“I don’t know about that,” the reporter commented, leaning back against the sofa. “You’ve dominated the Atlanta scene for over a decade and are always seen in New York, Paris and Milan.”
He was right about that. Courtney had loved the spotlight. It was as if she was born to be there, but all good things must come to end. “True, but I guess that dovetails into your other comment. Wealth. I’ve cultivated my fame to help brand my family’s cosmetics company. It’s not for personal gain. I’d like to think I’ve played a part in the company’s success.”
“I would say so. If you hadn’t been in the limelight, no one would know Adams Cosmetics. Which brings me to my next question. For twenty years, Adams Cosmetics was a boutique firm catering to a specific clientele. What has it been like merging with such a corporate Goliath like Graham International?”
Courtney smiled soberly. “It was an adjustment for all of us, but we’ve acclimated. And now we’re bigger and stronger than ever.” It had taken a long time for Courtney to feel comfortable with Kayla and Ethan running the company. She’d been none too pleased when her brother-in-law had tried replacing her with Noelle Warner, an actress. Who also happened to be his ex-girlfriend. It was doomed from the start. “We’ve introduced new products in our cosmetics line, revamped our skin-care line and introduced two new fragrances, Hypnotic and Ecstasy. And we have another on the way.”
“Sounds like you’re a busy lady,” he said. “How is your love life faring? I mean with your good looks, men must be bountiful.”
Courtney skated by his question and said, “I think I get my good looks from my mother, Elizabeth. She’s absolutely stunning.”
“Did you inherit those famous green eyes from her?”
“I did. So did my brother.”
“That’s right, your brother, Shane, is AC’s chemist. He’s getting married soon, yes?”
“In a couple of months.”
“Wow. Your sister and brother both married in the last two years. Does that make you hear wedding bells yourself?”
“Absolutely not.” Courtney shook her head fervently. “I love my freedom and am content with the status quo. I’ll leave it to my siblings to marry and procreate.”
“Are you saying you would never marry?”
Courtney shrugged. “I don’t know if I’m the marrying kind. I’m having too much fun being single.” And she couldn’t wait to hop on a plane and find out just how much fun she could have.
* * *
As he drove in an old pickup, Jasper was pleased with himself. In less than an hour, he’d secured a position at Dorchester Construction Company, the company he’d hired to construct his new hotel, and would begin work on Monday. He’d driven his old beat-up Ford pickup truck, because it wasn’t as if he could drive his Lamborghini to the hotel site and expect to get hired.
Jasper had acted as if he were a man down on his luck. The superintendent had taken one look at his truck and his attire of ripped jeans and T-shirt and hired him on the spot. It had helped that his foreman had just quit, and he was in need of help. But why would the foreman have quit such an illustrious project? It didn’t make sense, and Jasper suspected his gut was right on the money that something was wrong on-site. The superintendent had requested a résumé, which Jasper didn’t have, but he’d given him several references, all of whom Jasper phoned in advance to give a heads-up of his plan.
The superintendent had easily fallen for his act. Now Jasper would have the opportunity to finally see what was going on.
* * *
When Courtney arrived in Punta Cana on Sunday afternoon after a three-and-a-half-hour flight, she was amazed at just how beautiful the Dominican Republic truly was. Flying over the Atlantic Ocean, she’d gotten a clear view of the island thanks to the cloudless blue sky. She saw sparkling cobalt waters, magnificent palm trees and sandy white beaches. It was Mother Nature at her best.
A hired car greeted her at the airport and whisked her to Sea Breeze Resorts. The hotel was tucked away from the other resorts and required a forty-five-minute drive to get there, but it was worth the wait. Sea Breeze Resorts had its own private beach, plush landscaping and the greenest grass she’d ever seen. Courtney was sure the golf course she’d passed on her way to the main building was a top-ranked course. Golf wasn’t her favorite sport, but it was a necessary evil and had gotten her in front of movers and shakers she wouldn’t otherwise have met.
The car stopped in front of a whitewashed stucco building, and a bellhop immediately opened the passenger door and helped her out of the vehicle. “Welcome to Sea Breeze Resorts.”
“Thank you.” Courtney smiled, accepting his hand. She was impressed at the prompt service. Even more so when a man whom she assumed was the hotel manager, dressed in a formal suit, greeted her by name as she walked in the lobby.
“Welcome, Ms. Adams, to Sea Breeze Resorts. My name is Miguel,” the older, distinguished gentleman said. “It’s a pleasure to have a celebrity of your caliber staying at the resort.”
He led her to the check-in desk that was situated in the open-air lobby, where a wood-paneled walkway surrounded two small pools of water lilies and sea turtles. The hotel manager took care of checking her in himself.
“Celebrity? I wouldn’t say that.” From the lobby, she could see the property’s spectacular ocean view and elegant accommodations. The focal point was the seventeenth-
century hand-carved wooden archway that encased the entrance and the Dominican art sculptures that adorned the windows.
“But you and your family are featured in this month’s Essence magazine, are you not?”
Courtney nodded. “Yes, we are.” She’d forgotten that Ethan had arranged for the Adams and Graham family to be spotlighted in the magazine.
“Then, you’re a celebrity,” the hotel manager said. “My name is Miguel and I will be happy to assist you during your stay at Sea Breeze Resorts. We’ve arranged an excellent suite for you with a majestic view of the ocean from your terrace. You’ll love it.”
“Thank you so much,” Courtney replied. Typically, she was in more cosmopolitan places like New York and Paris. She rarely got to go someplace warm, let alone frolic on the beach. And she intended to do a lot of frolicking on her stay. She’d promised Kayla she would get the wanderlust out of her system, and she intended to do just that.
With all the wedding planning for Gabby, who was inept at fashion, Courtney had been on a self-imposed male hiatus. It was time she had a little fun.
“Allow me to show you to your room and once you’ve had time to freshen up, I can give you a tour of our fabulous resort.”
“That sounds great.”
An hour later Courtney had showered in her oceanfront suite. She was duly impressed with the seven-thousand-
acre resort and could see why Shane and Gabby had recommended it for the shoot and her stay; it was nothing short of phenomenal. The resort was upscale and infused with modern sophistication and Asian twists in its furnishings and architecture. It was as if the owners had thought of every possible amenity from the infinity-edge pool, the fitness center, the tennis courts to the spa. The manager had indicated there was horseback riding, Jet-Skiing and windsurfing too. It was going to be a great trip, complete with a photo shoot and commercial for Bliss’s new campaign.
Thanks to Miguel, she was sat at the chef’s table with several other high-profile guests and enjoyed a delicious four-course meal later that evening. Although dinner was incredible, it was three hours long and Courtney was eager to depart and get some rest after flying; tomorrow she would explore the island.
* * *
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Courtney said, pulling her rental car over along the side