Raindrops on Roses: Book One of the Favorite Things Trilogy by Millenia Black Page A

that.
    I will not fucking slink
off into oblivion so another woman can have my
man , she thought, staring up at the
ceiling. There's no other woman out there
for Michael but me. He's mine. That's all there is to
it.
    She lay there in a state for over an hour,
crying out her hurt and rage until she heard a sudden, harsh
knocking at the front door.
    Amber jumped up. "Who's there?"
    "It's the Delray Beach Police Department,
ma'am. Please open up."

 

    • CHAPTER FIFTEEN •

    "S he's meeting me at the hotel tonight to tape the Newslight interview,"
Douglas told Priscilla. "And it still isn't too late for you to
change your mind, you know." He gave her a pointed side-eye as she
drove them back up to the house.
    They were riding in a golf cart after
spending the afternoon out on the tennis court, where Doug had just
kicked her ass three ways to Sunday.
    "You know, this is getting
old, Douglas," she said. " Please let it go."
    "I just don't want you to regret not taking
the opportunity to sit down and represent Gran with someone as
respected as Ginger Wallford. It's not like it's Access Hollywood
or the National Enquirer that we're saying yes to."
    "You mean, that you're saying yes
to."
    "Whatever."
    Priscilla rolled her eyes.
It was the same old conversation and the same old pressure being applied. She was so over it. Not to mention
how much she hated being forced into things she didn't want to
do.
    "So, when are you planning to finally fly
back and meet our mysterious aunt?" she asked. "Aren't things
falling to pieces at Blue Satin without you? And I'm pretty sure
that by now, Soléna must be missing you terribly."
    "Ha-ha," Doug replied dryly. "It just so
happens that I've booked my flight for the day after the Academy
shindig. Believe it or not, I'm pretty eager to get back home now,
myself. I'm missing my neighborhood, thank you very much."
    What a relief, thought Priscilla. Since he'd flown in from
France the day after Gran died, she was now quite eager to be left
to her own devices at Emerald Leas. Sink or swim.
    "But there are still a few things I
need to get settled at the hotel before I depart for better
shores," he said with a wink. "One being the new hires. I think the
standards are a little too low and it could wind up hurting the
brand in the long term. We have to prune the employee pool and hire
more quality people. Even if it means an increase in starting
salaries."
    "Well, what have you been noticing?" she
asked. She parked the cart and they went inside for a late
lunch.
    "Well, without being too particular, I think
it's a matter of presentation, really...the kind of experience
we're creating for the guests; and whether or not the people who
interact with them actually help to maintain a brand of class and
elegance, you know? Every single employee either helps or hurts the
Favorite Things brand, Cilla. None of them are neutral. I want to
impress that upon the management team, and it'd be great if you
could keep an eye on it for me."
    Priscilla pondered that as she grabbed from
the oven a pasta dish the housekeeper had prepared. "So how are you
planning to correct this in such a short period of time?"
    "We're hiring a few new people and I'll be
sitting in on the rest of the interviews this week. It's my way of
retraining the hiring managers."
    "Then I think I should sit in on them with
you. It would be a good jump-start on my apprenticeship."
    "Absolutely, Cilla," he said, looking at her
with pride. "It's nice to hear you talk like that."
    "Well, truth is, I'm still
not sure if taking an active part in the business is for me or not. I feel
like I'd need to go to business school like you did...and right now
my artwork is much more appealing. Drawing is very instinctual for
me. And I'm not sure business would come as naturally."
    "Well, you'll just have to find out, won't
you?"
    "Yeah, I intend to explore it. And the
interviews sound like a pretty innocuous way to see you in action
and get my feet wet."
    "Good. We