LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter 1

      “I want it.”

      Kimberly Parker, general manager of the Belleza Resort and Spa, didn’t wait long after her two best friends sat down to breakfast at one of the resort’s three luxurious pools on Monday morning. She started in on resort business. Located in the town of Belleza, the resort was a hundred or so miles east of Los Angeles. Though it was considered a desert town, Kimberly would never tire of the breathtaking mountain views surrounding the resort’s luscious grounds.

      “Want what?” Robyn Henderson asked. As the event planner for the resort, she managed special events for their private guests and corporate clients.

      Gabrielle Royce, the executive chef, looked equally confused. “I’m with Robyn on this one. What is it you want?” She glanced longingly at the sumptuous egg-white veggie soufflé she’d prepared for their breakfast, which they hadn’t yet touched. But Kimberly had business not breakfast on her mind.

      “I want the Dunham Foundation gala,” she explained, reaching for the glass of orange juice Jessica, their waitress, had placed on the table for her. She didn’t have to ask because Jessica knew the ladies’ morning ritual. They always sat down to a health-conscious breakfast after an intense workout and Pilates at the Belleza’s three-thousand-square-foot gym.

      Kimberly had changed into her usual attire for the day—a lavender silk shirt, cream pantsuit and pumps—and had pulled her hair back in a sleek ponytail. Robyn had donned a simple black pencil skirt with an orange cap-sleeved shirt and low sling-back heels. While Gabrielle opted for distressed jeans and a graphic T-shirt under her chef coat and her ubiquitous PUMAs. They each had such different styles, but they’d been thick as thieves for years.

      Robyn was the tallest of the bunch, with creamy tapioca skin and hazel eyes. She wore her hair in a sophisticated updo. Gabrielle was short, five foot three to be exact, and had a mass of unruly auburn curls and brown eyes. She had a fairer complexion than Robyn’s, while Kimberly was the odd man out with her broad nose, almond-shaped brown eyes and dark caramel skin.

      “Ah.” Robyn nodded her head in understanding. “I’d heard the illustrious Dunham family was in the market for a venue for their annual gala, but I didn’t know the Belleza was in the running.”

      Kimberly nodded. “Not that I wish anyone ill, but the Beverly Wilshire, where they normally hold the Dunham gala, had a major flood a week ago. The damage was so extensive that the remediation and repairs will take months. Their misfortune is our gain. Which is why we can’t let it slip through our fingers.” She practically rubbed her hands together in glee.

      “And we won’t,” Gabrielle responded. “The Dunhams aren’t our first high-profile client. We’ve had scads of celebrities come here in recent years. Isn’t that R & B singer Cole on-site now?” She patted Kimberly’s arm. “Don’t worry. We’ve got this, Kim.”

      Gabrielle was right. The resort had hosted innumerable big-time guests. Surely the Dunhams would be just as satisfied. And she remembered that though her friend didn’t know them personally, Gabrielle’s parents had been acquainted with the Dunhams for years.

      She smiled at her friends whom she’d known since meeting them at the Merriweather Academy boarding school when she was fourteen. She didn’t know why she was letting this event get her worked up. Hadn’t she been the one to help her parents oversee the renovation that had revitalized the resort? Now people were flocking from all over the world to stay at the Belleza. But all her success had come at a price. She’d lost both her brothers in the process.

      “Kim!”

      “Hmm?” Kimberly blinked, bringing herself back to the conversation. “What was that?” She turned to Robyn.

      “I asked you when the Dunhams are coming.”

      “Hayley Dunham is coming at the end of the week and we need to be prepared.”

      “That isn’t much notice,” Gabrielle stated.

      “True,” Kimberly replied, “but this golden goose has just come to roost and we can’t pass up this opportunity.”

      “And you want to go all out for a consult, I presume?” Robyn inquired.

      “Of course,” Kimberly stated. “We can give them a preview of what we can do from the music, the flowers, the food, the ambience. Show them there’s no place better than the Belleza.”

      “You don’t have to convince me,” Robyn responded. “Or Gabby for that matter. We’ve drunk the Belleza Kool-Aid and absolutely love this place. Whatever we can do to convince the Dunhams,” she said as she pointed her nose upward, “that we are worthy of them, we’ll do.”

      “Fabulous.” Kimberly beamed at them. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”

      “The Dunhams aren’t the only clients to express interest in holding an event at Belleza,” Robyn replied. She pulled a manila folder out of her oversize Louis Vuitton tote and opened it.

      Robyn updated them on other potential event prospects, but Kimberly’s attention was momentarily distracted when she saw extended-stay guest Jack Scott sit across from them. The quiet, handsome guest had been at the Belleza for the past three weeks. It was somewhat unusual for a guest to stay so long, especially when it didn’t appear that he was conducting any business. Then again she’d often seen his head buried in a tablet.

      “I have some great ideas about changes to the spring menu that I’m sure your prospect might enjoy,” Gabrielle enthused. “I’m thinking of doing a chilled corn soup with bacon jam, and a seared scallop and braised pork belly with a polenta cake. And for dessert—” she paused for effect “—a lemon vanilla crème with mint puree and hazelnut sable crumbles.”

      “That sounds delicious, Gabby.” Robyn licked her lips in anticipation. “Doesn’t it, Kim?”

      “Oh, yes,” Kimberly replied, turning her gaze back to her friends. “Those are all wonderful selections and we’ll need it to compete against The Pinnacle.” Several travel magazines had already done features on the new resort opening up about thirty minutes away.

      “Do you really think we’ll have some competition?” Gabrielle inquired. “The Belleza has been a staple in this community for years.”

      “Which is why we can’t rest on our laurels,” Kimberly pointed out. “We have to keep up with the ever-changing market. We don’t want to appear boring or old or stale. We want to be fresh, innovative and cutting-edge. We must constantly reinvent the resort.”

      “That’s exactly how I describe the Belleza to corporate clients,” Robyn added.

      “Good,” Kimberly said. “With our long-standing reputation for class and quality, we have a step up over The Pinnacle, which is just a start-up. But they will be looking at ways to eat up the market share, so we have to be diligent in our efforts. I think all three of us should present during your corporate client consults, Robyn. Show them why the Belleza is a step above the rest.”

      “Agreed,” Robyn said.

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