Love Walks In(5)
Fast.
He looked up when Dorothy knocked and poked her head back through the door. He knew immediately the news wasn’t good. It was written all over her face. “What? What’s happened now?”
“Your wine guy? William Bellows?”
Hugh nodded.
“He’s arriving today.”
“No. He’s arriving tomorrow.”
She shook her head. “His assistant just called. He’s on his way now. He wrapped up his other business early. She called to make sure we would have a suite ready for him.”
Cursing, Hugh stood and kicked his chair out of the way. “This is unbelievable! I can’t catch a break today!”
“I did manage to tell her you would be tied up in meetings and would have to stick to your original plans with him. She said it would be fine.”
“Lucky me.”
“Okay,” she began, stepping farther into the room. “Again, it’s not an ideal situation but it’s not a catastrophe either. We’ll make sure his suite is ready, we’ll arrange for spa services and dinner and keep him pampered like a VIP. In the meantime, we’ll continue to figure out who you’re going to use as a replacement for Heather.”
“Where’s Josie? She’s worked as Heather’s assistant here. We’ll use her as a temp.”
Dorothy shook her head.
“What? Why not?”
“She’s on vacation. Two weeks.”
“So call her in. Tell her it’s an emergency.”
“Already tried. She’s in Europe.”
“Has everyone stopped working?” Hugh yelled. “How is it possible all of this fell into place like this?”
“Bad timing?”
He glared at her. “Not the time, Dotty.”
“Can I ask you something?”
He nodded even as he rubbed his temple to ward off the headache that was building.
“Why are you freaking out so much about this meeting? I’ve never seen you like this before and you’ve done business with people from all over the world. What is it about this guy that has you so overwhelmed?”
Hugh dropped his hands into his lap. “He’s a little…eccentric. Unconventional.”
Dorothy quirked a brow at him. “Unconventional in what way?”
“He’s not the kind of guy who follows any kind of plan. He tends to go with the flow and follow his gut instincts…that sort of thing. One time, he was on vacation in Italy and hired a guy to handle sales of a particular wine here in the U.S. just because he liked his shoes! And the guy didn’t even speak English!”
“The guy he hired or Mr. Bellows?”
“I’m glad you’re having fun with this,” he said in a near growl. “The guy he hired! Then Bellows hired a tutor to teach the guy English!”
“And? How did it turn out?”
Hugh raked a hand through his hair. “He’s the top salesman in the company.”
“Oh dear,” she murmured. “And you want to do business with him? You’re his complete opposite! How are you going to handle working without any structure? You know how much you hate that.”
“I know, I know.” He sighed. “Honestly, I’m hoping if I present a completely well-thought-out plan to him, he’ll simply agree to go along with it. There won’t need to be any gut instinct or flowing because I’ll have it all covered.”
She chuckled, and when Hugh glared at her, Dorothy quickly placed a hand over her mouth. Clearing her throat, she continued, “You’re not counting on that, are you?”
Hugh straightened in his seat. “As a matter of fact, I am. That’s why this presentation has to be flawless!”
“Oh, Hugh…”
“Look, I’m getting it all worked out. It’s not the way I envisioned but…”
“You’re just going to go with the flow?” she finished and then smirked.
“Cute.”
“Let’s take a walk. We’ll go over to the suite we’re preparing for Mr. Bellows, check on the grounds. Sometimes a change of scenery can help us brainstorm. What do you say?”
“I’d say you’re talking to me like I’m a moron, and I don’t like it.”
She smiled at him sweetly. “But are you coming with me?”
Dammit. Without a word, he strode from his office and waited for his assistant to catch up.
* * *
An hour later, Hugh strolled back to his office. His mind was still scrambling for a solution to his current crisis, but his eyes were fixed on the immaculate landscaping along the path between the resort buildings.
He had chosen every tree, every plant. He had worked with a team of electricians to ensure guests would be able to see at night without seeing the lights. There had been dozens of meetings to find the perfect combination of mulch and stone and brick. He’d made every decision. He’d solved every crisis.