Shattered (closed)

[NewGame8]

Thornton felt Lily squeeze his hand, but he didn't really hear what she was saying. All he heard was something about an italian restaurant. His thoughts at the moment were focused on Cassie. Why did Lily conjure up so many thoughts of her?

He walked out to the car and got in quietly. He heard Lily give the driver the address, and Thornton just stared out the car window as the rode to the restaurant. He leaned his head against the door, and told himself to get a grip.

"I am sorry Lily. I shouldn't have dumped my baggage on you like that. You have been through enough. We are going to have a great meal, and enjoy being away from work for a little while."

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily just let Gerald talk. She was having a hard time keeping her emotions in check. She had blamed Gerald for her mother's death for so long. She was sure he had been cruel to her. Instead, he loved her and wanted to marry her and her mother didn't want him to know about Lily and her past.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the restarant. It was cozy and there was a wait. But the host recognized Lily and led them to a quiet booth in a dark corner, hidden by plush velvet drapes.

The host left them with a bottle of wine and the menus.

 

[NewGame8]

Thornton looked around. He liked this restaurant. He liked the atmosphere. He also liked the fact that they were seated in a quiet spot in the corner. He also liked being with Lily. Despite the fact that she constantly brought back memories of Cassie, he felt good around her. She wasn't just a great manager for his business, she was a comfortable person to spend time with.

He called the waiter over and asked that the bottle of wine be opened. When their wine was poured he said to Lily, "A toast to good people and their company." They clinked glasses and then took a sip of their wine.

"Lily, tell me something about you that I don't know. It doesn't have to be a deep family secret; just something that I don't know about you yet. If you don't feel like sharing, that is ok. I am just trying to make sure we don't talk about business."

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily smiled at his request. She wanted to help him feel better. She wanted to give him a night away from the Casino and memories of her mother. Lily thought for a moment about what to share.

"My mom had friends in northern California. They owned an almond orchard. A couple of times I stayed with them for spring break. i loved being there in the sunshine and the fresh air. The groves smelled lovely. And they would bring in bee boxes to pollinate the trees. I loved watching the beekeeper coax the bees with the smoke. They had honey there and it had the slightest hint of an almond taste to it."

She knew it was a random bit of information, but she wanted to share something special with him.

 

[NewGame8]

He smiled at her enthusiasm for sharing the memory. Her youthful energy was fantastic. Being around Lily made him feel good. It was like Lily made him young.

"I bet the honey was delicious. I can almost taste it just from the way you describe it. The excitement you use to describe it paints a picture that I can practically taste. The smile on your face right now is contagious." Thornton smiled at her. There was nothing about work that was on his mind now. He was just enjoying being out with Lily.

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily smiled and laughed softly.

"I tried to think of a very happy memory. I wanted to make you smile."

Lily took a few sips of her wine.

The waiter returned and Lily ordered the mellanzine del umbria. It was her favorite. eggplant with a crisp breadcrumb coating with a drizzle of lemon butter creme sauce.

Lily nudged Gerald. "Everything on the menu is fantastic. When i was in high school, I waited tables here."

 

[NewGame8]

He smiled at her when she mentioned waiting tables at the restaurant. "I bet you got great tips when you worked here. As good looking as you are, I bet the guys were all giving you good tips in hopes of getting your attention."

Thornton ordered Chicken parm and a Caesar salad. He poured each of them more wine. It was funny.... normally he would wait for the waiter to pour the wine for him, and if it wasn't done in a timely fashion he would flip out on the waiter. Lily softened him... he wasn't the loud brute that he usually was..... hmmm, Cassie again.

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily laughed. "I was a horrible waitress. I spent too much time talking to interesting folks and couldn't keep my orders straight. But it was here that I met the guy that hired me to be on the housekeeping staff at the Stardust. He was a casino old timer. He had known my mother and kinda looked out for me. He thought I might do well in the hotel business and matched my funds so I could go to school and study in the hospitality at UNLV."

Lily reached out and placed her hand over his. "I was a really, really terrible waitress. But I did make decent tips. It is all about the smile."

 

[NewGame8]

He looked down at Lily's hand on his and then looked up at her smile. "With a smile like that you will be able to go far. It says a lot about you and it makes you even more beautiful than you already are."

He thought about what he had just said. "Please do not go and file a sexual harassment suit against me. What I meant to say is that you have a beautiful smile."

They sat in silence for a minute. He took another sip of his wine. "Tell me how long it is going to be before you are going after my job." Thornton smiled at Lily again. "I know I said that we weren't going to talk about business... sorry."

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily laughed out loud at his mention of a harassment suit.

"If someone harassed me, I would make a few back alley phone calls. I wouldn't sue." She said with a wink.

Lily thought about what he said.

"I am not sure I want to be in charge of a casino. Gambling makes me think about men like my dad. I mean, for the tourist or the person that gambles for entertainment, I am glad to help them get to do that. But for men like my father... gamblers that are chasing something that will never happen..." Her voice trailed off.

"but I love the hotel and resort in. I enjoy taking care of people. I love when someone tells me they have had a great stay. Like somehow I have been a part of their happy memories. Think about all of the weddings, honeymoons and vacations you have been a part of as owner of the Chelsea."

 

[NewGame8]

"I love your attitude Lily. I think the biggest part of my problems in this business is that I have always been dealing with men. Men don't look at happy things. They look at money."

He stopped talking and was lost in his thoughts for a minute. His thumb caressed the back of Lily's hand that was still on his. He did that mindlessly. There was no intent there. It simply showed how comfortable Thornton was with Lily.

"You know Lily. You don't think in terms of money, but the way you think is in such a way that it would generate a lot of money. The business will make money by focusing less on money and more on people. Damn, you are good."

 

[wideeyedone]

"Happy customers spend more." Lily said with a shrug. "I learned that when I was doing housekeeping at the Stardust. People who loved their rooms, that felt I was going the extra mile... they left better tips. Then I went to work at the front desk. Win or lose in the casino, people who feel taken care of... they paid my way through college." Lily loved the feel of his thumb on her hand.

"i loved my job at my previous hotel, but the owner...loved my ideas but hated change. It was frustrating to have him say... great job, Lily... maybe in a year or two... knowing he was never really going to try it."

 

[NewGame8]

"Well my dear.... I am open to anything that you come up with. I hope that you have seen that in your short tenure here. I want to make the Chelsea the best. When I say the best I mean the best by far not just by a little."

The waitress brought their food and Thornton ordered another bottle of wine. As they ate he kept stealing glances at Lily. It felt so good to be out with a beautiful woman. The fact that she was an employee didn't matter. It just felt great to be in her company.

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily looked over at Thornton. She felt guilty not telling him about Cassie and her secret. She wanted to absolve him, but she knew the time wasn't right.

So instead, she ate her eggplant and enjoyed his company. She knew she would have to tell him. But she couldn't do it. She couldn't risk him being angry and sending her away. Not now.

 

[NewGame8]

"This was a great choice Lily. The food is delicious." He took his time eating. He wanted to make the time that he spent away from the office with Lily last even longer. He poured them each a little bit more wine.

"Tell me something Lily. Why hasn't a guy snatched you up and made you his wife. You are very attractive. You are a successful business woman. You are very intelligent. You must be beating them off with a stick."

He grinned at Lily. He could tell that she was somewhat embarrassed by his question. "I'm sorry Lily. You don't have to answer that question. I was just trying to make conversation that did not involve work, and you are the most interesting thing I could think of."

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily laughed when he asked about her love life. She was a little embarassed but she also felt safe telling him.

"My mother raised me on love stories. So, I really want the real thing. I have been with some men that I have enjoyed, that I have been friends with, that I have cared about." She looked at Thornton for a moment. "But I have never been in love."

Lily looked out at the restaraunt.

"Do you think that couple over there is madly in love?" She nodded toward a young couple at the table across from them.

 

[NewGame8]

He looked at the couple that Lily was talking about. "I am not sure. I don't know if two people that young know what love is. I think the guy is in lust. I think she really cares for him, but I am not sure that they are in love,"

He looked back at Lily..... making eye contact with her. He smiled at her. "I guess that makes me a pessimist in your eyes. However, I was in love, and it was much more than what I see with them. Sorry if it bursts your bubble."

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily met his gaze.

"She must have been incredible. I thought I might have been in love once. However, he was a high roller. Came from a very respectable family. He wasn't game for an almost orphan with a part time gambler father and no real family. He was pretty horrified to find out I had made my start as a housekeeper."

Lily tore off a piece of bread. She dipped it in the cream sauce.

"Someday..."

 

[NewGame8]

Thornton looked deep into her eyes as she talked about the former love... or almost love. For the first time he thought he saw real heartache. "She was incredible. She didn't truly believe how much I loved her. I think that she thought I had some kind of hidden agenda. All I wanted was to spend the rest of my life with her. She didn't believe it."

He went back to eating his good. He took a couple of bites. He looked back up at her. "Lily you are an extremely beautiful woman that is incredibly smart. You are going to find someone who will love you and that you will love and you wil spend a lot of time together. Trust me on that."

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily laid her silver ware on her plate.

"I am used to being on my own. I am not sure I am the getting married and settling down kind. Besides, I still have a lot to accomplish. I am not in charge of the entire hotel and resort yet."

Lily did her best to smile. But she really wanted to tell him about Cassie, but she knew she couldn't today.

 

[NewGame8]

"Lily I did not say anything about getting married. I said you would find someone to fall in love with. If Cassie, that was her name... if she didn't want to get married, I wish she had just said she didn't want to get married, but she wanted to be with me. I would have been fine with that."

Thornton called the waitress over and asked for the check. "Why don't we go back to my suite and we can talk about your plans to take over my hotel. You can tell me how you are going to pry it from me."

Thornton smiled at Lily as he paid the check and then walked out the door with his beautiful manager. There was no doubt in his mind that Lily was going to run the Chelsea one day. It was just a question of when.

 

[wideeyedone]

When Thornton said her mother's name, Lily could feel the tears coming. She sipped in a deep breath. She blinked a few times fighting off her emotions. Lily smiled at the suggestion that they go back to his suite. She allowed him to lead her back to the car.

"Thanks for a wonderful evening." Lily stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his cheek.

 

[NewGame8]

When Lily kissed him on the cheek, Thornton placed his arm around her and gave her a hug. "No, thank you Lily. You picked a wonderful place and you provided me with the company of the most beautiful, eligible bachelorette in Vegas."

He opened the car door for her and let her enter the limo first. He felt a closeness to Lily that transcended their working relationship. He couldn't figure out what it was, but it felt really good... it felt right.

Thornton entered the limo and closed the door behind him. He placed his hand on Lily's as they rode back to the Chelsea in silence.

 

[wideeyedone]

The strip was alive with tourists and the casinos were all lit up. Lily leant her head against THornton's shoulder as they made their way back to the Chelsea.

Lily's phone buzzed in her bag. She checked the text.

"The police are at the Chelsea. They wanted us to know one of our employees had been assaulted. And he had stolen goods in his possesion. The front desk just texted me."

Lily sighed deeply.

 

[NewGame8]

"That is such a shame. Who would do something like that to one of our employees?" The sarcasm was quite obvious in Thornton's voice. He was not worried about the police being at the Chelsea.

"Lily when we get back to the hotel you go up to my suite and get settled in. I will deal with the police and then come up and we will discuss your plan for taking over the Chelsea. You do not need to involve yourself with the police right now. You can start doing that when you are feeling stronger."

When they pulled up in front of the Chelsea, Thornton got out, turned around and extended his hand to Lily to help her out. They walked in together. Then Lily headed to the elevator while Thornton went to speak with the police.

The police told him about the stolen property on the man who was beaten. Thornton asked if they knew where it was stolen from and the police said they could trace some of it back to other employees at the Chelsea.

Thornton asked the police officer if it would be okay to just return the stolen property and not press charges against the man. After all, he had apparently, by the way the officers described it, suffered enough because of the beating.

When the police officer said that he thought that could be arranged, Thornton thanked him. "Also, detective, would you please tell him that he is no longer employed here and that if he steps foot on the property I will have him arrested for trespassing."

After finishing with the police Thornton headed upstairs. "Lily, I want to do something for all of the waitresses. Since, it would be almost impossible to tell who he stole from I think I should give them all a bonus. What do you think about $500?"