Teddy entered Martha’s zen-like office feeling thankful for this wise woman in her life. Whenever she needed motherly advice, Martha was her go-to person. But this afternoon, Teddy wasn’t there seeking motherly advice, she needed Martha’s diplomatic skills.
“Hey, Martha,” Teddy said. “I can’t believe you called me when I was already heading over to see you.”
“Brilliant minds think alike,” Martha said, giving her a welcoming smile. “I’m glad you came quickly. I have pressing things to tell you.” She shut the door behind Teddy.
“Good or bad?” A tremor of unease snaked up Teddy’s spine when she saw Martha’s anxious face.
“Some bad and some good.” She opened the side drawer of her desk and took out the box of Belgian chocolates Teddy had brought her on this trip. “Would you like a chocolate?”
“Sure, but only one. I brought them for you to enjoy,” Teddy said smiling. Chocoholic Martha claimed that chocolate ran in her veins and kept her energized. Teddy chose a dark chocolate raspberry confection and handed the box back to Martha.
Martha popped a caramel milk chocolate in her mouth, chewed it pensively and then closed the box and put it back in the drawer. It was almost as if she were trying to decide how to proceed as she bought time. With a sigh, she finally said, “I’ll start with the bad news. I hired a private detective to follow Lola.”
“Really? Why? What prompted you to do it?” Teddy asked in awe.
“Too many things have been going wrong around here. I’m beginning to wonder if she’s behind some of it.”
Teddy’s brow furrowed. “If this is the case then why is hiring a detective bad news? I’d say it’s about time. Good for you.” She’d always thought a dose of gumption was all Martha needed to be damn near perfect. “That’ll make The Amoeba accountable for her actions. Who did you hire?”
“His name is Charles Hunt, and he’s top notch.”
“I don’t like The Amoeba and I don’t trust her, but I never thought she’d do anything to sabotage the Riviera,” Teddy mused. “What did Charles dig up? Anything scandalous enough for us to be rid of her?”
Martha winced. “Unfortunately, yes. It looks like Lola is having an affair.”
Sickened, but not entirely surprised, Teddy’s eyes narrowed angrily. “With whom?”
Martha’s gaze riveted to her closed office door before she leaned toward Teddy and whispered, “Brent Corzo.”
“Who’s that?”
“Brent is the owner of the Corzo Grand Hotel. He’s a bit of a thug, but his hotel is our strongest competition for the Platinum Medal.”
“Are you freaking kidding me?” Teddy said through clenched teeth. Fury shot through her veins like electric currents. “I’m going to murder her.”
“Not if I get to her first,” Martha muttered darkly.
Teddy paced the room with her hands clutched behind her back, imagining all kinds of awful scenarios. Her heart ached over the inevitable hurt Daddy would feel over his wife’s deception. Not to mention the humiliation. She turned to Martha with panic in her voice. “Seriously, what are we going to do? If Daddy finds out, it will crush him.”
“Randolph loves Lola, but he doesn’t suffer fools gladly and her actions confirm she is the biggest fool of all.” Martha’s eyes blazed with indignation. “He’s going to be hurt, but he won’t tolerate her infidelity.”
Teddy stopped and stared at Martha. She was spot on as usual when it came to Daddy. If there was one thing he wouldn’t tolerate it was lying. Daddy had the strongest sense of honor she’d ever seen in a successful businessman. Mom had always said he was a handsome man, but it was his integrity that had won her heart.
Martha’s face was flushed and her features were tight with outrage as she snapped, “It’s not right for him to be cuckolded by Lola, and with a much younger man who is your Daddy’s competitor. Brent is half his age.” She shook her head in disgust.
“I feel sick to my stomach.”
“Me too. It’s a delicate situation and Randolph needs to know the truth.” Martha’s eyes filled with despair. “For the life of me I don’t know how to tell him that I had his wife monitored.”
“Is the evidence solid?” Teddy asked.
“It’s not complete yet. Charles needs to do a bit more investigating before he can deliver a full report. There’s nothing we can do but wait.”
“Oh God, this is awful, but we’ll find a tactful way to break the news to him. Daddy has always depended on you and I know he respects you very much.”
“Thanks, dear. I’m afraid that’s not all the bad news. There’s more. I wonder if we’re under a full moon,” she said looking skyward. “We had a big problem with Mr. Jove this afternoon.”
Teddy put her hands up. “Say no more. Please. I feel awful he got sunburned.”
“He did?” Martha looked surprised.
“Yes. Isn’t that what this is about?”
“No, he accused Carmen Ortiz of riffling through his suitcase and stealing his gold cuff links. Then he demanded that we fire her on the spot.”
Teddy’s gasped. “Did you say Carmen?” When Martha nodded, she shook her head. “I can’t imagine her doing that.”
Martha’s brows knitted thoughtfully. “Did you, by any chance, give Carmen some of your dresses today?”
“Yes, why do you ask?”
Martha told her about everything that led up to Carmen’s suspension and by the time she was finished, Teddy was upset. “Can you let security know that I gave her the dresses?”
“Yes, I’ll call them now,” Martha said, dialing the number.
When Martha ended the call, Teddy said, “Do you have Carmen’s phone number? I want to call her and find out what really happened with Mr. Jove.”
Martha got Carmen’s number from housekeeping and Teddy called her from the office phone. When she finished speaking with Carmen, Teddy said, “Frankly, I believe Carmen’s version over Mr. Jove’s.”
“Why do you say that? You don’t know Carmen well.”
“I know her well enough, and I’ve seen her work. Mr. Jove seems capable of lashing out at anyone who won’t cater to him. You should have heard his demands this morning. Ridiculous,” Teddy huffed. “Carmen said he treated her like dirt. At first she wouldn’t tell me what happened, but here’s what he did. Apparently she was bent over the tub cleaning it when she felt someone grab her butt. She turned around and found Mr. Jove leering at her. He was only wearing a towel around his hips. Nothing else.”
“Oh, no,” Martha breathed, her eyes round with shock.
“It gets worse,” she said grimly. “He complained that he was sunburned and told her to make it better. Then he dropped the towel and shoved his P in her face.”
Martha shuddered. “Disgusting. What did she do?”
“She started to scream, but he grabbed her neck and tried to force her mouth on him. When she threatened to bite, he dragged her to a corner and kept her there while he dressed quickly and called security. He told her she would never work another day if she told anyone what he had done. When the security guard arrived, Mr. Jove made such a scene, the guard led Carmen away for questioning.”
“So that’s why he made up the story about her going through his things and stealing his gold cuff links,” Martha concluded.
“He’s lying to save his ass,” Teddy said. “Carmen is devastated that she is suspended. She is the sole breadwinner for her family, and she’s terrified she’s going to lose her job.”
Martha’s brows drew together as she shook her head. “I wonder what set Jove off. His reputation for being difficult precedes him, but this is way out there.”
“Have any of the other housekeepers complained about him?”
“Not that I know of. I’ll have to check with Phillip. Something must have triggered Jove’s odd behavior.”
“It’s more than odd. I think he’s just a pervert who is used to bullying others,” Teddy said. She had to find a way to help the humble housekeeper. If she went to Leo and explained everything, surely he would reinstate Carmen. She’d seen him interact with the other employees and though he was demanding, he was always fair.
Changing the subject, Teddy said, “Have you heard from Daddy today?”
“Yes, you just missed him. He stopped by earlier.”
Was Martha blushing? Teddy hid a smile. “Aw, I wish I’d known. I would have loved to see him. How is he doing?”
“He looked very well, but I think he’s restless to get back into the swing of things. His new healthy lifestyle is supposed to include rest and that’s not something he’s fond of.”
“Ha, when has Daddy ever rested?”
“True, but he really needs to think about his health before business.”
“Agreed. Earlier you mentioned you had good news. What is it? I could use some decent news right now.”
“I was able to secure additional help for our spa event tomorrow so we won’t be so stressed. A busload of service crew will be arriving from Orlando in the morning.”
“Oh, that is good news. It’s going to be a fabulous event. The spa is gorgeous. I love the Roman style baths and those private steam rooms. Very upscale.”
Tomorrow’s event would bring A list celebrities, models and stars to the spa for the latest massage and beauty treatments. Each guest would receive a goody bag with a sampling of the Riviera’s luxurious skin and hair products exclusive to the hotel. Teddy couldn’t wait for some time off to enjoy the spa with her friends.
“And that’s not all,” Martha said triumphantly drawing Teddy’s attention. “Leo wants you to work with me from now on.”
Surprised and hurt, Teddy raised her brows as she stared at Martha, trying to mask her disappointment with a nonchalant look. “He said that?”
Martha smiled. “Yes. He’s relinquishing you from having to report to him.”
Teddy’s heart sank at Martha’s announcement. Relinquishing you. It sounded so final. She struggled to smile, but failed miserably.
Martha laid a hand on Teddy’s arm and peered into her distraught face. “Teddy, I thought working with me instead of Leo would make you happy, but instead you look miserable. What's wrong, dear?” she said, watching Teddy closely.
“Nothing.” Teddy swallowed. “I just wish I knew why Leo wants to be rid of me.” She looked away from Martha’s probing gaze as her self-esteem took a dive along with her trust in Leo.
“He didn’t say he wanted to be rid of you, Teddy,” Martha said gently. “Don’t take it personally. I think Leo is just being practical. He realizes it isn’t fair to make you do jobs you’re not experienced in.”
“Maybe,” Teddy said, feeling as if she’d been slapped with a harsh dose of reality. What made her think that someone as high-powered and ambitious as Leo would put everything aside to romance her? She’d been nothing but a naïve fool for love. But how could she help it? She had never met a man as fascinating and compelling as Leo, or one that she wanted so badly her whole being ached with longing.
She didn’t want Martha to know how strong her feelings had become, especially given Leo’s callous decision. Martha would want to protect her like a mother lioness, but Teddy didn’t need protecting. She needed answers—answers from Leo. Damn him.
All morning he had been so nice to her—uncharacteristically lighthearted and at ease in spite of the hectic atmosphere of the pool area. A chill ran through her when she realized everything must have gone south when Leo left with Mr. Jove and shortly afterward told Ashley to assign her to maid duty. Now Martha delivered the final blow—Leo was washing his hands of her. Relinquishing her.
Why the sudden turnabout in his behavior? He had been so hot for her last night only to turn cold today. It wasn’t as if she had committed a terrible crime against Mr. Jove.
Teddy’s heart squeezed at the sternness of Leo’s actions. After everything was said and done, it turned out that her initial impression of him had been right all along. During their first meeting, she had thought that his face had a don’t-cross-me warning stamped on it. She should have taken heed then; it sure would have saved her heartache.
But why the attempted seduction last night? Had Leo really wanted her or had he just been playing with her? How many other young women had he seduced in the Presidential Suite? Was this par for the course for the sexy Spaniard?
Teddy gritted her teeth, remembering how he had almost had her on the couch. She closed her eyes at the onslaught of erotic images that sprung into her mind remembering his ferocious passion. If it hadn’t been for The Amoeba’s interruption, Teddy would have eagerly succumbed to Leo.
And then there was Ashley’s late night visit and her provocative outfit. That made Teddy feel even worse, but it somehow gave her a burst of strength. She couldn’t wait to tell Leo exactly what she thought of him.