Trial by fire a florida.., p.3
Trial by Fire: A Florida Glaze Hockey Romance, page 3
“We’re not paying you to stand around and chat with the guests.” He eyes me up and down, clearly unhappy with my role for the evening.
I’ve known Aaron Ford for most of my life and he doesn’t intimidate me. He’s never liked me. He and my older brother Hoyt were best friends growing up so he’s been around since I was a kid, and one thing has always been painfully obvious to me—Aaron wants to be a Caine more than anything. He’s always tried to suck up to my dad and was bound and determined to be the third Caine sibling when I accidentally came along. He’s hated me ever since.
Me, being fifteen years younger than Hoyt and twelve younger than Gavin who is general manager of this particular location, could still peg Aaron as disingenuous at a really young age. He’s just… smarmy. There’s not another word to describe him.
Well, except lazy. I honestly believe that’s why he was put in the lead roll of the smallest department of our Tampa resort where Gavin is in charge. There’s not a whole lot he can screw up, not for lack of trying. Just last week, we lost a major retailer because Aaron upped the rent and didn’t bother to tell them until a couple weeks before their current lease was up. It’s been a nightmare trying to fill the empty space in a timely fashion.
“You need to be in the ballroom.” Venom drips from Aaron’s order for Bayleigh to get back to work. “Ready to serve our guests.”
“Yes sir,” she says, but doesn’t move. What’s he going to do, fire her for speaking to the owner’s daughter? Doubtful.
That doesn’t stop his power trip, though. “Right now,” he tacks on, just to be a dick.
She half rolls her eyes, trying to make it look like she’s merely turning to address me, but I catch it. “I’ll see you later, Prestyn. Have fun tonight.”
“Thanks. See you in there.”
I turn back to my post, waiting for the mystery woman to arrive. Aaron, however, is still hanging around.
“Is there something you need?” I finally ask, feeling uncomfortable with him standing here, giving me the evil-eye.
“I would appreciate if you wouldn’t monopolize my employees’ time during the event tonight. They have a job to do and don’t need you as a distraction.”
Cocking one eyebrow, I turn my head slowly. “Careful now, Aaron. I’m Prestyn Caine tonight, founder, owner and CEO’s beloved daughter. Not your employee. Wouldn’t want any of the men in my family to overhear you say things like that to me, would you?”
Not that it would matter, but he doesn’t know that. All he knows is I’ve got the right last name and he doesn’t.
Working for this hotel has always been my dream. From the time I was a little kid and would run the halls while my dad worked, I dreamed of being in charge. The magic of it has never been lost on me. The smiles on people’s faces and the way the employees all seem to enjoy their jobs, it’s an environment I’ve always wanted to help create.
As the youngest Caine sibling, it should be a no-brainer. No one has ever been a lowly assistant. My brothers both graduated from college and were immediately put in director positions. But me? That’s not the way it’s been. I was a freshman in college and therefore too young to take over when this position came open. That’s when Aaron weaseled his way into the job.
Now that I’ve gotten my Master’s degree in business management and have several years of “assisting” under my belt, you’d think someone, my brother, my father, someone would start grooming me for a better position. Director at the least.
But no. My great-grandfather built this hotel on the backs of the men in our family. I can practically hear my grandpa spouting off some misogynistic bullshit about “no female Caine having ever worked here, not even in housekeeping!” I’ve been determined to break through the glass ceiling by proving I deserve more, but so far no one has taken me very seriously. It’s a battle I fight quietly every day, carefully easing my way in so eventually they’ll know they need me.
That day is coming. I can feel it. Aaron has no problem letting me run the show while he takes all the glory. It makes me want to kick him in the balls, but I try to remember I’m doing the job I love, and eventually, if I play it right, I’ll get the credit I’m owed.
Speaking of the family…
“What are you two discussing?” Gavin strolls up looking dapper in his tux. He kisses me on the cheek and I can’t help but smile up at him. With his dirty blond hair, hazel eyes, and a body made for formalwear, he’s quite the looker. He may find himself a hook-up dressed like that. “Looks like things are serious between you guys.”
“Aaron was just complimenting me on my dress,” I say sweetly.
Aaron’s face practically turns purple from anger. But what can he do? “And reminding her that just because she works with our staff doesn’t mean they have time to fraternize tonight.”
“Relax, Aaron,” Gavin says as he tucks me under his arm. “Caine family members have been attending these events since birth. Prestyn is all Caine and knows how to conduct herself.”
Aaron smooths down his wrinkled tie. I’m not sure why he’s even here tonight. He doesn’t have to be. But I guess he can’t pass up an opportunity to hobnob with some of Tampa’s elite under the guise of working. The fact that he’s got Florida Glaze memorabilia all over his office is probably another reason.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask, just to put him in a tight spot, when a woman approaches.
“Pres?”
I recognize that voice.
“Delaney?”
She smiles and both men seem to swallow their tongues. She’s that beautiful. Her long blond hair falls in waves halfway down her back. Her smile reveals perfect white teeth. Her lashes are long and thick and frame big blue eyes. And don’t get me started on that dress. The red satin gown with off the shoulder straps hugs every curve on her body.
Just looking at her, I can’t figure out for the life of me why Gary would cheat on her. Hell, I have no lesbian tendencies in me at all and even I would never cheat on her.
“It’s so nice to meet you.” She reaches in for a hug, surprising me, but I like it. She smells like vanilla and brown sugar, probably from her lotion.
Lotion I suddenly realize I forgot to put on myself. Not ideal, but it should be okay. At least the humidity is good for something around here.
The men quickly excuse themselves leaving us alone.
“I’m so glad to finally meet you,” I squeak out, still nervous about meeting the woman whose husband picked me as his partner in cheating. “And again, I’m so, so sorry—”
She cuts me off, the stern look on her face leaving no room for argument. “Stop with that. You are not the one at fault. It was all him.”
“I know. I just feel bad about the whole situation.”
“I don’t.” She grabs my hand and clasps it tightly in both of hers. “I knew long ago that it was time to leave. I just needed a kick in the pants to finally go. I wish I could say it was painful, but it’s not. I’m finally free.”
I hate that she feels that way. Not because she’s okay with getting divorced, but it sounds like she never had the kind of relationship she should have had. The kind that I want. The kind that I may be giving up on. If someone who seems to be as dynamic as Delaney can’t find her perfect match, there’s no hope for someone like me.
“Anyway, enough of the Debbie Downer talk.” She swivels, still holding my hand, and guides me toward the ballroom. “We have a party to attend, and I need to make sure the silent auction is organized the way we want it.”
“Wait… you’re part of the committee?”
“For the last three years!” That megawatt smile is back. Clearly she’s proud of her work. She should be. This event is known to raise a ton of money for local charities. “Obviously the community engagement and fundraising departments for the Glaze are in charge of everything. But they love when the families get involved. As Nick’s twin, I felt it was the best way I could support his career, ya know?”
“Hold on, Nick is part of the Glaze?”
My mind is swirling with this new information. All she told me is Nick needed a date for this event. She neglected to tell me that he’s less of a guest and more of a participant. And that he’s her twin.
Delaney’s eyes light up as she talks about her brother. “He’s the starting goalie. We got so lucky that he got a contract here. Players are at the mercy of where the organization sends them, so it’s rare that their contract brings them right back home.”
“It’s really nice that you’re so involved in his career like that.”
She shrugs. “Family is everything, so I admit, I hope my involvement is one more reason they want him to stay. It’s a way to do my part to build him up, while doing something I’m good at.” She laughs. “Lord knows I can’t help him with drills.”
The more we chat, the more I like her. And the more I realize I dodged a bullet with Gary. Or maybe I dodged a bullet with men in general. Based on Gary’s clear narcissism, Aaron’s douchebag behavior, and my brothers’ inability to see past the good ole boy club, I’m no longer sure there are men of quality anywhere.
All thoughts of disingenuous men leave my mind as soon as we arrive at the party. The ballroom is arranged exactly as it was before I left it a few hours ago to get ready, but with the dimmed lighting, it looks amazing.
The huge chandeliers on either side of the room provide a soft, ambient glow, the wall lighting is a little brighter so people can see as they dance to the live band. Tables covered in spotless white cloths with silver accents are set up around the room, complete with reservation numbers all the attendees will get when they sign in at the door. Silent auction tables have been set up on one side of the room and touts everything from a one-year gym membership to season passes for the Glaze, to an all expenses trip to Tahoe, including the use of a private jet. That was donated by my dad who cares less about hockey and more about raising money for the community. He may be an entrepreneur, but he’s also quite a philanthropist.
Two different bars are located on the back wall, one on each side of the room, and are fully stocked with any kind of beer or liquor one could want. And what we don’t have out here, is probably in the back, ready to be pulled out at a moment’s notice.
It’s impressive and ostentatious and will hopefully bring in big money from Tampa’s elite.
Delaney finally drops my hand. “I need to go check on a few things and make sure everyone who needs to know I’m here, does. As soon as my brother gets here, I’ll introduce you, okay?”
“Okay.” My response comes out confident, but I’m not sure this is a good idea anymore. What exactly are Nick and I supposed to do tonight? Hang out around the bar? Dance? This agreement is starting to seem like a bad idea.
Delaney whisks away and leaves me standing alone. I hate this feeling. I know I’m a guest tonight, but no one is here to schmooze yet and I don’t like standing around doing nothing. The line between being the owner’s daughter and being an employee is very thin, a line I don’t seem to be straddling well in this moment. I should probably check in with the staff. I’m not technically on the clock, but if they need something, I’d much rather them come to me than Aaron anyway.
“Is he here yet?” Bayleigh asks as she walks up next to me, putting some last minute silverware on the table before the doors officially open.
“Nope.”
“Well, that’s disappointing. I’ll be keeping my eyes on you tonight.”
She points at her eyes and back at mine before she walks away, leaving me standing around, feeling useless again.
CHAPTER FOUR
NICK
There are a dozen things I’d rather be doing than riding in a limo with a bunch of rowdy teammates, dressed in a monkey suit so we can attend a pretentious event with our boss. Number one on that list is eating shards of glass.
Unfortunately, doing so would probably mean a hospital stay and being medically benched for the rest of the season, so I guess I’m stuck with these clowns.
It’s not that I don’t like my teammates. I really do. Poker night is awesome. And I enjoy when Tucker Hayes has a pool party at his new place. I just don’t like having to force conversation with people I don’t know and answer the inevitable zillion questions about my job. It’s exhausting to me, especially when we just got back from a road trip.
When I’m hanging out with the guys, I can be myself. At events like this, I’m never totally sure what to say. But the front office is starting to lose patience with my lack of public appearances so I don’t have much choice. If I stick to talking about hockey, I should make it through.
“Listen guys,” Tucker calls out from the opposite side of the limo. “There are some rules when it comes to the silent auction.” His hand is placed possessively on his live-in girlfriend-slash-baby-mama, Lacy’s, knee. “The most important one is to not outbid me on the trip to Tahoe.”
“Because you can’t afford to pay for your own trip after buying that big ass house?” Becker Bell chides causing the others to laugh and razz Tucker a bit.
“No, it’s because I provide all the supplies and food for poker night every time, you dickhead,” he razzes back.
Becker holds up his hands. “Don’t look at me. Maks is the one who eats all your food every time.”
“What?” Maks looks up, his eyes hooded after being interrupted from nuzzling the neck of whoever his woman of the night is. I’ve never seen this one before. Then again, Maks’s longest relationship spanned a mere three days. And only because it was a weekend in Vegas and they never left the bed long enough to part ways.
“You owe me eight G’s for food and beverages,” Tucker says.
Maks licks his lips before turning back to his date. “Send the bill to my accountant.” Then his mouth is back on her neck.
This is turning out to be a real classy night so far.
The limo rounds the corner to the hotel and Patrick’s knee starts bouncing double-time.
“You okay?” I ask our captain.
“Yep.”
“You sure? ’Cause you’re vibrating the whole car.”
He glances down at his knee and cusses when he realizes how fidgety he is. “Sorry. I haven’t attended one of these as a single man since my rookie year. Just not sure what to expect.”
The car goes silent as we all remember that Patrick was served with divorce papers during our road trip. It came as a total shock to him. Not so much to the rest of us. We’ve been listening to them bicker and argue for the last year. It was only a matter of time. That doesn’t make it any less painful for him, though.
“What? You think a bunch of puck bunnies are going to jump out from the bushes and accost you now that you’re back on the market?”
That gets me a small laugh. “Hey, I am a prime catch, man. Fifty bucks says there’s already a line of ladies waiting to meet me.”
And he’s back to a little bit of normal. That’s what I was hoping for.
“My bad. I’ll be sure to stay out of the way so they don’t get distracted by my charms,” I joke, eliciting yet another chuckle from him.
“Don’t you have a date?” Tucker asks as he finishes the last of the champagne the limo company generously provided to the tune of two hundred fifty additional dollars.
Lacy gasps, like me dating is such a huge surprise. “With who?”
I should be offended by her shock. I don’t date often but I’m not celibate or anything. Not that my answer is going to squelch her excitement.
“I’m not sure,” I admit with a shrug. “My sister is setting me up with someone.”
“Oh, a blind date!” Lacy leans forward, her eyes dancing with delight. “How did she meet this woman? What’s her name? Is your sister a good matchmaker?” She is a little more invested in this conversation than I feel totally comfortable with.
“Uh…I have no idea. She basically threatened me so I’m going in totally blind.”
A series of “ooh…” and “you’re so fucked” murmurs circulate around the car.
Amazing. The thought of this date already makes my throat dry without these fuckers confirming my worst fears. I really hope this woman isn’t a huge hockey fan. I never know if the women are genuine or not and I don’t want to get stuck in a situation I don’t want to be in because my sister didn’t vet someone properly. The last thing I need is to be blasted all over social media by some fame hungry fan.
I don’t want a girlfriend, I’m not even close to looking for one. But if I had to be in a relationship, I’d want something like what Tucker and Lacy have. They have a certain chemistry I’ve always desired. It’s not just sexual, although I see the way he looks like he wants to eat her up sometimes. No, it’s so much more. Granted, they were apart for four years with Lacy going through hell so they’re making up for lost time, but they love where they’re at now.
Fortunately, the limo comes to a stop in front of the hotel so there’s not enough time to continue our discussion or for me to go down a dangerous rabbit hole of thoughts. Instead, everyone finishes their drinks and checks their cuff links and ties while the driver pulls over. As soon as the door opens, we emerge one by one and are greeted by the hotel staff.
I button the jacket of my three-piece suit as flash bulbs light up the red carpet. Media vans are lined up across the street, ready to report on the “Who’s Who of Tampa” and what they’re all wearing this evening.
Fortunately my teammates are much more comfortable answering questions, so I’m able to stroll right past the reporters, flashing a smile for the cameras and waving as I hurry by. Thank God most of my teammates are spotlight whores.
The grandiosity of the event continues as we make our way into the hotel. Banners with the names and logos of all the businesses who sponsored tables are draped on the walls, making them look more like decorations than the advertisements we all know they are. Waiters mill about, handing people champagne as they wait to check in at the registration table. Small talk and laughter fills the area.
