Gareth needed someone who wasn’t so close to the situation to provide him that information. He’d hoped Roy would’ve been able to do that, but fear was a powerful tool, and Roy, for some reason, was afraid.
There was no way it was only from what was in the file. Someone had to have reached out to Roy and scared him off. But who, and what did they say? What Gareth didn’t understand was why Roy wouldn’t admit it. The Lawsons weren’t pushovers and had no issue with standing up to the Hendersons. If they had threatened Roy, Gareth could’ve protected him. But would Brice go to those lengths in order to keep the truth hidden? Guess it depends on what the truth is.
Gareth hoped that coming to Tabiq was going to give him some insight to what that might be. Although the staff seemed to be friendly, they were all business. No one hung around for small talk. Normally that would be a good thing, but it limited Gareth with asking them questions, at least not ones directly related to New Hope. It wasn’t like he thought the answers would just drop into his lap, but being here only made him question things more.
Why build here?
This was a five-star all-inclusive resort that would appeal to anyone, but in a country that didn’t have enough money to subsidize itself. The road from the airport to the resort highlighted a vast difference in class. He couldn’t close his eyes and ignore it. Rundown homes in the distance and vehicles on the road that looked like they should be in a junkyard. Were the Hendersons so greedy as to prey upon the less fortunate? He couldn’t see any other reason for them building here. He hoped he was wrong, because the last thing he wanted was more reasons not to want the Henderson family to be his relatives.
The only personal contact he’d ever had with them was with Brice a few weeks ago. But if Brooke was right, he was about to get the opportunity to meet another one very soon. Alex was probably going to be the easiest for Gareth to deal with as he seemed much more laid-back than his brothers. And if Brice kept to his word and didn’t share any information, Alex wouldn’t have any clue as to their relations. So there won’t be any reason to lie to my face.
This might be the break he was hoping for. Gareth was going to need to use Lawson Steel as the reason behind this trip. The perfect cover. And since Gareth wasn’t on the sales side like Jordan and Ethan, there was no risk that Alex would consider hiring them. Gareth never thought he’d see the day he intentionally fucked up, but there’s a first for everything.
With Alex arriving tomorrow, it gave Gareth plenty of time to come up with some half-assed sales pitch. He’d make the pricing so high it’d almost look like a joke, but close enough that Alex wouldn’t suspect anything. That would leave most of the evening free for . . . more enjoyable things.
He needed to eat, and since he invited Brooke to join him, he should at least show up. Whether or not she would remain to be seen. She appeared to be the total opposite of him. A rule follower. If she thought the company wouldn’t approve, she wouldn’t do it. That was disappointing, because she was a very attractive woman and would’ve provided a sweet distraction for tonight.
The way things were going, Brooke probably wouldn’t want to upset a guest, so she’d show up, and then she’d be reprimanded. Jobs like this didn’t appear easy to come by in Tabiq, so ensuring she didn’t lose it would be the nice thing to do.
He picked up the phone in his room and dialed the front desk to leave her a message. Gareth hung up the phone before they answered. Her shift would’ve been over long ago. Looks like I’m going to a clam bake.
Gareth was overdressed for such an occasion, and quickly changed into a pair of khaki shorts and a T-shirt. He slipped his cell phone into his back pocket and headed for the beach. The time difference meant no one should be calling. They didn’t expect him to answer when he was . . . vacationing. Which made him question why the hell Dylan really called. There was no way Dylan believed Gareth would miss his wedding. And Dylan knew for a fact Gareth wanted nothing to do with the planning of it either. Was his brother getting cold feet? It was a huge leap from playboy to husband and dad.
Fuck.Gareth had been so focused on finding answers in Tabiq, he never thought his brother might actually have needed him there. He knew Dylan could handle anything that came along on the business side. However, with all the personal changes happening in his life, he might be freaking out.
Gareth normally would be more than happy to give advice and guidance. But what did he know about any of this shit other than if it was him, he’d have run for the hills? Tomorrow Gareth would have to suck it up and call Charles. He’d get the normal lecture for being irresponsible and leaving Lawson Steel in a lurch, which wasn’t the case at all. But it would be worth it if he at least gave Charles the heads-up to hang close to Dylan. The last thing he wanted was his kid brother to unravel while he was here in Tabiq.
“Excuse me. Mr. . . . Gareth, do you have a minute?”
He knew whose sweet voice was calling him. He turned, surprised to see her still dressed in her uniform “Not quite beach attire.”
“I’m really sorry. I was asked to work a double. Unfortunately I won’t be able to . . . bump into you at the clam bake. But I’m glad to see you’re still going. They even have someone singing and playing an acoustic guitar tonight. You should have a lovely time.”
Gareth wasn’t really a sit-back, do-nothing guy. His idea of being on the beach at night would entail taking in the sight of the moon with some sexy woman and a bottle of wine, clothes optional. Lying on a blanket, alone, listening to music sounded boring as hell.
“It’s unfortunate you’re going to miss it. Do they do this to you often?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I’ve been here for a few years, and it’s happened only a few times. Janet, my supervisor, would’ve picked up the shift if I didn’t want it. Really, this is an amazing place to work. Most places only worry about the guests being happy, but here they take into consideration the staff’s needs as well.”
“That is nice to hear.” And surprising since I know who you work for. “Maybe you can bump into me another time. What’s on the schedule for tomorrow night?”
Brooke laughed. “Karaoke. But you don’t want to hear me sing. I sound like a cat when you step on its tail.”
“That’s hard to believe. Your voice is—”
“Trust me. And no, I’m not about to prove I’m telling you the truth either. I don’t even sing in the shower; it’s that bad.”
Gareth laughed. “Wow, it really must be horrific.” He played along, but didn’t buy it for an instant. It was more likely that she was shy.
“Let me guess, you’re a performer and are dying to sing.”
“Not even close. I’m in the steel business, and I’ve never sung karaoke either. But a place like this must have other things happening.” Like a real night life.
“There are, but most people come here to spend their time on the beach or in the saltwater pools, which are amazing as well. What do you like to do on vacation?” she asked.
Drink. Party. Sleep late.That wasn’t much different than his normal routine, just the location changed. It wasn’t as though he wasn’t a responsible person. He took business seriously, but when he wasn’t working, he liked to play and play hard. What was wrong with that? The life of a bachelor. Perfect. “A variety of things. Maybe we can discuss it over dinner tomorrow?”
Brooke smirked. “I think we discussed this before. I can’t—”