Page 75 of True Abandon

I flick the edge of the yellow notepad at the front of the binder. “If you’re looking for something to do to occupy your time during your stay, we have a PGA golf course, and clay tennis courts like the French open. I can arrange a tour of the island by helicopter or a massage in a private cabana on the beach—”

“Dinner,” he states coolly. “I’d like to discuss more over dinner.”

“Dinner.” I look around the room and try to think of some excuse not to have to go, but I have none. “How is tomorrow at seven? I’ll meet you in the lobby.”

“Perfect,” he says as his phone starts to ring. He holds up a finger when he answers. “This is Eric. Yes, Mr. Asher. I’m here with Trish finalizing all of the plans. She’s just as professional as you said she’d be. The final list. I have it up in the room. Yes, sir. In five. Okay.”

Eric hangs up his phone, and I stifle a grin.

“You just called him sir.”

He dramatically hangs his head low and tilts his eyes up. “Guilty.”

My shoulders shake as I laugh. “You better call him back in five minutes.”

Eric looks at his phone and back to me. “I have a lot of work to do today. Thank you for showing me around.”

“The event coordinator will be touching base with you to go over any final plans and changes. Though, if you could refrain from telling her the change in cocktail hour venue was my idea, I’d appreciate it. I don’t want to overstep.”

His hands are up in the air. There’s a divot in his chin that appears when he grins. “You have my word. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I lower the binder down at arms-length and nod my head. “Seven.”

When Eric leaves, I place a hand on my waist and let out a long breath.

I head for the event coordinator’s office to return the binder, and the secretary looks none too happy with me as I hand it over. When I make my way back to the lobby, I log onto my computer and check my upcoming guest list.

I drum my fingers on the counter as I look at the requests they’ve made and know how easily I can fill them. It’s all standard stuff—couples massage, dinner reservations, Jeep Wrangler rental, dawn bike rides, Jurassic Park helicopter tours, waterfall adventures, private chef, rose petals on the bed, drawn baths at night …I can arrange this in my sleep. I shoot off a dozen quick emails and find my queue empty, and my work complete.

Now that Jackson has decided not to consume my every waking second, and Eric is the world’s easiest guest, I’m left with absolutely nothing to do.

I sign out and walk toward the pool. It’s packed with nearly every chair occupied by a lounging vacationer. There’s live music playing as a man walks around with a drum, followed by a dancer.

“Trish!” The sound of my name has me looking in the direction of the woman who called it.

I smile at the sight of Shayna Waimer. “Hi, Mrs. Waimer. Is there anything I can help you with today?”

She pushes my arm. “Call me Shay. And, yes, you can. We’ve planned our wedding ceremony for Saturday. It’s our last night here so we thought it would be a perfect way to end the honeymoon. We’d just love if you came.”

“I’d love to, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to. I have guests to accommodate.”

“That’s a shame. Jackson will be playing the guitar for us, and the bartender, Issac—”

“Isaiah?” I correct her.

“Yes, him. He’s going to officiate. It’s gonna be beautiful. On a cliff, looking out into the ocean…”

“Wearing matching leis,” I add, and her eyes light up.

“I love that idea! Can I get a lei crown?” Her hands are on top of her head as if there is an actual crown of flowers sitting there.

“Yes. We can arrange that. And, I will try to be there, but no promises.”

Her hands clap together then point to the tiki bar. “I’m gonna get myself another dirty banana. You want anything?”

I shake my head. “On the job.”

She saunters off, and I continue to meander, looking around at the guests. Not really for anyone in particular. I’m just…looking.