Page 30 of Accidental Getaway

At my meeting with Niko the next day, I can barely focus on the presentation. My mind is too consumed with Malcolm.

I want to ask why there’s another marketing firm here. I want to beg Niko to tell me it’s all a huge misunderstanding. Except I can’t do that without explaining my entire messed-up history. So instead, I pretend I know nothing and try to act as normal as possible.

I want to crawl in a hole and hide from the world. Only, I am supposed to be able to handle this, so I sit still.

I need this deal to work out, now more than ever. I can’t lose to Malcolm, again.

As we go through each slide, I can’t quell the small part of me that fears Niko might have brought Malcolm in because he has lost confidence in Aspen Sky. Has he lost confidence in me? It had to be Niko who called Malcolm, right? The general manager is the one in charge of hiring and planning.

I hate to think he did, but I’m struggling to come up with any other explanation.

“—magazines?”

What? My eyes dart to Niko across the wide conference table from me. Amber was supposed to be on a video call with us, but she canceled last-minute.

I clearly haven’t been paying attention. What did Niko ask me? Magazines? “Yes, magazines! We should definitely run advertisements in magazines.”

“I meant to ask whether you have any editorial contacts? Isn’t that the best way to get on those top ten lists and recommendations? You have to have connections—know someone who knows someone.”

His smile wavers.

Connections.

“We’re going to be taking over American marketing for this hotel.

” Malcolm has connections everywhere. His firm—my old firm—has a foot in the door at every publication and major website in the industry.

We have a grand total of two. Aspen Sky can’t compete with Prewitt Luxury. I can’t compete with Malcolm.

“Sure. Amber used to work with the editor at Passport Monthly and has a friend at the website European Vacations Now . But we’re developing more relationships every day. We will definitely work to get you at the top of any appropriate lists.”

Not that any of that will do much good. Top ten lists and magazine awards are such an outdated form of marketing.

No one pays attention to them outside of the industry.

Real travelers aren’t looking at those things.

They want to see a hotel through video, hear its story, and most importantly, connect with its message.

A multimedia piece by a travel writer featuring everything that makes the Omorfiá Hotel special would go so much farther than a line of text on page thirty-eight of a random magazine in a waiting room somewhere.

But that’s not what Niko and his board seem to think. I have learned my lesson. My place is to listen and do what the higher-ups want. Malcolm made sure of that.

“Cool,” Niko finally says.

I think I need to end things with Niko. Now that Malcolm is here, I can’t let this thing go any further. And I absolutely can’t let Malcolm figure it out. There’s no telling what he would do with that sort of information.

“Is there anything else you think I should prepare for the pitch on Monday?”

Niko ruffles through the pile of papers in front of him. “No, I think that’s it. Good work.”

I stand and start to gather my things.

“Okay, work time’s over. Now, it’s play time.” Niko is around the conference table within a moment. He pulls me in for a kiss. I comply stiffly, and he notices immediately, letting me go. “I’m sorry. Was that incredibly cheesy? It was, wasn’t it? I wouldn’t want to kiss me after that line either.”

I smile so I don’t cry. He’s so perfect. Why did it all have to turn out this way? Why is Malcolm ruining everything?

“You’re fine, it’s not that. I just can’t switch my brain over that quickly. That’s all.”

“Understood. Can I take you out to dinner, then? Ease into it?”

This man knows how to woo me—with food. The only problem is I know that if I go to dinner, I won’t be able to stop falling. I won’t be able to put an end to our fling. But if I stay here at the hotel by myself, I’m afraid I’ll spiral. I wish Ana were here.

“We should invite Ana,” I say. If she’s there as a buffer, dinner will be a lot more manageable.

Niko considers my suggestion. “Sure, that would be great. I’ll send her a text.”

I continue to pack up my things. I have no idea how to end this, but if Ana is there, at least things won’t get out of control.

“In the meantime, would you want to go check out the party supplies I have stored downstairs? Alexander has gone home for the day, so we’re in the clear.”

“The ducks? Yeah. Of course I do. ”

My voice comes out a little too high-pitched, a little too desperate for something to focus on that isn’t this thing between us. If Niko notices, he doesn’t say anything. I will break things off after dinner. I’ll tell him I don’t want anything impacting the meeting and hope that he understands.

Once downstairs, we find ourselves knee-deep in party supplies.

There are three giant inflatable rubber ducks for the pool, banners, strings of lights, and a plastic mini pool for a carnival-style game station.

And my favorite: a huge wooden board with cutout circles for guests to put their faces through for pictures.

“You did all of this?” I ask, my eyes wide as I take it all in.

Niko turns over a to-be-inflated helium balloon. “I had a lot of help from Ana. I have actually been considering asking her to come work for me. I think she’d be fantastic as the hotel’s event coordinator.”

“Really? That’s amazing. She’d be fantastic, and I know she’ll be thrilled that you thought of her.”

“I hope so.” Niko grabs the photo board. “I think we need to test this out, though. I want to make sure I look good as a duck. Can you grab that tripod and bring it out into the hallway with me?”

He is so utterly unserious. It’s my favorite thing about him.

Niko places the board on its stand in the hallway and then attaches his phone to the tripod. “Okay, I’m going to put my phone on self-timer mode. We’ll have ten seconds to get into position … Now!”

I scramble over, putting my face through the hole of the duck wearing a purple polka-dot bikini top over rounded breasts. She even has a book tucked under one wing. Niko fills the other cutout with a duck with a mohawk and an inner tube about its middle. I smile when the flashing light counts down.

Niko checks the photo. “Okay, it worked. But I think you should give the camera a little more spunk. Your duck looks like she knows how to have fun.”

He winks at me before putting his phone back on the tripod. That wink, those golden wrinkles around his eyes—they make me melt. “I’ll put it on continuous shutter every three seconds. Let’s take a few more.”

He bounds back to me, racing the camera. I make a duck face, straight out of the 2010s, and a laugh erupts from Niko as he climbs behind the board. Click . I try to look over at him and am still craning my neck when the next shutter goes off. I start laughing too.

We both make goofier and goofier faces until we are stopped dead in our tracks at the sight of two people coming around the corner from the front desk area. No one should be coming back here at this time.

My stomach drops when I realize it’s Malcolm talking with an older Greek man. I scramble to get my face out of the duck. I go to turn around before he sees me. Niko, on the other hand, surprises me. He jumps up from where he is crouched in the photo board and clears his throat. “Dad?”

No. No, no, no. I spin around, desperate to get a bearing on what is happening. This guy is Niko’s dad? The man with Malcolm?

“Niko,” he responds. “I was hoping to catch you in your office. I’d like to introduce you to someone.” He gives me a look of disdain as I step out from behind the photo board. “But perhaps you’re busy.”

“Dad, this is Jenni. She is from the marketing firm I told you about. The one I’m bringing in to run our marketing in the States.”

This is quite possibly the most embarrassing thing that could be happening right now. Niko’s dad just saw me sticking my tongue out with my head in the body of a bikini-clad duck. How much worse could it get? I shrink back, as much as I can without completely disappearing behind Niko.

“Ah yes, you seem like you’re … having fun.” He spits out the word “fun” like he’s disgusted by it. “Her proposal still needs board approval on Monday though, doesn’t it? Or did I miss my own board meeting?”

His board meeting? Are you kidding me? Niko’s dad is on the board?

The same dad Niko has repeatedly told me understands nothing about the hotel or what he is trying to accomplish?

He certainly never told me his dad was part of the board.

I would have remembered something like that.

Niko only ever referred to it as “the board” or the “board members.” He never mentioned his dad.

And now that he is here with Malcolm? We’re even more screwed than I thought. From what I know about Niko’s dad, he is completely Malcolm’s type.

“That should only be a formality,” Niko says, none of the usual spark on his face.

Niko’s dad adjusts his suit, as if he’s in negotiations and not having a conversation with his son. “I know I told you you’d have free rein, but trust me, son, this is who you will want to work with in the end.”

Malcolm steps forward as if being presented as some sort of hero. “Malcolm Prewitt of Prewitt Luxury Marketing.” He puts his hand out toward Niko, who ignores it. Every inch of me warms at that. I might love this man. Even if I can’t actually love him.

“I told you I didn’t want him coming here. I told you to meet with him if you wanted, but that I didn’t need to,” Niko defends, crossing his arms over his chest. The phone call on the way home from the caves. He had been so upset on the phone with his dad that day.