Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Sullivan heard Piper’s reaction and couldn’t help but feel pleased by it.
He wanted to impress her, something he had never thought about doing with any other woman.
There was something about her that spoke to his soul.
Piper had a purity about her, a zest for life, and a boundless energy which he had rarely witnessed in others.
Every woman he had dated from college and beyond had been jaded. They acted bored by everything around them and showed no interest in much of anything. Piper was the exact opposite, interested in everything around her, and he couldn’t wait to show his latest project to her.
“This is incredible!” she declared. “It also looks as if it were meant to be here, as if it’s a part of the landscape.”
“That’s something I really work on doing,” he said with pride.
“After I’m given certain parameters regarding the design, which I mentioned, Wagner Enterprises has learned to give me the freedom to create what I wish.
Zane is the one who locates and purchases the properties, and it’s my job to envision something which needs to blend in as a part of the surrounding area.
This is only the second beach resort I’ve designed, and I think I did a decent job with it. ”
“More than decent,” she said, her eyes sweeping over the main facility and then around to other visible buildings.
“I only came out to the island a few times. The couple who owned it ran a small hotel, but it had a good-sized ballroom. Our senior prom was held in it. I attended a few weddings and receptions here, as well, with my parents.”
He nodded. “They were reaching retirement age and knew they were sitting on a goldmine. Zane had been after them for almost five years to sell, and he finally persuaded them that they needed to sell while they still had their health and could enjoy the money the sale would bring. Naturally, we razed the previous structure and then started from scratch. Fortunately, we had a lot of room to work with. Let’s look at a few of the bungalows first and see the outside features before we head into the main establishment. ”
They entered a bungalow, and she said, “I’m surprised this is completely furnished. It’s very tastefully done. It’s got that beach vibe, but it still looks sophisticated.” As she walked through it, she added, “This is as big as a lot of houses in the Bay.”
“The bungalows vary between fifteen hundred and two thousand square feet,” he shared. “Each will come with its own butler to attend to guests’ needs.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “I don’t ever see myself staying at Tidewater.”
“You say that, but we always like to have a few people come in and do that very thing, Zane among them. He likes to sleep in a bed to see what the mattress, sheets, and pillows feel like. He wants to watch and see how the room is cleaned. He’ll eat meals in the various restaurants and give feedback on the dishes.
I can make sure you’re on the list, and you can be a part of that process a couple of weeks before Tidewater opens. ”
Her eyes lit up in surprise. “That would be incredible, Sullivan. Thank you. It would be a real treat to experience such luxury.”
He didn’t mention that he was usually gone by that time, and these were things which Zane did on his own.
A prickle of jealousy rippled through him, thinking of his best friend escorting Piper about the property, letting her sample items from the menus and sleep in a suite.
He shook it off, preferring to live in this moment with her and take all the enjoyment he could from it.
Her hand ran along the sofa. “This material is sumptuous. Of course, I realize a professional decorator has come in and pulled the look together.”
“We used Kaitlyn Banner on this project. She’s done interior design work for Wagner for several years now, from suites to restaurants. She’s in her mid-thirties. Bright and creative.”
“Well, if you talk to her, tell her the rooms capture the feel of the beach. They’re luxurious and inviting and in a wonderful palette.”
Piper sat on the sofa. “Everything is comfortable, and yet it’s obvious that it’s a cut above the usual hotel experience. Are all the bungalows already furnished?”
“Not yet. While the outside of every building has been completed they’re working on the insides. Painting. Flooring. Furnishings. They like to decorate various types of rooms to see if the design works. Once it’s approved, then they’ll order large runs of items, such as the duvets and curtains.”
“Let’s go see more,” she said excitedly, her eyes sparkling.
Sullivan took her by the three different pools, noting their swim-up bars.
He also showed her the outdoor restaurant which would be used for breakfast and poolside service, along with the cabanas.
They walked down to the tennis courts, and he explained that guests could play sets and also sign up for lessons with the pro.
“We don’t have to go over now, but on the back side of the island is a golf course.” He named the golfer who had designed it, and she nodded in recognition.
“Even I’ve heard of him.”
“Once we knew the dimensions of the hotel and surrounding bungalows and amenities, work on the golf course began first. It takes time to lay it out and have the grass grow in properly. I’m curious as to whom they’ll hire for the golf pro.”
She laughed. “Well, it won’t be me. I’ve never held a golf club in my life. Or a tennis racket.”
Those were two sports that children in his social world were exposed to from a young age.
Sullivan bit back a smile, thinking what it would be like to introduce Piper to his mother.
She would be appalled at Piper’s modest background and small-town upbringing and shocked that she had dropped out of college, never finishing her degree.
“You’re smiling. That means you play both golf and tennis.”
“It’s something I grew up doing,” he admitted. “Sometimes, business is conducted on the links. I don’t want to be left out of those talks. And I’m competitive enough that I want to shine.”
“What else did you do as a boy that I have no experience with?”
“I took horseback riding lessons and competed in dressage. Sailing lessons, too.”
“Finally, something I’m familiar with. I love being on the water. Dad has both a sailboat and a small fishing boat. Sometimes, I think I’m most myself on the water.”
“I’ve never been fishing,” he revealed. “Pepaw hated the smell of fish. He worked summers from the time he was thirteen at the fishery in town. It was where his dad and uncles worked. Pepaw despised the taste of fish, too. The family almost went to war over him choosing to apprentice with the town carpenter. He was happy, though, doing what he loved.”
“Then I’ll take you fishing,” she said eagerly. “We can catch dinner and bring it back for Mom to fry it up. She’s got an amazing recipe for fish batter.”
He grimaced. “Would this catching include cleaning fish?”
She smiled widely. “If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to clean a fish. You can watch and learn, Prepster.”
He thought Piper had a lot she could teach him about how to live life.
They continued through the beautifully landscaped grounds, stopping at two of the tranquil outdoor spaces meant for guests to meditate or relax in. Going down to the water, he pointed out the various water sports which would be offered, from kayaking and paddleboarding to snorkeling.
“Let’s head to the main building now,” he suggested. “I think you’ll find the lobby interesting.”
Sulivan had them walk around the hotel so they could enter from the front and get the full effect. As he anticipated, Piper was thoroughly impressed.
“It’s simply gorgeous, Sullivan,” she praised. “Even though we’re inside, your design makes it seem as if we’re outside. You’ve really brought the island to life in here.”
They went upstairs to one of the sample indoor suites.
“It’s hard for me to imagine having all this room.
I lived on the road the last ten years, and we were booked into rooms which were no larger than shoeboxes.
Every room here has sitting rooms. Some even have dining rooms. The bedrooms are larger than the apartment I shared with three other gals in New York. ”
“I live in New York,” he told her. “Zane and I share an apartment. I can walk from it to the office in mid-town. It’s got a great view of the park.”
“I’m sure my entire Brooklyn apartment would’ve fit into your closet,” she joked. “I finally gave it up because I was traveling so much, going directly into rehearsals for a new musical after wrapping a run with the current one.”
“You really did live out of a suitcase,” he marveled, unable to imagine everything he owned fitting into what he could carry.
“Let’s keep going,” she said cheerfully.
He took her to the spa area, which had treatment rooms and a large relaxation center, as well as hot and cold plunge pools, a hot tub, indoor swimming pool, and a Nordic ice room. Opening the door to it, they stepped inside for a moment.
“Brr! This is freezing even with my clothes on,” Piper declared. “I can’t imagine being wet.”
Immediately, he pictured her without clothes, and desire rippled through him. He told himself she wasn’t a one-night stand kind of woman. Or even someone who would be interested in engaging in a brief affair. His time in the Bay was limited, so Piper Roberts should be off-limits.
Yet he wanted to spend every waking moment left with this woman.
“Where to next?” she asked.
They explored the fitness center, which was located on the same floor as the spa.
“Even this is luxurious for a locker room,” she said as they walked through the women’s changing rooms and shower facilities before heading into the fitness center itself, stopping first in the weight room. “All these sparkling weights.”
Piper moved into the room filled with machines, from exercise bikes and treadmills to lat pulldowns and leg extension machines. “Everything you would need for a complete workout.”