Page 93 of Love on the Rocks
When we reached the cove where the resort would be built, Gaz took over. He practically hopped up the steep steps, explaining the concept while the investors nodded along silently. He had printed out an updated plan for them and I flipped through it, annoyed to see that none of my suggestions had been incorporated. Not one. My jaw clenched. Good thing I’d brought my own proposals. Teresa had printed them out for me, and I’d stashed them in my purse.
Seth glanced at me as Gaz finished talking. “And what do you think, Calista? You’ve been here for a few weeks. I find it hard to believe that we’re still working off the original plans here.”
“Well, I’m glad you brought that up, because I had submitted a few ideas.” I pulled out the folder with my proposals, ignoring Gaz’s furious glare.
As I walked them through the olive grove, explaining how I thought it could be incorporated into the design, Gaz interrupted me. “Except that we’ve already agreed that this would mean losing valuable real estate. And now that we’re adding Black Market . . .”
“What’s that?” I asked.
“The nightclub. It’s going to be the next Berghain.”
My eyes almost popped out of my head at that. Berghain was an exclusive nightclub in Berlin, known for its sex laboratoriesand fetish nights. A hysterical laugh escaped me. “What are you talking about? That’s insane.”
“No, think about it. We want our guests to be completely immersed in a kind of a sensual odyssey.” He made a wavy motion with his hands. “There’s something for all the senses, right? Touch: They’ll arrive after a four-hour spa cruise to this secret island. Sight: They’re blindfolded at first, and then they see this massive rock lit up at night with strobe lights and music. That’s the sound part. We’re talking top DJs, the hottest artists. Taste: That’s you, Cal. You’re gonna give ’em an orgy for their mouths.”
“You can’t do that,” I heard myself say. Had he completely lost his mind? “What about the people who live here? You think they want strobe lights on the hills every night? No! That’s not the brief you gave me.”
“Oh, Cal. Things change. You’ve got to be more open-minded. You’ve spent too much time here fraternizing with the enemy.” He winked at me, but I could tell that he was jealous. He didn’t give a damn about me most of the time, but when his male pride was on the line, it was another story.
“Nothing’s been decided yet,” announced Seth. “I’m not completely sold on this new idea, Gareth.”
After Gaz’s bombshell news, I didn’t even bother to show them the rest of my ideas. There was no point with Gaz interrupting me at every turn. I could only hope I’d have a moment alone with Seth, who suddenly seemed like the only voice of reason.
As we took the boat back to my place I was fuming. Another betrayal coming on the heels of what had happened with Nikos. How had I imagined just a few days ago that everything was finally falling into place for me?
That will teach you to believe in fairy tales.
The only female investor, a shipping heiress named Cristina Dimitriou, slid onto the seat beside me. She had a copy of my proposal open and had been studying it. “I love this idea for the olive groves. It’s a pity to destroy such heritage, even if they don’t produce as much as they used to.”
“Yes, I think it’s important to create something harmonious in the space.”
She leaned in. “I’m not in favor of the sex odyssey nightclub. Art exhibits, why not? But the rest . . .”
Relief flooded through me. If the Greek investors weren’t into it, Gaz wouldn’t be able to pull it off.
“Tell me more about yourself. I’m curious about how a young woman has come to such a position in this company.” She gestured to my male colleagues and smiled in understanding.
Some of the tension in my shoulders subsided. It felt good to be in the company of a woman who understood what it was like to be outnumbered in this industry.
I gave her a brief overview of my career as we rode into the harbor, and she told me about her new company, which was creating luxury hotels and restaurants in Greece with an emphasis on ecotourism. As we headed out of the boat, she said, “I’m looking forward to trying your food tonight.”
That’s all I needed for the panic to set in. “I’m excited for you to try it.”
Leaving the others to explore the town, I raced back to my place. I’d done a lot of prep work that morning since I hadn’t been able to sleep—between anticipating this visit and trying to digest what Nikos’s mother had told me yesterday.
A knock at the door made me jump. My heart fluttered as I opened it, but then quickly stilled when Roman’s grumpy face greeted me.
“What do you want?” I planted a hand on my hip.
“Take it easy. I wanted to know if you needed any help.”
“Don’t you mean that you’re looking for ways to sabotage me like you did at Marcel?”
“I wasn’t out to get you. I promise. Now who’s being paranoid?” he asked. “I know we’ve always been like oil and water, but I believe in solidarity among cooks.”
“No, you don’t. Back at Plaza Athénée, you used to say that you loved nothing more than stirring up trouble.”
“Can’t a guy reform himself?” He placed a hand on his heart. “I want to help.”
