Chapter 4 Drew #2
I nodded and hoped that I looked understanding. Fuck, this TV shit was already exhausting and I’d barely been at it for three minutes. Did I really want to subject myself to this?
“We’re considering letting our fans vote on which resort we should pick,” Carter continued. “Twenty million followers can’t be wrong.”
I forced my expression to remain neutral. But twenty million? Yeah, no matter what I had to make sure we landed this account, even though it came with the ridiculous reality charade. The publicity would be priceless.
I needed to get to Emilia, to convince her to convince them that there was no better spot for a demi-celebrity wedding.
Based on the way her expression hardened every time she glanced my way, I knew I had my work cut out for me.
“Ginny,” I called out to her. “Why don’t you show our guests the Vista Suite?”
My meeting planner cocked an eyebrow at me but gave a nod that she understood.
The suite was always held in reserve for our ultra-premium guests, since many of them refused to plan ahead but expected us to be ready for them regardless.
We’d housed royalty, presidents, and captains of industry in the grand space, so the idea that I was allowing reality TV stars to use it conveyed just how important they were to me.
“Wonderful,” she said with a nod. “Kristen, Carter, would you please follow me?”
“Emilia,” I called out to her as she fell in line behind the group. “May I speak with you for a moment?”
Her shoulders slumped and she looked like a surly teenager. She’d clearly already forgotten that she was being recorded and anything she did could and would be used against her on national television. She stalked over to me, waited for the cameras to clear the room, and crossed her arms defiantly.
“Are you going to subject me to jokes about being an alcoholic again, or should we wait for the cameras to come back?”
“Let’s move past that,” I said smoothly, using my customer service voice. “Our focus should be on the couple of the hour, not any issues you might have with me.”
“Right now everything is sort of tied up together,” she shot back. “Which is why I’m leaning towards not suggesting this property as our best option.”
Tension spread behind my eyes. “Emilia, please. Let’s be adults about this. It’s a win-win for both of us.”
She snorted out a laugh. “I can certainly see how it would be a win for you. Everyone thinks that this place is cursed since the whole runaway wedding planner situation. Crazy that he stole the groom away the night before his wedding to that poor, unsuspecting bride. It’s the talk of the biz. You should see the memes.”
Yeah, that was exactly the problem. That was why the Ashford Carmel—the most elite wedding destination on the west coast for decades—now couldn’t seem to book a wedding for love or money.
No one wanted to touch us for anything romance related.
Hell, we’d even had a couple cancel their twenty-fifth anniversary celebration last week, saying they didn’t want to give their marriage “bad vibes.”
I didn’t give a shit about superstition, but I had all the shits to give about our bottom line, and I was not going to let our wedding business vanish into the ether.
We needed a high profile win, a celebrity wedding that would show the world that we still had what it took to deliver a picture-perfect happily-ever-after.
We needed Carter and Kristen—badly. And it was just my luck that this was the woman standing between me and making that happen.
I cut to the chase. “What are the other two properties in the running?”
“Océan Blu and Whispering Bay,” she answered. It was the reply I’d expected, whether it was true or not. She had to know they were our stiffest competition.
“Which has the best package?”
She contorted her adorable face as she considered it.
“Financially, it’s Whispering but obviously money doesn’t matter to those two.
I think they’re leaning towards Océan because they’re throwing in free spa packages for every guest. Massages, facials, the works.
And you can’t beat that beach. Carter wants to have the ceremony by the water, which isn’t an option here. ”
I ground my teeth together. Our beach was better but we’d never expanded it to events on the sand, mainly because of the logistical challenges.
Staff had been asking us to reconsider for ages.
Honestly, I didn’t love the optics of brides with their veils nearly being ripped off by the wind or dealing with predatory seagulls, but if they were willing to take the risk, did I really want to tell them no? Maybe it was time for a change.
“We’ll do it for them,” I countered. “And match the spa package, and throw in hotel gift baskets with our signature robes and luxury toiletries, and offer free breakfast for the duration of the event.”
“For the crew too?”
I sputtered at her presumption. “I’ll include a breakfast buffet for them, that’s it.”
“And you’ll match Whispering’s rates?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. It would cost us a fortune, but I could live with that.
You had to spend money to make money, and I already felt like we were bleeding revenue with every wedding that got canceled or failed to get booked.
The real issue was that I hated to let someone else dominate the negotiation like this.
Still, she had me over a barrel, and she knew it. “What are they?”
She pulled her phone out of a hidden pocket – that damn phone – and tapped the screen.
She moved closer and I was enveloped in a light and airy scent, like the beach with a hint of something sweet, like a creamsicle.
I wanted to pause everything and lean closer to the nape of her neck to breathe her in.
“Here,” she said, a little more insistently since I’d neglected to look at the screen.
The numbers had to be manipulated, or not entirely transparent, but again, I had no choice. One little bit of sacrifice for a major reward. We could stand the hit.
“Fine.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
I smirked. “Not used to dealing directly with the CEO, are you? The buck stops here. If I say yes, it’s yes. Period.”
She blinked, a little taken aback, but she recovered quickly. “Well, okay then. Your offer is going to be tough to beat. I’ll go to bat for you but the final decision is up to them. Cross your piggies, bossman.”
I glared at her but kept my mouth shut. She walked out to the balcony and I stared at her ass as she left, because how could I not?
A few minutes later I heard a wall of sound headed our way, and then the couple of the hour burst into the meeting room.
“Oh my gosh, that suite,” Kristen exclaimed, her eyes shining. “I want to live there! Did Princess Diana really sleep in that room?”
“She did indeed, and so have Harry and Megan. It’s our most exclusive offering,” I replied.
I shot Emilia a look to remind her that she needed to push the property.
“We have to make a big decision,” she said in an overloud voice with a glance at the cameras. “Let’s go over the specifics.”
I kicked myself for not reminding her to keep the amount a secret.
This was going to be broadcast to the whole world, and there was no way we’d offer the same rates again.
I soon discovered that we were on the same wavelength.
Emilia outlined the perks I’d just granted them, and then showed the pricing on her tablet, holding it so that the cameras couldn’t see.
“Huh,” Kristen said. She glanced at Carter. “What do you think, hon?”
I wasn’t sure how to read the look that passed between them, and my stomach twisted.
He opened his mouth to answer.
“Hold up, hold up,” a guy in a ratty baseball cap said, striding in front of them. “This light is terrible. Let’s move this outside. Fast, fast, let’s go, we need to capture this moment.”
Oh, how I hated the manufactured bullshit. I’d always suspected that ninety percent of reality TV was fake, and now I was seeing it firsthand. I followed the parade of people to the balcony and waited while everyone got into appropriate positions.
“Take it from the princess stuff,” the hat guy said. “Go.”
Kristen blinked her eyes quickly, forced a smile, and then gazed lovingly at Carter, hitting the line with as much excitement as the first time she’d said it.
“Damn it, her mic! I’m hearing friction,” Hat Guy shouted. “Fix it.”
Kristen was starting to look a bit annoyed, but Carter didn’t appear bothered by the resets. She waited while a minion scurried out to adjust the lapel mic then went back into adoration-mode.
“Again,” Hat Guy ordered.
“So what do you think, hon?”
Somehow Kristen nailed the exact expectant tone each time, but then again, she was an actress. I figured it wasn’t a stretch to be playing herself.
I held my breath, waiting for the interruption yet again, but this time around seemed to be working for the director. Maybe we’d finally get an answer.
Because I needed an answer now.
“Well, babe,” Carter said as he wrapped his arms around Kristen’s waist. “I think we just secured our happy ending.”
I breathed a sigh of relief as Kristen jumped up to kiss him. Fucking yes, this was happening.
“Uh, hold on folks. ‘Happy ending’ sounds like an adult massage parlor thing,” Hat Guy said. “Again please, but this time go with ‘happily ever after.’”
I didn’t need to be around for the minutia of the shoot, I had my answer. The Ashford Luxe was one step closer to redemption.
I glanced at Emilia and she had the nerve to wink at me.
Why did I find it adorable?