The Desert Flowers--Rose, page 5
Willow smiled at her. “I like what you did with your hair.”
Lily patted the twisted ponytail at the back of her head. “Thought it would be easier this way.” She usually wore it down and shoulder-length.
Rose nodded with approval. “It looks perfect on you.”
“Thanks,” said Lily, grateful for their kindness. “I already like this relaxed lifestyle. I was more than ready for a change. How about the two of you?”
“I’ve always thought I’d be back here one day, so it doesn’t seem surprising,” Willow said.
“I’ll still be working on my blog,” said Rose, “and perhaps for a few clients of mine. But the bulk of my work will be for the hotel, of course.”
“So, you’ll be working mostly online?” Lily asked, interested in the idea of Rose facing off with another expert in social media.
“Yes and no,” said Rose mysteriously. “It depends on who my opponent is.”
Lily and Willow exchanged glances. Lily wouldn’t want to oppose Rose for any reason. From the look Willow gave her, Lily thought she must feel the same.
CHAPTER SIX
WILLOW
After breakfast, Willow went back to her room to freshen up. It felt strange to be a guest in Alec’s house, but she understood why he’d made those arrangements and was grateful to him for it. A few students at school had mocked her about her humble background. Hurt and angered by it, she’d done as Alec had suggested and ignored them. Besides, she was proud of all her parents had accomplished. They’d arrived in the U.S. with nothing but a determination to work hard and succeed. They’d done both.
Willow checked her phone. Jake Matthews had sent another text pleading for her to return his calls. She’d tried to tell him that after that awful holiday visit with his family, she never wanted to see or hear from him again. She had a lot more pride than that. Now that she’d stepped away from the relationship, Willow understood better that it had been doomed from the start. At this point in her life, she wasn’t about to start dating a man who wasn’t willing to accept who she was.
She brushed her teeth and stood a moment assessing herself in the mirror. Her skin looked as if the sun had kissed it with a glowing tan. Her shiny, straight dark hair hung just beneath her shoulders. Jake had once told her she was the most beautiful girl in the world, but then he saw only the outside of her, so it meant nothing.
She turned her back on her image and left the room.
When Willow walked into the kitchen, she was surprised to see Alec seated at the table with the other women.
“Good morning,” he called out cheerfully, giving the impression it was going to be a good day for him.
“Hello,” she replied and sat in the empty chair at the table. “What’s going on?”
“I’m providing the three of you with the names of your so-called opponents.” Alec’s lips formed a crooked grin. “It’s important to know who each of you will be dealing with. My Desert Flowers will stop the greed and prove to be winners.”
“We hope so,” said Rose. “The three of us have agreed to work together.”
Alec handed her a photograph. “Rose, here’s who you’re going to battle. Henry “Hank” Bowers.”
Rose looked at it and passed it to Willow.
Willow studied the picture of a tall, striking man with gray hair, classic features, and alert, steel-gray eyes that seemed to miss nothing.
“Hank is a hearty ex-football player—easy to talk to, glib, and with a strong, friendly handshake. He likes to be in charge,” said Alec.
“Gawd! I bet he talks about everything in sports language,” said Rose.
Alec looked surprised, and then he laughed. “Yeah, he does. Great guy, actually. “He’s widowed, is the father of two daughters, and loves his three-year-old granddaughter.” He raised a finger in warning. “He’s sharp and has a lot of connections. You Desert Flowers are going to have to be careful with him.”
“How about my opponent?” Lily asked.
Alec handed her a photograph.
After studying it, Lily passed it to Willow.
Willow studied the picture of a tall, muscular, athletic man in a T-shirt and jogging shorts. On his left leg, below the knee, he wore a prosthesis with a blade. His hair was dark brown, with a sheen of gray at the temples. His handsome face wore a cautious smile.
“Brian Walden is a Gulf War veteran and an honest guy,” explained Alec. “He was in his early twenties when he lost part of his leg. He attended law school and decided not to go into practice. Instead, he consults for businesses making financial moves and acquisitions. He’s clever and thorough. That’s why I want you, Lily, to be present at meetings between my lawyers and him. You are extremely careful about details and may pick up information others might miss. They’ll think you’re just acting as my assistant, but we both know you’ll be more valuable than they realize.”
Willow smiled at the pride in Lily’s face, the pretty pink flush on her cheeks making her attractive.
Alec turned to her. “Willow, the man you’ll be battling is considered a real hotshot, a guy destined to be a big-time winner. His family’s company might consider making him a manager of this hotel even though he’s only two years older than you.”
Willow filled with dread. “Is it Brent Armstrong?”
At Alec’s nod, Willow sighed. “I knew him at Cornell, not that he’d remember me. He was part of a whole other group. Everyone thought he was a great guy. Me? I thought he was a pompous, racist ass.”
She accepted the photograph Alec handed her.
A handsome blond-haired man stared at her with blue eyes. He wore a cocky smile she remembered from her days at Cornell when he’d walked past her without acknowledging her. She recalled too how he loved to put down anyone competing against him for an honor or even something frivolous like leading a discussion group.
“His father and his uncle, Duncan and Mitchell Armstrong, own The Blaise Hotel Group that is planning to buy me out. Like it or not, they’re paving the way for him to succeed,” Alec said with a note of disgust. “But, Willow, you’re every bit as competent as he is. Remember that.”
“Let me see,” said Rose, taking the photograph from her. She studied it. “Looks like a little prick.” Looking up at her, Rose said, “You do your thing, girl! Lily and I will be right there for you.”
Lily accepted the photo Rose handed her, peered at it, and said, “We won’t let him get to you.”
“All right, then,” said Alec, getting to his feet. “Looks like I’m leaving things in good hands.”
Willow exchanged glances with the other two women and grinned. They’d already become a team.
At the edge of the living room, Alec stopped and turned around. “By the way, I’ve set aside time for the three of you to enjoy several days of teambuilding. My personal trainer will be handling that for me. Enjoy the rest of the day. Tomorrow you work with him.”
“Really, Alec? You think we need to do that?” Rose protested, her expression troubled.
“I think you’ll find it a great way to get to know one another,” he said, grinning, and left the room.
Willow glanced at the other two women. They looked as worried as she.
Rose stood. “Guess I’d better take advantage of today and head over to El Paseo to do a little shopping. I’ve been working at home, often in my pajamas. Time for me to look professional.” She laughed. “And maybe a little sexy. Anyone else?”
“I wish I could, but I can’t,” said Lily. “I’m paying for a babysitter for my sister and am stretched for money.”
Rose frowned. “I’ll talk to Alec about that. He hasn’t mentioned it, but we need to know how he’s going to handle compensation.”
“Thanks,” said Lily. “I thought I was coming to visit a friend. This is much more than I’d prepared for.” She turned to Willow. “How about you? Did you bring the clothes you’ll need?”
Willow shook her head. “Not for this job,” she said, wishing she’d known what she needed because she wanted to look professional when facing Brent.
“Hold on? I’ll be right back,” said Rose. “I’m sure it was just an oversight on Alec’s part.”
After Rose left, Willow turned to Lily. “That’s nice of you to help out your sister. How many kids does she have?”
A smile crossed Lily’s face. “Just one. A little girl of three named Isabel. We call her Izzy.” She lifted her phone and showed her a picture of a sweet child with reddish-brown hair.
“She’s darling,” cooed Willow. “Do you have any kids of your own?”
A sadness filled Lily’s eyes. “No, I wish I did. I’d want a little girl just like Izzy.”
“Maybe you will someday,” Willow said, seeing how much Lily seemed to care.
“It would have to be in a hurry. I’m almost forty-two, and time is running out.”
“Time is running out for what?” Rose said, striding into the room.
“For me to have a family of my own,” Lily said, letting out a long sigh. “But it hardly matters. I haven’t found the right man for me.”
“Ah, I understand,” Rose said with sympathy. She sat at the table between Lily and her. “I thought I’d want kids too, but after marrying, I was glad it didn’t happen. The marriage was wrong from the beginning. But, Lily, you have a family. That’s something I don’t have.”
“You don’t?” Lily said.
Rose shook her head. “Nope, I’m an only child, and my parents are gone.”
“I’m sorry,” said Lily softly.
“Me, too,” Willow said, unwilling to think of a time when her parents might not be around.
“Your parents are great. Alec is lucky to have them helping him.” Rose studied her. “And now you’re working for him, along with Lily and me.”
“It’s a little odd for me,” Willow admitted, “but it makes me happy to be able to help Alec after all he’s done for me. And I’d love nothing better than to knock Brent off his pedestal. He was so dismissive of me at school.”
Rose gave her a fist bump. “I’d love to see you take him down a notch or two.”
“I’m going to try.” Willow was determined to do her best to face Brent. Still, she liked the idea of having two other Desert Flowers around to give her support.
CHAPTER SEVEN
ROSE
“Okay,” Rose said facing the other two women in the living room, “I’ve talked to Alec about compensation, and this is how he wants to handle it.” She handed each of the other women a credit card. “You have free rein to use these any way you want. He agrees we need to look our best, our most professional, but relax and enjoy ourselves. He knows us well enough to be certain we’re not going to bankrupt him. We have all of the El Paseo district downtown for shopping, and there’s a great outlet mall about a 30-minute drive away.”
“What about the teambuilding stuff?” Lily asked. “That worries me a bit.”
“Alec said we’d know in time that it was best to let things unfold naturally. He’ll let us know when we’re ready officially to go to work.”
Lily turned to Willow. “Any guesses? You know him better at this time than we do.”
Willow lifted her shoulders and let them drop. “I have no idea. One thing is for sure. He’s thought this whole team thing out carefully. He doesn’t make rash decisions.”
Rose nodded along with Lily. That was the man she remembered.
The three decided to go to the outlet mall, which would provide them a wider choice of styles and, hopefully, some bargains.
Rose drove. Lily sat up front with her and Willow in the back.
She glanced at Willow through the rearview mirror. “What clothes are you looking for?”
“I’m going to have to buy some skirts and dresses. I pretty much wear pants for school,” Willow replied. “How about you, Lily?”
“I think I’ll be brave and add some color to my wardrobe. Even in a small town like Ellenton, New York, lawyers can be stuffy. I’ve worn grays and blacks to blend into the setting of the office.” She chuckled. “Guess it might be time to step up my fashion a bit.”
Rose grinned at the delight she heard in Lily’s voice. “You’d look good in bright colors.”
“We’ll see,” she said, giving her a beaming smile.
“How about you, Rose? What are you looking for?” asked Willow.
“Something a little flamboyant,” she answered without hesitation. “If Mr. Hank Bowers is the male chauvinist I think he is, that should make it interesting.”
###
When they arrived at the mall, and Rose had parked the car, she turned to the others. “How do you want to do this? Should we stick together or go our separate ways?”
“I’d appreciate input from the two of you,” said Lily.
“Me, too,” Willow quickly added.
Satisfied, Rose said, “Okay, we’ll go together. It’s been a few years since I fussed over my wardrobe, and I want to make each dollar spent count.”
The three of them took off, a team already, Rose hoped.
As they entered the outdoor mall, Rose stopped and turned to Lily and Willow. “Our first stop has to be for workout clothes. That’s the one requirement Alec made. If we haven’t packed the proper clothes for a workout, we need to get them—T-shirts, shorts, sneakers, socks.”
“Oh, you mean for the teambuilding stuff?” said Lily, looking aghast. “I’m not that athletic. I visit the gym once a week, and I try to take my niece for walks whenever I can, but that’s all I’ve been able to do with my work schedule.”
“No worries,” said Rose. “I’m in that same category.” She turned to Willow. “You look fit. Do you go to the gym often?”
“I swim twice a week,” Willow said, “so I’m not exactly comfortable about what Alec may be proposing.”
“Well, in that case, we’ll all be understanding of one another,” said Rose. “C’mon, let’s get that part of our shopping done and move on to more exciting things.”
They each were able to find the workout clothing they needed in one store, sneakers and socks in another.
Rose waited patiently while Willow and Lily tried on clothes. She was holding out for the stores at the far end of the mall, where there were several designer shops. During the day, she’d be working with Hank on social media. For a couple of evenings in the coming weeks, she’d be working as social director for special events involving the new hotel company—something she and Alec had discussed privately.
Lily was a conservative dresser as she’d mentioned, but both Rose and Willow agreed she needed to add some color and fun to her wardrobe. When she emerged from a dressing room wearing a brown-leather, knee-length skirt that had a becoming flare and a bright turquoise blouse with a V-neck that brightened her appearance and added a depth of interest, they both clapped their approval. Lily was a pretty woman, thought Rose, wondering about the relationship she’d had with Alec.
“That’s perfect for you, Lily,” said Willow, grinning at her.
“Yes. Let’s look at a few more outfits along those lines. It’s professional with a little bit of an ‘I am a woman’ tone,” said Rose, making Willow laugh.
Color rose in Lily’s cheeks. “Well, then, why not? I’ve never had fashion consultants before.”
Lily purchased another skirt, several blouses, and a couple of dresses, all as discounted sales.
Willow wanted to see other selections. The three of them walked down the row of stores until she came to one that she wanted to go into. Racks of clothes were lined up according to styles, and while she dug into one rack, Rose and Lily looked through others.
Arms laden with outfits, Willow came over to them. “I’m going to try these on. Will you take a look at me in them?”
Pleased by the request, Rose and Lily nodded.
Willow was a perfect model. Her trim body made all the clothes look fantastic except for the few that both she and Lily agreed were too fancy or frilly for her.
“You’re a natural beauty,” said Rose. “You don’t want anything to detract from that.”
Smiling, Willow turned around and around, her black hair falling softly beyond her shoulders. “This is so much fun!”
Rose and Lily glanced at one another and laughed.
They waited while Willow dressed in her own clothes and paid for those things they’d all approved. Then the three of them moved on to the store Rose wanted to visit.
Rose knew that, with a self-imposed, limited budget, she needed a few essential pieces that she could mix and match. Like the other two women, she wanted to look both professional and ready for anything social. She recalled her days of working at the Desert Sage Inn as social director, and, with that in mind, she leafed through items hanging on the racks with a careful eye.
Later, as she studied herself in the mirror, she realized though her height helped her pull off some styles, she was no longer in her thirties and needed to dress accordingly. In her opinion, there was nothing worse than an older woman in clothes designed for someone much younger. Lily and Willow insisted, though, that she buy a black dress that straddled that border.
When they were through shopping, Rose suggested they get coffee before heading back to the car and the inn.
As they sat with all their purchases at an outdoor table, the sun shone down on them with a warmth that filled Rose with contentment. She looked at her fellow shoppers, pleased by the friendship that was beginning to develop between them.
“I’ve never been able to go shopping like this before,” said Lily, setting down her cup of coffee and smiling. “I can’t believe Alec allowed us to do this. I usually pick up one piece or another for my wardrobe at one of my favorite discount stores and then try to make everything come together.”
“Alec is generous,” said Rose, “but he has a purpose behind our shopping today. He wants us to represent him as successful women who are smart and resourceful.”
“He insists all people who work at the hotel present themselves and the hotel well,” said Willow. “He’s pounded that requirement into my head. Crisp, clean uniforms make an important impression on guests. That, clean guest rooms, public areas, and a spotless back of the house.”
