Page 96 of The Making of Jonty Bloom
“What did Ravi say?”
“That I’d be out of a job by the end of the day and all of us would be by Christmas. I might have dismissed that as spiteful bluster, but Major Bagshott told me Hamish wants to sell the hotel to the group you work for. He said it was a secret, but because he likes me, he wanted me to know early so that I could look for a job before the others. That was really nice of him. The sort of thing a friend would do.”The sort of thing you should have done.“Though I don’t think the major was thinking I’d need a new job today.”
Devan groaned. “McAllister swore me to secrecy. No deal has been agreed, but he wanted it kept quiet, because he preferred to let the staff know himself. Once he’d agreed in principle to sell, I wasn’t going to keep you in the dark. I was going to tell you last night.”
“Before or after I’d shown you the fourth wonder of Northumberland?” Jonty didn’t try to keep the bitterness out of his voice and started walking again. Dottie was sniffing seaweed a little way ahead and jumping away from it before going back for another sniff.No sense, just like me.
“Jonty! I was. I swear. I’ve been working on a way to keep you employed if the deal is made.”
“Me and no one else?”
“I want to keep Marcus, the head chef. Possibly Wayne. But I can’t pay the staff to hang around until the hotel reopens. Anyone who’s been working here longer than two years will be entitled to redundancy pay. I might be able to find some of them work in our other hotels.”
“But not around here.”
“No.”
Jonty kicked at the sand. “I thought you were here for a break because of your brother and Ravi, and all the time, you’ve been planning to destroy us, destroy this.” He gestured at the beach. “Because you know what the price will be for modernisation. More traffic, more visitors. Northumberland’s secret will be out.”
“This will be an exclusive resort. Fewer rooms, not more.”
“So you can’t stay here unless you’re rich enough? Great.” Jonty kicked again at the sand.
“There are plenty of other places for people to stay. The hotel needs updating. We have the money to do it. This is a special place and we’d like to keep it special. I want you to work for me…with me. I can arrange for you to learn more about the hospitality business. If a deal is agreed, I’ll rent a place to stay up here. I’d like to be more hands on with this development than I usually am. You could live with me.”
Jonty sucked in a breath.
“Too fast?” Devan asked.
Yes, but no.
“Shit. Itistoo fast, but I think this is the start of something special and I don’t want it to end.”
But if a deal wasn’t agreed? Jonty’s poor heart kept swapping places with his stomach. Did Devan just expect him to forgive him for his deceit, for leaving him to go to Ravi?
“I’m pissed off,” Jonty muttered.
“I’d noticed. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I left you yesterday. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you about the hotel before you learned from someone else. I would have told you last night. I swear.”
“Before or after you’d fucked me?”
“Ah shit.” Devan sighed. “I’m not looking good, am I?”
“You look too good.”That’s my problem.
“That’s not all I wanted to tell you. I have a friend who’s a private investigator. I asked Stan to look for your father.”
Jonty jolted. “What the hell?”
“I guess I jumped the gun there too. But I wanted to make something right in your life. I know you don’t want to see your father, but he might know where your mother is. Anyway, Stan found him. He lives in Berwick. I have an address and phone number.”
Dottie jumped up at Jonty as if she understood his turmoil. Jonty picked her up and cuddled her. How easy it was to be a dog. No need to be worried about anything more than when your next meal would arrive. A walk, a ball to chase, a piece of grass to sniff, an occasional stroke or tummy tickle, a quick fuck…all enough to make you happy. Jonty had been happy—in his way. Devan had turned his world upside down.
About time.
Is it?
Yes. Don’t wreck this.
