9. Jess
Ispend the rest of the day hiding out in my office, quietly fuming. He enrages me so much, I’ve lost all my charm capabilities.
He can go screw himself.
Jerk.
I can’t believe I was ever attracted to him.
Hot mouth and body aside, he’s a pompous dick, and not in the fun way. In the annoying, I want to kick him in the knee (or better, balls) kind of way. And maybe I’m being the slightest bit childish, but can anyone blame me?
No one likes their job being threatened and no one likes someone who comes in acting like they know what’s best. Westerlyn Hotels are mine. They carry my blood, sweat, and tears. They’re my dream, my legacy. And I’m not going to let an intimidating snobby rich douche take them from me. No matter how many times he tries to throw money in my face.
Been there, done that.
I sure as hell won’t set myself up for a rerun of past mistakes.
My ex-boyfriend worked in finance. He ran the show at an up-and-coming capital enterprise as CEO. His intelligent mind, quick wit, and undeniable charm captivated me from the moment I met him. He was very tall, handsome, confident, ten years older than me, and I hate to admit it, but I was head over heels in an instant. Being an investment banker, he was always looking for the next sure thing. Me? I was too young and in love to realize that when it comes to money—or love, or weddings, or happy endings—a sure thing doesn’t exist.
One day, I told him about this small, beautiful Central Park Plaza Hotel I wanted to buy. He knew it was my biggest dream to run a hotel of my own and suggested we go in together.
It sounded like the perfect idea, and of course I said yes.
I still remember the way my heart dropped when I got home, and he was gone. He didn’t even have the decency to leave a note. And the hotel I’d wanted to buy? Was now his and only his.
Needless to say, my trust is hard earned.
Darn CEOs.
“Whoa, you look pissed.”
I glance up from my desk to see Pauline standing in the doorway. “Is it that obvious?” I have been trying to keep it all inside, not wanting to let my staff notice how upset I am.
“Considering you’re always disgustingly cheerful, yes. Yes, yes, it is.” She steps in and closes the door behind her. “I take it the meeting with the new co-owner didn’t go well?”
“It was a disaster,” I tell her, rubbing my forehead, “but not for the reasons you’re thinking.”
She frowns and takes the seat across from my desk. “Why? What happened?”
With a heavy sigh, I let my head fall forward onto my keyboard with a thunk. “Let’s just say—me and the CEO of Blackwood Hotels Resorts, Mr. Sean Blackwood, have already met.”
“Really? When?”
“Oh, you know, last night at Swayze’s, and before that when he answered the door naked.”
Pauline gasps, recalling my telling her all about it during my round. When I look up, she has one hand over her mouth, her eyes are as wide as saucers, and there’s disbelief on her face. Finally, she speaks. “The new co-owner is your hot next-door neighbor?”
“The new co-owner is a jerk. A bona fide, overconfident, infuriating, jerk.”
“But also, your hot next-door neighbor.”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“Shit.”
“You can say that out loud. More like a shitrilogy.”
“Is he really that bad?”
I huff and lean back in my chair, staring up at the ceiling. “Yes.”
“This is crazy. What are the odds?”
“Slim, very slim. And yet, here we are. Dammit, why did it have to be him? It could have been literally anyone else.”
Pauline remains silent, and when I glance over, she’s studying me carefully. “Then let me ask you another question.” She leans forward. “Are you really mad at him or are you mad at yourself for…” She searches for the right word, “…fooling around with him?”
“It’s both.” Obviously.
Okay, maybe I’m slightly angrier with myself for doing what I did with him. After all, I have an iron-clad “no business entanglements—no exceptions” rule for a reason. Duh, it’s practically written in the stars. Especially with CEOs.
I will never date another CEO again. Ever. Even if the underworld turns into an ice rink, count me out.
Of course, there’s no way I could have known who he was. We never exchanged names, and I had no idea he was the jerk Norman sold his shares to. Still, the frustration is unwavering.
“I’m sure this makes everything ten times more awkward,” Pauline says. “But there’s no reason you both can’t be adults about this.”
She’s right. I know she’s right. I have to think on the bright side. For one, I got to “fool around” with him before he became an insufferable prick. But I won’t allow him to outdo me, that’s for certain. And two, the deal with Blackwood is something that can help the hotels expand their potential. I have so many plans and ideas, ones that have seemed like a dream, things I told myself I’d try once the hotels made profit for a year. With a company like Blackwood, some of those things can become a reality now. When he talked earlier about his strategic blueprint for the overhaul—while sounding way too cocky and know-it-all about it—I didn’t get mad at his immediate assessment of room for growth.
Truth is, the business and success-oriented side of me was getting excited. I understand there’s potential for enhancement.
“You’re right, Pauline,” I admit. “And I know the pros more than outweigh the cons. It just sucks.”
“I know it does,” she says in her dry way. “You were really into him.”
“Okay, I wouldn’t go that far. I was drawn to him by some electric pull, yes. Call it a momentary lapse in judgment. Call it a surge of balcony-adrenaline. Call it cocktail blindness. Of course, now when I think about his face all I want to do is poke him in the eye.”
“Whoa, easy there, killer, don’t go too far,” Pauline teases and leans back. “In all seriousness, there’s a simple solution that’ll help you deal with all these complex emotions.”
“Please, I’m all ears.”
“Sleep with him.”
I burst out laughing. “God dammit, Pauline. Be serious.”
“Oh, I am,” she says, without an ounce of humor. “Despite how pissed at him you are, that doesn’t change the fact that he made you come. That’s more than your ex ever did. Seriously, Jess, what more is there to think about? I say, sleep with him and get it out of your system. Otherwise, you’ll just drive yourself crazy wondering what it would be like.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen. Any desire has been successfully stamped out after that meeting.”
“If you say so,” Pauline says, getting to her feet. “Can’t wait to meet him. Where’s he now?”
“No idea. I left him on the second floor when he tried to buy my half of the hotels.”
“Oh, geez.”
“Yeah. I love this place too much to simply hand it over.”
“I admire you for that, Jess. I really do.”
Pauline heads for the door, and just before she opens it, I ask, “What would you do?”
“Me? If I were you, I’d take the deal and count my money on a beach somewhere with my family.”
Her swift response catches me off guard. She didn’t even think twice. “Just like that?”
“Hell yeah. Life is too short to sit in a hotel office all day, no matter how comfy it is.”
She has a point, I admit. Savoring a Sex on the Beach cocktail on an actual beach, rather than being embroiled in a brutal office war with a presumptuous billionaire co-owner, undeniably has its advantages.
“And…you wouldn’t sleep with him?” I ask.
Pauline makes a mock noise of surprise. “I’m a happily married woman, Jess. Me, I would never, ever, dream of such a scenario,” she teases. “That being said, you’re not me. You don’t have to like the guy to have some fun. Just saying.”
Without another word, she spins on her heel, and exits my office to get back to work.
I know she’s joking to cheer me up. And I get how any lingering attraction will make this whole scenario difficult.
But I meant what I said. I can’t think about him without my heart spiking with indignation.
However, I know if I’m going to win his favor and demonstrate my indispensability as a team player—exceptional enough for him to knock off any thoughts of buying my shares—I must set aside last night’s events. For the good of my staff and my own sanity.
Squaring my shoulders, I take a few deep breaths and bring my focus back to work, pushing away the hot memories from the night before.
Idon’t see him the rest of the day. Following his tour, he requested supplementary files from Sarah (with a dash of grumbling about why we still rely on antiquated paper files instead of embracing the digital era, good grief), and then gracefully departed the premises, en route to his office at Blackwood Inc. At least, that’s where I assume he went.
It doesn’t matter to me as long as he’s off the property.
I’ve never been one to avoid my problems, but in this particular instance, I welcome the distance. It gives me a chance to decompress and figure out how I want to handle this “delicate” situation we find ourselves in.
I conclude the best way is to hash things out with him as soon as possible.
Tonight.
The remainder of my day is consumed with calming my concerned colleagues who pop by my office door. They find comfort in understanding that Mr. Blackwood is merely a new co-owner, while I firmly maintain the role of manager. In between these visits, I juggle my usual day-to-day duties and address Norman’s organizational tasks. It’s exhausting but keeps my mind busy, and when 7:00 p.m. rolls around, I’m more than ready to go home—even though that means dealing with Sean Blackwood.
But I’ve had enough time to think about what I want to say to him.
As soon as I step off the elevator, with purpose, I march to his door and knock. After a few seconds, when no one answers, I knock again. Nothing. He must not be home yet. Deflated, I let myself into my own apartment, greeted by Pippin’s delighted chirping.
“Pippin, Mommy’s home!” I cross the room, open the cage door, and reach inside. Immediately, he hops onto my finger, still chirping when I take him out. “And did you have a great day?”
I stroke his little head, and he gives me an affectionate nibble before hop-flying onto my shoulder. He never fails to make me smile. I know for a fact he’ll be perfectly content hanging out on my shoulder for the rest of the evening.
“Pippin, you would not believe the day I had,” I tell him, tossing my purse onto the couch. “As soon as that grumpy neighbor of ours gets home, I’m going to confront him about yesterday. But first, dinner.”
I bring the food app up on my phone, trying to decide what I’m in the mood for. Given how all over the place the day was, ordering in is preferred. After tapping the “Confirm order” button, I clean Pippin’s cage, replenish his water, and refill his food trays. Squawking, he watches me and then hops to his food tray, eager to munch on a fresh piece of apple as I collapse on the couch. With a full belly, the little cutie pie ventures back out. He wanders for a bit and returns to my shoulder where he remains, preening himself.
As I wait for my quintessential New-York-style vegetable and chickpea curry, I get lost socializing on my favorite platform, scrolling through video after video, laughing and amusing myself.
That’s when I hear footsteps out in the hallway.
Part of me thinks I should give Sean a chance to decompress before cornering him and demanding we talk. Then again, I had zero time to prepare before walking into that meeting this morning. Besides, the sooner we talk things out, the better.
Taking a deep breath, I heave myself off the couch and step out of my apartment. By now, Sean’s already inside.
I waste no time knocking. “Hello?”
The moment he opens the door and sees me, I launch into the speech I prepared. “Don’t say anything, just listen,” I demand, my voice positive, even playful, but firm. “Abandoning you on our tour was childish of me, yes, but you have to see that I have every right to be angry. First and foremost, this entire deal was done behind my back without my knowledge. And while that’s an issue I addressed with Norman, you coming in and trying to buy me out was frustrating.”
“Jess—”
“Not done yet,” I say, holding up my hand. “I’m already feeling like my opinion wasn’t considered, and now you’re trying to take away my dream. I’ve worked my ass off bringing those hotels to where they are now, and I don’t appreciate a stranger trying to swoop in and take it all from me.”
“Norman had every right?—”
“Nope, not done yet.” I cut him off a second time. “Secondly, if all that wasn’t bad enough, now I have to deal with the fact that I…” I pause, searching for the right word, “… ‘playfully engaged’ with the new co-owner of my hotels.” It’s the best expression I can come up with to make it sound less awkward than it already is. “I can assure you, if I’d had any idea who you were last night, I wouldn’t have flirted with you. And I definitely wouldn’t have cornered you. Nor let you do…that with me.”
He’s giving me a funny look—has been since the moment he opened the door. It gets to the point where I have to address it.
“And why are you looking at me like that?” I ask.
“It’s not every day that your neighbor and new colleague shows up at your door to monologue at you with a bird sitting on their shoulder.”
Oh, shoot.I never put Pippin back in his cage. I immediately reach up to stroke the bird’s feathers, which are slightly ruffled. He must sense my feelings toward Sean, or maybe he’s confused as to why he’s outside of our apartment. Realizing that my passionate speech is probably being undercut by the bird perched on me, I feel the heat rise in my cheeks.
“One second.”
I storm back into my place and put Pippin (who thinks this is a riot) in his cage. When I return to Sean’s, he’s no longer where I left him, however, the door to his apartment is still open.
I let myself in, finding him standing at a small bar next to the balcony doors. He’s making himself a coffee and begins to speak without even bothering to look at me.
“You expect me to believe it was a coincidence?” he asks. “That you really didn’t know who I was?”
“How the hell would I have known?” I demand. “You and I never exchanged names, and Norman dropped a fait accompli on me after my two-week trip.”
He snorts in disbelief and makes a gesture to offer me a drink, but I shake my head. Picking up his steaming cup, he turns to look me in the eye, his expression dark and serious. “Very convincing. He didn’t give you the name of the company who bought his shares?”
“He sure did. Point is, I didn’t know your name.” Or that you were the CEO of Blackwood, but I don’t say it. Everyone in the hotel business knows Blackwood Hotels Resorts. Is my life falling apart just because I didn’t make ForbesMagazine my bedtime reading? Undoubtedly, high and mighty Sean Blackwood’s photograph graces their cover like a frequent flyer.
“I’m almost considering believing you,” he growls. “I’m curious, what exactly was your plan? Seduce the new boss and use it as leverage?”
“I’m not that kind of person, and I’d appreciate you not to think of me as such,” I say. “But if you’re really fixated on that made-up scenario, then tell me how I tried to use last night to my advantage.”
He’s silent, stirring his coffee rather than answering my question. It’s clear from his reticence that he doesn’t have an answer, and it makes me smirk in triumph.
“Exactly,” I exclaim. “You can’t because I definitely didn’t.”
He puts the spoon down. “You could have been trying to gather insider information or just gain a psychological upper hand.”
I can’t help but laugh, genuinely amused. “Oh, come on now, Mr. CEO. You’re giving me way too much credit,” I say. “I had no idea who you were at the time, and trust me, if I were really out to gain an advantage, I would have used far more sophisticated methods than a tipsy ‘chance encounter’ in Swayze’s bathroom.”
There’s an awkward pause where we both just look at each other.
He really has beautiful eyes, a rich, dark forest green, deep, and captivating.
Long, striking lashes.
Well-defined, masculine brows.
“What’s done is done,” he breaks the silence, “but I’m sure it goes without saying that it’s not going to happen again.”
“Well, there’s something we can finally both agree on.”
“Good.”
“Yeah, good.” I nod, slightly irritated. “And just so you know. First, I’m not interested in a repeat performance with someone after they gave me a ‘hit and run.’ Our encounter was rather…brief. Second, even if I were interested in a snack rather than a meal, your attitude today successfully killed any attraction I may have had.”
“Same,” he says.
Annoyance bolts through me. “What the hell did I do? You were the one acting like a jerk and trying to steal my business out from under me.”
“I’m not trying to steal it. I’m trying to buy it. I was and still am willing to negotiate the payout, but you’re being too stubborn to even listen to what I’m offering.”
“Oh, I heard you, loud and clear. Yet you don’t seem to hear me when I say I’m not interested in money.”
“Blackwood has acquired nearly fifteen hotels in the last six months alone. I’ve worked with clients who were just as stubborn as you, in some cases even more. And let me tell you this: every single one of them ended up taking the deal in the end. Every. Single. One. So you can lie to yourself all you want, but everyone has a price.”
The absolute nerve of this guy.
Keep cool. Be warm. Charm your way to victory.
It’s something my mom instilled in me from an early age.
I inhale a deep breath to retain my composure and stop myself from stomping away like I did earlier. “Here’s something to consider, Sean,” I say with a (diplomatic) smile, and the use of his first name catches even me by surprise, though I keep my voice charmingly steady to conceal just how worked up I truly am. “I’ll bet you a million dollars they ended up taking the payout because they didn’t want to deal with you anymore, Mr. ‘I Work Alone.’ I’m not going to speak for them, and I don’t doubt some of them have dollar signs in their eyes. However, I’m sure that a few of them felt forced out, felt like their life’s work was being pulled away from them, and they took the money because they suspected that you weren’t willing to play nice.”
Okay, so all that wasn’t polite or diplomatic, but the truth never hurt anyone.
“And that’s why Norman sold his shares?”
I blink. “Well…that’s not what I said. All I’m saying is that that’s not going to happen to me,” I insist, my composed smile gone. “I sank my life savings into the Westerlyn chain. I worked my fingers to the bone at each property, sacrificed birthdays, holidays, weekends, and…even a wedding.” I swallow, warding off the flood of personal memories. “Anyway…I saw the potential. And now that I’m finally where I was always meant to be, where my staff has become my family, I’m not going to trade that for a few extra zeros on a check.” I narrow my eyes at him. “So either find a way to set your ego aside and work with me or prepare for the fight of your life. The choice is yours.”
I don’t wait for a response. I don’t need one.
I’ve said what I wanted to say and that’s all that matters. Feeling significantly lighter, I turn my back on Sean and exit his apartment. Who knows if my words got through to him?
All I can do is wait to see what tomorrow brings.