wooden stairs to the lower level where another door led to a game room containing a flat screen TV, pool and shuffle board tables, as well as adequate seating for guests.
“It’s absolutely perfect,” Kallie ran her hand over the smooth oak railing before she returned upstairs.
Foregoing the chore of unpacking, Kallie donned her bikini, grabbed her beach bag and headed out to the resort’s guests only pool. J.B. said to relax and that’s what she would do. He’d never know her laptop and e-reader were going to keep her company while she tried to get a little summer coloring.
Luckily, the pool was void of other visitors this time of day and Kallie chose a chaise in the center of the sprawling patio. She could stare at the mountain before her while she soaked up some sun and it felt like she had arrived at her very own paradise. Grateful for the serene location, she opened her laptop to check her email. Realizing quickly there was no wireless connection at her little oasis, she opted to write a review of another book she’d finished the night before. Kallie could save it and post it when she returned to her cabin later that evening.
Twenty minutes later she was done. Next in line was a horror story by another as of yet unknown author. Kallie enjoyed reading debut work as much if not more than books by best-selling writers. Sometimes, the newer authors were actually better than veterans in the business. Helping a new-to-the-game author was one of Kallie’s favorite things about her job. Everyone deserved a fair shake and she made it her goal to bring exciting, new blood to an industry previously run with an iron clad fist.
Egotistical authors like Foley were the bane of her career. They were so caught up in their own celebrity that they couldn’t handle it if their books received less than five stars. Just because an author had previous best-selling books didn’t make them all wonderful. It was Kallie’s job, her dream job, to honestly tell people what she thought about books and she planned to keep on doing so. No bully such as Foley was going to silence her.
After reading the paranormal novella by a talented author Kallie had never heard of, she stretched and decided to take a quick break. As she sat there surrounded by the magnificent Smoky Mountains, she felt the tension fall away. Before she knew it she was awakened by a torrent of cold water falling across her body.
“Aaaahhh! What the?” Kallie spitted and sputtered, trying to catch her breath.
She grabbed her towel and dried her eyes off so she could smack whoever awakened her so rudely. What she saw sent anger rippling through her. There beside her, covered in water, was none other than her laptop and e-reader! Kallie frantically picked the soggy electronics up, shaking them as she tried desperately to save her beloved gadgets. It was no use, they were ruined.
She spun around and found the jerk that had screwed up her relaxing weekend and set off with fire in her eyes. “I should kick his ass,” she mumbled.
“Do you realize what you did? Hey! I’m speaking to you, Neanderthal. You just ruined my computer and my e-reader with your big, flamboyant antics.”
The man continued to swim lap after lap across the large pool, never once giving attention to Kallie’s outburst.
“Hello? Inconsiderate much?”
Frustrated beyond belief, Kallie turned to retrieve her belongings. Just as she’d packed up her sunscreen, the man called, “Hi. How are you? I didn’t know anyone else was here. I’m…”
Kallie cut him off as he stood in front of her with his hand outstretched, awaiting hers to shake. “You are the most idiotic man I have ever met! Do you realize what you’ve done? How dare you come over here all nicey-nice after the stunt you pulled?”
“Sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about. Do I know you?”
“No idea, huh? You have no idea what you did? Figures. Just like a man.”
“Listen lady, I’m sorry that someone
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