Page 26 of Tap My TOKTIK

HARLAN

“Why are there clothing racks in my office, Paige?” There’s stuff all over the place, and Paige knows I hate clutter.

“Suits. You have an event tomorrow night and I know you didn’t think about a tux, so I had them come to you.” Fuck, she’s right. I’d forgotten about the whole thing to be honest. “I also bid on a few auction items for you — and me,” she adds. “Because we both know you didn’t remember that either. Most of our investors for the hotel build and half our client list will be there. Please try be nice.”

I glare at her.

“Nice-ish?” she tries again. “Just don’t be a dick to anyone important, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Then—” That’s not a good then. “Birdie asked to be your plus-one, and I said fine. There’s something she wants on that auction.” She shrugs. “They were happy to make the late change. A driver will pick you both up.”

“Seriously?” My sister isn’t exactly subtle and this is a very highbrow event. “You think that’s a good idea?”

“It’s not a terrible one. It’ll be good for her brand to be seen hob-knobbing too.” Whatever. I start opening garment bags. Red? Paige has got jokes. I zip it right back up and look for something that’s less like a firetruck.

“What is Bird wearing?”

“Silver,” Paige replies. I find a plain black tux amongst all the plaid and bright colors, that’ll do. I hand it to her on my way back out the door. “That one.”

I’m meeting my team at the hotel in an hour, it’s time to start with re-construction on the main floors and I don’t want any fuck ups. “I’ll be back after lunch.” There isn’t time right now to think too much about charity dinners and networking. We have more work than we can handle and winter weather is causing havoc with our schedules and plans. Rain, snow and icy temperatures are not exactly the best building conditions, I just need to stay on top of any lost days. We can’t afford to fall behind schedule, delays cost money and this hotel isn’t just my money, it’s investors who will not be happy about it. It’s hard enough keeping them happy, I don’t need anything making them second-guess their decision to give me their money. I’m no good at dealing with angry people, I just get angrier than they do. The fact that they’re going to be at this event already has my hackles up, it feels as though they’ll only be there to check up on me, and now my sister is coming. Lord, help me not commit a murder this week, the ground is way too hard at this time of year to dig graves in the woods.

Bird - We have a date? Paige said it’s okay that I come with you.

My sister is obviously excited about this.

You better be on your best behavior. All my investors are going to be there. NO FUCKING AROUND!

I reply from the warmth of my parked car, bracing to get out and face the weather. It’s like winter came earlier than usual this year, Mother Nature is having a bad time and lashing out. The wind whistles as I open the door, and I flip up the collar of my coat to keep it off my neck. Making a dash for the makeshift entrance around the back of the building, I’m met by my foreman. “Morning, Boss.”

“Morning, how are we going?” I ask as he hands me a clipboard.

“There are a few issues but the framing will be done on the ground floor, and the first floor, by tonight. The electrical team are done up to floor three and the plumbers aren’t far behind them.” That all sounds good. “But, the team hanging the chandelier needs to come in and we’re not ready for them. It’s causing a bit of a clash with the guys laying the marble floors down here.” The original hundred-yea-old chandelier was sent to Italy to be refurbished and is supposed to be hung by their team, delaying that is going to cost a shit ton of money. “Fix it, that’s going to cost too much to move. The flooring needs to move faster. If they can’t do it, then find someone who can. I have no issue firing contractors who can’t deliver on time.” They know this. It is why my business runs the way it does, I’m not nice to people I’m paying for a service.

“On it, Boss,” he says, making notes on his papers. “When will we have the revised blueprints for the rooms on floors two through five?” he asks.

“Monday, but we need these two completed before we get there. I don’t want to split the team, spreading them thin won’t work on this. All hands on these floors, then we can move up one floor at a time.” I know what it’s going to take to get it done.

“Permits, we have another inspection in two weeks. I’m worried he might shut us down for nothing again.”

“It won’t be an issue.” While I don’t pay off officials, it seems my investors don’t have the same moral compass and our inspector friend is on a vacation somewhere warm. “Just make sure we’re working to code.”

“We always do.”

I know that, but sometimes small things slip through. “I’m happy, just make sure the marble goes down in time for that chandelier to go up. It’s an expensive job and one we can’t do. No fuck ups.” Having the original feature put back in it’s place is part of my plan to keep the integrity of the building, some things are priceless pieces of art and the one-and-a-half ton crystal monster is one of them. “I’m off tomorrow, but Paige will check in with you to make sure we have no issues.” I give the clipboard back to him, and start my own walk-through. The two floors we’re working on are the lobby, and the first floor which houses the restaurant, bar and indoor swimming pool which is part of the original building. It’s an eerie quiet space, the blue tiles, empty pool and echoing sounds are a relic from days gone by. I close my eyes and imagine the place filled with high society bathers from the past. A time when everyone smoked, and the women were modest. Another world, I want it to feel that way when we are done, as if you stepped through the looking glass back in time to better days. This space will be magnificent when it’s complete. My phone rings, the sound bouncing off the walls and filling the cavernous space. It ruins my nostalgic moment, and I’m reminded that so much has to happen before we get there.

* * *

Paige insisted I take the day off. She’s arranged for me to get a haircut I don’t think I need, but do it anyway. Everything else she had planned, massages and shit, I canceled. Sometimes I think she forgets who I am. Lord knows where she got the notion I might want a manicure but I don’t. In fact, I’d rather be at work than sitting here waiting for the day to pass so that I can go pretend to be nice at this stupid event. Birdie has already called me an extraordinary amount of times this morning, even for her it’s a lot. The clock seems to be ticking slower than usual today.

I check the stupid TikTok. I know Olivia saw it, the app shows you who viewed your video as part of its analytics. But there’s nothing. Not even a like. Obsessively checking if she’s online has taken up more of my life than I care to admit — she’s never online. Other than that ridiculous dessert video, she hasn’t posted, commented or liked anything in days now. The insecure part of me thinks my video chased her away, that she thinks I’m stalking her. Rational me says she just isn’t online, she’s busy. Maybe she’s at the Langham writing her next book. Inspired by some other man she met at the bar. I’m almost certain that I’m an idiot to think it was anything more than a one-night stand — Olivia used me to get ideas for her book. She’s probably done it many times before. Asher said she has stayed there a few times, that she’s lonely.

My racing mind won’t stop, and I do something stupid. Really stupid. I go onto Amazon and download the book. I have all day, I might as well read. What better way to understand her, to know what my sister meant. I mean, I reached out and she ignored it. Birdie is mad, but maybe I can figure it out this way.

Three hundred pages. Okay, maybe I’m not figuring Olivia out in one day. I read like a tortoise, not a hare. Making the font big enough so that I can see it on my iPad, I settle into my recliner and start reading — bless all the things — a romance novel. I don’t even watch romantic movies. This is what Paige and my sister spend their spare time doing? Page two and my eyes have rolled so hard I saw my optic nerve. Women are the weirdest creatures God made, and He made a giraffe on purpose. Cheesy is what comes to mind. Hallmark channel just threw up on the pages. I can’t put it down though — it doesn’t take long and I’m invested. I don’t know if it’s because my sister thinks it’s about me, or because I’m enjoying it.

It is about me, though, which becomes obvious rather early on in the book, and part of me is furious. The other part is flattered and whole lot more of me is mortified. What if other people know this is about me? Do people know? My sister does, so does Paige. God help them if they’ve been telling anyone else.