Page 17 of The Cowboy and the Bombshell
With that he spun around, stalking to the other side of the truck and climbed in. I stared at the open passenger door, wondering if I could risk the short drive with him and still keep my sanity, when he started the engine. The loud rumble of the motor startled me into moving, and a grabbed my laptop out of the Mustang and scrambled into the big truck. I had barely closed the door behind me and Stone had the vehicle in motion. After buckling my seat belt, I turned to look at him as he drove. One hand resting on top of the steering wheel, the other leaned casually on the console between us, he was the picture of cool confidence.
I mean, why wouldn’t he be? He had a rich daddy who provided him with all the things he could ever want. He probably hadn’t put in a single hard day’s work in his life.
Letting out a soft snort of disgust, I turned to look out my window, watching as all the beautiful houses I had admired yesterday slipped past. It didn’t take long for the residential area to turn back into the bustling hub that was Las Vegas Boulevard.
I was used to big, busy cities. After all, New York is known as the City That Never Sleeps. But seeing the amount of people out this early in the morning, going about their day in whatever capacity they chose, was really something to see. There were people wandering up and down the Strip taking in the sights, some of whom may have not even been to bed yet. There were municipal employees, already hard at work cleaning up after the last evening’s revelry, and as we approachedThe Alamobuilding site, there were construction workers coming and going at a rapid pace. With the exterior of the building now being nearing completion, it wouldn’t be long before Mr. Pennington’s secret theme wasn’t a secret any longer.
It was time I got started on a roll out plan that made the most of the announcement. I had to control the narrative here, and reveal the information in a manner that was most beneficial to our plans. And to my hope of getting the VP position.
I was zoned out, busy going over ideas and strategies in my head, when Stone’s voice cut in, causing me to jump again.
“You gettin’ out, or what?” he barked. He had been so silent on the drive over I had almost forgotten he was beside me. Looking around, I realized we were parked in the employee lot at the back of the property, next to the administration building. Gathering my things once again, I lowered my self down from the truck - no easy feat; the thing was massive - and walked quickly to the doors. Stepping in side the cool of the air-conditioned building, I was greeted by Moira’s kind smile.
“Good morning, Miss Lund. I see the clothes were to your satisfaction.”
“Yes, Moira. And thank you,” I said. “But, please, there were way too many. If I could return the other things to you, I won’t need them when my luggage arrives.” Which I hoped would be soon.
“If you’re sure, Miss Lund.”
“I am, thank you. I don’t know how you expected me to wear those clothes in the first place,” I said. They were way out of my price range and therefore, out of my comfort zone. Moira smiled, understanding my plight.
Stone, however, seemed to completely misinterpret my meaning.
“What’s the matter, Blondie? Those expensive brands aren’t good enough for your Uptown ass?” he commented as he passed by me and headed for the elevator.
“Excuse me?” I sniped, but he ignored me, giving me his signature smirk as the doors closed, leaving me steaming in the lobby with Moira watching with a curious expression.
“Seems like things are going well at the house, then,” she said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes, but didn’t elaborate. As we stood there, sharing a smile that said more than I needed to, another young woman approached from across the lobby. She was younger than me by a few years, and her eyes were wide as she stared at the closed door of the elevator.
“Was that Mr. Montgomery? I was hoping to catch him. He’s, like, ridiculously hot,” she gushed, fanning herself dramatically. Moira and I shared another look, this time one of amusement.
“Yes,” I said, then leaned in conspiratorially. “It was. And he is, like, ridiculously hot.” I met Moira’s eye with a wink, then threw in. “At least, his boyfriend sure thinks so.”
Moira choked down a snort as she attempted to keep the smile off her face. The younger woman looked flabbergasted.
“He’s gay?” she gasped, like this was the end of her world. “But, I thought I caught him checking me out yesterday.”
“Oh, honey. He was probably just admiring your outfit. After all, you heard him commenting on my clothes a minute ago. It’s like, his thing.”
Understanding dawned in her eyes as she contemplated this new information. “Damn. I totally thought I had a shot. I mean, who wouldn’t want a ride on that handsome cowboy?” she asked, pursing her lips as she looked again to where Stone had entered the elevator. “I’ll have to tell the girls he’s off limits,” she added before walking back to the office she had entered from and immediately heading to the cluster of desks where three other young women sat at a bank of phones. They bent their heads together while she dished the gossip.
Moira finally let her laugh free, the sound of it bold in the quiet lobby. “Girl,” she said with a small shake of her head. “I think you have some serious balls. I can’t wait to see how this plays out.”
Then she turned back to me, all business. “The reports you requested last night are all on your desk. Please, let me know if you need anything further.”
“Thank you, Moira,” I said with a smile. “I think today will be a good day. I can feel it.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Penelope
The morning flew by in a flurry of meetings and phone calls and emails.
I arranged to meet with each of the department heads, starting with Ava Carlisle, the head of VIP Services. We had a very brief discussion of her goals in bringing High Rollers in from around the world, all while she stared at me down her overly altered nose. Apparently, there was a certain group of men in the Far East who had a bit of a Wild West fetish. Ava was quite confident she could have all the suites filled for both the Soft Launch in three months, and the Grand Opening in four months, provided I could assemble the right materials in the teaser packages.
I made notes on hiring photographers, models, a video crew, and even a horse. I would have the packages to her before she left for Japan early next week. Ava left the meeting with a stiff nod, leaving my office door open as she went. I looked out into the reception space, noticing Stone standing by Moira’s desk as they spoke to one of the call center girls from the first floor. The look on the young womans face had softened and she resembled a dreamy teen girl, eyes full of desire. Her chest went out and so did her lower lip, pouting hard as she blinked rapidly at Stone as he and Moira spoke briskly about whatever it was they were discussing with her.
I held in a laugh as he looked at her blankly, staring without speaking until she gave up, deflating a little as she walked away. Poor girl. Someone should tell her that regardless of how appealing Stone was on the outside, his personality was enough to make you want to keep your distance.
