May in December (9 page)

Jorry blushed, feeling the heat filter down to his stomach. “Thanks.”

Department heads from housekeeping, the bar and restaurant, the front desk, the terrain crew, the machinists, guest services, the instructors, the rentals, maintenance, and the ground patrol trickled in. Jorry had met most of them through running errands for Gail and occasionally Warren, and so knew the employees by name.

At the top of the hour, all but one of the investors had shown. Gail stood up and addressed the room.

“As you know, we called this meeting to address the concerns of all the department heads in regards to the possibility of creating a pet-friendly resort. With the way people treat their dogs as family”—she smiled down at her two corgis, Snickerdoodle at Warren’s feet and Gingersnap in Jorry’s arms—“I believe opening our arms to their furry children will increase the resort’s revenue by at least fifty percent. So, I give the floor to you, department heads. What are some of your concerns?”

Housekeeping spoke first, followed by the terrain crew and guest services. For the next forty-five minutes, the pros and cons were addressed eloquently and with much thought. Though Jorry had a vested interest in the program, he found his mind escaping the drone of voices.

What if it was decided the resort would adopt a pet-friendly clause? Gail wanted him to head up the project, but what if he screwed up? He had never been successful at anything in life. Hell, he’d never graduated from high school. Not because he was stupid, but because his grandmother had gotten sick and his mother hadn’t been taking care of her. He had wanted to go back to school, but life didn’t work out that way.

And what about Bruce? It would kill Jorry if he failed. Bruce had been good to him, supportive and protective, and he produced feelings in Jorry he’d only dreamed of having. It was like a dream come true; except in Jorry’s world, most of his dreams were nightmares.

The bar and restaurant department head started to speak when the heavy, carved door to the room opened.

“Darling.” Gail offered the late attendee her cheek for a kiss. “I was beginning to think you may not make it at all.”

“Nothing would hold me back from attending a meeting of my favorite investment.” In three long strides, a tall, well-dressed blond man reached Gail’s side and kissed her on the cheek while simultaneously thrusting his hand out to Warren.

Gingersnap’s throat rumbled with a small growl. Jorry’s stomach dropped, and the room tilted.

“Good afternoon, everyone.” Pickworth W. Johnson III addressed the room with authority, his smile landing on Jorry. “I hope I didn’t miss too much.”

What was that about nightmares?

* * * *

Before the meeting adjourned, Jorry excused himself and fled from the room. With his heart racing, he rounded the corner to the restrooms and dashed inside a stall.

Pickworth here? What am I going to do? He’s going to kill me. I know he will. I know his secrets, and he’s gonna kill me. He’s gonna tell Gail and Warren what a screwup I am, and I’ll lose this job.

The only thing he could think of doing was finding Bruce.

His cell phone rang. He jumped, then hit the Answer button and placed the device against his ear. “Hello?”

“Jorry,” snapped Gail. “Where did you go?”

“I’m in the bathroom.”

“Well, finish up. Come to my office. Now. I have a special project for you to handle.”

There was no way he was going to argue with his boss. Besides, Pickworth should be long gone from the building, and if Gail had a special project for Jorry, that meant Pickworth hadn’t said anything damaging to her about him being an ex-employee.

“I’m on my way.” Jorry took a deep breath and barely managed to bury his fear. When he arrived at Gail’s office, he knocked twice on the door.

“Come.”

Jorry walked in; his heart sank, and his knees threatened to give out.

There, sitting on the edge of Gail’s desk, was none other than Pickworth.

“Jorry, dear.” Gail set down a box of chocolate-covered cherries, swooped around her desk, and touched him on the arm. “I want to personally introduce you to a wonderful man who happens to be one of our investors, Pickworth W. Johnson the Third.”

Pickworth’s sweet smile made Jorry nauseated. It seemed Gingersnap and Snickerdoodle had issues with him too, as he could hear them softly growling under Gail’s desk.

Pickworth stood and extended his hand to shake. “I recognize you from…the meeting. Yes, you’re the young man who left early.” When Jorry accepted the handshake, it was strong and domineering, leaving no doubt who was in charge. “I do hope everything is all right.”

Jorry ignored the last statement and turned his attention back to his boss. “What is it you need me to do?”

“Mr. Johnson requested going over the proposal again. I thought you would be the best candidate as this is your pet project. Ha!” Gail fluttered her long, decorated nails up to her lips. “No pun intended.”

Jorry planted his feet in a wide stance. He did
not
want to work with this man. “This is rather a bad time. I need to—”

“He’s so dedicated to his job.” Gail tilted her head to the side and stage-whispered to Pickworth, “And good at it too.”

“So I noticed,” Pickworth whispered back. “Which is precisely why I
want
him.”

“And you may have him.” Gail waved a warning finger at Pickworth. “However, sweetie, only for today, though. No stealing him from me.”

“Perish the thought.”

Jorry tried standing his ground. “But, Gail, we have to finish—”

Gail waved Jorry off. “I admire your devotion, but nothing else is needed today, except going over the proposal with Mr. Johnson. Now, I have taken the liberty of ordering refreshments and snacks to be brought up to Mr. Johnson’s room. I expect a productive meeting.”

“I look forward to hearing about this new pet-friendly arrangement directly from its creator.” With his back to Gail, Pickworth undressed Jorry with his eyes. Jorry shivered. He wanted to be anywhere but here.

“If we do well, Mr. Johnson has offered his pet services and products from the chain of stores he owns called the Dawg Haus.” Gail popped a chocolate-covered cherry into her mouth. “Since you were a dog walker, are you familiar with the store in town?”

No no no! I’ve never heard of it or seen this man in my life
. Jorry couldn’t lie. “Yes, ma’am.”

“We will work well together, won’t we, Jorry?” Pickworth asked with an innocence that made Jorry want to retch.

Bizzz.

Gail pushed a button on her intercom. “Yes, Janelle?”

“Mrs. Dillard from Stokes Initiatives on line two.”

“Gentlemen, I expect to hear some good news. Oh, and Jorry?”

“Yes?”

Gail handed a couple of files to him. “Mr. Johnson here is practically family. Treat him as such.” Gail dismissed them as she picked up her phone. “Sherry, I hope you have those stats I need…”

“Shall we?” Pickworth closed the door behind them and motioned for Jorry to walk ahead.

Jorry’s stomach bottomed out. He didn’t know what to expect. Would Pickworth try to hurt him to keep his secrets hidden? Or would he somehow try to make a deal with Jorry to keep his mouth shut? And would he stay quiet out of fear for his life? He inclined his head slightly. “After you, sir.”

Pickworth escorted Jorry down the posh hallway leading to the elevators. Seconds after pushing the up arrow, the doors swung open and the two men walked in. The doors swooshed behind them, and for the first time, Jorry was alone with his old boss.

The ride up to the fourth floor was long. Jorry caught a glimpse of himself in the shiny brass walls of the elevator. With slouched shoulders and mussed-up hair, he looked like some punk kid on his way to the principal’s office. He clutched at the files he was carrying.
You’re a man, damn it. Start acting like one
. After his self-talk, he stood up straight and tried to portray a confidence he didn’t necessarily feel.

The elevator slowed to a stop, and the doors slid open. Again, Pickworth took the lead, not bothering to check if Jorry was following or not. As they made their way to Pickworth’s room, they passed a few visitors and other employees.

All too soon, they arrived at room 483. Pickworth drew his key card out of his breast pocket and slid it in and out of the security slot. The small green light blinked, and the door unlocked.

It was time to dance with the devil.

Chapter Eight

Pickworth was ever the professional. It helped that he had a personal assistant take notes the whole time, so he and Jorry were never alone. Regardless, two hours into their meeting Pickworth had yet to mention any of the dirt he and Jorry had on each other. This put Jorry on edge more than ever, as he was waiting for the pendulum to swing.

Most of the meeting was spent going over items brought up during the original briefing. Often, Pickworth spent long minutes rereading the notes his personal assistant had written before looking up and asking more questions. The only time they paused from the business at hand was to consume refreshments, and even then, the atmosphere was light as they talked about the weather and how good the food was.

“I think that about wraps up my questions on bringing pet-friendly facilities to the resort.” Pickworth rose from his chair. “Cyndi, I want you to e-mail these notes directly to my personal account.”

The personal assistant nodded her head and quietly left. Pickworth faced Jorry. “I thank you for your time.”

A wave of relief tunneled through Jorry. He wanted to get out of there and go home.
Home to Bruce. What a nice feeling
. He headed toward the door.

“By the way, how is your friend Tabitha?”

Jorry’s hand froze on the door handle. He heard Pickworth step up behind him.

“She’s your single mother friend with the four beautiful children, isn’t she? It would be a shame if Children’s Protective Services were called and her darling little ones were forced into foster care during the holidays.”

“Why would CPS be called?” Jorry whirled around, his fists clenched. “Tabbie’s a good mother!”

“Ummm, the authorities would disagree if they found out she allows her children around a drug dealer and a prostitute.”

Jorry swallowed his anger. “I was wondering when you were going to bring our association up.”

“Oh, there’s no reason to bring up your sins in public.” Pickworth examined his manicured nails. “Not yet. Not as long as you do what I say.”

“Which is?”

“You are going to be my agent inside the Otsego Oasis Resort.”

“What?”

Pickworth removed his suit jacket and threw it on the bed. He drew off his tie and unbuttoned his cuffs. “I’m doing you a favor. Working here has to be boring after playing the fast track of drugs and prostitution. I mean, that’s how I started out.”

Jorry frowned. “I’m not sure if I follow you.”

Pickworth dragged out the moment by easing his way to the small bar and mixing a whiskey sour. “Life is boring, especially when you’ve done all and seen all at a young age. I felt dead, trapped in the norms of my high-society life. Then I discovered a completely different, shady world. The charge I got doing something illegal… Well, that thrill has yet to let me down. I feel alive, in charge, and on top of my world. Power is an addictive agent, especially now, with my eye on the mayor’s office.” He swigged down his drink and slammed the glass on the bar. “I’m looking out for you, Jorry. I can’t imagine how you would be happy living a normal life after getting a taste of what I could offer you.”

“I could never voluntarily do what you do.”

“I think you could. I know you have brains.” Pickworth sauntered back over to a chair. “Consider your proposal. It has merit. But we could make it better, more exciting, if we joined forces. And just think, with all the money we could make, of all the good we could do for the senior citizens or the poor of Otsego county. There’s nothing like the satisfaction of taking ill-conceived money and turning it into a good deed. And if you really think about it, our whole political system is built on corrupt money spent on doing good things for our citizens.”

“You just threatened my best friend.” Jorry stepped back. “What do you really want?”

“Ahhh. A man who appreciates the direct approach.” Pickworth cruised back to the bar, made another drink, and sipped it slowly. “You are now on the inside of an extremely lucrative business here in Gaylord. Skiing in the winter, golfing in the spring, summer, and autumn. Lots of old money from retirees, people on their way to the casinos to gamble, and tourists on their way to the Upper Peninsula.”

“So?”

“I could use someone like you.”

“Oh no. I’m Gail’s boy Friday.”

“And with that comes great power, as you will be privy to all the inside information. That can be useful to a man in my position.”

“I won’t do it.”

“But you will and more, because I have your best interest at heart.” Pickworth placed the drink on the windowsill and stalked toward Jorry. “You
will
sell my special merchandise
and
your services to those visitors who request it. I’ll put you in direct contact with those visiting, and you will, shall I say, do the rest? The profit, of course, goes back to me, but you will have a healthy cut. What do you say? Deal?”

“To hell with that.” Spittle flew from Jorry’s lips.

Pickworth jerked Jorry’s arm and swung him hard against the wall, pinning him there with his groin. “Don’t think, for once, I’m going to let you deny me.”

“And don’t think, for once, I am going to agree to do any of your dirty business anymore.”

“Don’t forget your Tabbie’s poor babies as they cry for their mother and she’s not there.”

Jorry played cool, like he didn’t care. “So what? It happens all the time.” He tried to take a deep breath with his lungs crushed against the wall. “What’s to keep me from going to Gail right now and telling her what a lowlife you are?”

“Because I will blow you out of the atmosphere.” Pickworth let Jorry go with a sneer. “Your word against mine. Get out.”

Jorry didn’t bother to slam the door shut.