Page 32 of Paradise in Progress
Kennedy
“Thank you all forbeing here,” I greet our IT Director. “Dave, we understand there seems to be an issue with the integration of high-speed internet and pairing it with the smart technology systems. As you know, with the resort closed, we’re losing money every day that we’re not up and running.”
“That’s right. We are losing quite a hefty amount every day, and since the smart technology integration is a major design element, we need things up and running now. What seems to be the exact issue?” Tristan interrupts from where we’re gathered around a large table in one of the many conference rooms.
Monday morning is here after a day and a half of getting used to the resort. We should’ve called people in on Sunday to get these meetings over with, but Tristan felt we needed to acclimate to the location before our meetings. I think he wanted to lounge around in the sun since New York has been unseasonably cold for the last couple of weeks.Slacker.
Our lead IT man on the island, Dave, shuffles through paperwork. While he takes his time finding his notes, I bring a steaming mug of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee to my lips. The smooth, sweet, rich flavor slides down my throat without leaving the bitterness mostcoffees have. It’s an exceptional blend, and I’m already trying to figure out how I can ship this stuff to New York.
Dave slides Tristan and me a copy of a chart. “We’ve been monitoring the network traffic.” He pauses, pointing out what he’s noticed. “It appears certain parts of the resort are experiencing high latency. We need time to assess these dead zones and figure out why the access points aren’t delivering consistent speeds. And then figure out what is disrupting the internet and the smart docking systems.”
“Time is not on our side. And I don’t understand why these problems weren’t addressed earlier. Were there always internet issues at this resort?” Tristan’s question is laced with frustration as he threads his hands through his dark locks.
With a deep inhale, I rack my brain with a solution. Tristan is clearly stressed out. His phone hasn’t stopped ringing since we arrived on the island. “Is it an infrastructure issue? Cabling?”
“Jesus, we don’t have time to run new cable throughout the entire property,” Tristan tells me, leaning back in his chair and tossing his pen on the table.
“Don’t.” I shake my head. “I’m just throwing out ideas and trying to find a solution.”
“Yeah, well, running cable is our absolute last option. Walls will need to be opened up and we don’t have time for that bullshit.”
Dave pulls out his phone and begins typing away. “I’ll have my team start running more diagnostics and a comprehensive site survey right away, but it might take some time.”
“That’s the one thing we don’t have. We need a temporary solution within the day, at the bare minimum. The longer we’re closed, themore money we lose. Most of the resort is going to be ready for reopening by January.”
“Dave, can you set up temporary hot spots at all the problem points?”
He scrunches his face, and it’s an expression I don’t care for. “It’s not ideal, but I’ll see what we can do.”
“Great.” My voice rises. I don’t care if it’s an ideal situation. We need a temporary solution before Tristan blows a gasket. “Let’s prioritize the main areas, including the lobby for the kiosk check-ins, restaurants, and some of the larger suites that will require the butler services.”
“Dave, we need this done today,” Tristan adds.
“I’ll have them get started right away. In the meantime, I’ll keep working with the service provider to figure out if there are any external issues affecting the resort.”
Gathering my paperwork, I glance at the time on my phone. I have another fire to put out in an hour. Before I have a chance to rise from my seat, Tristan speaks again. “Can you make sure that all smart systems have priority on the network? I know guests will want to keep their social media updated but, quite frankly, I don’t give a damn about that. We need to make sure that the use of cellular data isn’t disrupting the technology we’ve put in place to operate the resort.”
“Of course. I’ll set up system rules to prioritize traffic to those systems. The team configures immediately.” Dave resumes typing on his phone, presumably keeping his team updated on their required tasks.
“Thanks, Dave.” Tristan’s gaze lands on mine, and his eyes hold me captive. My mind flashes to us in the pool Saturday night. His armswrapped around my body and his erection—which was quite thick, might I add—poked my stomach. “Kennedy?”
Shaking my head once more, I snap my attention back to him and find myself wondering what it would feel like to have him poking something else. I’m met with that know-it-all smirk that tells me he knows exactly what I was thinking. “I’m sorry, the caffeine hasn’t kicked in yet.”
Liar.
“I was saying, I need you to email the staff, informing them that some might be experiencing limited cellular service as we work to prioritize the smart technology.”
“I’ll do that on my way to my next meeting,” I say, jotting down the information in my physical planner quickly before rising from the chair. “Gentlemen, if that’s all, I need to head into Castries.”
And I need to get the hell out of Tristan's presence. He’s throwing me off my game, and I cannot have that.
Not right now.
Not when I’m being entrusted to handle the chaos in St. Lucia.
Standing from my desk, I adjust the white ribbed tank top I tucked into a flowy, floral print midi skirt. The two modest slits on the slides allow the ocean breeze to flow through. My hair is piled high in a thick, messy bun, and I’ve curled a few face-framing tendrils. Between the high heat and humidity, my hair will be seeing lots of styles to keep the thick locks off the back of my neck.
I move through the lobby, making my way to the front desk, where a coffeepot sits. Replacing my ceramic mug with a disposable cup, I fill the dark roast to the brim. Days spent in meetings are the worst, especially Mondays, when there seems to be nothing but fires to putout. I knew this going into it, but I’m still exhausted. I’m supposed to be here for work, but it’s a tropical island. Mondays in paradise should never be this chaotic.
