Page 23 of Cocky Prince
I clear my throat and glance at her desk. “You should straighten that up so the cleaning crew can do their job.”
She squints at me, sparks firing from those beautiful eyes. “Did you come here for a reason?” She returns to her desk, shoulders tense as she drops briskly into her chair.
I can’t hold back my smile. God, I love my job.
I follow her over and run a finger along the surface. Her gaze tracks the motion as I rub my thumb and forefinger together, as if there’s dust. “Just wanted to know if you’ve had a chance to meet my new assistant?”
Bridget walked into the building only ten minutes ago, so I know Hayden hasn’t. All the more reason to let Hayden know that my assistant is here, and that the bet ison.
“She’s busy familiarizing herself with my calendar.” I raise the large to-go container in my hand. “Even brought me coffee. Bridget’s thoughtful like that.”
Hayden frowns and crosses her arms.
I turn and walk to the door. “Prepare to lose that bet, Hayden.”
“It’s not over yet,” she calls as I exit the room, beaming. A softthumpsounds on the other side of the wall and my grin widens.
I whistle as I make my way to my excellent new assistant.
* * *
Okay, soexcellentwas a poor choice of words. Bridget has only been at Blue a couple of hours. Of course it will take her time to adjust.
“I’m so sorry, Adam. I didn’t realize I’d be deleting the appointments from your calendar as well.” Bridget smiles sweetly, a chagrined look on her face as she stands in my office.
Everyone makes mistakes now and then, right? “It’s your first day. I don’t expect perfection. Just make sure you connect with Blackwell’s secretary and fill in the meetings that were deleted. I’ll need that by the end of the day. Stay late if you have to.”
“Oh, absolutely. I’ll take care of it.” Bridget hurries toward the door, right as Paul enters. He steps aside for her, winking and checking out her ass as she departs.
Paul hooks his thumb over his shoulder. “I told you she was the one, didn’t I?”
“She’ll do once she learns the ropes.” I pull on my glasses and look over the floor plan Paul’s secretary walked over before lunch. “So what is this?”
Paul closes the door. “Thatis what you’ve been asking about. It’s the new venture. As head of hospitality, your services are integral in setting up Bliss. We started with two suites, but four brand new ones are under construction.”
“So what are they for, exactly? In-room gambling, personal masseuse? I see the full bar in the schematics.”
He grins, his jaw shifting as though he’s attempting to hold back his amusement. “Those things, sure. And more.”
I set the plans on my desk and let out a deep breath. “Explainmore.”
Paul drops into one of the chairs across from me and crosses his legs at the knee. “For one, there will be women—let’s call them professional dancers.”
“You’re hiring strippers?”
“Exotic dancers. And they’ll be under contract, and not actual employees of the casino.”
“So strippers. What else?” I glance at the plans again. There are four bedrooms per suite, and what looks to be a large, elaborate communal dining area, a desk area—which is more of a reception inside the suite—and no balcony. All of Blue’s suites have balconies. “According to these plans, the Bliss suites are larger than anything we have at the casino. Why wouldn’t they have balconies?”
“You know how the rich and famous bring in drugs, and there’s nothing we can do about it?” I nod. “We’re going to”—he wags his head, as if attempting to come up with the right words—“continue to turn a blind eye. Balconies and low windows are too convenient for prying eyes. We want to protect our most ardent clientele.”
“So women and drugs,” I say, making sure I’ve nailed the finer points.
Paul nods with a shrug. “Basically.”
I pull off my glasses and rub my temples. Paul’s leaving shit out, and he’s not one to hold back. He has a tendency to sharetoomuch information, particularly when it comes to female conquests. “Do I want to know what you aren’t telling me?”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says straight-faced. “What you see is basically it. And your job,” he says slowly, as if I’m a toddler, “is to help us hire the strippers, bodyguards, and get that Bridget trained so she can support the suite concierges.”
