Page 46 of Dr. CEO (The Doctors)

She shakes her head. “No. You’d never do that.”

Her statement strikes me deep in the gut. Is it relief? I’m not sure, but it feels like a revelation: she knows me. “Exactly, I’d never do that. So why are you asking me?”

“Because people don’t necessarily always accept my authority.”

“But Stella—”

“Not Stella.”

“The PM?”

She glances into her lap. “I think our project manager sees it as a slight because I can get answers from you he can’t.”

“Ridiculous,” I reply, my tone sharp.

She tilts her head and smiles like I’m being incorrigible, and I have to stop myself from smiling back at her, from holding out my hand, guiding her around the table and pulling her onto my lap.

“You told me yourself that you’re a powerful man and people aren’t entirely at ease with you.”

“But you are,” I say. We make eye contact. We pause and wait and stare and I wonder if I should say something, but neither of us does. She looks away first.

“I’m different.” She straightens the corner of the paper she just placed on the table.

“You certainly are.”

She’s not looking at me but there’s an extra beat before she speaks again, like I’ve ever so slightly confused her.

“To them, you are their boss, a billionaire, someone who could stop them from ever getting another job again.”

I’ve never asked for validation from anyone in my life, but something in me wants to ask, and what am I to you? But I don’t.

“I know.” I take the piece of paper and sign it.

“Thank you,” she says. “And I’ve found someone you might want to think about for hotel manager.”

I squint at her. “You’ve what?”

“I know you’ve left that to the search firm, but they haven’t come up with anyone you like so far, have they? I just started looking through industry articles and LinkedIn and I came across someone I think you’ll like.”

“Who is it? You?”

She tips her head back and laughs. I can’t help but smile because it’s the most joyous thing that’s happened to me all week. I can’t imagine Kate is an easy person to make laugh, and the fact I’ve managed to imbues me with a certain amount of pride. “No, silly,” she says.

Has anyone ever called me silly before?

“She’s been working in Asia for the last decade, but she trained at the Four Seasons in the US.”

“Talk to the recruitment agency. I’m sure they must have considered her.”

“I don’t think so. She has no managerial experience.”

I widen my eyes. “Kate, come on. I need someone very experienced.”

She shakes her head. “You are one hotel in rural England. You’re not going to attract someone on their way up at one of the big chains.”

“I don’t see—”

She puts her hand up, palm facing me to stop me from talking. I go silent from shock more than anything. I don’t think anyone has ever done that to me in my life. “I’ve tracked her career. She’s excellent. More than capable. And she’s in her early forties. She wants to come back to the UK. She was born here, and her kids are eight and six; she wants them to finish their schooling in the UK.”

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