Next day Erin arrived ten minutes early for her first interview. She’d worn her navy blue power suit and her curly hair was pulled back into a neat bun. She announced herself to the greeter who invited her to a small office where she could wait for Mr. Mason.
Perched on the edge of her chair with her purse clutched tightly on her lap Erin surveyed the room. It was a small, neat office with very little furniture except for a huge antique desk that dominated the room. The restaurant, too, had been neat and clean. She'd observed that as she was following the girl to the office. She liked that. The place had a homely atmosphere that made her feel almost comfortable, as if she worked there already and had been doing so for years.
“Ms. Samuels.”
Erin turned toward the voice and her eyes widened in surprise. The man was huge, big and brawny but with a friendly face and a wide smile. He reminded her of Yogi Bear.
“Mr. Mason?” she asked as she rose and extended her hand.
“The same,” he said with a nod. His hand was like a bear’s paw, swallowing hers whole. Then he released her and waved his hand. “Sit, sit. Make yourself comfortable.”
Erin sank back into the chair and watched as he ambled around the desk and dropped into the leather chair. Now she understood why the desk was so massive. Mr. Mason would never have been able to fit behind anything smaller.
With his beefy hands he shuffled through the papers on his desk then he grabbed a sheet and held it up. “Here we are. Quite an impressive resume,” he said and gave her a smile and a look that made him seem genuinely impressed. “ Summa cum laude. Wow. You must be genius material.”
Erin blushed, grateful for the compliment but a bit uncomfortable with his praise. “I study hard, that’s all.”
“And you know what that tells me about you?” Mike said, slamming the paper on the table. “You’re a hard worker. You’re the kind of person we want here. Now when can you start?”
“Wh…what? That’s it? Aren’t you going to ask me any questions?” Erin stared at the man, wondering if he’d gone mad. What kind of interview was this?
“Nope. I read your resume, now I’ve seen you, and I like you. That’s it.” He shrugged then leaned back in the chair and locked his fingers across his paunch. “So do you want the job or not?”
Erin knitted her brows in confusion. “I…do want the job." She gave him a bright smile. “I can start right away, Mr. Mason.”
“Good. We have a party of twenty-two coming in this afternoon and that’s in addition to our regular customers so it’s going to be busy. Sally will get you a uniform and you’ll be good to go.” He pulled out a sheet of paper from a folder and slid it across the desk toward her. “Now let's talk money.”
Erin didn’t bother to hide her smile. She liked the sound of that. A lot.
Her luck had finally turned and now she could breathe again. She’d work hard and tuck away as much money as she could. She guessed she could hide her pregnancy for another three months, tops, and then, God help her, she’d be on her own. Mr. Mason seemed like a nice man but how would he react when he learned of her condition? She could only pray he’d be sympathetic.
But she had to prepare for the worst. As she signed the papers she thought of the tiny life growing inside her. ‘Don’t you worry, little one,” she whispered silently. ‘You and me, we’ll make it together.”
***
“Dare. Are you with me, man?”
Dare dragged his eyes back into focus and stared across his desk at the grinning man.
“You’ve been out of it lately,” his long-time friend and business associate said with a laugh. "If I didn’t know you I’d say you were in love.”
Dare frowned at him but said nothing. The statement did not warrant an answer. Bart knew him. He had no time for women, least of all the money-hungry kind. There were always plenty of those around. He had his pick. The problem was, he wanted none of them. But there was one woman he could not get off his mind. A slender woman with chestnut hair that curled around her heart-shaped face, a woman with hazel eyes that flashed with the fire of her passion. Bart was right. There was something wrong with him. He was not in love but damn it, he was obsessed. He could not get Erin out of his mind. “Sorry about that,” Dare growled then pulled his chair close to the desk. “Let’s get back to the business at hand.”
“Cool.” Bart ran his fingers through his spiky blonde hair then tilted the chair back until it looked dangerously close to tipping over. “It’s a sweet deal. You can’t pass up on this one. I got a tip on it. Going real cheap, considering.”
“You're sure?” Dare admired his friend’s ability to find great real estate deals. Bart found the deals and he financed them. That was how he’d acquired resorts on four other islands.
“Trust me, man. You can’t lose out on this one.” Bart leaned forward, his face earnest. “I can sniff out a deal a hundred miles away. You know I’m good at that.”
He was. Dare could not deny it. Working together they’d become billionaires in the real estate business, buying up resorts in the Caribbean and condos in the United States and Canada then renovating and selling them for far more than they’d invested.
“This one’s big though, Bart.” Dare watched the other man intently. “My biggest investment yet.”
“The one you’re going to make the most money on,” Bart responded.
“But I'm paying almost full price for this one.”
“You can buy this resort ‘as is’. You’ll be filling it with guests in no time. Guaranteed.”
“We’ll see,” Dare said. Then, against his will, his mind drifted to other things like the heat that coursed through him every time he thought of curly-haired Erin. It was no use. He couldn't concentrate. “Let’s call it a day,” he said and got up. “I’ve got some other business to take care of.”