Authors: Cheryl Harper
Apparently satisfied, Bob nodded. “We’ll work on setting up the cameras on the stage after the electrician’s done. Manager wants to move in some extra tables so we’ll work on blocking too. Once the tables are here, the blocking can be done.”
KT had no idea why Bob had to repeat everything twice. Maybe it was his way of thinking out loud. Most of the time, it was damn annoying, but at this point, it also signaled a cooling off period.
“Sounds great, Bob. I think this is going to be a great show. Have you got a list of extra shots?”
He nodded. “Started one. I thought we could interview the owner, some contestants, the winners after it’s all over. Maybe we could talk them into before and after shots. Before and after shots of the winners should definitely be on the list.”
“Great idea. We’ll work on that.” KT did his best to shove the mental image of Dustin Hoffman’s Rain Man out of his mind. If Bob mentioned he was a very good driver, KT would lose it.
“I think we’ll go ahead and shoot the dress rehearsal too, just to get some extra footage. Might need extra footage.”
KT nodded. That was something he’d suggested and at the time Bob had been pretty sure it was a stupid idea. He had no idea what had changed but he was going to go with it.
“All right. Looks like this is all under control. Onward and upward!” KT clapped his hands together like a man with a plan, turned on a heel, and made a quick getaway. As he stepped back out into the foliage of the lobby, he found a comfortable seat and realized he had no idea how to call his own hotel room. With a sigh, he crossed over to the front desk.
Willodean was talking with Ortega when he walked up. It seemed a serious conversation but she smiled as she turned to him. “Well, if it isn’t handsome KT Masters. What can we do for you, hon?”
He waved his useless cell phone. “I just realized I have no idea how to call my hotel room.”
Willodean tilted her head to the side. “Well, correct me if I’m wrong, but nobody’s gonna answer. I mean, here you are, right?”
KT smiled. “I hired an assistant. She’s working on updating my receipts so I know how much money I can spend this afternoon.”
Willodean nodded. “Oh, an assistant. Is that what you kids are calling it?” She pursed bright red lips and waggled her eyebrows.
“When someone orders the messy file you have and updates a spreadsheet? Yes.” He nodded. “It’s your girl Laura, Miss Willodean. You know she’s not up to any funny business anyway.”
KT shot a glance at Ortega. He was pretty sure he’d heard a growl rumble from the man but Willodean trilled a laugh to cover up the sound. “Well, now. I know she’d take some pretty solid convincing, KT Masters, but I expect you’ve got just the skill needed to lead even the most virtuous down the garden path, you hound dog.”
When the manager growled again, KT looked his direction. The murder in his eyes convinced KT to move the conversation along. “Speaking of hound dogs, Miss Willodean, I think I met yours yesterday.”
Willodean clapped her hands. “Oh, isn’t Misty just the prettiest dog you ever saw? She’s back here, helping to greet the customers as they come in. That’s her job.”
KT leaned forward to peek over the desk. The ugly dog he’d seen yesterday was sprawled out on a fluffy pink cushion, dead to the world. Her cheeks blew out and sank in with each breath while the little green bows on her ears trembled with each jerk of her head and twitch of her lips. Misty was after something. Hard work wasn’t it.
Ortega picked up the phone and slid it across the desk. “Dial your room number.”
KT nodded his thanks. He dialed and Laura answered, “KT’s Pizza Parlor, we’re rolling in the dough.”
He snorted out a laugh and then turned to see Ortega, Willodean, and a bleary-eyed Misty all watching him. He cleared his throat. “Uh, how’s it going?”
“Fine. I’ve entered all the new stuff, but still need to double-check the piles you sorted.”
He looked at his audience again and then turned back to the lobby. “Write down the balance. Then meet me in the lobby. Bring the notepad so we can make a list of things for the green room. Okay?”
“Sure thing, boss. Be right down.”
KT hung up the phone and slid it back across to Ortega. When the manager reached over to pick up the phone, the sleeves of his black suit jacket slid up and KT could see the beginnings of a tattoo. Ortega tilted his head down and his eyebrows up.
“We’re going to go make a list of things for the green room and I’ll be right back. The bar looks great. Bob’s happy with the progress.” KT rubbed his hand across his forehead. “And that hardly ever happens, if you know what I mean.”
Willodean patted Ortega on the shoulder. “Tony’s the best. Don’t know what I’d do without him.”
They all turned at the clip-clop of heels on the marble floor. Laura paused when she noticed the attention, then she waved the pad. “Paper, pen, let’s make a list!”
KT noticed Ortega very obviously slide three plastic keys across the desk to Laura. She sparkled up at him as she slid them into the pocket of her drab pants. KT did his best to fight off a matching frown until Ortega winked at her. And then there was no stopping it.
The smile on Laura’s face slipped a notch at what had to be an ugly look on his face but she soldiered on. “Ready?”
He motioned her in front of him and did his best not to snarl at Ortega as they left the lobby.
The hallway closest to Viva Las Vegas featured gold carpet with black music notes and album cover artwork along the walls. When they reached the first door, Laura opened it to reveal a pretty standard hotel room. If standard included life-sized photos of a very young Elvis in black and white. “What are you thinking for this room?”
He had a million answers, all of them snarky and most related to the queen-sized bed and his new assistant. For some reason, his bad mood bubbled near the surface around her. Instead, he took a slow walk around. “Let’s ask if we can get the bed taken out, and maybe two or three tables or desks set up with good lighting. Assuming it’s the same, let’s do the same next door and add an ironing board. Shane will need a place to set up her machine. She can help with any last minute emergencies.”
Laura made quick notes on her pad then led him next door to the other, identical room. “Do you and Ortega have a thing?” He pretended to take careful note of the second room, but it could be covered in Misty puppies for all he noticed.
Laura cleared her throat. “A thing? What does that mean?”
He sighed loud and long. “A thing. A flirtation. A romance. Dating. You know, are you involved?” Willodean didn’t seem to be the kind of woman who’d put a restriction on employees dating. In fact, she sort of seemed to be the kind of woman to encourage it.
Laura walked out into the hallway and waited for him to follow. “What difference would it make if we did?” She walked down the hall to pause in front of another door. When he didn’t budge, she rolled her eyes. “We have no thing. Tony looks out for people, especially the women here. That’s just who he is. I don’t have a thing with anybody.”
KT wasn’t sure he believed her but he didn’t want to believe they were involved either so he accepted her answer.
They stepped into the conference room. The RCA room was the largest meeting room in the hotel but it might be hard to tell that. The walls were covered with shots of Elvis in Memphis and of local landmarks, all in black and white. Two long, gleaming black tables took up most of the room and white leather chairs surrounded the tables.
KT did his best to get his positive vibe back. “What do you think? I want this to be a comfortable holding area for the talent.”
He watched her pace around the table. She pulled one of the chairs back and sat. “Let’s see if we can get one of the tables out of here. Move the other back along the wall, put out bottled water, maybe some cookies or something. We can arrange the chairs in seating areas, four or six chairs each, and make sure we aren’t covering the plugs so people can charge and tweet or text or whatever while they wait.” She motioned with her pen as she pointed out her grand vision.
She turned to face him. “Maybe there are a few more chairs somewhere.”
KT nodded. “I like it. Put it on the list and let’s go talk to Ortega.”
She scribbled some notes before she stood up and pushed the chair back under the table. She followed him out the door and flipped off the light. “Maybe you better let me talk to him. I think he likes me better than he likes you, even if there is no thing between us.”
“I don’t doubt it.” He thought he muttered it under his breath but she heard it and laughed. When they stopped in front of the front desk, KT thought he could see Ortega’s expression change. It was hard to say but maybe he looked a little less like the Grim Reaper. Maybe now he was just the Annoyed Reaper.
That was a good enough excuse to make like Elvis and leave the building. “Why don’t I go get the truck while you talk it over with lover boy?”
Laura rolled her eyes. “Sure thing, boss.”
He waved off the valet and jogged out to pick up the SUV he’d rented from the Memphis airport. Since he normally preferred a Harley-Davidson for personal use and car services for important events, all the comfy space had taken some getting used to but he’d adjusted at this point. He wasn’t sure how Laura was going to get in. She might not be able to see over the dashboard.
He jerked to a stop just as she stepped out of the sliding doors. He jumped out and ran around to throw open the door. She looked behind her as if she could feel the eyes watching. They probably were. And he’d probably just treated her more like a date than an assistant. But he didn’t care.
“Thought you might need some help getting in.”
She snorted. “Because I’m so delicate.”
“Well, I really meant because you’re short but yeah, we can go with delicate if that makes you feel better.”
As she stepped up and crawled into the seat, her pants pulled tight over her hips and thighs and his mouth went dry. In a rough voice he added, “Short but damn near perfect from head to toe if we’re being honest.” He wanted to touch so bad his hands tingled. More than that, he wanted to take advantage of her surprise. He wanted to lean in and take the kiss he’d promised himself, run his hand up her thigh. Right here. Right now. In front of the Rock’n’Rolla Hotel and whoever might be watching.
The flush on her cheeks and her parted lips seemed to say she might want that too. He might have taken a chance except a car pulled up behind the SUV. He cursed and took a deep breath. “Buckle your seat belt,” he said before he shut her door.
KT slid back behind the steering wheel and slammed the door shut. He slowly buckled his own belt, took a deep breath, and said, “Know where we’re heading?” He tapped the GPS on the dashboard. “I can put in the address if I need to.”
She handed him a slip of paper. “I called my friend Mike. He’s got a warehouse. We can start there and he might be able to suggest other places if he doesn’t have what you need.”
He didn’t mutter a curse. But he thought about it. He programmed in the address. “What kind of warehouse?” He turned to face her. “And what kind of friend?”
He didn’t think he’d experienced a jealous twinge in his life before he’d stumbled into the Viva Las Vegas. Now he was having them left and right, and it didn’t seem a good sign of his future continued happiness. He had to shake it off.
Without turning to face him, she answered, “The usual kind of friend. He’s an interior decorator, works with party planners too on special events. I’ve known him since the sixth grade.”
And he suddenly felt better. The interior designer job description was a mood boost and so was that old a friendship. Very few guys had much of a chance with any girl they’d known pre-puberty. If the relationship survived hormonal onslaught, they were pretty far into the friend zone at the end.
Then she said, “This jealousy thing you have? It’s kind of cute but you need to get a grip.”
She was absolutely right. He nodded.
When she finally faced him, he was happy to see pink in her cheeks and a sparkle in her eyes. “Did you mean it?”
KT wasn’t even going to try to pretend he had no idea what she was asking. He nodded once.
“What keeps me from being perfect? Too short? A few extra pounds?” She brushed nonexistent lint off her pants. “Frumpy clothes?”
He squeezed the steering wheel. Hard. “Nope. I think it might be your brain. You’re too damn smart for me.”
Laura pursed her lips. “Really good answer. If you mean it.”
He rolled to a stop at a light and reached over to tangle his fingers with hers. “You give me a shot and I’ll prove it by touching every perfect inch.”
When she swallowed and reached over to roll down the window, KT smiled.
He drove carefully through the streets of Memphis, got on the interstate, and followed the sexy GPS lady’s instructions to a warehouse east of town. Before he could stop her, Laura slid out of the seat and slammed the door. A huge, linebacker-sized guy in work boots and a buzz cut trotted out to swing her up and twirl her around while she squealed like a little girl.
He could feel his mouth curling up into his grandmother’s sign of disapproval and forced himself to shrug it off. When Laura was back on her own two feet, she waved a cooling hand around her face and said, “Mike, this is KT Masters. KT, this is my friend Mike. He’s going to help us out.” She said the last part through gritted teeth. Maybe he hadn’t wiped off the frown as well as he thought he had. Dammit. He had to get control of this.
He held out his hand. “Thanks so much, Mike. I’m in a bind and could use some help.”
Mike studied him carefully for a minute. This guy would be impossible to charm. Eventually he nodded. “Laura says you’ve got a stage to set up.” He turned to lead them into the open bay door. “What kind of feel you going for?”
“We don’t need a lot but want it to have a kind of glamorous, old time television feel with a touch of Memphis and Elvis and rock and roll.” KT felt like such an idiot stringing together the line of words that Bob had spouted but neither of the other two seemed to see anything wrong with what he said.