Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 158829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 158829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
Keenan texts again. Focus groups?
Brock: We tried that months ago. The demographic is wildly different from the people leaving negative reviews. I don’t know what the fuck is wrong with people. I think someone just has an axe to grind.
Is it possible?
He doesn’t answer for a couple minutes.
When his next message comes in, my gut clenches.
Keenan: ...I don’t. Sorry, that’s a little paranoid. The reviews are at different resorts and you’d better believe I dug deep to see if those were bots or paid shills. No way. All real people.
My lip curls with disgust.
No matter how many times he pushes back with impeccable logic, I’m not convinced.
All my prestigious flagship properties can’t suddenly suck monkey balls.
Someone wants to bleed Winthrope dry, and I’m going to find out who.
7
Good Help Is So Hard To Find (Piper)
“Jesus, Pippa. I’m so sorry,” Jenn says. “I didn’t expect you to meet the CEO—er, meet him again—on your first day. If I’d known—”
Oh, hell. I hadn’t even thought about that.
“The CEO was there?”
She blinks at me.
“I mean, I know you never got his last name in Hawaii, but you’ve figured it out, right?”
“Jenn, what are you talking about?”
“Brock Winthrope. Your Brock. He’s the chief.”
Instant goosebumps.
My brain doesn’t want to work.
“Hold on. Lanai Brock? Naked Brock? Grumpmuffin Brock?”
Jenn nods tightly. “All in the same big moody Brock package.”
I swallow forcefully so I don’t throw up.
“Holy shit. Holy—you’re not joking are you? You’re serious. He owns the entire company and I just walked right into him.”
I bury my face in my hands, digging my fingers into my eyes.
“He must think I’m a total moron,” I whisper.
But our dinner from that last night pops into my head.
He mentioned Seattle, didn’t he?
And he did it without explaining anything.
He could have told me the truth.
He chose not to.
“Don’t freak! You probably won’t even see him much,” she says with an awkward smile. “I mean, I only see him occasionally in big staff meetings, like once a quarter or so. Everyone’s blood pressure goes up when he walks into the room. He’s a busy man and pretty intense.”
Like that makes this all okay.
I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it.
“Pippa, you’re redder than a cucumber. Are you okay?” She lays a soft hand on my shoulder.
“Cucumbers aren’t red,” I say, peeking out behind my hands.
“Yep, and you just passed the test. Sorry, had to make sure you’re still in there.” She grins.
I nod, feeling a painful hook in my neck.
“I wonder why he lied to me, though. But now it makes sense why he was so panicked about the review. A flipping CEO with a shiny new property has a lot more at stake than a basic manager.”
“It also looks way worse for a CEO to show up naked and start showering—”
“Ugh, you’re right.” I almost fall over.
I grab her arm for support.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Really, if you need to duck out early, I don’t think anyone will notice,” she says.
I laugh until my stomach hurts.
Awkward laughing fits make confronting total madness a little easier.
My shoulders come up to my ears in an exaggerated shrug, my best effort to curl up and die.
“He didn’t care to see me again. I know that much. He knew we were both in Seattle and never asked for my number. He saw my social media accounts and never tried reaching out. I kind of hoped I’d see him again somehow. Now, I wish I hadn’t!”
“I understand.” Jenn throws me a sympathetic look.
I doubt she does.
When I met him in Lanai, after the initial shock, he seemed so decent.
So strong.
So smirky and a lot moody under the surface, but he had his heart in the right place.
Now, I wonder who I dated without actually dating that day.
What man did I kiss?
“Do you think he meant it when he didn’t want to see you again?” Jenn asks.
“What?”
“I saw the way he looked at you. There was a second of surprise, but then—let’s just say the way he stared could rival an eagle and a field mouse. When you looked back at him, he smiled. It was quick, but it was there. Ask anybody around here—Brock Winthrope never smiles. He’s grump-zilla personified. So if he wasn’t ticked when you bumped into each other...that’s good news. I bet he would’ve pulled you aside and had a few words before we ran off like hens on fire.”
“That’s why I ran! I didn’t have a clue how to say, 'Hi, dude. Yep, I’m the girl you made out with for a nice review, and now I work for you. Isn’t that awesome?' I can’t believe this. I knew he worked for Winthrope, obviously, but I never imagined he’d be the—” I stop as I’m saying it.
I should have known something more was up.
I booked the gig in Lanai because my best friend works at Winthrope headquarters and had a contact.