“Yeah.” She giggled. “I’d give it some dorky name…like Glamorous Genie, or something stupid like that.”
“Any improvements to the food?”
“It’s mediocre at best.” She shrugged. “I’d bring in a top-notch chef and revamp the menu entirely.”
Man, this girl had a head for business on her shoulders. Donnie didn’t know if he wanted to hire her or date her.
CHAPTER 3
THE NEXT MORNING, MARLA was waiting for Donnie in his office. Not that he was particularly surprised. He knew his mother would want the dirt on last night. It’s just that there was nothing to tell. He’d had a pleasant evening with Genie, but soon she’d be headed back to the mainland and that would be the end of that.
“Good morning, Mother.” Donnie stopped at the chair she occupied in front of his desk—When Marla had no qualms about claiming his chair as her own, it was a sure sign that she was up to something—he kissed her cheek and then proceeded to his own chair behind the desk.
“How was your evening?” she asked, and that did surprise him. He’d anticipated a little buttering-up before she dove right into the heart of the matter, the reason for this chat.
“It was fine, Mother.” He smiled. “We had a pleasant evening.”
“So you like her?”
“Yes, I like her.” He felt the blush heating his cheeks and tried to stifle it. “But there are two very good reasons why it can’t go any farther.” Donnie fell silent, thinking she’d issue a protest right off the bat. When she didn’t, he continued, “Firstly, she’ll go back to the mainland when her vacation is over.”
“Oh, like you couldn’t convince her to stay,” Marla said with a saucy edge to her voice.
“And that brings us to the second reason.” Donnie nodded. “How could I ever be sure if she likes me or the fact that I own this hotel?”
“Why on Earth would you tell her you own Sapphire Bay before you got to know her?”
“I didn’t tell her, you did.”
“I didn’t tell her that you own the hotel.”
“What exactly did you tell her?”
“That you work here.” Marla shrugged. “It’s not a lie.”
Donnie rubbed his forehead with the tips of his fingers. He must’ve come across as a buffoon last night. He’d spent the evening thinking she knew who he was, while she had been (wrongly) informed that he was simply an employee of the hotel.
No matter how well-meant her intentions were, Marla had created a huge headache for Donnie. How could he tell Genie the truth? What if she thought he was trying to dupe her?
Donnie shook his head. “Well, it really doesn’t matter.” He wasn’t willing to find out how she’d take it. “We went on a date and it’s over now.”
“That girl is suffering from some serious heartache.”
“I know that.”
“Did she tell you what exactly?” Marla waited. Donnie shook his head. “She’s being very tight-lipped about it, but I think she’s here recovering.”
“I think you’re probably right.” The thought of Genie’s heart belonging to someone else didn’t sit right. Donnie’s own heart plummeted into his gut. “Which is even more reason to keep my distance.”
“I taught you better than that!”
“What do you mean…?” Donnie’s voice was hollow; his laughter affected.
“How you treat that girl right now will determine whether or not she’ll open herself up to love again in the future, or if she’ll close herself off completely.”
Donnie hated it when Marla was right. Especially if it meant he had to journey down a road he wasn’t comfortable approaching, much less traveling.
“Don’t shatter what’s left of her already fragile heart.”
Yes, but what about my heart?
Genie stood at the window overlooking the blue-green waters of Sapphire Bay. She had to hand it to the hotel staff, when they said unobstructed ocean view, they really meant it. The resort’s private beach was beneath her, but her twenty-third floor room ensured that nothing got in the way of that glorious view.
“Seriously, Gene…” Cami’s voice echoed from the cell phone in Genie’s hand. “You went on a date last night?”
“I wouldn’t exactly call it a date.” Genie shrugged. “I think his mother put him up to it.”
“His mother?”
“Yeah. I think they both work here at the hotel.”
Cami sighed. “Well, if nothing else, he’s a great transitional guy to get back in the swing of dating.”
“I’m not really interested in dating anyone.” Even as she said it, Genie knew she was lying as images of last night flickered though her thoughts. Donnie was so easy to talk to, not to mention completely gorgeous. She wondered what his job was at the hotel, and how long he’d had to save to take her on that dinner cruise last night. It just didn’t make sense that he’d spend that kind of money on a girl his mother had pushed him into taking out to dinner. Maybe the dinner cruise was a reward from the hotel for his exemplary service. No matter how it happened, the truth was, she was interested in dating Donnie, but he lived half a world away. “Besides, there’ll be like two thousand miles separating us when I go back home.” That was just it. Genie was going home, and sooner than she’s like. In a couple of days.
“Typical,” Cami said. “You finally meet Mr. Right and he works in a hotel in Hawaii.” Her laughter teetered off.
“Mr. Right?” Genie scoffed. “Nobody said anything about Mr. Right. Besides, we’ve only had one date. One.”
“Doesn’t take more than a taste of the wine to know if the bottle’s a keeper. So did he kiss you?”
“No!” Genie said a little too quickly and a little too loudly.
Cami grunted. “Next time, you kiss him.”
“What?”
“Is that not every woman’s secret fantasy…to be swept off her feet by Mr. Hot-and-Sexy while on some exotic vacation?” Cami chuckled.
“Well, there’s not going to be a next time.” Genie felt the depression over that swelling inside her. “We said goodbye in the lobby last night. I went my way and he went his. We made no plans to see each other again.”
“Oh, he’s gotta call.”
“Says who?”