Teddy shoved her pink satin sleep mask up and forced one bleary eye to focus on her buzzing alarm clock. 6 a.m. She banished all thoughts of Leo, The Amoeba and Ashley as she crawled out of bed. Fretting about them had kept her tossing and turning all night and now she would pay for it.
Summoning self-discipline she usually lacked so early in the morning, she coerced her weary body into a few yoga poses, starting with the sun salutation to stretch out the kinks. But by the time she got to downward dog, her arms and shoulders were screaming in protest from the previous night’s work. Hoping to ease the tightness, she took a steaming shower and massaged peppermint lavender oil into her muscles.
She quickly ate the goat cheese and Serrano ham omelet and drank the fat free latte delivered by room service, courtesy of dear, sweet Martha, whom she hadn’t seen since midday yesterday. Teddy hadn’t eaten a thing since yesterday afternoon and her tummy thanked her for the nourishment as she devoured the second piece of buttered toast.
Bolstered by the hearty breakfast, Teddy dressed in the Riviera uniform which had been delivered to her room along with her breakfast—a French-cut royal blue T-shirt with the white Riviera logo and trim white shorts. She pulled her heavy hair into a high ponytail and covered it with a matching royal blue baseball cap, then applied sunscreen, mascara and lip gloss. The finishing touch was her big black sunglasses that shielded most of her face exactly how she wanted.
She spent the next half hour in the employee lounge learning poolside service from Enid Prescott, the pool drill sergeant. Sturdy, gruff and in her mid-fifties, Enid had steely gray eyes that matched her pixie cut. Her muscular arms and broad shoulders were deeply tanned and leathery from constant sun exposure.
Enid had a penchant for zeroing in on Teddy with, “Got that, missy?” every time she gave a demonstration. So far she’d shown Teddy how to fold beach towels the Riviera way, the safe way to dip and serve drinks without toppling everything on the tray, and how to man the supply station that was equipped with anything a guest might desire.
Last night, Daddy had said he didn’t want her serving customers, but take-no-prisoners Enid looked like she might squash Teddy when she told her she would be working behind the scenes, not serving. With a derisive snort, she said, “That’s the first I’ve heard it. They dump you on me without warning. Not that I mind…but now you tell me you’re not serving? Ha! We’ll see about that, missy.”
Teddy remained silent. Better to take it up with someone other than Enid.
Enid’s sharp eyes pinned Teddy to the spot as she continued her lecture. “When a customer raises the little flag with the Riviera crest, it means they need something. So, you’d better get it pronto.”
“Mmm, hmm.” Teddy nodded, anxious to get out of there. Once she found Martha or Leo, everything would be straightened out.
Leo. Oh, Leo. Try as she might, she couldn’t stop thinking about Leo and Ashley. Ashley had looked stunning in the evening gown, a far cry from her prim daytime look. Had Leo taken her to bed last night? The thought tore at Teddy’s inside.
“Got that, missy?” Enid’s bark startled Teddy. The overbearing woman was planted in front of her with two bottles of sunscreen in her hands.
“Yes,” Teddy murmured absently. She didn’t know what Enid was talking about, but she wouldn’t risk her wrath by admitting it. Once she realized Teddy would be working behind the scenes, Enid would back off.
“Now that you’re familiar with the Riviera’s different types of sunscreen, you may leave.” Enid’s lips formed a moue of displeasure as she sized Teddy up. “And get rid of the sunglasses. This isn’t a fashion show.”
Teddy perched her sunglasses over the rim of her cap and left. Strolling through the lobby, she passed several designer gift boutiques and gazed at them longingly. She would have loved to check out the goods, but at the moment she didn’t have the time or the money.
At 8 a.m., the sun shined brightly when she got outdoors. New buff-colored Italian pavers surrounded the lake-size pool with an exotic waterfall at one corner and a small inlet whirlpool on another. Cheery royal blue and white striped umbrellas and tented cabanas nestled among the massive royal palms in white stone urns. Coral, pink and white geraniums in Mediterranean blue ceramic pots competed with the fuchsia bougainvillea bordering the pool area.
Teddy joined her co-worker, Blue Iris, at the supply station. She was sure Blue had made up her name and it suited her. She looked younger than her 40 years, sporting two long black braids with navy highlights that contrasted edgily with her snowy white skin. A night creature that rarely saw the light of day, Blue normally sang in the hotel’s nightclub, but like Teddy, she was pitching in with pool duty.
“Ashley was just here. She said you and I are the only servers this morning,” Blue said, neatly stacking white hand towels with the Riviera emblem.
“Oh no,” Teddy groaned. Bad memories of last night flashed before her eyes. The last thing she needed was another disaster. “Are you sure she said I’m supposed to serve today?”
“Yep. We’ll get back-ups later, but for now it’s just you and me, kid.”
Teddy’s heart sank. She had hoped to make up for yesterday’s foibles by doing well today. “Gosh. I’m not experienced at serving.” Her anxious gaze swept the vast outdoor pool area. “I need to find Ashley. Did she say where she was going?”
“Nope and I hope she stays away. I can’t stand how bossy and superior she acts when she’s alone. So different from the brown-noser she is around Mr. Guerra.” Blue rolled her kohl-lined eyes. “It’s so obvious she has the hots for him.”
Teddy frowned. She’d noticed that too, and Ashley’s late night visit confirmed it. Ashley wanted Teddy to believe that she’d gone to Leo for a business matter, but who was she kidding? She had looked like a knockout for a reason—to seduce her gorgeous boss.
Blue pointed to the far left of where they were standing. “A flag just went up. Maybe you should go. It’s quiet now, but later on it’ll be crazy. I’ll fold these towels and get the supplies ready for the next two hours. Then we can switch. I’ve had lots of experience waiting tables.”
“OK.” Teddy reluctantly headed toward the raised flag and when she got there she noticed something familiar about the tubby older man sprawled on the beach chair wearing huge sunglasses. His freckled white chest and pot belly strained the waistline of his chartreuse speedo. His pudgy vein-lined feet were decked out in matching flip-flops and crossed at his ankles.
“Good morning. What can I get for you?” Teddy asked.
Without looking up from his magazine, he croaked, “Get me a Bloody Mary.”
She drew back and gaped at him. If she wasn’t mistaken it was Lionel Jove, the almighty hotel critic. His brash voice tipped her at once. But in his tacky beach attire, he looked far different from the dapper gentleman in the elegant tuxedo last night.
With his pale complexion Mr. Jove should have been under an umbrella, but who was she to tell him? The poor guy was probably trying to get his game on with a tan. South Beach was known as the playground of beautiful people—models, actors and celebrities with perpetual tans who constantly worked on their figures with diets and rigorous exercise. What couldn’t be fixed by natural means was taken care of under the knife and plastic surgery flourished here as much as in Colombia and Brazil.
“Make that a Belvedere Bloody Mary and hurry up. I’m thirsty.”
His snappy command thrust Teddy into action. “Coming right up,” she said and hastened to get his drink. She was tempted to beg Blue to switch with her, but it suddenly occurred to her that she could make things up to Mr. Jove by killing him with kindness.
On her way to the poolside bar, she caught sight of the back of a tall, dark-haired man working behind the big wraparound counter. As she got closer, she admired his tanned, muscular build in the tropical print cotton shirt and khaki pants. When he turned and their eyes met, Teddy gawked at him.
“Leo? What are you doing bartending here?” And why was Ashley heading to your room last night, she wished she could ask.
“Rick had a car accident this morning on the way over. He’ll probably be delayed a couple of hours,” he said.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear it. Is Rick OK?”
“He is. What can I get you?”
“Can you fix me a Belvedere Bloody Mary and make it extra special?” she said, glancing over her shoulder to check on Mr. Jove.
“Sure. Anything coming out of this bar will be extra special,” he said with an uncharacteristic wink.
Teddy’s brows furrowed as she watched Leo whistle a tune while he poured the drink. Why was he in such an upbeat mood? Had he gotten lucky with Ashley last night? His fingers brushed against her skin as he handed her the drink. Their eyes met and an electrifying spark sizzled between them, but she acted like she hadn’t noticed.
Averting her eyes from his penetrating gaze, she cleared her throat and placed the Bloody Mary on the tray. “Thanks,” she said and hustled back to Mr. Jove as fast as she could without spilling the drink.
Widening his stance to accommodate a jolt of desire, Leo watched Teddy’s long, tanned legs propel her to the pool area, her lithe thighs and high inset calves flexing with each bouncing step. He paused for a moment to enjoy the tempting sight of her pert bottom bobbing in the snug white shorts. With a wry shake of his head, he wiped the counter and looked away from temptation.
If he didn’t watch out, la Princesa would be his undoing. From their first contentious encounter in his office, Leo had had to put a tight lid on his libido to fight his intense attraction to her.
While he mixed drinks for the patrons coming up to the bar, he kept an eye on Teddy. She was knocking herself out, running back and forth to the far side of the pool serving a man who kept raising his flag. So far so good—she was working her little tail off, and she hadn’t had a mishap yet.
In spite of his crazy hectic schedule, Leo had made it a point to watch over Randolph’s pampered daughter all week and to his surprise, she had proven she wasn’t the spoiled brat he’d thought she was. She hadn’t pulled the heiress card either, gaining his newfound respect.
When put to the task, Teddy worked hard, didn’t complain and was friendly with everyone. She took a genuine interest in others and was well-liked by the staff, so much so that some of them had tried to cover her mistakes…which had been many. She was too generous, making time for others when she should have been nose to the grindstone learning her duties. She was also too easily distracted and not suited to unskilled labor. She didn’t do it on purpose, but where Teddy went, trouble followed. Leo sighed in resignation. If anyone needed a keeper, it was La Princesa.
Given her outgoing nature and innate people skills, it was no wonder Randolph had made her the Behr Foundation’s goodwill ambassador. Other than the Palazzo San Marco catastrophe, Teddy had a good reputation among her peers, something Leo had dismissed when he had been so incensed over her extravagant partying and the resulting destructive fire.
Last night had been a revelation. At first Leo had been furious with Teddy over the disaster with the hotel critic, but when Leo cooled down, he acknowledged it had been an unfortunate accident. He had gone looking for her to make sure she was OK, only to be drawn into her spell and losing all control. From his first kiss, she had melted into him, all soft and pliant, encouraging his fierce ardor with her own purrs of pleasure.
Teddy’s passionate response had ignited a fire in his veins so turbulent and forceful, it couldn’t be delayed or denied. He would have had her right there on the couch if Lola hadn’t shown up.
In hindsight, it was just as well they had been interrupted. Leo had a hard and fast rule—he never mixed business and pleasure, something Lola had somewhat accepted, but Ashley was still lobbying for.
When Ashley had shown up at his door after Teddy left, she had boldly tried to seduce him with the promise of any kind of sex he desired. He had turned her down tactfully, but firmly and to his dismay, she promptly burst into tears. He hadn’t liked hurting her feelings, but he had to put the brakes on Ashley’s seduction before she became a liability. Deeply mortified over his rejection, she apologized profusely for crossing the line and Leo had had to spend several awkward moments reassuring her that she would remain his personal assistant.
He would have never hired her if he hadn’t owed a favor to an esteemed colleague. Granted, Ashley had all the credentials to make her a top notch personal assistant and she’d interned at two top hotels in Las Vegas and New York City. She had also graduated with honors from Cornell University in hotel management and she had a strong work ethic, but Leo could only take her ingratiating personality in small doses.
La Princesa was another matter altogether. The more he got to know Teddy, the more he wanted to spend time with her. What surprised him most was how easily she had gotten him to open up last night. All it had taken was a set of radiant, honey-colored eyes gazing deeply into his, drawing out the truth, wanting to know what made him tick. Beguiling and attentive, Teddy had lured him into revealing his past, something he guarded fiercely. He had never told any woman that he was Don Esteban de Aragón’s bastard son, scorned since birth. But he didn’t regret sharing it with Teddy. The warm glow of understanding in her eyes and the deeper connection with her had been worth it.
Don’t be a sucker. He mentally shook himself of romantic illusions. He needed to detach from Teddy’s magnetic spell and pronto. There was too much riding on the Riviera’s success and too many things on his mind to let one bewitching girl get in the way. But after her pliant body had melted into his and he’d gotten a thorough taste of her sweet mouth, he knew he wouldn’t have a moment’s peace until his thirst was slaked.
After she finished delivering towels and magazines to a honeymooning couple, Teddy noticed Mr. Jove’s flag was erect—again. Jeez, he’d been bombarding her with orders all morning. And he was on his third Bloody Mary.
“Get me another towel. I spilled some of my drink on this one,” Mr. Jove said when she reached his side. “And bring me some sunscreen.”
Evidently “please” didn’t exist in his vocabulary. “Do you want any particular brand, or will the hotel one do?”
His marshmallow belly pointed skyward. “I’ll try the hotel brand.”
Teddy grabbed a bottle of suntan lotion from the supply station and brought it back to Mr. Jove who promptly smeared it on his face.
“I’m going to tan my back now,” he said. “When twenty minutes are up, come and tell me to turn over.”
“Didn’t you bring a watch?” she asked, amazed at his nerve.
“No.” Mr. Jove turned over onto his belly. Peering at her over his shoulder, he said, “I need help spreading the lotion on my back. Give me a hand, will you?”
Not in this lifetime. “Sorry. That’s not part of my job.”
He harrumphed loudly. “I’ll manage the lotion then. But I expect you back in twenty minutes, young lady.”
“All right,” she agreed, anything not to anger the powerful hotel critic, especially with Leo at the poolside bar. Many times during her frenetic serving, she had looked over and caught him watching her with a bemused smile. It was nice to feel his smile on her instead of stern displeasure.
Shaking off thoughts about yummy Leo, she returned to Mr. Jove’s side and said, “Time to turn over. It’s been twenty minutes.”
Huffing and wheezing, Mr. Jove rotated over. “Come back again in twenty minutes,” he commanded, waving her off with a dismissive hand.
The pool area was hopping as she and Blue scrambled to serve hordes of guests arriving mid-morning. Never in her life had she seen so many needy, demanding people. It was hard work covering all that territory even when a third server joined up later. They worked nonstop, doing all kinds of things like taking pictures of hotel guests and directing people to the outdoor bathrooms and showers.
The hot sun beat down on Teddy’s back and her T-shirt was plastered to her chest. Sweat slid down the sides of her face and trickled between her breasts. It was too hot and humid for this type of work. How did the crew handle it in the summer? She had newfound respect for them.
Mopping her brow, Teddy noticed a little girl in tears crouched near the restroom. She rushed to her side and hunkered down until they were at eye level. “What’s wrong?” she asked the child.
“Mami, Mami,” was all she said.
Teddy brushed the little girl’s dark curls away from her wet face and smiled into her huge chocolate eyes. “Are you lost? ¿Estás perdida?” she asked.
“Sí,” she sniffled, nodding vigorously.
“What’s your name? ¿Cómo te llamas?”
“Mariposa.” She swiped at her tears with the backs of her chubby hands.
Mariposa meant butterfly in Spanish. Cute name for a cute kid. “Don’t cry. Come with me. Ven,” Teddy said, taking the little munchkin by the hand.
Mariposa’s small hand clung desperately to Teddy’s and she had a sudden flashback of her mom’s last days when all Teddy could do was hold onto her frail hands and plead with God to let her live. The memory made my heart ache and hot tears filled her eyes. She blinked back the tears and forced her thoughts away from the sad memory. Mariposa needed to find her Mami.
Teddy found Ashley at the concierge’s desk wearing a sky blue Chanel dress. It didn’t help that she looked cool as a cucumber while Teddy was hot and sweaty from slaving outside.
Why had Leo given Ashley the job he knew Teddy wanted? A pang of resentment made her glower at Ashley as she waited for her to finish her conversation with a red-haired matron in a flowing tangerine silk caftan and gold thong sandals. She was thanking Ashley for arranging entry tickets to the Seaquarium.
When the lady left, Teddy said, “I need to find this little girl’s mother. She’s lost and she only speaks Spanish. Do you speak Spanish?”
“No, but I’ll take care of her.”
“I’ll stay with her until her mother is found. You don’t speak Spanish.”
Ashley’s mouth tightened. “Go back outside. I’m sure I can find someone to translate,” she said briskly, her hard stare defying Teddy to disagree.
Teddy entertained a brief image of strangling Ashley with her strand of pearls, but she kept her cool for Mariposa’s sake. She glanced down and caught the little girl’s frightened, imploring look. “I’m not budging until Mariposa’s mother comes to claim her,” she said, giving Ashley a don’t-mess-with-me stare.
“Leo will hear about this. When he’s not here, I’m in charge,” Ashley fumed, her eyes narrowed to blue slits.
“Go ahead and tell him. I don’t care.” Teddy led Mariposa away and asked her a few questions in Spanish. She learned she was five years old, her mother’s name was Delia Fuentes, and she was visiting from Venezuela. Teddy called security and alerted them she’d be waiting with Mariposa in the bistro area of the lobby.
Seated across from Mariposa, she flagged a server and ordered two cold milks and a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies. While they waited together, Teddy told her about how she’d once gotten separated from her mom at Harrod’s in London. When her mom had finally found her, Teddy was wearing gold eye shadow, sparkly bronze blush and golden pink lip gloss from her recent foray into the cosmetics department. Even at six, she adored feeling glam, but she’d been terrified at getting separated from her. She still remembered the rush of relief when her mom found her and she was safe again.
Finally, a half an hour and two plates of cookies later, Delia arrived wearing an ankle-length white mesh dress over a white modified thong bikini. Flipping her platinum streaked hair over a tanned shoulder, she thanked Teddy for staying with Mariposa. After uttering a lame excuse about the niñera (nanny) needing to take better care of her daughter, she teetered off on four inch wedge sandals, balancing a sour apple martini in one hand and clutching Mariposa’s hand in the other.
Teddy smiled and waved back as Mariposa fluttered a chocolaty hand at her.
Back outside in the blistering heat, Teddy reapplied sunscreen to her face and arms. No sense in getting sunburned.
Omigawd! She suddenly remembered Mr. Jove was waiting for her to tell him to turn over. She checked her watch. An hour had gone by, not the twenty minutes he had demanded for her return. The last time she’d seen him his skin was tinged pink. With his thinning red hair, blue eyes and milky freckled skin, Mr. Jove should have been resting under a large umbrella, not out in the blazing sun.
He was probably pork rind by now.