I smiled rather than tell him getting the Sterlings and Lockwoods to agree on anything might be the top problem for this hotel.
“Yes.” I feigned the best smile I could muster. “It’s nice to have someone I can count on.” To disappear, like he did today.
“Let me know however I can help.”
“Thank you, Louis.”
After he left the conference room, I slouched in a chair, trying to organize my thoughts. I’d believed I was coming to New York to babysit a hotel while my family worked on buying out the minority owner. Apparently, I had my work cut out for me. While I sat feeling a bit shell-shocked, my cell started to buzz on the table.
I picked it up and sighed audibly.
There was only one man I wanted to avoid discussing everything I’d just learned with more than Weston Lockwood. So naturally, he had to call at this very moment. Taking a deep breath, I figured it was best to get the tirade over with. So I swiped to answer.
“Hi, Dad…”
Chapter 4
* * *
Sophia
“How the hell did this happen?”
My father started barking before we sat down at our table. He’d hung up on me five minutes after he’d called earlier today—the moment I’d mentioned a looming strike. I hadn’t even had a chance to tell him about the rest of the issues. A half hour after he’d slammed the phone down in my ear, his secretary emailed to tell me my father would land at seven and dinner would be at Prime, one of the restaurants in The Countess. She didn’t ask if I was available, rather she’d told me where we would be eating.
Not to mention, it had also been the first I’d heard that my father was even planning on coming to town tonight. And I definitely had no idea my half-brother, Spencer, would be accompanying him. Though in hindsight, I should have suspected as much on both counts.
“Well,” I said. “Ms. Copeland was sick, and she let some things slide, thinking she would take care of them when she felt better. She obviously never had that opportunity.”
The waiter came over to take our drink order. My father didn’t give the poor man an opportunity to finish asking what we wanted before he rudely cut him off and barked “Scotch on the rocks—Glenlivet XXV Single Malt.”
Because alcohol had to cost more than five-hundred dollars a bottle for him to find it worthy of consumption.
My puppet of a half-brother raised his hand. “Make that two.”
No please.
No thank you.
And clearly neither of them had ever heard of ladies first.
I attempted to make up for their rudeness when it was my turn to order. “May I please have a glass of merlot? Whatever you have open is fine.” I smiled. “Thank you very much.”
If my father noticed my over-the-top abundance of manners, he didn’t seem to care.
“Spencer can handle the union,” he said. “He has experience dealing with Local 6.”
Uh, no. “Thank you. But I can handle it on my own.”
“I wasn’t asking, Sophia,” my father said sternly.
I’d let a lot of things slide with my father over the years, but this wasn’t going to be one of them. Grandfather had given me the job of managing the hotel, and I planned to make him proud, on my own.
“With all due respect, Dad, I don’t need Spencer’s help. And if I do need some assistance, I’ll reach out and ask for it.”
My father’s ears turned red. “You’re in over your head.”
“Grandfather has faith in me. Perhaps you can try having some, too.”
Spencer joined in. “The guys who run the union are used to working with a man. Things can get pretty heated.”
Did the jerk really just tell me the reason I needed help was because I was a woman? Now my ears pinked up.
Luckily, the waiter arrived with our drinks, allowing me a few seconds to calm down. As much as I wanted to explode, I wouldn’t stoop to yelling or bullying to get my point across—that was my father’s way. After the waiter passed out our beverages, I asked him to give us a few minutes since none of us had looked at the menu yet.
I gulped a healthy dose of wine and turned to give Spencer my full attention.
“I didn’t realize union negotiation depended on the size of my dick. But don’t worry, Spence, they used to stick us in the tub together when we were kids. I can assure you, mine is bigger than yours.”
“Sophia!” my father interjected. “Act like a lady and watch your language.”
As if being belittled by my father and half-brother wasn’t bad enough, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Weston walk into the restaurant. Our eyes caught, and he did a quick sweep over my dinner companions before heading right for us. I downed the rest of my wine like it was a bottle of water.
“Mr. Sterling. How nice to see you.” Weston put his hand on the back of my chair and graced our table with his most dazzling and annoying smile.
My father looked him up and down and snarled, “Jesus Christ, does anyone give a shit about this hotel? Here I was concerned that the Lockwood family would send someone to try to take my daughter for a ride. At least that’s one thing I don’t have to worry about if they sent you.”
Weston’s lip twitched, and his eyes flitted to me a moment. “Yes, you can sleep well at night knowing I’m not taking your daughter for a ride.”
Spencer leaned back in his chair. “I thought you were in Vegas.”
“Moved back to New York nine months ago. You’re slipping at keeping tabs on me, Spence.”
I had to hide my smirk. My half-brother loathed being called Spence.
“If you’re here,” Spencer said, “then who’s in Sin City keeping the strippers and casinos in business, Lockwood?”
Weston flashed a smug smile. “You mean like Aurora Gables? I hear she’s got someone keeping her busy.”
Spencer’s smile wilted. Interesting. It sounded like Weston had done some homework and had gossip I needed to catch up on related to my perfect half-brother.
My half-brother’s jaw remained clenched as he spoke. “What are you doing about the union issue?”
Weston glanced at me guiltily. “I met with them today. We’re close to reaching an agreement.”
My eyes widened. That little shit. He knew all about the union problem, yet he’d left me holed up, listening to the staff while he disappeared to take care of business. I’d underestimated him and assumed he was out screwing around. Meanwhile, he was two steps ahead of me, dealing with things we should’ve been working on together. Spencer and my father made me angry, but this? I was furious.
“You let a Lockwood go take care of business on his own?” my father snapped. “What the hell is wrong with you? Are you completely incompetent?”
Weston raised his hand. “Whoa. Hang on a minute. Take it down a notch, old man. There’s no reason to raise your voice. Don’t speak to Sophia like that.”
“Don’t you tell me how to talk to my daughter!”
Weston straightened his spine. “I’m not going to stand here and listen to you raise your voice to any woman. I don’t give a shit if she’s your daughter or not. Have a little respect.”