Page 82 of Delicious Surrender
As her old laptop whirred to life, she looked for the Wi-Fi network. It never occurred to Brynne to ask Alistair about it, since she hadn’t planned on staying. It was another expense she had to take over in six months. Without Declan’s job, she would have run out of cash well before that.
First, she needed the internet, especially since she had no other sources of research. Two networks popped up, bothprotected by passwords. Brynne started looking through the old desk and found Josie’s day timer in the bottom drawer, under a sheaf of her personal letterhead. She’d stuffed loose papers and sticky notes between many pages and tied it with a ribbon. Brynne carefully released the bow and flipped through it.
Behind the last calendar, she found an address book filled with all her handwritten contacts. She shook her head, recalling Josie’s distrust of technology. When she reached the Ps, she found a list of passwords, including one forWi-Fi Guest. It wasLLJ1952!
Brynne smiled. Josie’s favorite saying was “Live life juicy!” and she always signed off her lettersLLJ, Josie. Since there was no password for the main Wi-Fi network, she signed in as a guest, and expelled a breath when the emails started downloading.
Ten minutes later, a strange grinding sound started coming from the back of the house. Brynne rushed to the mudroom to find the shuddering washing machine hemorrhaging water. Suds were drifting across the floor.
She turned off the machine and ran upstairs for towels.
Soon every towel in the house was drenched. However, that wasn’t the worst of it. The washer had shifted away from the wall to reveal rotted floorboards beneath. It was a miracle that the machine hadn’t fallen through the wet planks. Now she had a major repair job to deal with, not to mention two loads of soaking wet laundry.
Of all the shitty luck!
She called Declan, who gave her the number of a localtradesman who could do plumbing, carpentry, and just about everything else. Declan added a warning that he was handsome and incorrigible with the ladies, so she needed to beware. Brynne laughed at his concern and said, “Declan, there’s nothing to worry about. I am immune to those kinds of boys.”
She was still smiling as she dialed the number. As she listened to his greeting, she considered the possibility that a bad boy with a sexy accent might be just the cure-all she needed. If only there was a cure. She doubted it very much.
The club was getting back to normal. Since the retraction, the majority of members had calmed down and come back. Thank Christ there were no more requests to cancel and divest. John told him that his superiors at Scotland Yard seemed satisfied with his explanation for being at the club. He assured them nothing illegal was going on. They also supported his plan to drop in occasionally to ensure things continued that way, especially since London’s most influential players were members.
These days, Gage rarely left his office except to get his dinner, and Garrick was giving him grief about being a hermit. He didn’t care. He was taking extreme care not to get his photo taken until after his mother’s appointment came through. As an extra measure, he was going to Edinburgh to focus on his VC firm’s new projects.
Before he left for the day, he had one last appointment. Patricia Valentine had written two days ago requesting to meet and discuss a new business proposition. Curious, he agreed tothe meeting, provided she came to him. Gage sent his driver so she could enter discreetly from the underground garage.
He could hear her laughing down the hall at something Garrick said just before he delivered her to his door. He went to take her hand, but she pulled him into an embrace and kissed his cheek. She looked resplendent in a designer cream suit.
She stood back and looked at him, her eyes sharp and assessing. “It’s been too long, Gage. I’ve been worried about you with all that rot in the press.”
“I’m relieved to say it has died down and we’ve had a satisfactory retraction. There was no lasting damage to our reputation; in fact, inquiries have picked up.”
Her head tilted, and she hadn’t let go of his arms. “Then why do you look so tired, darling?”
He smiled at her perceptive comment. “Just working too hard. But you’ll be happy to know I’m heading to Edinburgh and will follow that up with a week off.”
“That’s wonderful news! The timing couldn’t be better. I want to ask your advice on a new business venture I’m looking to develop—and coincidentally, the property is in Edinburgh.”
Gage poured her a gin and tonic and they sat down to talk. Patricia’s face lit up when she told him of her plans to open a private club for women.
“I believe there is a market for a club like Dominus for women, Gage. I’m conducting market research in the UK and more broadly in Europe. There are plenty of women who would come to a club that caters exclusively to their whims. We won’t have a punishment room like yours, but there will be a state-of-the-art spa where a woman can have a massage with a happy ending.”
Gage chuckled at that thought, but he couldn’t help but question the viability of her plan. He tread carefully, not wanting to discourage her. “This is an interesting concept. Are you looking to attract single or married women? Husbands might object to your special services unless they think it’s just a health spa. You’ll need a good base willing to pay the entry fees, and the percentage of single wealthy businesswomen in the UK is quite low.”
“I’m still working on the numbers and deciding whether we should have a high membership fee or keep the initial costs lower and have the restaurant and spa services be pay-as-you-go. You are right about the lack of independently wealthy women, but if we can draw people to the club as a destination, that could make the difference. It will be a place they save up and escape to for girls’ weekends, birthdays—where they won’t see anyone they know. What do you think?”
“I would need to see the property specs and review the costs to convert it. What is the building used for now?”
“It’s a twenty-four-room hotel and decent-size spa leased on the top floor, so it would convert well to what I want. It’s listed for 2.2 million pounds and would need about a million in renovations.”
He ran his hand over his chin as he considered the numbers. “Why don’t I put you in touch with someone from my office who can help you dig into the details? Armand has done multiple conversion projects for me; he can get access to building code info, construction costs, and a ton of market research. Then you’ll know exactly what is required.”
“Oh Gage, that would be amazing! I need a strong business case to take to prospective investors.” She paused and winked. “Like you.”
He laughed. “I had a feeling it wasn’t just advice you were looking for.”
“You are always so perceptive. I want more than your brains; I need you for your experience in running an enterprise with all these service elements. The Hellcat Club will be one of a kind.”
His eyes widened. “The Hellcat Club? That name should raise eyebrows. I love it.”