Chapter 3

Three

T hankfully, as promised, Thursday and Friday were relatively slow in the Paradox’s main office, so Alex was able to ease into the new position while taking lots of notes. He followed Scout around the hotel as his boss introduced him to the various department heads who ran the place as smoothly as possible. Knowing he wouldn’t remember everyone’s names right off the bat, Alex entered them into an open document on the tablet he’d been given, along with their title and a brief description of their physical appearance to help him recall who they were later on.

Once the weekend rolled around, Scout gave Alex both days off. He mentioned he had family visiting and would only take emergency calls, which were filtered through Delilah until Alex was better acclimated.

Alex took advantage of the free weekend and found a good home for the rescued dog. Now dubbed Sasha, the black-and-white terrier mix was adopted by his sister’s friends—a married couple with ten-year-old twins. Scout had not only paid the vet bill but told Alex to give the family a $100 gift card to a local pet store so they could get whatever their new pup needed. Apparently, Scout had a soft spot for animals despite not having any pets of his own.

On Monday, they hit the ground running, as Scout had warned him. Since Alex arrived shortly before 8:00 a.m., there’d been numerous meetings. Some were in person, while others were virtual through Zoom on a large-screen TV in his office as Alex and Scout sat side-by-side at a conference table with a webcam pointed at them.

As Scout wrapped up the last morning meeting with his new Seattle hotel’s on-site staff, he was assured the construction crew was on schedule, and everything was ready to move to the next stage. Paradox-North would be open for business within six months if all went as planned.

Alex jotted down a few more details from the meeting using a pen and pad to have the information at his fingertips if Scout needed it. Later, he’d enter them into the tablet when he got a free moment. While it was double work, he didn’t want to rely on something that could freeze or reboot itself in the middle of his task, which would result in losing everything. That happened once or twice during his tenure at the Four Seasons, so lesson learned. He also backed everything up on the company’s own cloud for safekeeping.

Ending the Zoom meeting, Scout turned to Alex. “That’s it until one-thirty, right?”

Alex picked up the tablet and hit the icon for the schedule that only he and Delilah had access to. Locating the information, he read it off. “Actually, your next meeting is at two o’clock with Will Delaney from TKR. Delilah made a note that he called and asked to push it back a half hour. After that, you have to be in Conference Room C to meet with representatives from EnerGen at three. And your four-thirty with Hannah Townsend from Building a Better Tomorrow has been postponed until next week.”

“I expected that—saw on the news this morning her father-in-law passed away. He was a state representative for two terms. BBT is Hannah’s charity to build housing for homeless veterans. Find out when and where the services are. Tell Delilah to send flowers and make a donation in Richard Townsend’s name to BBT. I’ll need to attend one of the wakes. If there are two days of them, with afternoon and evening times, mark me down for the second afternoon. Otherwise, make it either evening.” As Alex jotted everything in a note to give to the secretary, Scout got to his feet, stepped behind his desk, and retrieved his cell phone and keys. “So, since we have a little extra time before the next meeting, let’s head upstairs, grab some lunch, and go over the schedule for the rest of the week. ”

“Uh, sure.” Alex wracked his brain, trying to remember what was above the fourth floor where they could eat. He thought all those floors were guest rooms and condos, but maybe he was mistaken. While he’d eaten lunch with his boss twice now, once was during a meeting in one of the conference rooms, and the other was at Sapphire’s.

He followed Scout out of the office, giving Delilah, who was on the phone, a wave as he passed. After he looked up the funeral information, he’d get it to her, along with Scout’s request. Instead of taking the nearest elevator, as they’d done during his first two days at work, Scout led Alex to another one at the far end of the hallway and hit the up button.

Scout smiled when he noticed Alex’s confused expression. “This is the one for the condo owners only. Hotel guests don’t have access to it at all. I can take either the hotel or condo elevator up to my penthouse with a key, but I use this one as much as possible.”

Okay, so it sounded like they would eat lunch in his apartment. Alex hadn’t been up there yet and was curious to see where Scout lived. When he hung out with Gino the other night for a few beers, Alex learned a little more about his new boss that he hadn’t been aware of. The important thing was that Scout’s former PA was fired after he developed an unhealthy obsession with him, stalking Scout and messing with his personal life. Gino didn’t know all the details but knew enough to paint a broad picture. While Scout was openly gay, he didn’t mix business with pleasure.

Now that he knew about his predecessor, Alex made sure he didn’t show any outward attraction to Scout, which was honestly difficult to do. Alex always strived for absolute professionalism during his career at the Four Seasons, but then again, he never lusted over someone he worked with before. Scout Turner was sexy as hell, becoming more so each day. But if Alex wanted to keep his job—and he did—he’d have to ignore all the dirty, porn-worthy images involving Scout being naked that popped into his mind.

Once the elevator arrived, they stepped in, and Scout flashed a key fob over a sensor, then hit the button for the penthouse level. Alex’s stomach dropped as the car sped upward. They reached the top floor in under a minute, and the doors opened. Exiting into a large, square vestibule with only two access doors, Scout stepped over to the one on the right and flashed his key fob over another sensor. A light on it turned green, and the door clicked open. As he led the way into his penthouse, Scout pointed to the other door across the way. “By the way, Magnus Keller lives there. Despite his bad-boy reputation, he’s a really nice guy and a good friend of mine. Don’t get all starry-eyed and tongue-tied around him, and you’ll get along with him just fine. Kick your shoes off.”

Holy shit. Not only was Scout friends with Hollywood’s latest hottest actor, but he lived across the hall from him. It wasn’t like Alex hadn’t interacted with the numerous celebrities who stayed at the Four Seasons in New York, but damn, Magnus Keller was freaking smokin’. Alex had seen every movie he made so far.

After following Scout’s order to remove his shoes in the foyer, Alex eyed his surroundings as he followed Scout into a state-of-the-art kitchen. First, the place was huge. Second, it was a chef’s dream. The dark cabinets, black granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and stone tiling perfectly complemented each other. A half wall allowed anyone in the kitchen to see the rest of the open floor plan of the living room, with several seating sections designed for comfort and a formal dining area. White carpeting explained why he had to take his shoes off.

The great room had tall windows that ran the length of it, showcasing a view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the bay. The furniture appeared classic yet cozy. A white couch with dark green accent cushions, two brown leather recliners, and cherrywood coffee and end tables were arranged in front of a massive stone gas fireplace. Across from the windows, to the left of the entrance to the foyer, was a small, counter-height table and chairs, with a chess game in progress. On the wall behind it were floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled with novels, many with leather covers, some photos, and tchotchkes. In the corner opposite the fireplace, in front of the windows, was a baby grand piano, and Alex wondered if Scout knew how to play it.

Off the great room, on either side, were hallways that presumably led to the bedrooms and maybe an office or something.

“Is grilled cheese okay?” Scout asked, drawing Alex’s attention again. He’d shed his suit jacket and hung it on the back of a stool at the island. His head was buried in the open fridge as he took out the fixings for lunch, and Alex tried not to stare at the guy’s fine ass.

“Um, yeah, that sounds good. Thanks.”

He glanced over his shoulder and smirked at Alex. “You sound hesitant about my cooking abilities. I may not be a five-star chef, but I do well enough not to poison myself or anyone else.”

Alex couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. “That’s ... uh, that’s good to know. No poison. Good. Can I help with anything?”

Selecting a frying pan from the hanging rack over the room’s island, Scout pointed to two separate cabinets and a drawer. “Plates are in there, glasses there, and silverware. You can set the table while I’m cooking.” He gestured toward a round table for two in a nook in the corner of the room. “There’s also a container of summer slaw, pickles, and a pitcher of sweet tea in the fridge—you can put them out too. If you prefer soda, there’s some in the pantry over there. Feel free to take your jacket off. ”

For the next few minutes, they worked in an easy silence. Alex removed his jacket and hung it on the back of a second stool, then found everything where he was told it would be. There were already fabric placemats and napkins on the table. Once he was done with his assignments, Alex watched Scout fry their sandwiches. The man had rolled up his sleeves and donned a black apron and still looked sexy as hell.

Alex had difficulty keeping his gaze off Scout, so he forced himself to focus on the food instead. “That looks better than any grilled cheese I’ve ever had.”

“White cheddar, brie, Monterey Jack, and gruyere on sourdough bread. Mayo and butter on the outside and fried to perfection. Gourmet comfort food at its best.”

“Smells like it.”

Scout grinned at the compliment. “So, do you like the job so far, compared to your old one?”

Alex was glad he didn’t have to lie. “I like it a lot. You have a different way of doing a few things, but nothing I can’t adjust to. It’s a beautiful hotel, and your employees and guests seem to love it. Do you mind if I ask how you got into the business?”

“Not at all, but let me take care of this first.” He turned off the stove, carried the frying pan to the table, and then used a spatula to place a sandwich on each plate. “Sit.”

Alex obeyed the command as Scout dumped the pan and utensil into the sink and turned the water on briefly before joining him at the table. After taking a pickle spear and a scoop of the slaw and adding them to his plate, Alex cut his sandwich in half and picked one up. He was aware that the other man watched him take the first bite. A burst of cheesy deliciousness hit his taste buds, and he couldn’t help but moan in delight. Scout just laughed and then took a bite of his own sandwich.

Alex chewed and swallowed, nodding the entire time. Before he spoke, he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Holy cow, this has to be the most incredible grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever had.”

“Ass-kissing the boss isn’t necessary, Alex.”

“Trust me, that wasn’t an attempt to ass-kiss. This is really, really good.” He took another bite and noticed a pleased expression on Scout’s face. The man seemed relieved that his assistant liked the meal he cooked for them. Alex wondered what it would be like to sit there, having breakfast with Scout after a night of raunchy sex.

Nope, don’t think that. He’s off-limits, Shepherd—if you want to keep your job, that is!

“So, you asked how I got into the hotel business,” Scout said after sipping his soda.

“Mm-hmm.” That was all he could say with a mouthful of food.

“My dad’s got a successful real estate investment company—condos, townhouses, private neighborhoods, stuff like that. Growing up, I got to do a lot of traveling all over the US and Canada for Dad’s business, then to other countries for vacations. My parents aim to visit as many of the world’s greatest cities and places as possible before they die. My two younger sisters and I were on our third passports by the time we hit our twenties.”

“Wow. And I’ve never been out of the States except for Canada and a few trips to the Caribbean.”

“Yeah, well, since we spent so much time traveling, I began using my own system to rate hotels and restaurants. At first, it was just for fun. I kept track of all the little details that made a place unique—things that weren’t common everywhere we went. Then, as I grew older, I realized what I could do with all that information.

“With my dad as a backer, I bought my first place in Santa Ana when I was twenty-six. Long story short, I flipped it for a nice profit two years later. By then, I was hooked. The next one I invested in, I kept. That was the beginning of Turner Continental. Ten years later, here I am, getting ready to open my seventh hotel, with a few other ventures under my belt too.”

Alex swallowed the last bite of his sandwich, almost disappointed it was all gone. “That’s fantastic. You found something you loved to do and created a successful business from it.”

“So, what about you? How’d you get into the hotel industry?”

“Honestly, it wasn’t my original choice of majors. When I first got to NYU, I wanted to get a business admin degree. We lived in New York until I was fourteen, and I missed it enough to want to go back there for school. To help my folks with the tuition and other expenses, I got a job at the Roxy in Tribeca as a bellman. Made good money in tips and started learning more about the business. I switched majors after two years but kept biz admin as my minor. Graduated and ended up at the Four Seasons.”

“Then you ended up here.” He lifted his glass of soda and held it up in the air. Alex clinked his glass against Scout’s as the man continued. “Well then, here’s to new beginnings. Glad to have you on my staff.”

For some unknown, messed-up reason, Alex’s brain altered that last sentence, and he almost choked— Glad to have you on my shaft.