Page 7 of Save Me
“Something on your mind?” I ask guardedly.
“I still can’t figure out how you ended up in this job.”
“Besides my sharp intellect and vast experience?” I quip. Me, an outdoor crew guy with no real management experience. Everyone knows it. It’s a fair statement, and yet I can’t tell if she’s genuinely curious or if it’s an attempt to insult me. “I must have skills you haven’t seen yet.” I wink.
The simple move seems to startle her. She clears her throat while refocusing on her tablet, her cheeks pinking.
I smile. Lena may be as uptight as a bridezilla working on a seating chart, but I could bend her my way if I wanted to. Thankfully for both of us, I don’t. She’s attractive, but there’s nothing appealing about wrecking a marriage. As soon as that ring is on a woman’s finger, a giant “do not enter” sign appears. I won’t let myself so much as imagine what they look like naked.
Except for Abbi, of course, but that’s different.
Belinda returns then, saving us from our awkward conversation. “Okay, I think we’ve covered off everything we need to for today, unless there are any other pressing matters?”
“Besides my housekeeping supervisor stumbling upon two staff members having intercourse on a freshly made bed?” Lena frowns at her screen. “Connie is asking how we would like to proceed.”
“What do you think, Ronan?” The corners of Belinda’s painted lips crook upward with a secretive smirk. “Should staff caught in compromising positions be terminated?”
If so, then I sure as hell wouldn’t be here, and neither would Belinda.
I haul my sweaty body out of the seat, dying for air-conditioning. “I say let them fuck and get it out of their system, but ask Mike. He’s the HR manager, and I’ve already fired someone today.” I feel bad for that girl who fell for Sloane’s ex and lost a promising career.
If I ever see Cody again …
My fist clenches with the thought.
Belinda’s gaze rakes over my chest, settling on where my collar sits unbuttoned. “Minnie sent you both decks on every person invited to the media open. Spend the next thirty-six hours memorizing them, especially those whom you have scheduled time with. I expect you to know the names of every person before they introduce themselves to you.”
I plaster on a wide, fake smile. “You got it.” Fat chance.
“Favorite flower is the daffodil.She has two Shih Tzus named Rocky and Noodles,” I read out loud, scrolling through Shelby Singer’s bio from the comfort of my desk. “Are you kidding me? This has to be illegal.” There’s a dossier on every journalist, politician, and corporate bigwig coming, and they include far more than their credentials and a professional photograph. This one in particular is a fifty-three-year-old congressmember in a pantsuit with two American flags in the background.
Archie lounges in the chair across from me, squeezing an orange stress ball that matches the color of his hair. “It’s all public stuff. The GMs make us do it for media days. It’s helpful, according to Belinda.”
“It’s helpful that I know Shelby enjoys competitive duck herding in her spare time? What the fuck even is that?”
He grins. “It’s when you guide ducks through obstacles using dogs.”
“Why would someone do that?”
“Sport? I don’t know. I had to look that up.”
“And why do I need to know all this? Am I supposed to pretend that I, too, herd ducks through obstacles on my days off so I can bond with Shelby Singer?” I pat my chest for embellishment.
Archie’s grin widens. “I don’t know, man. I just do what I’m told. Belinda scares me.”
“You and me both.” I flip through the other bookmarked dossiers. “The ones with the stars are all the people I have one-on-one meetings with?” Three travel magazine journalists, two news reporters, two politicians, and three company CEOs.
“Yeah, but Belinda wants you to read through all of them.”
“Not just read. Memorize.” I flip through the starred ones. “All of my meetings are with women,” I note.
“And all of Lena and Belinda’s meetings are with men.”
Doubt that’s a coincidence. “Fucking diabolical.”Howexactlydoes Wolf want me to impress these VIPs? Because there were rumors aplenty about his relationship with one of these media open travel journalists at the Alaska location. In fact, that woman played a big part in Henry and Abbi’s breakup. I guess I have her to thank because Abbi would never have given me the time of day otherwise.
My phone chirps with an incoming text, and I dive for it, holding my breath against hope that I’ll see Sloane’s name.
Tasha:
