Daddy’s Girl by Miley Maine
Savannah
Itry to push away the nerves, but knowing I’ll be having lunch with Rebecca Montogmary in just an hour causes my stomach to swish around uncomfortably.
It’s just after twelve in the afternoon, and Erik and I have already had a lazy breakfast together, then took a long, luxurious shower, before we visited a boutique in Henderson where Erik brought me an outfit for lunch.
I wish life could be like this forever, but two thoughts make me certain it can’t be:
- Dimitri is expecting me at work that evening.
- Erik will have to go back to Pennsylvania soon. Once his expansion opens, he plans to hire a west coast manager, and then return home.
I don’t know which prospect scares me more.
I won’t be able to keep Dimitri at bay for much longer. I know he’ll soon demand I ‘make good’ on all the promises I’ve made him, and if that happens before we’ve gathered enough evidence against him … well, I won’t give in to him. I will never sleep with Dimitri. I know I can take Erik up on his offer, and let him pay Dimitri off for me, but if I do that what happens to Maddie and the others?
I just have to hope Dimitri says or does something to incriminate himself before he tries to take what he wants from me.
But when we do find the evidence to bring Dimitri that’s even less reason for Erik to remain in Vegas. I know I can’t expect him to drop everything and move here for me, and I won’t be able to do the same, and just uproot my life to move to Pennsylvania -- assuming Erik would even want me to -- but I’m scared once we’re long distance some of the spark will fade. Erik says he wants to be with me, to explore what we have, but will that still be true when I’m thousands of miles away, and he’s surrounded by gorgeous women his own age, who live locally?
Maybe I should just accept this will only be a short-term thing, and enjoy it for what it is, rather than thinking about the future. But I can’t help it. I’m falling for him.
Erik knocking on the restroom door startles me out of my thoughts, and I make sure my makeup is perfect, then step out into the penthouse suite.
“Are you ready to go? Rebecca will be expecting us soon. I called ahead and told her you’d be joining us for lunch, and she’s excited to meet you. She’s a UNLV alumnus too.”
My body flushes with heat. Rebecca Montgomary is excited to meet me! What is this world that I live in?
“God, I hope I don’t disappoint her.”
“How could you? You look amazing, and more importantly, once you two get talking, she will see how fantastic you are.”
I certainly feel like a different person in the smart, tailored dress and blazer Erik brought for me. Both are black, which makes me look older and more sophisticated, but I brought some statement jewelry in bright, lime green -- that the owner of the boutique we visited said matched my eyes -- to accessorize with and make the outfit stand out.
As always, my hair is styled down and curled. Erik loves it this way, and I appreciate being with a man who doesn’t make me hide my Latina heritage. My ex used to hate when I curled my hair, saying it made me look like a hooker.
“Okay, let’s do this,” I say, offering my hand to Erik.
He entwines his fingers with mine, and we make our way out of the penthouse.
The restaurant at the resort is magnificent, with a massive dining room decorated in light, airy colors, with pictures of Henderson and the surrounding area on almost every available wall space, so that it’s almost like an art gallery.
I’d love to stop and take a closer look, but the server leads us to a table where a stately woman with golden blonde hair, and bright blue eyes awaits us, wearing a glamorous, high neck silk blouse, and pearl earrings.
My throat goes dry and I feel starstruck coming face-to-face with Rebecca Montgomary. She looks like some celebrity or something, and I know the only casino in the strip more profitable than Dimitri’s is the one at her resort, and she has earned it all herself, without any underhanded tactics.
Rebecca rises from her seat as we get closer, and pulls Erik into an embrace, swiftly air kissing him on both cheeks, before turning her attention to me.
She holds me at arm’s length and studies me carefully for a few moments, then smiles.
“And you must be Savannah. I’ve heard all about you of course.”
“You have?” I ask, wondering what Erik has said.
“While I wasn’t at last night’s conference, everyone is talking about it. Erik’s plans are the main topic of conversation, but the next biggest piece of news was his date. Social media outlets are already speculating about who you are. And this morning, when I was in the dining room having breakfast, I couldn’t help but overhear the always delightful Lauren Thompson discussing you with Maria Clement this morning. Of course, the moment I heard Lauren talking about how you’re some gold-digging whore, I know the opposite would be true. I have a lot of respect for the skill it takes to be an actress, but Lauren isn’t one of Hollywood’s elite like she believes herself to be.”
I nervously shift my weight from one foot to the other. “Yeah, I met Lauren last night. She didn’t seem to like me much.”
“Pay her no mind, dear. Lauren doesn’t like any women who’re younger and more beautiful than she is. And I’ve heard your looks aren’t the only thing you have going for you. Erik tells me you have a bachelor’s in math from UNLV. Tell me, where do you work currently?”
Rebecca sits back down and gestures to the seat opposite her, indicating I should join her. Erik is completely forgotten, and quietly slipped into the third seat.
“I work at the Mojave Casino.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, Rebecca looks horrified. “Please tell me you’re not one of his girls.”
“No, no. I’d never sleep with Dimitri, but unfortunately I owe him a lot of money for loans my father took out before he died.”
Rebecca takes my hand and squeezes it gently. “Oh, dear. After lunch you simply must send me your resume. We’ll have you away from Dimitri and earning proper money soon enough.”
“I … thank you … that’s very kind.”
Rebecca shrugs. “There’s nothing kind about it, dear. We women must stick together, and if you graduated with a bachelor from UNLV, I’m certain you’re worth more than working for the likes of Dimitri Kriska. What I wouldn’t do to rid the strip of him forever.”
I glance across at Erik, whose eyes are wide, and he nods subtlety.
I lower my voice, and whisper to Rebecca, “That’s something I want too. We should discuss it privately after lunch.”
Catching onto my caution, Rebecca nods and says, “Yes, let’s eat. And then I suppose Erik, you’ll give me your usual spiel about your fitness empire. I understand a gym in my resort could be very profitable, but you’ve yet to show me any figures that impress me.”
I can’t help but chuckle at this. I don’t know much about Erik’s business, but his presentation the night before made it sound very lucrative, but what I know of Rebecca Montgomary makes me certain if she hasn’t jumped aboard yet, there might be something amiss.
Before I can stop myself, I ask, “Erik, what are the terms you’ve offered Ms. Montgomery, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Rebecca chuckles too. “I like you,” she says, then glances at Erik, before adding, “He’s offered me a fifty percent franchise share.”
That sounds reasonable enough, but without data from both Erik’s fitness company and Rebecca’s resort, I’m not sure if it’s fair.
“If I can, could I please take a look at the terms of the deal, and the last year’s figures from both of you. Perhaps I can spot something you’re missing.”
This time Rebecca hoots with laughter. “Yes, I very much like you. Give me a moment.”
She retrieves a large, expensive looking Chanel purse from under the table, and from inside produces a tablet. After a few swift swipes, Rebecca brings up a spreadsheet, and turns the tablet to me.
My eyes widen. These figures are amazing. I assumed she’d be doing well, based on what Dimitri makes in a year, and the fact the casino at the Springhill Suites is even more popular than the Mojave Casino, but I never imagined it would be doing this well.
Now I see a fifty-percent franchise wouldn’t benefit Rebecca at all. She’d actually be making money for Erik, rather than them expanding together.
“Erik, I know you have a business to run, and you’re trying to expand to the west coast, but based on the money Rebecca already makes from the Springhill Suites you need to offer her a lot more for the partnership to be equal.”
I slide the tablet to Erik for him to see the spreadsheet for himself, and as he scans it, I point out places where both their incomes could be boosted by a partnership, and how if Erik makes an adjustment to his offer -- allowing Rebecca to open a Jansen Viking Fitness location at her suites for a fraction of the price he is charging his other clients that in the long term it will result on more money for both parties.
“And you’d be willing to sign a contract with the terms Savannah suggested?” Erik asks Rebecca as he hands the tablet back to her.
“Yes, under one condition. Savannah, I want you to send me your resume and interview for an accountancy position at the suites. My current accountant is good, but old like me, we need fresh new faces to take the suites into the future. I think you would be the perfect addition to the team.”
“I … wow … I don’t know what to say. But please, we must speak privately first.”
Rebecca senses the urgency of my request without me having to explain more and asks the server for our food to be brought up to Erik’s suite, where we will be dining in privacy.
As we step into the elevator, I lean in close to Erik and whisper, “We have to tell her about our plans.”
“I agree,” he says back, giving me the go-ahead to reveal all to Rebecca.
Once we’re settled in Erik’s suite, and eating our lunch -- which is a lovely bowl of lobster tortellini, and light, fresh white wine to accompany it, both chosen by Rebecca -- I explain the situation with Dimitri, and how Erik and I are working together with his friends to bring Kriska down.
“I want to be part of this,” Rebecca says as soon as we’ve finished telling her everything. “I don’t care about getting my hands on the casino, let James Stamford have it. A little friendly competition never hurts anyone, after all. But I cannot abide that man to operate on the strip and abuse his female employees like he is any further. As to all the women who work there, I’m more than happy to interview them for positions, if James doesn’t offer them something.”
“We’d love your help, and I’m sure my friends will agree. Right now, we’re hoping Savannah’s surveillance yields something,” Erik says.
Rebecca makes a ‘hmm’ sound, and replies, “I don’t like it. I hate the thought of women putting themselves in that man’s hands. This is why I fought so hard to make the Springhill Suites what it is today. You’re both too young to remember the previous owner, Manfred Van Doren. He was in charge when I was just a young woman and worked there as a waitress. He was very much like Dimitri -- taking what he wanted without regard for who he hurt in the process -- and so, myself and a group of women, including my best friend Elsie, who is the accountant I spoke of earlier, got together to bring him down. We worked and schemed for years to bring that old bastard down. When it was done the other woman insisted, I take over as owner. I accepted, under the condition they all come to work with me, as partners. They all still own a percentage, and make profits from the suites, though many of them have retired and moved away with their families. The only one of the original partners that remains is my dear Elsie.”
I feel a sudden kinship with this woman. The experiences she’s had, the friendships she’s forged, are so similar to my own life.
“We’d love your help, but what can you do for us?”
Rebecca grins like the cat that got the canary. “Let me speak to Elsie, then we’ll all have a meeting. You must ask your friends to accompany you, Erik. I want their approval too. We’ll work out a plan to get rid of Dimitri Kriska, without Savannah or anyone other young woman who works at Mojave having to compromise themselves for him.”
I lock eyes with Erik, who nods, then I gaze at Rebecca. We all raise our glasses at the same time and clink them together.
“You have yourself a deal,” I say.