“You think we’ll be done that soon?”
“Shoulder season is the best time to renovate. I can always come back after the holiday and finish things off.”
Mari stood awkwardly in the doorway, unsure of how to proceed. Her blazer pocket contained half a dozen messages she should answer, and she knew there were matters that needed her attention on her desk. So why didn’t she get to it?
“Did you need something in particular?” Luca posed the question, raising his eyebrows and Mari felt even more awkward.
“No, not really. I’ll just, um, go to my office, and if you need me for anything you can find me there.”
“I’m waiting for a call from a designer. He did some work for us when we bought the Colorado Springs property and with the similarity in settings, I thought bringing him up here would be a good idea. I know what I want, but I’m at a loss when it comes to deciding fabrics and tapestries and…well, it’s Dean’s job to take my vision and put it all together.”
Her mouth went dry. Nine o’clock in the morning and he was already moving forward without even discussing things with her. Was this all going to happen without her, then? “And what’s my job in all this?”
For a moment she was afraid he was going to get up and her fingers felt for the handle of the door. Briefly she remembered the touch of his finger on her wrist last night. But he merely crossed an ankle over his knee and smiled up at her. “Your job is to keep the hotel running as seamlessly as possible for our guests and staff. I can already see you’re good at it. And your job is also to help me. I do want your input, Mari.”
When the phone on his desk rang, his attention slid away from her completely, and she felt like a child dismissed from the principal’s office. Damn, she’d come in here hoping to get some insight into his plans, figure out a way to retain at least some control over the whole business. And she was leaving with nothing.
Mari made her way to the manager’s office in a daze. It was clear she wasn’t needed when it came to whatever changes were impending. As far as Luca was concerned, she
was there to keep people happy.
She shut her office door firmly and threw her purse on her chair. She hadn’t worked this hard to build up her life to have someone dismiss it like it didn’t matter. Her years of being a doormat were over. She thought of the court proceedings happening this very moment and lifted her chin. She smoothed her hands over her cheeks, trying to soothe away the nagging feeling of inadequacy. She wouldn’t let him do this to her. This was her life now, and she would hold on to it with both hands.
He was bringing in a designer, of course he was. That was logical. But it was all happening so quickly. And she didn’t deal well with change. She wanted everything back the way it was.
Luca would consult with this designer and she’d be out of the decision-making process. She couldn’t let that happen. If she did, he’d start making unilateral decisions that affected everyone. He’d have all the control and the thought terrified her.
But how could she hold her ground, when the very thought of asserting herself into the situation made her stomach tremble and her knees watery?
She had to come up with something that showed her value. When the idea hit she was shocked she hadn’t thought of it before. The hotel had an attic. And with every renovation, she knew certain things had been placed there for storage. She was sure there was a trove of antiques from the original design up there. She remembered what he’d said last night about returning to a “golden age.” Rich fabrics and natural wood. If she remembered correctly, there was an old chandelier up there, and who knew what other treasures she’d find?
She jumped up from her chair, ignoring the open file on her desk and grabbing instead a ring of keys from the back of her desk drawer. She was just turning into the hall when she ran smack-dab into the solid wall of his chest.
“Allentare!” He gripped her arms to steady her, and she stiffened beneath his fingers. “Mari, slow down! Are you all right?”
“Let me go. I’m fine.” She shook off his hands and straightened her shoulders.
Luca stood back, nonplussed. The woman was as prickly as a cactus. She’d nearly knocked him over and now stood glaring at him like it was his fault that she’d come storming out of her office, not looking where she was going.
“I am glad to hear it.”
Her face softened just a bit. “I beg your pardon. It was my fault.”
“It doesn’t matter. I was just coming to see you.”
He watched as she slowly relaxed. First a deep breath, then her shoulders lowered and the taut lines of her face disappeared. She was wound as tight as a top. She had been last night, too. Her cheek had been cold when he’d kissed it in greeting and the tiny touch on her wrist seemed to turn her to stone. The woman needed to deflate before she imploded.
She placed a polite smile on her lips, one he knew was put there for show and not genuine. It was a cover. But what was she covering? He’d never met a woman so uptight and rigid. He had a feeling if he said black, she’d say white just to be contrary. In that way, he thought ruefully, she wasn’t that different from his father. He held back the sigh gathering in his lungs. The Cascade was his baby. He’d demanded full authority over everything. And when it was over he’d be able to take the credit and finally step out within the company in his own right. He loved his father, he did. It didn’t mean he wanted to work under his thumb for the rest of his life. It was the one thing that kept things tense between them.
“Did you need something?”
At the sound of her voice, he dragged his gaze from her lips. “Need? I heard back from the designer, Dean Shiffling.” He couldn’t keep the annoyance out of his voice. “He can’t make it until day after tomorrow. I told him we’d send a car to meet him at the airport.”
They’d taken half a dozen steps down the hall, but she halted abruptly. “Luca, we don’t have a car. We have a shuttle van.”
“Fiori does not herd guests into a, what did you call it? A shuttle van.” He muttered something under his breath. There was much to be said for the old inn, but things needed to change to bring it up to Fiori standards. “I shall look after getting us proper transportation.”
He started walking again, knowing she’d have no choice but follow after him. Already he could see the adding machine whirring in her head, working sums. A smile played with the corners of his lips. Perhaps it was wrong, but he had to admit he enjoyed putting her off balance. It had been too long since he’d had a worthy opponent to butt heads with and he got the feeling that Mari would be up to the challenge. It was worth it to see that fire light in her gray-blue eyes and her color rise. So much better than her icy withdrawal.