I was still fuming from my meeting with Trent. How dare he tell me “no” without even reading the proposal? The man was infuriating.
Penny poked her head in. “Well?”
I blew out a breath and slumped back in my chair. “He said no. Didn’t even read the damn thing.”
She scurried inside and sat across from me. “What? That plan was perfect. We worked so hard.”
“Don’t worry. I didn’t accept his denial. I will get him to see it’s a good plan, but I need a little time to cool down.”
Her lips quirked to one side. “How are you going to do that?”
“I have no idea yet, but I’m working on it.” I’d be damned if I was going to let all our hard work go to waste. I pushed the proposal aside for now and focused on the next issue. “Has Mystique ever had a resident performer?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know, like other hotels have? Wayne Newton? Celine Dion? Brittany Spears? Someone who has a long-term contract to perform here?”
She shook her head. “I wish. All our shows are for one night only. It’s exhausting.”
“Perfect.” I picked up my portfolio, ready for my next meeting. Hopefully, this one would go better than the morning.
The conference room was already crowded when I arrived. I slipped into a chair halfway down the table and took out my notes. This was a good idea. If I couldn’t win Trent’s favor, maybe the way to do so was through his father. He’s the one who hired me, and he was the one I needed to impress.
Trent and Hunter walked in and took their seats, flanking the head of the table. It was hard to believe they were brothers. They looked nothing alike except for their sharp jawlines and impressive cheekbones. Trent did everything in his power to push me away, while Hunter seemed adamant about pulling me closer. They stared at each other with animosity. Whatever was going on between those two, I wanted nothing to do with it. Truth be told, it didn’t break my heart to cancel my breakfast with Hunter. There was something about him that set me on high alert. I just couldn’t put my finger on it.
Mr. Dorsey, the big boss, came in with a scowl on his face I’d seen mirrored on Trent’s and took his place at the head of the table. “Good afternoon, everyone. It’s been a hell of a week, so tell me something good. Any ideas to move us up the ranks are welcome.”
We all looked at each other, no one wanting to go first.
Mr. Dorsey pressed his lips together in frustration. “Surely, someone must have an idea to get us out of this holding pattern. Please don’t be shy. I’m not going to jump down anyone’s throats. We need this. I’m open to anything.”
I fingered the edges of my portfolio, mustering up the courage to let my voice be heard among the group of veteran employees.
“Sex toys.” An older woman, with her gray hair pulled back tightly in a bun, stood and addressed the group.
Murmurs erupted around the room and Mr. Dorsey’s eyes went wide, but he refrained from shutting her down. “Explain.”
“As head of housekeeping for the last twenty years, I can tell you that guests in the hotel have a lot of sex. This is where people come to explore the fantasies they might not otherwise have the courage to indulge in. Why not give them a little nudge? Something to remember their time at Mystique. Something to come back for.”
My own experience in Vegas confirmed her words. There was no way I would have ever given myself to two men back in Waukegan.
“She’s kind of right,” the man sitting across from me spoke. “Vegas is Sin City. What happens here…” He shrugged his shoulders.
The woman from housekeeping pointed her finger at him. “That’s exactly right. Some people are intimidated by sex shops, but if the things they want are at their disposal, they are more likely to try something new.” She pulled a pile of papers from the folder in front of her and started handing them around the table. “This is a luxury sex toy shop out of New York. I’ve already discussed with them the possibility of putting together special kits for us to offer to our patrons. They would be available in every room…” She held up a finger. “For a surcharge, of course. Think of it as a minibar for sex.”
There were giggles and gasps as the brochures made their way around the table. I looked at the one in front of me and swallowed. Cock rings, vibrators, and floggers… oh my! My lady parts clenched as my mind went back to the things Trent and his friend did to me. I sneaked a peek at Trent.
His eyes locked on mine as his finger tapped against his lips. He looked like a hungry tiger ready to pounce. I could have sworn he hated me, but what I saw on his face wasn’t hatred. It was desire, burning and barely contained.
Hunter tossed the paper aside. “I think it’s gaudy and cheap. We’re not a brothel.”
The older lady scowled at him. “I assure you, there’s nothing cheap about anything in this brochure. Sex is natural. What’s wrong with turning up the heat a little and injecting some fun into it?”
Trent cleared his throat. “I agree with Greta. There’s nothing cheap about this. I think it’s a good idea.”
Hunter rolled his eyes. “You would.”
Mr. Dorsey pounded his fist on the table. “Enough!” He smiled at the older woman. “I like it. It’s a great idea, Greta. We’ll meet later to firm up the specifics.”
She nodded at him. “Thank you, Mr. Dorsey.”
He motioned around the table with his arm. “We’re off to a good start. What else do we have?”
Another man stood. “I’ve been working with Tony in technology and we’re developing an app.”
Mr. Dorsey cocked his head to the side. “Tell me more.”
“It’s an app guests download on their phones. They can check in remotely before they arrive. The app would give us an estimated time of arrival. Valet service will be ready to handle baggage and key cards. It will be faster and more efficient for our guests. The possibilities are endless. We can program the app for room service, reservations, and booking events. Everything a guest could possibly need will be accessible with the push of a few buttons.” He backed away from the table and approached the presentation board. “May I?”
Mr. Dorsey gave him a nod.
The man went on to give a full demonstration of the capabilities of the app. By the end, the entire room was eating out of the palm of his hand.
I didn’t have anything as fancy as a brochure or presentation prepared. I didn’t expect this meeting to be so formal. I pulled my notes from my portfolio and mentally went through all the key points.
“Anything else?” Mr. Dorsey asked.
I took a deep breath and stood, attracting the attention of both Hunter and Trent, who raised an eyebrow. Yeah… I didn’t run this by him for fear he’d shoot it down before I barely got it started. This was going to piss him off, but I didn’t care.
“I’ve been looking over the entertainment you’ve had for the last couple months, as well as the financials for the events. There’s no doubt you’ve had top-tier performers, but each one comes with their own set of complications and additional costs. I’m suggesting something more steady and streamlined. Something that doesn’t have us dealing with dozens of riders and demanding musicians.”
Trent crossed his arms, rocked back in his chair, and gave me the evil eye. “You mean something that makes your job easier.”
I leaned on the table. “I’m talking about something more profitable. A residency. An exclusive event you can only see at Mystique.”
“You have my attention, Ms. Romano,” Mr. Dorsey said. “What do you have in mind?”
I stepped over to the presentation board and synced my phone with it. I pushed play on the YouTube video and stood back. “This.”
The screen came alive, and music filled the room. The young woman with bright-purple hair danced around the stage, sucking in the audience with her phenomenal vocals and sexy moves. The camera panned across the crowd that was going wild. There wasn’t an empty seat in the arena. When the video finished, I turned the screen off.
“Is that Ariel Fox?” someone asked.
“It is. She’s fresh, hot, and in high demand. Every concert she’s performed has sold out in minutes, and don’t get me started on the merchandising. I’m telling you, she’s a gold mine. People would come from all over the country to see her. We’d be sold out every night. In addition, we’re not dealing with different road crews. It provides stability.”
“And you think you can get her to agree?” Trent asked skeptically.
This is where my plan had a few wrinkles. I should have gotten a confirmation before pitching the idea, but I’d been too intent on sticking it to my boss today. “I think there’s a good chance.”
“A chance?” he quipped.
I rubbed my sweaty palms on my skirt. “A good chance. I have an inside contact, but I didn’t want to make promises I couldn’t keep without running it by all of you first.” That was a lie. I didn’t have any inside contacts. I was hoping to sign her with sheer determination alone.
Mr. Dorsey gave me an approving nod. “That was smart. I’m on board. See what you can do.”
I sat back down and did an internal fist pump. Take that, Trent! Now I actually had to make it happen. If I didn’t, I’d be eating crow pie and suffering the humiliation my new boss would rain down on me.
I couldn’t let that happen.
Penny pulled me through the crowded club and toward the bar. My head swung from side to side taking it all in. Music pulsed and scantily clad women danced in cages hung from the ceiling. The waitresses wore rabbit ears, tight black corsets, and tiny black shorts with puffy little tails. “What is this place?”
“It’s a throwback to the Playboy clubs. When the club went defunct, it was bought by someone else, but they kept the vibe going.”
When I accepted Penny’s invitation to get drinks, I had no idea it would be this. “You brought me to a strip club?”
“It’s not a strip club,” she insisted. “It’s more of a striptease club. There’s some erotic dancing, but all the naughty parts are covered.”
Maybe I was a prude, but at twenty-seven, I’d never been to a strip club. You never had a threesome either, but things are changing. I supposed they were. It was time to break free of the box I’d put myself in. I wanted to explore the real Vegas and it didn’t get much more real than this. There was so much going on, I didn’t know where to look.
Penny nabbed two seats at the bar, and I hopped up on the stool next to her. The bartender came over. “What can I get you?” She was a pretty woman with long, dark-red dreadlocks piled up on top of her head, a piercing through her nose, and big, silver hoop earrings. Vividly colored tattoos peeked out from her black corset.
Penny leaned forward to be heard over the loud music. “We’re celebrating! Two apple martinis.”
“I don’t know if we should be celebrating yet,” I protested.
“Bullshit! We kicked ass this week. We wrote a killer proposal, and you pitched a great idea at the staff meeting. That deserves a drink.”
The bartender set our drinks on the rail and hurried off to the next customer.
“A proposal that hasn’t been approved yet and an idea I’m not positive I can pull off. I feel like celebrating is a bit premature.”
Penny picked up her glass and slid the other toward me. “It’s still an impressive first week. It took Suzette three weeks to even get a meeting with Trent.”
“Three weeks?”
She nodded as she drank and held up three fingers.
I had an inkling why I’d gotten a face-to-face meeting on day one, but I didn’t plan on sharing that information with my assistant. I held my glass up. “To big plans and hoping they come to fruition.”
Penny clinked her half-empty glass with mine. “They will. I have a good feeling about you.”
“Let’s hope I live up to everyone’s expectations.” I took a sip of my own martini. “So, tell me more about Penny. Boyfriend?”
She sat tall and shimmied her shoulders. “His name is Fred. He’s exceptionally loyal, a complete snuggle bug, has the most gorgeous ginger hair, and likes to lick my ears.”
That was more than I needed to know. My nose scrunched up unconsciously.
Penny slapped me on the shoulder. “He’s a cat, you idiot.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Oh, thank God! I thought you were into some strange fetish thing. I mean, you did bring me here.”
She waved a hand in the air. “This is tame for Vegas. Better get used to it. So, whose heart did you break by coming here?”
I cocked my head to the side. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t be so coy.” Penny wriggled a finger from my head to my toes. “Look at you. You’re gorgeous. Surely you broke a man’s heart by moving across the country.”
My nose scrunched again. “Sadly, no. I dated my childhood sweetheart on and off through high school and college. Getting married was the next logical step for us. Unfortunately, we had different ideas about our future. He would have liked to see me barefoot and pregnant. I wanted more out of life. I wanted a career. He had a hard time being married to someone who was never home. We divorced a year ago.”
She pouted. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have prodded.”
“It’s fine. We’re still good friends.” I sucked down the rest of my martini and motioned for the bartender to bring us another round. “Who knows, maybe I’ll find a man who isn’t turned off by a workaholic, career-driven woman.”
Penny spread her arms wide. “The world is your oyster. There’s no shortage of successful men in this city.”
“What does that even mean, the world is your oyster? Seriously, who wants their world to be an oyster?”
“Who cares? You know what I mean. You need to get out of your office more. Meet people.”
“Well, you’re my only friend, so I hope you have room on your calendar to squeeze me in.”
She nudged me with her shoulder. “Give yourself a break. You’ve been here a week. You’ll meet people.”
“A busy and stressful week. I came here for adventure, but I can’t help wondering if I made a mistake. Maybe I’m not cut out for Vegas. What if I bit off more than I can chew?”
“Stop that! Self-doubt is not attractive on you. You’re letting Trent get inside here.” She poked me on the temple.
“You’re right. I can’t let him get in my head. I don’t know why, but I let him make me crazy. He’s just a man, an arrogant man, but a man, nonetheless. I can handle him.” With every word I spoke, my confidence built a bit more. I’d let our tryst cloud my vision, but no more. He might have had the upper hand in the bedroom, but I’d prove to him we were equals in the boardroom.
Penny’s eyes bulged. “Now’s your chance. Incoming!”
I followed her gaze over my shoulder. The devil himself was heading our direction and he looked dangerously delicious.
Fuck my life!
