Synthia paced in front of the conference room. Where the hell was Tristan? She checked her watch. He was supposed to be here an hour ago. Thankfully she had access to the presentation materials, so she’d had one of the assistants help her set up his boards.
She’d already checked with Reception and he hadn’t called in sick. Hadn’t left a message either. Maybe he’d called her cell? She checked the clock. She didn’t have time to go back to her office and retrieve it. Okay, then, she was going to do this alone. Fair enough. Presenting she could do in her sleep. It was the whole infusing fun thing she didn’t know how to do.
Whatever. She’d fake it till she made it. After everything he’d said about how important this job was to him, how he needed this as validation, she couldn’t believe he’d just blown her off like this. Fine, this job was now hers to lose. And there was no way she was losing.
Walking into the presentation room, she gave Bryan a cheerful smile and hoped the smile she gave Bella looked like a friendly gesture and not the baring of teeth it felt like.
Bella’s eyes drifted toward the door. “Where is Tristan?”
Syn’s stomach sank. Of course Bella was looking for Tristan. He was who she really wanted. Sorry, lady, you’re stuck with me. She searched for an answer to this question that was both truthful and wouldn’t bite her in the butt later. “He sends his apologies, but he’s very ill, so he won’t be able to present today. I will be presenting his work as well as mine.”
Bryan sat up. “I should have been notified. We could have moved the meeting.”
Synthia shook her head. “Tristan knows how important Miss Bliss’s time is. He didn’t want to waste it. I assure you, I’m well prepared and ready to go.” She gritted her teeth to ask the next question. “Or would you prefer to wait until Tristan is available?”
Bella’s answer surprised her. “No, go ahead. I’d love to hear what you have to say.”
Say what? Syn forced a smile. Okay, then. Showtime. She turned out the lights and moved the mouse on her laptop to make the screen appear. “Fantastic. If you will draw your eyes to the first slide.”
For two hours she presented both her information and Tristan’s. She answered all of Bella’s questions on pricing and room size as well as financials and areas for improvement and she answered Bryan’s questions about amenities, but with every word about the race cars or about the dinner and show, she thought about Tristan. The way he’d laughed and taken her around Vegas. The way he’d looked at her. He couldn’t have been faking all that. Could he?
When she was done, Bella leaned back in her seat. “Well, you certainly are thorough. Tristan told me you were the best.”
Synthia blinked. Tristan had said that about her? Her heart squeezed. Shoot, she’d gotten it wrong. He hadn’t been cozying up to Bella to get the job. Whatever had been going on at the bar, he wasn’t trying to hurt her.
Syn forced her mind to go back to Saturday and made herself remember. Bella’s hands had been on his face. Bella’s body had been pressed flush against his. Where had Tristan’s arms been? The memory came into focus. His hands had been on hers. He hadn’t been holding her. Her lungs squeezed and she couldn’t breathe.
Oh God. She’d lost him. All because she was terrified and didn’t want to get hurt.
She had to talk to him. But first she’d have to get through this.
Bella tapped the table with her pen. “I must admit, I’m sorry that Mr. Dawson isn’t here, but you did a brilliant job. Please make sure your findings are sent to my office.”
What, as if she was some kind of amateur? “Already done.”
For once Bella gave her a genuine smile, complete with crinkly eyes. “Of course it is. You certainly think everything through. I especially loved the video elements from the vantage point of the guest. That was brilliant, especially on the helicopter ride and the dash camera on the cars. I felt like I was really taking part. We could use something like that for B-roll in our marketing materials.”
That had been Tristan’s idea. If Synthia was being honest with herself, her presentation alone would have been dry. Sure, she would have mentioned the amenities and the luxury experiences, but Tristan had taken it a step further. He’d managed to incorporate depth of feeling into the presentation. “Thank you. Tristan spearheaded that effort.”
Bella twirled her pen and nodded thoughtfully. “How would you like to be the brand management lead for the Bliss Hotel in Las Vegas?”
Adrenaline pumped through her veins. This was it, what she wanted. What she’d worked so hard for. She’d pulled it off.
But not alone. The presentation wouldn’t have been the same without Tristan’s input. And it would have been even better if he’d been here to present with her. He would have brought a certain level of enthusiasm. It really didn’t kill her to have a little fun, and in this instance, it had upped her game. Tristan had upped her game.
Tristan had put in just as much work as she had. And he wanted it just as bad. She couldn’t cut him out of the running, could she? He deserved this as much as she did.
She wanted this job...but she wasn’t doing this alone. “Under one condition. That Tristan and I share the job. The presentation is half his.”
Bella frowned. “But he wasn’t here.”
“That’s the deal. Both of us or none of us.”
Bella slid a glance at Bryan, who smirked. “If you’re sure that’s what you want.”
“You two finally realize you’re better together?” Bryan asked.
Synthia nodded. “Something like that.”
“Great news. Because if you two hadn’t worked out your differences, I would have had to find another team.”
The moment she left the presentation room, Syn made a beeline for her office. She passed Olivia’s office on the way, and her friend followed behind her. “Hey, girl, where’s the fire? How did it go? Did Mr. Sex on a Stick really not show?”
Syn grabbed her purse, fishing for her phone. “Yeah, he was a no-show, but I presented his part anyway.”
Olivia folded her arms. “I’m getting the impression that you didn’t throw him under the bus.”
“No. If he isn’t here, it means something is wrong.” Her hand wrapped around her phone, and relief rushed through her. “Bella gave me the account. I get to work on the branding.”
Olivia narrowed her eyes. “This should be happy, booty-dance, in-your-face time. Why is there no in-your-face dancing? I came just for that.”
“Because I told Bella that Tristan and I should work together. That it made more sense that way. And that we’re a team.”
Liv’s voice went soft. “Sounds like someone got bit by the love bug.”
“Yeah, you could say that.” Syn played her messages. The first three were from Saturday. But there was one early this morning around six. She hadn’t even heard the phone ring. She hit Play.
“Syn, I’m sorry. I won’t be there today. My mother is at Santa Barbara General, so I have to go up and see her. There’s been an accident. I know you don’t trust me, but I’m hoping we can sit down and talk later. Good luck today. I have a feeling you don’t need me anyway.”
The lump in her throat constricted her airflow. “Oh no, Liv, I screwed up.”
“What happened?”
“I took Xia out on Saturday to spend some quality sister time and I saw Tristan with some guy and Bella Bliss was there.”
Liv’s eyes went round. “As in Bliss Hotels Bella Bliss?”
“Yeah, as in has-been-trying-to-climb-into-Tristan’s-pants-since-she-laid-eyes-on-him Bella Bliss. She was wrapped around him in a way that looked like they were about to kiss.” She suppressed the flare of rage. “He saw me, I took off. You can guess what happened next.”
Liv strode over and wrapped her arms around her. “Oh, Honey Bunches of Oats. You put them walls right back up and he pushed too hard and you pushed too hard, and that was the end of that.”
Syn choked out a laugh. “Yeah, pretty much. It’s almost like you were there.”
Olivia pulled back. “Look, I’ve said it from the beginning, you two are better when you’re together, and from the looks of it, you love him, so I’ll cover for you here. Go find him. I’m sure he wants to hear you say you love him.”
Syn grabbed her purse. “Okay, I have a call this afternoon with Jefferson Books. Do you think you can take it and if Bryan is looking for me tell him that I went to see Tristan and we’re brainstorming and—”
“Would you just go? I got this. And you have a man to go get.”
Yes. Yes, she did.