need your help.”
When she squawked in his ear, Tony yanked the phone away and waited for her to calm
down.
“No way. What in the world could she possibly have done in what…” Laura must’ve
glanced at the clock. “Not even a full hour yet?”
“I just did an Internet search. She’s a Whitmore from the hotel Whitmores.”
He glanced over at Misty who’d stretched out to cover most of the couch. The dog was
amazing.
“Why are you investigating our guests, Tony?” Laura didn’t say it but he could hear That’s paranoid, even for you in her voice.
Tony leaned back in his chair. “I was curious.” The silence on the line spoke volumes.
“I mean, I was suspicious .” Better.
But not good enough. Laura’s voice was dry when she said, “Right. I believe both is
the right answer. And the fact that she’s so darn hot has nothing to do with either
your suspicion or your decision to get rid of her, right?”
Tony stared up at the ceiling as he tried to figure out how to answer. Diversion was
a good bet. “Laura, she’s scoping out the hotel for… something.”
“So?”
She had a point. So what if she was? The Rock’n’Rolla was a one-of-a-kind place. Even
if the Whitmores decided to build an exact replica, it would still lack Willodean’s
magic touch. Plus, the hotel was on the verge of an expansion that included better
meeting rooms and a spa. By the time they could find some place on Elvis Presley Boulevard,
tear down, and rebuild a hotel, the Rock’n’Rolla would be bigger and better.
“So I’d rather just take care of this before Willodean gets back. Elvis Week will
be crazy enough. We don’t need a spy around.”
Laura sighed. “Tony, listen. I know you like to act. You make decisions and quickly.
That’s a good thing around here. But imagine the stink she might cause. The publicity.
We don’t even know what she hopes to accomplish. Couldn’t we just keep an eye on her?
Willodean deserves to have a say in kicking someone out of the hotel.” Laura didn’t
have to say the rest. They both knew there were very few reasons Willodean would evict
her. Being up to no good wouldn’t hold much water with Willodean.
“Fine. I’ll keep an eye on her then. When Willodean’s back, I’ll ask.” He had to grit
his teeth on the last word. Doing nothing felt foreign.
Laura laughed. “I saw the way you were looking at her, Tony. I know for a fact that
you’ll have no trouble keeping an eye on her. I am curious to see if that’s as far as it goes.”
When he heard the click as she hung up the phone, Tony banged the phone on his forehead.
She was too smart for her own good. And if Willodean were here, they’d be standing
in the dark recesses of the lobby plotting ways to throw Randa at him. He had to be
careful or he’d be Willodean’s next matchmaking project. With Laura’s able help and
the very appealing Randa in residence, he’d be toast.
Just remember. She lied. It was his only hope of withstanding her obvious attractions. And keep an eye on her. She was like a peacock in a henhouse. How hard could it be?
Chapter Three
----
T HE FIRST BITE of the towering burger made Randa moan out loud. It was cooked medium well, had a
slice of cheddar and a slice of pepper jack cheese, some kind of creamy delicious
special sauce, and enough onions to give her bad breath of nuclear capabilities. And
it was awesome.
Viva Las Vegas should be charging double for a burger like this.
Randa savored that first bite and washed it down with tea sweet enough to improve
her mood. Sweet tea and fried everything. She loved when her assignments brought her
below the Mason-Dixon line. When she moved, she’d probably gain two hundred pounds
and die fat and happy. Even the heat and humidity would be worth it to get a little
distance from the Whitmores.
Her father had a lot of rules. Number one on the list was that he made all the rules.
Randa