Chapter 28 : A Business Meeting

**Cat POV I could tell that Luke was upset by Jason leaving my cabin early in the morning. We'd just settled one misunderstanding, and I didn't want another one to get in the way. Just as I was heading over to Luke's front door, he came out of the cabin, fully dressed and fresh. He eyed me up and down, taking in my rumpled clothes and messy hair. "Hey, I just wanted to let you know, that stuff with Jason isn't what it looks like," I said, pointing in the direction Jason had walked off. Luke shook his head. "It isn't my business." His voice was cold and hard. "Like, nothing happened," I said quickly. He just waved my explanation away. "We don't have time to discuss personal matters. One of the local architects agreed to a meeting this morning. He'll be working with you on the project." "Oh, is he coming here so I can meet him?" I asked, glad to change the topic to work. "No, we're meeting him at the hotel. I've got a car waiting," Luke said, nodding toward the villa entrance. "Oh. Isn't it going to be crazy at the hotel with all the wedding planning?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. Luke shrugged indifferently. "Probably, but I can't ask him to come here. You'll understand when you meet him." "Right now?" I asked. "You'll probably want to change," Luke said, running his eyes up and down my body again. His face remained cold. I shivered and headed back inside to shower and change. It felt rushed, and I didn't have time to pick out a really good outfit. I went with something professional, but I wasn't sure it was the right vibe. Luke led me to the car, and we got in the back seat. He kept his eyes out the window and never said a word. After our dinner together, I thought we'd be able to talk, but now it was Luke that was freezing me out. When we pulled up to the resort, the car slowed way down. People were bustling back and forth, carrying large bouquets of flowers and other decorations into the tropical garden that the resort had. "Is that where the wedding is happening?" I asked, pointing to the entrance of the garden. That got Luke's attention. He shifted toward me. "I guess so. So far, I've managed to stay out of the planning phase." I saw Mrs. Carter standing at the edge of the garden, shouting at people in a loud voice. Beside her was a scrawny, pale woman holding a clipboard. She looked jumpy and terrified, following Mrs. Carter around making notes on the clipboard. "Your mom seems busy with the planning," I said with a giggle. "She likes to take control of big events like this," Luke muttered. He didn't return my attempt at humor. I chewed my lower lip and looked at my lap. The car moved forward, inch by inch. The driver was being extra careful not to run anyone over. "How many of the guests at the resort are here because they were invited to the wedding?" I asked aloud, even though I was asking myself more than Luke. "Knowing my family, all of them. I think some are coming just for the wedding and leaving, since it's fully booked," he explained. I glanced at him and arched an eyebrow. "Yet, you had no trouble booking out all the villas." "As the owner, I do have a few perks that no one else gets to take advantage of," he said matter-of-factly. We finally made it to the front of the resort. Several workers flooded out of the front door holding large silver platters with different place setting arrangements. I imagined the entire resort would be this busy until the wedding. Knowing what I knew about Mrs. Carter and Fiona, they'd need it to be a big event. "Just don't look at them. If my mom sees us, she'll come right over and try to rope us into helping," Luke warned, touching the small of my back and hurrying me inside. "We have actual work to focus on." "Noted," I muttered, letting Luke push me along. "I booked out a private dining area for us to meet with the architect. The project is still confidential, and I don't want anyone sticking their noses in our business," Luke continued. The resort lobby had white marble floors and a beautiful oriental carpet. I didn't have much time to look over the resort with how busy the common areas were. As Luke rushed me through, I spotted several areas where there were wedding decorations being hung on the walls, in the door frames, and on the windows. Luke brought me to an outdoor dining patio. There was a massive umbrella covering the entire patio and several small tables. There was no actual "patio" under the tables. It was just beach sand. Each table had a direct line of sight to the ocean. "There he is," Luke said, waving to the only other person seated there. The architect was dressed in a fine suit. He nodded at us but didn't stand up when we approached. I thought that was strange. He looked like a real gentleman. He was older, with white hair and knobby knuckles, but he was still working. "Mr. Carter. Thank you for the invitation. I am really looking forward to getting started on this project." Luke strode up to the architect and grabbed his hand, shaking it. Luke wasn't at all put off by the architect remaining seated. "This is Catherine Walker. She's my newest architect and will be the lead on this project," Luke introduced me. "Cat, this is Albert Williams. He's an architect familiar with the area. He'll be guiding you." "Mr. Williams, it is nice to meet you," I said, holding a hand out. Albert shook my hand, smiling widely so the corners of his eyes crinkled. Luke held a chair out for me, and we sat down with the architect. It was then that I noticed the cane resting against the table. He probably needed it to walk. That was why he couldn't meet us at the cabins. If he was unsteady on his legs and needed extra support, he would have struggled to walk on the narrow boardwalks. "I'll order us some breakfast. You two start talking about the project," Luke said. He left me alone at the table with Albert. "So, Cat, I'm curious to know what you think of the project," he said, picking up the conversation quickly. "I think it is highly ambitious, honestly. This is a private island. Do you really think it is a good idea to build more luxurious residential housing and encourage the growth of a local population here?" I asked. Albert smiled at me and sighed. "I see why Mr. Carter hired you. This resort is a huge tourist destination. That means it is always fully staffed." "Right, and full staffing means that people need to travel from other islands, commuting to work every day," I finished his thought for him. Albert nodded. Luke returned with glasses of water for us. "I ordered three of the breakfast specials. Don't worry, there is nothing raw in it today." "Raw?" I asked. Albert and Luke laughed at me. It was the first smile I'd seen from Luke all day. "Sometimes, the local cuisine includes raw fish," Luke explained. I shivered, thinking about the fish that had brushed by my leg the day before. Eating a fully cooked, well-prepared fish was one thing. But raw? I shivered again and took a sip of water. "Currently, there are some residential houses on the island, but they aren't adequate," Albert said, going right back to our conversation. "Yes, some of the employees here didn't like commuting from island to island, and they set up their own homes," Luke explained. "That doesn't sound safe, or sanitary," I muttered. A waiter showed up and gave us each our "breakfast special." After Luke's warning, I was happy to see a stack of pancakes and some fresh fruit and yogurt. He winked at me when I looked at him. I rolled my eyes and cut into the pancakes. "We get frequent hurricanes down here. High winds and flood waters. That means very unsanitary conditions in makeshift homes," Albert agreed. "We aren't just looking to grow the local population; we're looking to provide healthier, safer housing for the employees," Luke added. "Wow. I never knew you cared so much for the low-level employees at an out-of-country resort," I said, fixing Luke with a look. Luke shrugged and popped a berry into his mouth. "What's good for the employees is good for the resort. We establish a local population, and they set up their own community. That is a huge draw for tourists that want to venture outside of the resort." Biting my lip, I looked down at my half-eaten breakfast. Luke was really smart. I should have known that seeing as he was the CEO of a major development company, but it always surprised me when his wisdom showed through. "That's not a bad plan. In that case, I'm really looking forward to getting started on this," I said smiling at Luke and Albert. "Luke is really the mastermind behind all this. I have local knowledge about storm-safe housing and local architecture. But he has the vision to change this entire island to benefit the workers, the locals, and the tourists," Albert said. He leaned forward and clapped Luke on the back. "Is that so?" I asked, looking at Luke. He smiled, but he didn't say anything. He was actually showing humility. For the first time, I could see past the mind games and his mocking exterior. Luke was a property development genius. More than that, he was a humanitarian. He was much different than his family, and for that, I was grateful. "Who knew you were so cool?" I asked, teasing him. Luke winked at me. "Is this going to be your first big project as an architect?" Albert asked. We spent the rest of our breakfast chatting about my experience and Albert's. It was great talking to another architect, especially one that had worked in this environment before. He gave me a lot of good tips and pointers to keep in mind for when we really got started. My mind wandered throughout the meeting, thinking of Luke. He was not the person I thought he was. "Cat, are you still with us?" Luke teased, waving a hand in front of my eyes. I smiled shyly, my cheeks warming. "Sorry, my mind is getting lost in work." My cheeks got even hotter when I fibbed, and I looked away from Luke. He chuckled and shook his head like he knew I wasn't telling the truth. Clang! Crash! I started and turned toward the resort lobby where a huge commotion echoed out to where we were eating. "What the h*ll was that?" I asked.