“You could be. I’d groom you.”
“I don’t think so.” Emilie softened her words with a smile. She steepled her fingers. “I also heard you’re offering assistance with relocation. The candidates you fly in are going to need a place to stay. The Flamingo Beach Resort is a logical option. I would, of course, adjust the room prices.”
Ian ran a hand across iron-gray hair. “I’m not sure what Human Resources is doing about accommodations. We could talk in more detail over, uh, dinner. Are you available?”
“I’m afraid not. I have a dinner engagement.”
Somewhat of a stretch, but he didn’t need to know that. She planned on getting takeout and parking herself in front of the television set.
“Tomorrow then?”
“Sorry, but I have a previous commitment.”
Ian handed her his business card. “Why don’t you call me when you’re free and we’ll take it from there?”
She thanked him and handed him her own business card.
He stood towering above her, holding on to her hands.
“Because I like you I’m going to tell you this. Keith Lightfoot’s bringing in men from out of state to get his casino built. Those men are going to need accommodations for an extended period of time. I’ve heard they’ll be around for a good six months to a year. I could put in a good word for you,” he said.
Keith Lightfoot again.
“Why would Mr. Lightfoot consider having his men stay with the competition?”
Ian winked at her. “Don’t worry your pretty little head. I can make it happen. What better way for the Seminoles to see what they’re up against than to experience life at the resort?”
Emilie was now seriously beginning to worry. If the Lightfoot man had grown up in Flamingo Beach and Mayor Rabinowitz was really in his pocket, it spelled trouble. The Flamingo Beach Spa and Resort didn’t stand a chance.
No, she refused to have negative thoughts. She should view it as a challenge. She had a huge bonus at stake here and one she needed to buy a place she could call home.
No way was she going down without a fight.
Chapter 2
“Tell me more about this Lightfoot guy,” Emilie said to Rowan the next evening as they were having dinner at Mario’s.
Rowan reached across the table, capturing her fingers in his. “What would you like to know?”
He’d cleaned up for the occasion and instead of his usual jeans, he was wearing khaki slacks and a formfitting polo shirt that hugged his chest in all the right places.
“Everything. I’m especially interested in hearing about this casino he’s looking to build.”
“So much for having a nice relaxing evening without work creeping in. The project is actually a partnership between the Seminole Indian tribe and Landsdale International. Keith engineered the deal.”
Emilie almost choked on her Long Island iced tea. She set down the drink and reached for her water. There was more here to worry about than she’d initially thought.
“Landsdale International, owners of the luxury resorts?”
“Right on the money. Partnering with the Seminoles to pull this off is going to put Landsdale in a whole other league. They’re looking at a one-thousand-room resort on at least a hundred acres. We’re talking a huge casino, lagoon-style pool and there’s even talk of a theme park. The idea is to have investors buy the suites and villas, which can then be rented out on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis.
Emilie was starting to feel sticky. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to sit outdoors after all. She picked up her menu and began to fan.
One of Mario’s waiters came hurrying over.
“I can reseat you, madam. You might be more comfortable inside.”
“No, no, I’ll be fine.”
It was difficult not to burst out laughing. Not so long ago the help at Mario’s diner consisted of Mario and his extended family. Service was friendly but incidental. If you were looking for fine dining then you went elsewhere. What Mario was known for was good food and huge portions. But now Mario, like everyone else, had jumped on the expansion band-wagon, adding upstairs seating and a pretty little garden out back. He’d also hired trained waitstaff.
Sitting outdoors had been Emilie’s idea. She’d convinced Rowan it would be far less crowded than the air-conditioned interior. Now she was beginning to regret it.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go in where it’s cooler?” Rowan repeated, looking like he was ready to jump up and fan her if necessary.
“No, just give me a moment and I’ll be fine.” Emilie took another sip of ice-cold water and stuck her head in the menu. When the waiter came to their table she gave him her order.
“So what role do you and Derek play in this deal?” she asked after the waiter left.
“Keith wants us to develop the land and make it happen. The PR alone should put James Morse Incorporated on the map.”
“That’s cool.” Emilie touched Rowan’s bare arm with the tip of her fingers. He used that as an excuse to capture her hand. “I’d imagine the project should take at least two years to get up and running.”
“Keith is aiming for six months. He wants the casino and accommodations constructed in that time and he’s given us carte blanche to bring workmen in from all over the country. There’s a huge bonus if the project’s brought in on time.”
Emilie sipped on her water again and reflected. There was an unsettling flutter in her stomach and her forehead felt clammy.
“Six months! You can’t be serious. It’s going to take about that long just to get permits.”
“Not if you’re the mayor’s friend. Keith’s a very powerful man and he has connections.”
Emilie remembered her earlier conversation with Joya. She’d said something about the mayor being in Keith Lightfoot’s pocket. She wondered if Rowan might be getting a kickback, too, but she couldn’t imagine Joya’s husband, Derek Morse, involved in anything shady. Rowan, on the other hand, had a reputation for being an aggressive, hard-nosed negotiator, but she’d always thought he was honest.
“Lightfoot really believes that he’s going to have enough business to keep a thousand rooms filled?” Emilie asked. She had to wonder where the traffic was coming from. She was at her wit’s end trying to come up with ideas to keep her hotel at even fifty percent capacity, and her hotel had half as many rooms.
Rowan gulped his beer and set down the bottle. “Gambling’s an addiction, babe. When you’re hooked you’ll follow that roulette wheel to the end of the earth.”
“Gotcha. But why would high rollers come to Flamingo Beach when they can go to Las Vegas? What makes us so special?”
“New turf. Gamblers flock to wherever opportunity lies. Must we talk about gambling and casinos? I would much rather talk about us.”
“I didn’t know there was an us,” Emily said, hiking an eyebrow.
Rowan’s hand covered his heart. “You’re killing me. Here I am crazy about you, and you keep pushing me away. Is it the race thing that makes us a problem?”
Emilie bit into a breadstick and debated how to answer. “You want me to be brutally honest?”
“I’d be disappointed if you were anything but,” Rowan said.
This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.
“I