Loving Lies(4)

Not only is there the correct plug but they’ve added a power bar. Nice to know they take safety measures seriously.

I step into the well-worn bathtub which has seen better days and wonder how all the new cabins which have had their redesign look like on the inside. There’s a stained rust ring by the drain and the caulking’s coming up in the corners. I could fix that in five minutes thanks to a summer job where I worked on a construction site. I learned a lot about the art of renovating homes and even more about what construction guys do for a good time. I smile, recalling the woman who claimed my virginity. At seventeen I was more than ready to give it up and once the guys knew my history, they’d made it their weekend duty to get me laid. After that experience I made up for my lost time every opportunity I could, which quickly gave me the nickname Screw. Back then I wasn’t picky. If a woman had tits and a nice ass I was game, even if that meant she was ten years my senior. They didn’t mean anything to me except a quick screw, hence the horrible nickname.

I duck my head to fit it completely under the showerhead but the cool water feels great. A quick wash up and I’m out of the small tub within ten minutes. The bed, thankfully, is a queen and I thank my stars there’s no foot board. Dressing quickly, I go for my jeans and a casual t-shirt. It’s early May but even at seven o’clock it’s hot outside. And it’s a dry heat. Growing up in Pickerton, Ontario, I’m more used to muggy heat. This type of heat makes my throat feel raw.

I take my time as I stroll down the road, noticing a few of the cabins still look in desperate need of paint. Close to the office and the center of the resort I notice a middle-aged guy with a ladder dressed in a painter’s jump suit. I wonder if he’s part of the summer crew, but think he’s a little old for that role. He gives a small nod but doesn’t give me the welcoming smile I’ve come to acquaint with Albertans. Suits me fine. The less people prying into why I’m really here the better in the end.

My goal is to get the owners to sell this resort for a low-ball price. Even if they pay fair market we’ll make a killing once we tear all of this down for the mine.

I step into a large building with the sign “Stone Cliff Tavern” hanging from hooks and welcome the AC. It’s a seat yourself venue so I claim a table at the back where there’s less people and where I can watch the entrance.

I take out my phone and type in the Wi-Fi password the office said would work best at the center of the resort which includes the tavern, restaurant and the main building, and pray it will work.

Within seconds my emails are pinging to my screen. I’m so lost in the flux of emails I barely pay attention to the waitress when she says, “What can I get you for a drink?”

“Whatever’s on special,” I say, without looking up.

She darts away without a word and it’s only when I look up that I see Bruce walk through the entrance. Why is he here? Bruce is grandfather’s right-hand-man and even though I smile and wave him over, I’m not happy.

“So, Bruce what brings you out here?”

“You. You grandfather likes to keep an eye on you, especially with this being your first big deal and all and he’s got a lot at stake with this project. Did you find anything interesting on your drive up here?”

An image of the lake flashes through me but I’m reluctant to reveal that even though I plan to get a mineral sampling done of the surrounding area.

“Nice to know the old man is so trusting. All I found was dust and more dust. There’s not much around here. So how long are you staying?”

He chuckles and it’s the type of laugh that makes your innards cringe. Bruce is probably pushing sixty with a pot belly he established in his mid-thirties. He’s bald but somehow thinks he’s a ladies’ man. It’s a total delusional notion that any woman under the age of fifty would give him the time of day, but he doesn’t care.

“Here’s your special,” says the waitress.

I don’t glance up as she pushes the large clear mug my way but at the last minute she squeals and the drink lands all over me and the table. Bruce laughs which makes me furious because I know, as usual, he’s acting like a dick-head and probably pinched her ass.

I’m busy moving myself and my phone out of the way while she darts to the bar and only when she returns do I give her my full attention. She’s not at all what I expected and for a second all the air I’d been holding gets sucked out of me. Damn she’s hot! She’s rocking a Mohawk hair style and the minute she kneels by my side, attempting to wipe up the beer from my jeans, all the blood heads to my frigging dick. In the position she’s in, the words “Enjoy the View” printed on her black shirt take on a whole new meaning. The cups of her lacy, black bra peek out and I can’t help but grab her hand when she starts patting the napkins near my crotch. My skin feels tight and I’m pissed at getting dunked in liquor but equally annoyed she’s so damn distracting.