mignon. Answering the call from her stomach, she wolfed it down. Then, answering the call from her nerves, she made her way to the bar.
“Ms. Bernelli.” The bartender greeted her, “May I get you a water or cranberry juice perhaps?”
“Gin.”
The bartender raised an eyebrow.
“Just pour.” She thought of Paul and Steve and prayed that they were all right.
Antoine fixed the drink with a set of ice cubes and handed it to her.
She knocked it back and grimaced at the sharpness of the booze. A wave of warm calm flowed through her. She handed the glass back to him. “Now I’ll take that water.”
Water in hand, she turned to survey the room. No one looked bored or as if they had questions. They looked as if they had never eaten before, and as if each had forgotten their finer upbringings.
A guest, a rich man’s aide, placed his hands on the bar next to her.
“Another please, Antoine.” He turned to Katherine, “Can you believe this place? The food? The view?”
She forced a smile, “It is quite amazing.”
“My name is Vincent Carlito. Vinnie.” He extended his hand.
“Katherine Bernelli.” She shook it.
“You know I almost didn’t get to make it. My boss was dead set on coming down here. But a last-minute meeting in Denver dropped me on the boat instead. Thank God for that meeting in Denver.”
Over the course of the last few years Katherine had come to despise the investor’s representatives more than the investors themselves. They often spoke from a power they craved instead of one they possessed. But this man seemed sincere. His top button was undone and he leaned against the bar on his elbows, nursing what was obviously one of several beers.
“I’ll tell you, this is probably the smartest investment he has ever made. This place is going to make a fortune. And I haven’t even seen the other islands up close yet? Have you?”
“Yes, Mr. Carlito.”
“Uh oh. You just got formal with me,” he studied her up and down, lingering on the middle. “You work here don’t you?”
“Yes. I work in Investor Relations.”
“So, you’re supposed to answer all my questions? Keep me interested so I’ll go back and tell my boss to keep sending his money down here?”
She nodded.
“Well. You’ve got it easy tonight. I’m sold. I can’t wait to see the rest of it all. I hear that you even have a zoo here?”
“Of a sorts. There is an island preserve modeled after the Ngorongoro Crater.”
Vinnie Carlito tried to repeat the words after Katherine, but lost the pronunciation in his drink.
“The Ngorongoro Crater…it’s in Tanzania.”
“Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my?”
“Lions, yes. But no tigers or bears. The designers tried to keep the island as close to the actual park as possible.”
“Amazing.”
“You must be excited to see the presentation. It should begin shortly.”
“Another presentation. This Baxter fellow likes putting on the show, doesn’t he?”
“The islands are his dream come true. He gushes about them as if they were his children.”
“Children? Now that you mention it.” He swung his arm wide across the crowd, “Where are the kids? This place would be great for families.”
Katherine had not considered this before but shrugged the comment off. “This event is for the shareholders and their representatives only.”
“Hrmph. My kids would have loved coming here.”
The quartet grew still as the massive amber doors opened. Warren Baxter’s smile competed with the sheen of the walls and could be seen from across the great ballroom.
He shook hands and lavished thanks as he crossed the room; he made sure to greet everyone who crossed his path. It was five minutes before he reached the dais.
“Here we go again,” Vinnie said and ordered two more beers. “Ms. Bernelli. Can I get you anything?”
Lost in her thoughts, Katherine shook her head and smiled. “No thank you, I’m working Mr. Carlito.”
Vinnie blushed. “Of course, I wasn’t
“Ms. Bernelli.” The bartender greeted her, “May I get you a water or cranberry juice perhaps?”
“Gin.”
The bartender raised an eyebrow.
“Just pour.” She thought of Paul and Steve and prayed that they were all right.
Antoine fixed the drink with a set of ice cubes and handed it to her.
She knocked it back and grimaced at the sharpness of the booze. A wave of warm calm flowed through her. She handed the glass back to him. “Now I’ll take that water.”
Water in hand, she turned to survey the room. No one looked bored or as if they had questions. They looked as if they had never eaten before, and as if each had forgotten their finer upbringings.
A guest, a rich man’s aide, placed his hands on the bar next to her.
“Another please, Antoine.” He turned to Katherine, “Can you believe this place? The food? The view?”
She forced a smile, “It is quite amazing.”
“My name is Vincent Carlito. Vinnie.” He extended his hand.
“Katherine Bernelli.” She shook it.
“You know I almost didn’t get to make it. My boss was dead set on coming down here. But a last-minute meeting in Denver dropped me on the boat instead. Thank God for that meeting in Denver.”
Over the course of the last few years Katherine had come to despise the investor’s representatives more than the investors themselves. They often spoke from a power they craved instead of one they possessed. But this man seemed sincere. His top button was undone and he leaned against the bar on his elbows, nursing what was obviously one of several beers.
“I’ll tell you, this is probably the smartest investment he has ever made. This place is going to make a fortune. And I haven’t even seen the other islands up close yet? Have you?”
“Yes, Mr. Carlito.”
“Uh oh. You just got formal with me,” he studied her up and down, lingering on the middle. “You work here don’t you?”
“Yes. I work in Investor Relations.”
“So, you’re supposed to answer all my questions? Keep me interested so I’ll go back and tell my boss to keep sending his money down here?”
She nodded.
“Well. You’ve got it easy tonight. I’m sold. I can’t wait to see the rest of it all. I hear that you even have a zoo here?”
“Of a sorts. There is an island preserve modeled after the Ngorongoro Crater.”
Vinnie Carlito tried to repeat the words after Katherine, but lost the pronunciation in his drink.
“The Ngorongoro Crater…it’s in Tanzania.”
“Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my?”
“Lions, yes. But no tigers or bears. The designers tried to keep the island as close to the actual park as possible.”
“Amazing.”
“You must be excited to see the presentation. It should begin shortly.”
“Another presentation. This Baxter fellow likes putting on the show, doesn’t he?”
“The islands are his dream come true. He gushes about them as if they were his children.”
“Children? Now that you mention it.” He swung his arm wide across the crowd, “Where are the kids? This place would be great for families.”
Katherine had not considered this before but shrugged the comment off. “This event is for the shareholders and their representatives only.”
“Hrmph. My kids would have loved coming here.”
The quartet grew still as the massive amber doors opened. Warren Baxter’s smile competed with the sheen of the walls and could be seen from across the great ballroom.
He shook hands and lavished thanks as he crossed the room; he made sure to greet everyone who crossed his path. It was five minutes before he reached the dais.
“Here we go again,” Vinnie said and ordered two more beers. “Ms. Bernelli. Can I get you anything?”
Lost in her thoughts, Katherine shook her head and smiled. “No thank you, I’m working Mr. Carlito.”
Vinnie blushed. “Of course, I wasn’t
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