Misfits, Inc. (3 page)

I
t was nearly six o’clock that evening and guests were spilling
into the lobby from their day on the beach or, in some cases, their adventures
touring the island’s interior.  Skyler stood behind the front desk and watched
the last of the guests make their way into the elevators.  Most were on their
way to change for dinner and evening entertainment in the lounge.  Apart from
the nightlife in and around the resort, there was little to do on the island
itself, since the resort was the only known civilization on the island.  Once
the lobby cleared, Skyler leaned on the desk and rubbed his temples.  The heavy
knitting of his brows suggested he had a migraine headache.  A sturdy built,
rugged looking man in his late thirties, Marcus Sherwood, approached the desk
with a mission.  Skyler straightened the moment he saw him, but he obviously
wasn’t pleased to see the man.  Despite his expensive suit, Marcus was far from
gentlemanly, and judging by his stern expression, Skyler had reason to react
with concern.

“Skyler,” Marcus demanded in a gruff tone before
even reaching the desk.  “Why wasn’t I notified when Nevin Brody arrived?”

Skyler weakly fumbled with an explanation.  “I, uh,
told Delaney--”

Marcus obviously wanted none of Skyler’s excuses. 
He stopped before the desk and stared down the meek man.  It was a look most
feared from the tough man.

“Delaney isn’t in charge of security,” he launched
back.  He pounded the desk with his index finger, never taking his eyes from
Skyler’s eyes.  “I expect to be kept informed of our VIP guests, especially
those traveling with personal attack dogs.”

“You mean Rafe--”

“You know damned well I mean Rafe!”

Skyler appeared scolded, although it seemed to be a
normal state for the downtrodden man.  He attempted to hold his head up and
make direct eye contact with the head of security, but Marcus was far too
intimidating.  Skyler finally had to look down with shame.  The dinging of the
elevator stopped the verbal assault, since Marcus wasn’t about to berate the
staff in front of guests.  Hailey stepped off the elevator wearing a revealing
black evening dress in true Lucinda fashion.  She was insecure about her
exposed cleavage and the high slit up her leg.  It was too much skin for a
business dinner, but Lucinda refused to listen to such nonsense.  Mel entered
the lobby from the beach entrance, saw Hailey in the lobby, and stopped to
stare.  Hailey caught her friend’s stunned look and immediately frowned.

“Don’t even--” Hailey growled softly.

Mel suddenly grinned and placed her hand to her
mouth to suppress her giggle.  She attempted a more serious look as she
approached then stopped in front of her and gave her a quick once over.

“I’m assuming boss lady dressed you for dinner,”
Mel teased then ogled her exposed cleavage.

“What gave that away?” Hailey snarled, lacking her
friend’s humor.

Mel gave her another once over, eyed the healthy
slit up her thigh, and couldn’t contain her grin any longer.  “Please tell me
you’re not going commando as well.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Hailey scoffed and looked
away as her cheeks reddened.

Her friend’s eyes widened and a gasp immediately
followed.  “Are you wearing one of Lucinda’s thongs?” she softly cried out with
surprise.

Hailey sneered and avoided looking at Mel, hoping
the men at the desk hadn’t heard the question.  She knew her cheeks were bright
red and gave away the answer.  Mel burst out laughing.

“Shut up,” Hailey snarled and headed toward the
front desk, nearly stumbling in the high heels she wore.

Mel obediently followed and took in an eyeful of
her from the back.  “My God, you’re really rocking that dress.”  She giggled. 
“And no unsightly panty lines.”

She ignored her former friend and paused before the
front desk not far from Marcus.  Marcus saw both women and immediately smiled,
officially ending his interrogation of Skyler.

“You must be Ms. Keenan’s new assistant, Miss
Aramis,” Marcus announced cheerfully and extended his hand.  “I’m Marcus
Sherwood, Head of Hotel Security.”

Despite her feelings of vulnerability in the
revealing dress and being sexually assaulted in Lucinda’s
barely there
thong, she managed a smile and shook his hand.

“It’s a pleasure, Marcus.”

His ruggedness aside, she found Marcus oddly
attractive, and he smelled exceptionally nice with just the right amount of
expensive cologne.  Beyond his suit, she could tell he was built sturdy and
tough.  She didn’t doubt his arms were made of steel.  His handshake was firm,
possibly too firm for greeting a woman, but she couldn’t deny he was intimidating
with the way his look pierced into her eyes.  His smile conveyed there was more
beyond that ordinary smile.  She felt as if he were attempting to read her
thoughts with the way he stared at her.

“If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to
call me,” he announced.

Marcus gave both women a polite nod then left.  If
nothing else, he had been polite enough not to stare at her cleavage.  Of
course, with the amount of time he’d spent in Lucinda’s company, he was
probably immune to breasts thrust in his face.  Hailey shifted her attention to
Skyler while attempting to ignore her physical discomfort.  Skyler’s eyes were
locked on her with a similar expression from their earlier arrival.  There was
something unusual about the way he stared at her.  She couldn’t quite describe
it.  Hailey felt uncomfortable by the way he stared, but for some odd reason,
she didn’t feel he meant any real harm.

She gently cleared her throat and shifted
slightly.  “Did that letter arrive for Ms. Keenan?”

Skyler suddenly snapped to attention and began a
frantic search of the desk.  “Oh, I was supposed to notify you,” Skyler fumbled
and rummaged quickly through papers and envelopes.  “I’m terribly sorry. 
It’s--”  Everything scattered from his trembling hands.  “It’s, uh, it’s
here--somewhere.”

Skyler dumped the penholder again and
subconsciously placed his hand to his temple in response.  He couldn’t seem to
touch anything without knocking it over.  Hailey watched him practically
destroy the desk while frantically searching it.  She almost felt sorry for
him.  Mel simply rolled her eyes and walked away from the desk.

“Skyler--” Hailey announced.

Skyler immediately froze and stared into her eyes,
almost as if obediently commanded by her voice.

“It’s okay, really,” she announced gently in an
attempt to calm him before he gave himself a stroke.

His brain seemed to function on its own as
realization hit him.  “I, uh, just remembered; Talbert took it to Ms. Keenan’s
suite.”

Hailey found the strange desk clerk oddly
adorable.  She wasn’t sure what it was about him, but she decided she liked the
awkward, bumbling man.

“I know what it’s like to have one of those days,”
she assured him.  “I have them frequently.”

He seemed to relax to the comment.  “Mine is never
ending,” he announced while softly exhaling.  “Even my dream world shows little
mercy.”

“I hear you,” she groaned softly.  “Mine too.”

Skyler suddenly became excited by her comment and
nearly jumped across the desk as his eyes lit up.  “Really?  Are you a vivid
dreamer?”

Although his question surprised her, she was
intrigued.  Few people ever asked her about her dreams.  She was usually too
ashamed even to discuss them.

“A little too vivid,” she replied.  “Most people
think I’m nutty.”

“I’d settle for nutty,” he remarked and attempted a
wry smile.  “I’m considered a freak.”

She couldn’t help but smile at him.  Skyler
relaxed, possibly for the first time, and laughed at himself.  Talbert was
crossing the lobby, saw Hailey at the desk, and switched direction, approaching
them with a curious look.

“Is everything okay, Miss Aramis?”

She glanced at the distinguished looking general
manager.  “Yes, everything is fine.”

Talbert casually placed his arm around her shoulder
and guided Hailey away from the desk.  Skyler’s shoulders sagged with disappointment. 
Mel hurried to join them. 

“I hope Skyler didn’t say anything to upset you,”
Talbert remarked just loud enough for her to hear.  “He means well, but he’s a
little
different
.”

She found it odd that Talbert would share that sort
of information with a guest regarding an employee.  It was also in poor taste,
almost as much as the peek he stole at her cleavage.  She assumed she couldn’t
blame him; after all, Lucinda did force her to put them on display.  It would
be difficult for any man not to notice her breasts.

“No, he was very polite,” she assured him.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Hailey was actually wishing he’d take his hand off
her bare shoulder.  Considering she felt nearly naked as it was, his touch was
making her uncomfortable.  The scent of his expensive cologne was almost
overwhelming in such close confines.  As she thought of an excuse to pull away
from him, Hailey glanced across the lobby and saw a ruggedly handsome man in
his early thirties heading toward the elevator.  She found herself staring
helplessly at the well-built man in the expensive, black suit.  His presence
was almost commanding, and her heart rate elevated in response.  He had short
dark hair, which was just the perfect length for running fingers through. 
She’d never seen such a handsome man before.

As the handsome man looked across the lobby, their
eyes met briefly.  Her heart skipped a beat the brief moment their eyes
connected, and for the first time, she felt a burning passion in places she’d
never imagined.  Of course, that could have had something to do with the thong
underwear.  The man showed no reaction, not even a smile, and continued toward
the elevators.  She was almost disappointed that he didn’t at least offer a
smile or take in an eyeful of her revealing dress.  Although, she hadn’t
offered a come-hither smile either.  She felt her cheeks immediately redden. 
Mel and Talbert noticed her stare.  She didn’t even realize they were standing
alongside her.  Hailey couldn’t take her eyes off the man crossing the lobby. 
The handsome man paused before the elevator, briefly glanced back at Hailey,
and then entered the elevator.  Hailey continued to stare at the closed
elevator after he was gone.  She couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from the
spot he once stood even after the doors closed.  Mel stared at Hailey with her
mouth partially open and a look of surprise on her face.

“I know that look, but I’ve never seen it on you,”
Mel announced.  A grin suddenly crossed her face.  “You may have fun this week
after all.”

“Not with that one,” Talbert firmly informed them. 
“Trust me; you’ll want to stay far away from that man.”

Both women looked at Talbert with shared surprise
and question in their eyes.

“Why’s that?” Mel was first to ask.

“That’s Brody’s attack dog, Rafe,” Talbert
remarked.

“Attack dog?” Hailey suddenly questioned, wondering
what he meant by the comment.

Talbert shook his head with disgust.  “Nevin claims
he’s his assistant, but I’ve met friendlier hitmen,” he announced. 
“Nevertheless, you’ll want to stay far away from him.  There are bad boys and
then there’s Rafe.”

Hailey wasn’t sure what to think.  Could Talbert be
exaggerating?  Was there some resentment between the two men, causing him to
berate him?  She couldn’t get Rafe out of her head, despite Talbert’s warning. 
He couldn’t be
that
bad; could he?

T
he cozy lounge was dimly
lit with small, round tables containing elegant lights on each, giving off a
romantic glow.  A rustic bar encompassed nearly half the back wall with large
mirrors and shelves of expensive liquor.  A tough looking, yet professionally
dressed woman, Tam, tended bar.  She was attractive enough to gain the
attention of male guests who liked the biker chick look.  She wore a
sleeveless, button shirt, which revealed some cleavage, her amazingly toned
arms, and a tattoo spilling off her shoulder and onto her arm.  Guests were
already filtering into the lounge to secure drinks before heading to the dining
room for a late dinner.  Romantic, live piano music seemed to fill the lounge without
being too loud for guests to hold a conversation.  A large, teddy bear of a man
in his late twenties, Logan Holbrook, played the soft, romantic tune on the
expensive grand piano.  Considering his large size, the tune almost seemed out
of place coming from his fingers striking the keys.

Lucinda and
Hailey entered the lounge and checked out the scene before approaching the
bar.  Lucinda set her designer briefcase and clutch purse on the bar then took
the available seat.  Tam was quick to tend to them, knowing the attractive
woman was the hotel owner.  Despite her ‘girl gone wild’ look, Tam wasn’t above
kissing the boss’s ass with the best of them.

“Good evening, Ms. Keenan,” Tam announced in an
unusually cheerful tone.  “Your usual?”

Lucinda always seemed pleased when her subjects
fawned over her.  “Yes, and make something
special
for Hailey.  She’s
too tense for someone her age.”

Tam grinned and nodded.  “I have just the thing for
that.”  She began creating drinks for both women, tossing bottles around with
amazing style and flare. 

“I’d prefer to conduct this meeting sober,” Hailey
informed her boss.

Lucinda grinned through her plump, red lips. 
“That’s a novel idea, but I doubt it’ll catch on.”

The piano music continued to fill the lounge,
entrancing Hailey.  She looked across the dimly lit room to the grand piano and
studied the large, African-American man playing so beautifully.  The boyish
grin on his face told her he loved his work.  He never looked down, indicating
there was no sheet music. 

“He plays wonderfully,” Hailey said aloud even if
she hadn’t meant to.

Tam placed their drinks on the bar before them,
glanced at Logan playing piano, and then grinned slyly.  “That man puts more
women in the mood than all the booze I serve.”

“Makes a small fortune in tips too,” Lucinda added
without looking and sipped her drink.  She smiled her approval to the tough
bartender.

“Must get a lot of girls,” Hailey remarked without
taking her eyes off the large teddy bear of a man.

“Logan?” Tam remarked then allowed a throaty laugh
to escape.  “He’s a Boy Scout.”

As more customers approached the bar, Tam tended to
them, humoring them with her overboard, tough girl personality.  Hailey sipped
her drink and made a face.  It was almost too strong, although she assumed that
was by design.  Hailey refrained from gagging on what must certainly have been
tabasco sauce.  Lucinda casually looked around the room while sitting perfectly
posed on her barstool.  Her bare leg found its way outside the lengthy slit and
daintily crossed over her other leg.  It was no secret that Hailey’s boss
enjoyed the company of men.  She was a terrible flirt, but from stories Mel had
told, it went beyond flirting on many occasions.  Hailey hadn’t personally
witnessed Lucinda in full prowling mode, so this business trip could be quite
the eye-opener.

“This trip is only ten percent business,” Lucinda
informed her then suddenly stared across the lounge.  She grinned with a
lustful look Hailey had never seen before.  “And the other ninety percent just
walked through the door.”

Hailey looked across the lounge to see the man
who’d commanded her boss’s undivided attention.  An amazingly handsome man with
flowing, golden brown hair crossed the room as if he owned it.  The man in his
early thirties was built more athletic than muscular and dressed in expensive,
stylish, hand tailored clothing.  He gained the attention of every woman and
seemed to know it.  He offered the most charming, magnificent smile at each
woman he passed.  They all seemed helpless to his charm and good looks.  Just
about every woman in the room kept their eyes on the handsome man.  Even Hailey
couldn’t deny the man was beyond words, yet as she watched him, her thoughts
strayed to the forbidden man from the lobby.  The handsome man approached the
bar and casually posed at it like a male model from a magazine cover.  It
seemed to come naturally to him.  Even Lucinda seemed helpless to his charm. 
Although, Hailey wasn’t about to rule out the wonderful scent of his cologne as
a factor.  Tam leaned on the bar, thrusting her cleavage forward, and stared at
him with the same lustful look as every other woman in the lounge. 

“Hi, darling,” Tam announced in a slightly higher
voice than normal while grinning.  “What can I get you?”

“Cognac, if you please,” Vance replied.

Tam straightened, grinned, and raised her brows
lustfully.  “I please.”  She flipped the bottle of expensive alcohol without
taking her eyes off him, poured his drink, and set it before him.

Lucinda allowed her eyes to sweep over his body
then settled on his eyes as he met her gaze.  “I haven’t seen you around
before,” she remarked.

Vance cast his smile upon Lucinda and suavely
extended his hand.  “I just arrived this morning.  Vance Colten.”

Lucinda eagerly accepted his hand with promise of
never letting go.  “Lucinda Keenan.  I own this resort.”

His brows raised in response.  Hailey swore she
heard a cash register ding to his increasing interest.

“Oh?” he replied and maintained his boyish grin. 
“I’m charmed to make your acquaintance.”

Vance suavely kissed her hand.  Hailey had to
admit, it was almost erotic to watch.  Lucinda turned giddy, something Hailey
hadn’t expected from the barracuda.  There was a chance her boss may even have
blushed.

Lucinda then indicated Hailey.  “This is my lovely
assistant, Hailey.”

Vance smiled casually at Hailey while avoiding
looking her in the eyes and appeared almost disinterested.  “It’s a pleasure.” 
He immediately returned his attention to Lucinda.  “You have a very charming hotel. 
I’m captivated by the overwhelming beauty everywhere.”

Lucinda giggled again.  She transformed from
Hailey’s barracuda of a boss into a little girl right before her eyes.  Hailey
groaned her displeasure and made an unannounced escape.  She couldn’t watch
what was about to unfold, especially considering the giddy schoolgirl was her
boss.  Hailey crossed the lounge and found herself drawn to the man playing
piano.  Logan smiled, revealing charming dimples, as she sat at the piano.  He
had adorable, chubby cheeks, which complemented his shiny, clean-shaven head. 
Something about the way he smiled at her immediately put her at ease. 
Although, the music and the strong drink may have helped.

“That’s beautiful,” Hailey said warmly.

“I call that one ‘untitled 327’,” he announced
while maintaining his grin.

She couldn’t help feeling surprised by the
comment.  “You write your own songs?”

“Sort of,” he replied.  “I make them up as I go.” 
Without looking away from Hailey, he gave a general nod toward the bar.  “Who’s
the pretty boy sniffing around Ms. Keenan?”

“Vance Colten,” Hailey offered and immediately
regretted having rolled her eyes.  She didn’t know this man, but she felt
compelled to open up, which wasn’t like her.  “He’s a real charmer,” she
muttered.

Logan appeared almost humored.  “If he’s looking
for a gravy train, he’d better move to another station.”

She attempted to hold back her laugh, but it felt
good to let it out.  “Mr. Charming flirted his way across the entire room but
blew me off like I wasn’t even there.  Not that he impresses me any, but it
doesn’t help a girl’s ego.”  She leaned her elbow on the piano and held her
chin in her hand.  “Guess I’m not rich enough,” she playfully pouted.

Hailey cast a quick glance downward and realized
her cleavage was spilling out of her dress.  Surprisingly, Logan hadn’t
looked.  Tam may have not been exaggerating about the man being a Boy Scout. 
She straightened subconsciously and tugged on the neckline to help conceal her
breasts.  Her action caused his eyes to momentarily stray, but he didn’t
linger.

“Reminds me of the Charmer in the fable “The
Gift”,” he casually remarked.  “The Charmer possessed the gift to charm all
creatures, but if he gazed into the eyes of pure beauty, he would be rendered
impotent.”  Logan appeared humored while staring at her.  “He has no power over
you.”

Hailey felt her cheeks redden slightly while she
attempted to hide her smile.  “My ego just recovered.  You’re quite charming
yourself,” she replied gently then took a more serious tone.  “I hadn’t heard
“The Gift” mentioned in over five years.  I loved that fable.”

Logan curiously studied her without missing a key. 
She smiled and sank into her own childhood fantasy.

“A lonely little girl with the burden to protect
her father’s kingdom, and the power to create her council of mystic warriors to
assist her on her journey,” Hailey announced with a sigh.  “Out of all the
creatures, she picks the least likely heroes.”  She returned to reality and
straightened.  “Quite moving.”

“I appreciate that,” Logan announced cheerfully. 
“I wrote that when I was in college.”

Hailey’s expression dropped to his admission. 
“You’re Logan Holbrook?”

Logan smiled and nodded. 

“What a small world,” she almost gasped then
attempted to reel in her childish fascination.  “I only ever saw that one
copy.  Did you sell many?”

“Enough to live off the royalties quite
comfortably,” he replied then grinned.  “Would you like a copy?  I have two
hundred in my closet.”