Reservations Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Epilogue

  Reservations

  Copyright © Kindle Alexander, 2017

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Edited by Jae Ashley

  www.jaeashley.com

  Cover art by Reese Dante

  http://www.reesedante.com

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in the content is a model.

  ISBN Print: 978-1-941450-12-3

  ISBN ebook: 978-1-941450-11-6

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, Kindle Alexander LLC, [email protected]. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without permission from Kindle Alexander, LLC. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author's rights and livelihood is appreciated.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Trademark Acknowledgements

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following trademarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  007: Danjaq, LLC

  Advil: Wyeth, LLC

  America's Next Top Model: Pottle Productions, Inc.

  Armani Code: Giorgio Armani, SPA

  Beavis and Butt-head: Viacom International Inc.

  Bluetooth: Bluetooth Sig, Inc.

  BWI: Maryland Aviation Administration

  Cheshire Cat: Disney Enterprises, Inc.

  Collin Street Bakery: Collin Street Bakery, Inc.

  Corvette: General Motors, LLC

  Doc Martens: "Dr. Martens" International Trading GmbH

  Dr. Phil: Peteski Productions, Inc.

  El Pollo Loco: El Pollo Loco, Inc.

  Escalade: General Motors LLC

  FaceTime: Apple, Inc.

  Ferrari: Ferrari S.p.A.

  Froot Loops: Kellogg North America Company

  Google: Google, Inc.

  GQ: Advanced Magazine Publishers, Inc.

  Grey Goose: Barcardi & Company

  Grindr: Grindr, LLC

  Heineken: Heineken Brouwerijen B.V.

  HSN: HSN Holding LLC

  Hush: Danxiao Information Technology

  Iron Man: Marvel Characters, Inc.

  Keurig: Keurig, Inc.

  La-Z-Boy: La-Z-Boy Incorporated Corporation

  Lifetime: Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC

  Mack Truck: Mack Trucks, Inc.

  Marvel: Marvel Characters, Inc.

  MTV: Viacom International Inc.

  Passeggiata: Black Ankle Vineyards, LLC

  Realtor: National Association of Realtors

  Reddit: Reddit, Inc.

  Sherlock: Conan Doyle Estate Limited

  Speedo: Speedo International

  Sprite: The Coca-Cola Company

  The Marlboro Man: Phillip Morris USA, Inc.

  Tinder: Tinder, Inc.

  Toyota: Toyota Motor Corporation

  Tropicana: Tropicana Products, Inc.

  Two Hearted Ale: Bell’s Brewery, Inc.

  Viagra: Pfizer Inc.

  Whole Foods: Whole Foods Market IP, L.P.

  Williams-Sonoma: Williams-Sonoma, Inc.

  XT5: General Motors, LLC

  Yelp: Yelp, Inc.

  A Special Thanks

  Marie Ullrich ~ Thank you for stopping your life to help us.

  Steve Wiscaver ~ You’ve become such a great friend. Thank you for everything.

  Ted Hayes ~ You’re a BOSS! You’ve taught me to love a comma.

  Ryan Wilson Foley ~ You just make us smile all the time.

  Melissa McEntyre ~ We could never do this without you.

  Karen Jones ~ You’re a dream. Thank you, thank you!

  Jenna Underwood ~ I still don’t have my bowl.

  Meet Autumn and Jared at

  Sweet Suds Bath Boutique

  https://www.sweetsudsbath.com/shop/

  (Historic Old Ellicott City, Maryland)

  See Erin’s creations at Sweet Suds Bath Boutique or check out her online store Sweet Honey http://sweethoneycrohet.com

  .

  Dedication

  Kindle, you are forever in our hearts.

  Perry, you’re missed every day.

  "Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory." ~Dr. Seuss

  In memory of my beautiful friend and incredibly talented author, Sandrine Gasq Dion. You will be missed.

  Find Sandrine’s books here.

  Table Of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  June 2016

  Thane Walker’s tires squealed as he rounded the corner, barely touching the brakes before pressing the gas again. The small digital clock on the dash flipped a single digit, making him officially late for his two o’clock meeting.

  “Are you listening?” Erin asked, drawing his attention back to the phone conversation just as the impressive sight of the newest Escape property in Coronado, California, came into view.

  “No, I wasn’t. Say it again.” Thane held back the growl as a red light forced him to stop at the intersection. So close, yet so far from his destination.

  “When are you gonna be home? Brock’s best friend from high school’s coming to stay for a few days. He’s six-one, blond hair, nice body, good job. He’s interviewing for a position in the State Department…” Erin trailed off as if she were dangling a carrot, but he could only half listen to her as he nervously drummed his fingers on the steering
wheel, willing the light to change. “He’s twenty-nine, your age, and I want you to go out with him.”

  That caught his full attention.

  “I’m not interested,” he said and took off when the light turned green, following way too close to the car in front of him.

  “Thane! I’ve told him all about you and he’s interested and his name is Noel. I love that name. It fits him so well.”

  “I’ve told you this before: no blind dates, no friendly dates, no Erin insisting upon dates.”

  Erin and her husband, Corey, were his neighbors…and some of the best friends he had. Erin watered his plant while he traveled—yes, a plant she gave him for his last birthday, but Erin had a way with keeping plants alive, a trait he didn’t share. But Erin insisted on trying to set him up with all available bachelors in hopes he’d fall in love.

  Since Erin was as close a friend as he’d ever had, Thane was comfortable saying, “You need to build that bridge and get over it. Like I’ve told you over and over, it’s never gonna happen.”

  Though the Escape resort hadn’t been far from the traffic light, it took a veritable eternity to turn onto the short drive leading to the front entrance.

  “You’re frustrating. What am I gonna say to him now?” Erin’s eager anticipation had changed to crestfallen in a matter of seconds. Her pout at being shot down came through the car speakers loud and clear, even if she should be used to his turning down her setups by now.

  “Crochet him a scarf. One like you made me last year. It’d be a better deal for him anyway,” he said, giving a grin at her frustrated sigh. “I gotta go. I’m here.”

  “Good luck on whatever you’re meeting about!”

  Thane grinned at her encouragement and reached over to end the call as he swiftly pressed the brakes, coming to an abrupt stop in the middle of the covered drive. He threw the vehicle in park then grabbed his laptop bag from the passenger seat before sliding out of the rented SUV. He slung the packed leather case over his shoulder and began patting his front suit coat pockets to find the keyless remote key fob. About halfway between the valet stand and SUV, the vehicle brought him to a forced stop as it began going nuts with all its alarms warning him he might be walking too far out of range to keep the engine running.

  “Mr. Walker, you’re back,” a valet said, vaulting away from the stand, jogging the few steps toward him with a big toothy grin. “How was your flight, sir?”

  Even being late for this meeting with Arik Layne and Tristan Wilder, and with an anxiety level of about a nine point five, Thane returned the grin. He stuck his hands in his slacks pockets when his initial search for the key fob came up empty. “Be honest, how do you always know who’s getting out of these cars? You can’t possibly remember all these people,” Thane asked, finally locating the device and handing it over.

  “Well, sir, I do remember you. You own the best restaurant here and our employee discount extends there. That makes me realhappy, so I’ll let you in on the secret.” The kid lifted both his forefingers uptothe awning as he started moving around Thanetoward the driver’s side of the vehicle, which immediately silenced the alarm as the valet got closer to his still open door. “That Wilder dude, he’s going nuts here. We have cameras and all this artificial intelligence that feeds information to the monitors at the different valet stands. If you’ve stayed here before and pull under this canopy, we know who you are and the front desk is notified of your arrival.”

  Thane shook his head in amusement. Of course an Escape property would have the best of the best technology. Arik Layne and Tristan Wilder concepts were the hottest things to hit the hospitality industry in years. That dynamic duo had made some explosive accomplishments. Luckily for Thane, those two men had taken a liking to him, and he wasn’t going to mess up the opportunities that afforded.

  On that thought, he quickly tipped the valet and went straight for the front doors of the hotel. No reason to be any later than he was. “I have luggage in the back.”

  “Yes, sir. I saw you were staying the night. I’ll get ’em to your room.”

  Normally, he’d take the minute to appreciate the over-the-top, magnificently decorated lobby, be proud that his own accomplishments had led him to do business with the likes of people who created such beauty, but not this time. Instead, he headed toward the sweeping staircase leading to the second-floor conference area and took those steps up two at a time.

  A few years ago, right out of college, Thane had been working for an investment banker. He’d stumbled on a failing small chain of family-owned restaurants. They’d had three locations, and out of nothing more than Thane’s love for food, he’d made the declining company an offer. At the time, he’d been naïve and completely full of himself, but that had turned out to be the winning mix for his newly acquired business. After replacing the entire staff, including the management team, and putting some strict policies and procedures in place, Thane had those under-performing restaurants turning a profit within a couple of months.

  In five short years, he’d rinsed and repeated the same concept with more than two hundred restaurants spread out across thirty-three states. To the delight of his taste buds, his restaurants offered every type of cuisine.

  From that humble beginning, he now rubbed elbows with the likes of Arik Layne. It was almost unimaginable. He could feel his heartbeat increase with his excitement. Today was the day Arik was either going to sign on to his newest venture or bail. All indicators signaled the first option’s likelihood, which meant his dream project would truly come to life.

  Thane hit the top step and came face-to-face with Arik who must have been notified of his arrival, proving again, the Escape team was damn good at what they did. Thane was attempting to tie his newest project to the best of the best in his industry. He extended his hand. “I’m sorry I’m late. I ran into some traffic on the way from the airport.”

  “It’s not a problem. I just arrived myself,” Arik said, shaking his hand. “I’ve got a conference room reserved. Tristan’s teleconferencing in. I hope you carved out the remainder of the afternoon. We have a lot to go over.”

  “I did. And I’ve also arranged to stay the night. One of my restaurants downstairs is having a big celebration this evening,” Thane replied.

  Thane had spent quite a bit of money trying to get ahead of the diversity trends in food. When he had gotten the call he’d been approved for two restaurant spaces here at Escape Coronado, he’d jumped in. One he’d kept conservative: an American grill. The other he’d splurged on. He built Castelli’s from the ground up, and the somewhat fine-dining, Italian slash Asian fusion cuisine restaurant had taken off like a dream, beating even his wildest expectations.

  “I heard Castelli’s made top sales this quarter. Is that correct?” Arik asked, sticking his hands in his slacks pockets.

  “Yes, it won our internal corporate contest. They came out of nowhere and took the prize. I have a Tex-Mex restaurant in Texas that thought they had it in the bag. Of course, Castelli’s has the popularity of the resort to thank. It seems all anyone’s talking about is the magnificence of this place. You’ve outdone yourself.”

  “That’s nice to hear, but I think Castelli’s holds its own. Come this way.” Arik started across the long catwalk above the front desk, and Thane followed, keeping Arik’s casual pace as they walked side by side. “I noticed you have a signature brand of infused oils and vinegars. They seem to be a big draw to your customer base. Chef Ferico explained you’re taking your oils to merchandise.”

  If Arik knew so much about the oils, he had to have spent time in the restaurant, which gave Thane a tremendous sense of pride. As much as Arik was known for his resorts, the two of them had bonded over their mutual love of food. It pleased him that Arik enjoyed his restaurant, but that didn’t stop the warning bells that began to ring. Mass producing his blends was proprietary information only a handful of people knew anything about.

  Thane slowed until he came to a stop just steps away from a
door that automatically opened as they approached. He cocked his head in Arik’s direction as the man came to a stop to face him. Arik was a bold one; he stared straight at Thane while trying to hide his knowing grin.

  “We are taking them to market,” Thane finally said and nodded.

  “Don’t worry. I can be very persuasive when I want to be, especially when it comes to delicious food. One night I was alone, Kellus wasn’t with me, and I finagled my way into the kitchen where I stayed quite a long time. I sampled all the flavors of the oils and vinegars Chef Ferico had freshly fused together. They’re outstanding. That’s when I discovered some of the plans you have. And honestly, he kept the secret until I tried to get him to go into business with me.” Arik laughed now, lifting both hands in the air in some sort of truce offering. “I’ll confess that my intentions weren’t completely honorable. I didn’t necessarily include you in my plans, but in my defense, it was after an entire bottle of wine. I’m sure I would have done right by you in the morning.”

  “Okay, well, I’ll confess that it was only after a bottle or two of wine that Ferico and I began blending the unusual flavors together,” Thane replied, still not entirely sure how he felt about his chef revealing their trade secrets.

  Arik again chuckled and turned, heading into a small conference room. “Some of my best ideas come at the end of a bottle of wine.”

  Just like the rest of the resort, everything flowed in the theme of over-the-top luxury. There was a table that sat no more than six people, the chairs looking like scaled down versions on La-Z-Boy recliners, a monitor extended downward from the ceiling to hang just above the edge, and a small food and drink cart was parked nearby.

  Arik grabbed a cookie off the tray, passing on the sliced fruit, and took a hearty bite before grabbing a water bottle and heading around the table to his seat. “Have a cookie. Kellus watches my diet so closely; he worries about my health. I take my treat days when I travel alone.”