oceans in the world.
I noticed the man laying on the corner lounger immediately. He was a little older, perhaps around forty, with dirty blonde hair and a body that was clearly still in its prime. His sunglasses sat perched on top of his head, and even from a distance, I could see a deep intensity in his green eyes.
Mr. Klein stood beside him, his posture as straight and proper as ever. I could hear their voices as I approached, before the man finally looked up at me. He studied me from head to toe for a moment, and then turned back to Mr. Klein.
“I thought you knew not to bring me girls before midnight,” he said, and Mr. Klein glanced in my direction.
I managed to hide my offended surprise, though I did imagine myself throwing him in the pool.
At the same time, I couldn’t deny that this close up, he was insanely good-looking, and his confidence was somewhat of a turn-on.
“This is Adriana,” Mr. Klein said, without acknowledging the man’s comment. “She’s our new concierge. She’ll be taking care of your request. Adriana, this is Bryant Thatcher. He’s a very important guest here.”
It didn’t seem like Bryant was listening to anything Mr. Klein was saying. His eyes were now pinned to me, and I was particularly aware of the intentions that were hiding behind them. I found myself meeting his gaze almost defiantly, and something fluttered in my stomach.
He was bold, and I liked that.
But it didn’t matter. He was a guest. Completely and utterly off-limits. I couldn’t spend any time entertaining any kind of fantasies about him.
I also had no idea what request Mr. Klein was talking about, and I had to be focused on that. I finally tore my eyes away from Bryant to face him. “Request?”
“Last-minute change to the poolside booking,” Mr. Klein explained, his eyes trailing the space between Bryant and I.
I might have been imagining things, but I could have sworn that I noticed a hint of jealousy in his expression.
“We’re changing tonight’s party to this afternoon. You’ll be coordinating it.”
My heart dropped to my feet. That party was a massive affair with all kinds of planning that had gone into it before I even arrived. I only knew what I had read in its brief, and nothing else.
That wasn’t even the worst part of this situation, though. Nolan was still furious at me, and I had the feeling he wasn’t planning on lifting my ban from the kitchen anytime soon. Now I’d have to work with him on this party, and somehow not piss him off any further.
“You seem a little… terrified,” Bryant said teasingly, taking me out of my thoughts. “Can you do this, or should we get someone else?”
“No,” I answered, almost a little too insistently. “I will do it.”
“Good,” Mr. Klein nodded, dusting off his suit even though there was nothing on it. “Well, I have to get going. I have a lot of work to get done. Make it happen, Adriana, and do it right. Good to see you, Bryant.”
“Mm,” Bryant said, though his attention was clearly more focused on me as Mr. Klein walked away. “Well, Adriana. Let’s see what you can do, shall we? I assume you’ve been briefed on my little soiree?”
“I know the basics,” I answered, my phone already in my hand. Mr. Klein had emailed me a more detailed brief. That was good. I was one step ahead of where I’d started. “I’ll speak with the kitchen. They should get started on the dishes and drinks immediately.”
I was about to walk away when Bryant cleared his throat.
He sat up straighter on his lounger. “I’m sure Landon would have told you this.
I prefer to be quite involved in event planning, especially when I get to work with someone as soft on the eye as you are.
Feel free to take the lead if you’d like, but don’t leave my sight. ”
“Of course, Mr. Thatcher,” I answered, feeling a shiver running through me. It felt good, and I smiled inwardly at myself. “Whatever you want.”
“You know it.” He got up, and I noticed how much taller he was than me. “You talk to the kitchen, I’ll see if I can arrange myself a good drink.”
As soon as he finished speaking, one of the waiters materialized beside him as if she’d just teleported. Bryant lazily looked at her. “Pina colada. I’m in a tropical mood. Don’t forget the little umbrella. Make it green.”
“Of course, Mr. Thatcher,” she said, bowing so deeply that she almost folded in half.
She disappeared as quickly as she had appeared, hurrying off as if this drink was the world’s biggest emergency.
It was a little odd to watch, but the Pacific was known for its extremely excellent service. Speed was expected.
In the meantime, I dialed the kitchen, dreading talking to Nolan, but deciding that I’d handle this with confidence and poise. Three rings passed before his voice pierced my mind.
“What do you want now?”
“I’ve got a request from Mr. Thatcher,” I explained, keeping my tone even. “His event is being moved from evening to afternoon. Can you manage it?”
“Mr. Thatcher?” Nolan’s voice changed immediately. “Yes, yes, of course. It will be done. Tell him we’ve got it covered. And make sure you check in every fifteen minutes. Time is money.”
“Sure,” I agreed, getting more curious about the way people were reacting to Bryant’s name. Nolan didn’t even seem that eager to please Dahlia; and it was difficult to imagine a VIP that was more important.
“Chef good to go?” Bryant asked with a cheeky grin, and I nodded. “Great. Bartenders next. Come now, hop to it.”
I almost expected him to slap my ass with the way he said it, but he simply waved at me as the waitress appeared again with his pina colada.
“Thanks,” Bryant said to her, and she immediately turned red. “Good umbrella choice.”
“Anything else, Mr. Thatcher?” she asked, sounding almost like she was begging to serve him more.
“Not right now,” he answered flippantly, his eyes focused on me, and she walked away, throwing a longing glance over her shoulder at him. “Hello, earth to Adriana? Bartenders, sweetie. We need them.”
Normally, being called ‘sweetie’ would have had me bristling. But somehow, the way Brent said it made me want to smile.
“Of course,” I said, already dialing another number for the bar manager. Just like Nolan, her mood changed completely once she heard that the change request was for Mr. Thatcher, and she quickly agreed to get the outside bars set up.
Soon enough, the poolside area was a hub of activity, and I found myself walking from one person to the other to get everything in place.
In between, I was doing my best to check the brief on my phone and pay attention to whatever Bryant was saying to me.
He followed lazily, offering people nods and smiles while he sipped on his drink.
I paid attention to how everyone reacted to him, and it only made me more and more curious. Something was different about him in comparison to other guests. Everyone treated him with reverence and wanted to jump into action as soon as he even looked at them.
“I’ve got the decorators coming out shortly for the furniture adjustments,” I announced to him at one point.
“Damn, you really are good,” he said, his eyes running over me as if he didn’t just mean in my job acumen. “Wish Landon found you earlier, to be honest.”
“Just following protocol,” I replied as humbly as I was able, though I felt the urge to be a bit of a showoff. I felt my confidence climbing through the roof, and soon enough, it was like nothing could ever get in my way.
Bryant handed his empty drink off to someone before frowning into the distance at an umbrella in the corner. “Well, that shouldn’t be there.”
He left me behind to address the issue, and I saw the opportunity to get a little more information. I made my way over to where one of the bartenders was setting up, opposite the DJ booth that was still being built.
“Hey,” I said, drawing the bartender’s attention, and he raised an eyebrow at me.
“I imagine he’s asking for triple the original order of vodka?” The bartender asked, as if this was a given. “I already prepped for that, you don’t need to worry.”
“No, I actually had a question for you,” I answered, though I was impressed with his foresight. After I spoke, he paused what he was doing, and looked at me curiously. It was like he was wondering whether he wanted to be part of some sort of gossip or not.
“Yeah?” He slowly leaned over the newly set up counter.
“What’s the deal with Mr. Thatcher?” I asked curiously, nodding toward Bryant, who was talking to someone about the umbrella in the corner. “Why’s everyone treating him like he’s the president?”
The bartender’s jaw tightened, and he immediately straightened himself up again.
“We don’t talk about Mr. Thatcher,” he said firmly, before instantly turning away from me.
Okay, weird, I thought, making a mental note to ask someone else later, to see if they had the same reaction.
Clearly, there was something different about Bryant, especially if people didn’t want to talk about what it was.
It was a little dodgy, and a little mysterious, and I really wanted to know more.
“Adriana,” Bryant’s voice calling my name had me hurrying toward where he stood. “I’ve decided I need to triple the vodka order.”
I was surprised, but I only smiled. “Already done.”
“Oh,” Bryant grinned at me, before biting flirtily at his bottom lip and brushing his fingers over my arm. The movement sent a thrilling sensation through my body. “Damn, remind me to tell Landon he’s pulled a rabbit out of the hat with you.”
“Thank you,” I said with a quick nod, ignoring his flirtations as much as I could. “I believe everything is in place now. Anything else I should add to my list?”
He seemed to think for a moment, tapping at his chin with a mischievous glint in his eye. “Actually, there is one thing… Why don’t you change into your swimsuit for the event? I’m sure nobody would complain.”
Before I could stop myself, I started laughing nervously. “Uh, I don’t know about that. I… uh… I think I’ll go check on progress in the kitchen.”
With that, I turned and walked away, trying to hide the redness in my cheeks.