Page 11 of She’s a Big Deal

Olivia was helping to run a vegan awareness event the following day. It was straightforward street activism, unscripted. The kind she enjoyed most was when members of the public were invited to debate a hot issue. On that day, the vegan advocates stood in front of a sign including a photo of a cute newborn calf, and a caption asking:

‘Is your pleasure worth my life?’

They argued that fleeting pleasure derived from the taste of a regular burger, for example, was not worth the precious life of the animal that was slaughtered to provide the meat. Asking for people’s views and opinions on similar topics often turned into fruitful exchanges. It allowed animal rights advocates to debunk myths about the fact that slaughter was humane: how could any kind of killing be humane? And correct any preconceived ideas about nutrition and health that stopped people from adopting a more plant-based lifestyle, such as the protein issue. Hopefully, sharing science and facts all contributed to opening people’s minds to a different way of thinking and planted seeds for future change as well. Dana joined the group for a couple of hours at lunchtime, after which Olivia offered to drive her back to her practice.

“You should have seen Cash last night,” her friend said, referring to her older German Shepherd. “He wasn’t sure about your little guy at first, but Everett chased him all over the house, wanting to play. In the end, they had a brilliant time.”

“I’m glad they got on,” Olivia approved. “Thanks for babysitting Everett overnight for me.”

“No problem. So what happened exactly?” Dana prompted. “It’s not like you to get drunk and have to spend the night at a hotel.”

“It was definitely an accident. I had a beer with a client, just to be polite, as we discussed his requirements for a new project. Then I bumped into Charlie’s niece.”

“The famous Grace Michaels.”

“Yes. I shared another couple of drinks with her; she likes whisky, the expensive kind.”

“Huh! Nice.”

“Definitely. Because I’d skipped dinner, I got a bit dizzy as I stood up to leave. She wouldn’t hear of me catching a taxi home and made me stay the night.”

“Made you, eh?” Dana queried. “Strange way to put it, but okay…”

“Well.” Olivia shrugged, fighting a blush. She wasn’t about to confess how much she’d enjoyed Grace Michaels in full take-charge mode, telling her what to do. And just opted for another word to satisfy Dana. “Grace insisted.”

“Grace. Right. And she fed you vegan burgers and chips.”

“Yes.”

“How wonderful.”

“It was really kind of her, for sure.”

Dana fixed her with glinting eyes. “And?”

“And what?”

“What happened after that?”

“Nothing. I ate and went to bed. On my own,” Olivia added when she noticed the widening grin on Dana’s face. “Her suite at the Forester is big enough for a family of six. And it wasn’t about that.”

“But you are attracted to her.”

Olivia kept her gaze firmly fixed on the road. “What makes you think so?”

“Oh, let’s see… Could be the wistful tone of your voice or that little smile on your lips.” Dana chuckled. “Your eyes are all shiny.”

“Oh, gosh.” Olivia groaned.

“Plus, I know you, babe, and how stubborn you can be.”

“Hey…”

“It’s true. If you’d really wanted to go home last night, no woman’s ‘insistence’, as you say, would have kept you there.”

“I guess not,” Olivia conceded.

“So there must be more to the story. I like her for not letting you leave in an Uber late at night when you were not feeling too well.”

“That’s pretty much what she said.”

“Be careful, though, Oli. She has a bit of a reputation.”

“Does she?” Olivia grinned. “She said no to a round of wild sex, so maybe not as much as you think.”

“What?” Dana shrieked. “You offered?”

“No, it just came up in the conversation. She brought it up first.”

“Meaning you also did… Later on?”

“I might have. But then she said only vegan burger was on the menu.” Olivia was amused as she glanced over and noticed her friend’s bewildered expression. “Close your mouth.”

“Roger that. But wow, Olivia…” Dana shook her head, still looking amazed. “What kind of conversation were you having over that expensive whisky that the idea of wild sex got into it?”

“I can’t remember.”

“Oh, come on!”

“No, really. I did invite her home for dinner, but she hasn’t said yes, yet . I think I was teasing her about that, and it all went from there.”

“I guess you got your mojo back, uh?”

“It felt good to flirt with a woman like her.”

“Okay, now I’m worried,” Dana said after a brief moment of silence.

“Why?” “Because again, I know you, Oli. I know you don’t just flirt. It’s more akin to a skydiving exercise with you.”

“I’m not falling for her, Dana, if this is what you mean. And anyway, I thought you said I should get back in the saddle and all that?”

“Yes, but not with Grace Michaels.”

“Two seconds ago, you told me you liked her.”

“I like what she did for you. But when I said she has a bit of a reputation, I meant as something else. She’s pretty heartless when it comes to business, apparently. They say she can be a real bitch when it—”

“Okay, stop right there, please,” Olivia interrupted. “Look, D., I know you mean well, but I’m not interested in rumors and negative gossip. She’s whip-smart, ambitious, and a real type-A personality. We both know what some people call a woman like that.”

“A heartless bitch,” Dana chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t judge based on hearsay.”

“Absolutely. From seeing her interacting with Charlie and spending a bit of time with her one-to-one, I can tell you there’s a lot going on with her under the surface that I’m sure not many people ever get to see.”

Dana laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, prompting Olivia to glance at her again. “You’re already seriously into her, aren’t you?”

“Well… A bit.”

“You’d like to be the one to get under her skin.”

“I’d like to know her. Yes…” Olivia breathed in deeply as she recalled Grace’s often short and sharp answers, the commanding way she had to address everyone, and her undisputed authority. She understood why people might refer to her as rude, cold, and even heartless. If they could see the hidden warmth behind her smile and feel the softness of her touch, they would change their mind pretty quickly. “The woman is sexy as sin,” she murmured as if to herself.

“Oh, dear. Oli!”

“Really, she’s gorgeous. And yes, her emotional armor feels like it’s three inches thick.” Olivia smiled at her friend. “But it only makes her more alluring as far as I’m concerned.”

Dana rolled her eyes in a mix of amused, exasperated, and concerned. “Of course it does. You have a thing for women who look strong but are often emotionally damaged on the inside.”

“That’s not true,” Olivia protested. “I like them strong, and often this means battle-hardened. It’s very different from being damaged.”

“Yeah, yeah. How does she feel about you?”

“She says I’m not her type.”

“What’s wrong with her? Doesn’t like young, attractive, talented artists with a heart of gold?”

“A baby butch dyke is what she called me.”

“Again, what’s not to like? Anyway, I’d advise you to stay well away from her because the woman sounds like trouble, but I guess from the look on your face, the advice would fall on deaf ears.”

“Yep. Though I appreciate the sentiment.”

“Good luck thawing her up; sounds like you’ll need it. And please, Olivia, whatever you do, be careful, okay?”

“No skydiving, I promise,” Olivia grinned.

“Too right. I’m all for you having fun, babe, but don’t you go in too deep and let the woman hurt you. Or I’ll have to hurt her worse.”

◆◆◆

Grace wondered how long her siblings had managed to keep the resort going when they were so damn divided. Chloe and Mark had made her aware that the twins were playing dirty in order to become joint CEOs. Reece and Jeremy wanted their sister out of the game. She and her husband were after the same thing for them. And Chloe had come up with a startling solution.

“Come onboard with Mark and I, Grace. The three of us can take over and inject new life into the business!”

No doubt the resort needed an injection of… something, Grace decided as she went on a thorough inspection walk of the place. The stale and outdated décor in the hotel, in particular, made her stare and shake her head in distaste. Since when had they bothered to update or renovate anything in there? Match that with a bunch of bored and distrustful employees, and the business might not keep its reputation for luxurious excellence very long. Even without a juicy sex scandal to hasten its demise.

“Would you consider teaming up with Chloe and Mark?” Charlie inquired that night over a shared dinner at her house.

“Hell, no. Never in a million years.”

“Ah… Right. I didn’t think you would.”

“And you know why,” Grace stated.

“Yes, darling,” Charlie answered softly. “Certainly.”

“Plus, it’s a stupid idea. They shouldn’t be working against each other like this. Just goes to show once more that family and business don’t mix so well, eh?”

“Sadly, you’re right.”

“Also, the day-to-day running of the resort may represent a challenge for them, but I can’t think of anything more boring to be involved in.” Grace shrugged as she noticed her aunt’s quick smile. “Sorry to sound arrogant, but it’s true.”

Charlie reached across the table to pat her on the arm.

“Don’t apologize. You know I get a kick out of your energy, and I much prefer blunt honesty to sneaky power games. You are always such a breath of fresh air, darling.”

“Chloe did realize that about the resort, at least. It needs an urgent refresh. Looks and management included.”

“Any suggestions?”

“Oh, plenty.” Grace winked, making her aunt chuckle. “So I made her an offer. A complete redesign package, the same sort of thing I’m going to do for the Excelsior chain, but specific to the resort. Because of the circumstances, I also plan to assign a select leadership team to the business to help right up the ship, so to speak. And to mentor them.”

“What did Chloe say to that?”

“Damn well had herself a heart attack at the audacity.”

Now Charlie burst out laughing. It was good to see healthy color back in her face and the usual lively glint in her eyes.

“I can imagine how your sister might feel insulted by this sort of counter-offer. She won’t take kindly to being told what to do by outsiders.”

“Well, Mark seemed keen on the idea. If she’s smart, Chloe will take the offer.”

“Then, she probably will.”

“She’ll have to convince the twins, of course.” Grace could not suppress a groan at the thought of how hard this would be. “Reece really should step down, you know?”

That tense and worried look flew back over Charlie’s face. “Has he spoken to you about the situation? Will you?”

“Not yet. He’s been avoiding me.”

“Oh, Grace…”

“I’ll keep at it, Charlie, I promise. In the meantime, try not to worry too much.”

Despite her loaded family history, Grace would never turn a blind eye when her brother was in trouble. Reece might be too proud to want to accept help… But after receiving confirmation from Charlie’s cardiologist that a spike in stress levels must be to blame for her recent heart issue, Grace was even more motivated to succeed, for both their sake. Then, Charlie hit her with a bit more sensitive stuff.

“Have you heard from your dad?”

“Gosh... No. Next topic.”

“Indulge me, please, darling.”

“It’s been five years since our last brief conversation at my mother’s funeral. And it wasn’t a friendly one. I’m not interested in talking to him, and he’s not likely to reach out to me anytime soon.” A loaded silence ensued as if Charlie may disagree with the statement, prompting Grace to eye her intently. “What is it?” More bad news? “Tell me.”