Weekend in Vegas!: Saving Cinderella!

“I’m fine,” she said. “When will I ever get an opportunity like this again? Besides, I’ll be back in San Diego soon, living my dream, and we’ll have a party to celebrate.”

“A huge party,” Molly agreed.

“The biggest and best,” Serena added.

Then there was nothing left to say. The three of them had to leave or they’d miss their plane.

“Promise you’ll stay in touch?” Molly gave Alex a hug.

“By phone, e-mail, text and every way possible,” Alex agreed.

“And don’t let that gorgeous hunk of a boss of yours work you too hard,” Serena added.

All of them laughed at that. Alex thrived on hard work.

“I’ll get plenty of downtime.”

“And above all, don’t…” Jayne hesitated. “He’s too attractive to be safe, Alex.”

“I won’t fall in love with him, Jayne,” Alex said solemnly. “Today several of the other employees have sidled up to me to tell me that every woman falls in love with him, but there’s something mysterious about his past and he never gets involved with employees or falls in love, so I’ve been warned. Not that I needed to be. I’ve been burned too many times to ever fall for a man who comes with a ‘guaranteed to break a girl’s heart’ tag sewn into his shirts.” Love had only ever brought her pain, and now she was allergic. She was through with it.

Jayne managed a smile. She hugged Alex. “I would hate him so much if he hurt you.”

“That won’t happen. I’m not interested, and he’s definitely not interested.” Alex’s words were as much a warning for herself as reassurance for her friends.

“Okay, but if you need us…for anything…” Serena began.

“We’re only a few hours away,” Molly added.

Then they all piled into a cab and were gone.

Alex was on her own. But tomorrow, and for a lot of tomorrows, she would be working for Wyatt McKendrick.

At last she let the full reality of that thought sink in, and admitted that she wasn’t nearly as unaffected as she had told her friends. A sleepless night followed, only emphasizing the pitfalls of this situation. But when morning came there was no putting off the moment…or the man.

She had just signed on to work with the man dubbed the most elusive bachelor in Las Vegas. And unfortunately she did find him attractive, and she was nervous.

But she had never been one to stand meekly by awaiting her fate. She tended to plow forcefully ahead…just the way her unlucky-in-love mother had done.

And that, of course, was the problem. But it was one she intended to rectify.

“So, let’s get this thing done, Wyatt McKendrick,” she muttered. Because the sooner he gave her some direction, the sooner she could go about her business, away from any danger of getting too close to the man.

“I’m ready,” Alex said, as she met Wyatt coming out of his office. “Where do I begin?”

He raised a brow. “I’m glad you’re so enthusiastic. You argued vociferously against taking this job.”

“But now I have, and I intend to jump in with both feet.”

Which brought his gaze to her feet and her open-toed low-heeled sandals…which made Alex aware of her feet in a way she never had been before. She felt a bit exposed. But she couldn’t let him see that, so she thrust her chin up and waited.

“Okay,” he agreed. “But technically you’re not due at your desk for another hour, so I’ve made arrangements to introduce you to some of the people I prefer to refer customers to.”

“Such as…”

“Travel agents, tour guides, other business contacts.”

She pulled a small blue notepad out of her purse. “All right, I’m ready.”

A trace of a smile lifted his lips. He reached out and plucked the notepad from her grasp. “There’s a fact sheet with everyone’s contact information on it at your desk. The purpose of this outing is for me to introduce you and for you to inhale the details of the businesses you’ll be referring customers to. I want you to note what makes these businesses the best that can be had even if the customer never enters their premises. I’ve worked with some of them for the entire time I’ve been here.”

“You’re not native to Las Vegas?”

“No. A transplant from a small town in Illinois. I came here five years ago, not knowing a soul, but Las Vegas fits me.”

She tilted her head and studied him. “Wow, you stayed even though you had no friends or family here? That’s intriguing. So many people fly into Las Vegas for a weekend or a week.”

“And most of them leave,” he said, finishing her thoughts. “But they come to have fun. I came because a person can start from square one here and make things happen quickly.”

Alex looked up at the high atrium ceiling of the lobby. The room was green and gold, with light streaming in and turning everything molten. With its creamy marble floors and subtle gold offsets, the whole atmosphere was one of richness. But Alex knew from her weekend here that the magic began beyond this lobby. The hotel was divided into two wings. One was focused on pampering oneself with meditation and relaxation and places for private meetings or total solitude, the other was set up for treating oneself to life’s beaches and parties. Both, however, echoed the richness of this room.

“Did you design this place yourself?” she asked.

“Most of it.”

“You did an outstanding job. My friends and I came here because Jayne was jilted. We needed some escapism. McKendrick’s is the perfect escape.”

“Thank you. It’s a work in progress.”

“You’re changing things?” She’d spent too much of her life watching things change and slip away. Or maybe things was the wrong word. She’d watched people change and she’d paid the price.

“You don’t approve?”

“The hotel is perfect as it is.”

“Perfection—or imperfection—is a matter of opinion, isn’t it?”

Alex studied him. His tone had been light, but for a second she’d seen a hint of something not light in his eyes.

“Has someone been criticizing McKendrick’s?” she asked.

He looked amused. “You sound defensive.”

“Hey, I work at McKendrick’s,” she teased. “I’ve been here for—” she glanced at her watch “—five whole minutes, and I’ll have you know that I’m intensely loyal.”

Also prone to immersing herself in situations, she reminded herself. Was she really already lecturing her boss? Getting too involved? That would definitely have to stop.

“I’m glad to know that. But change can be good,” he said. “If McKendrick’s is to stay at the top of the game I have to keep making it better.”