Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 29345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 117(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Six years of grinding comes to life tonight, and after it, I’ll figure out what to do with my future. One thing is for sure. After tonight, I no longer have any reason to correspond with Roman Dominion on a weekly basis.
The thought should bring me a sense of comfort.
Why doesn’t it?
CHAPTER 3
Noel
I quickly finish off my second glass of champagne, a perfectly planned amount to start the night off, and check my lipstick using the camera app on my phone.
Dina winks at me from the corner as I make my way to the small stage in the conference room turned ballroom venue for the night.
This room alone was enough of a selling point for me when we began the hunt for the perfect location for our holiday getaway resort. Stretching nearly across the entire fourth level, the large floor-to-ceiling windows make up each wall, blanketing the room in the soft glow of the snow-covered mountains, the sun had set about an hour ago, their silhouettes now illuminated by bright dangling lights, some stretching beyond sight.
Dead center in the back wall are two giant glass doors with long, curving antlers for handles, leading to a balcony that overlooks the outdoor firepit area. Beside the hand-built stone pits is a forty-yard stretch of nothing but snow, surrounded by a three-foot fence—the perfect spot for families to sit and enjoy a hot coffee or a hot toddy while watching their littles play.
This is where our gourmet breakfast buffet will be set up each morning, and those who get here early enough will be welcomed by the wildlife just off the hillside.
It’s exquisite and at the moment, full of potential investors interested in a piece of the action.
There is no doubt in my mind Roman and I will have a pile of offers to pick from once the weekend is over, and with double the luck, we’ll be able to cut the bank out completely while affording us the opportunity to be picky, possibly even counteroffering to get exactly what we hope for in the end—someone who will leave us in full control of decisions, whom only requires a monthly check.
Would it be beyond incredible to find someone as passionate about what we’ve built here as us? Of course, but we both know that’s not going to happen, so basically, we’re after the opposite, someone who will leave the report and all it entails to us, simply watching for that monthly check to hit their bank accounts.
If it were up to Roman, I’d allow him to pay off the largest loan with his new fortune, but that would only embed him deeper, giving him more.
I don’t want him to have a larger part of this place.
I want him out of it, but I know him, and he’d never entertain the idea of my buying him out if it were even a possibility, if only to torture me with his presence some more.
I swallow, lightly clearing my throat.
As I step up, lifting the mic to my lips, the noise settles, and it’s all eyes on me.
“Welcome, everyone.” I pause, waving at my event coordinator’s daughters as they drop onto their bottoms in front of the stage.
“To say it’s surreal to be standing in this room with you all right now is an understatement. This dream is seven years in the making, and tonight, on this beautiful estate, we experience it together, yet none of us quite the same…” I smile, and I’m met with several others across the room. “Because here at Blue Mountain Memories, it is you who decides what world, or should I say moment or memory, you’ll fall into as you enter your suites. The resort and all it has to offer outside of your rooms is simply here to make sure the entirety of your getaway is as equally dazzling.”
I hold my arm out, gesturing toward the windows surrounding us. On cue, the lights outside brighten to a nearly fluorescent color, shading the snowy mountain sides blue, the snow blower decisively arranged and kicked on in the next breath, creating the perfect fairy tale moment as snowflakes begin to fall.
The room cheers, the children gasping and rushing to press their noses to the glass as I use the reprieve to signal to Dina, who ushers our guests of honor forward.
“Many of you know this,” I continue, regaining their attention. “But for those of you who do not, allow me to share. The inspiration behind this resort and all it offers came from an article I read in a sports magazine one Saturday morning in my college dorm room. The story was about a man and woman and the journey their love took them on, and who better to explain what this truly means than the couple themselves?”
I look to the edge of the stage with a smile that couldn’t possibly be wider. “Please, welcome to the stage Noah and Arianna Riley, and of course, little Lori and big brother Ian!”