Polynesian Princess Hotel.â Courtney introduced him with the same drama one would expect for the presentation of the Queen of England.
The writers mumbled a greeting. All except Phil.
âI believe you already know Phil Diamond,â Courtney said.
The two men glowered at each other.
âThis is Annabelle Gatch,â Courtney said quickly. âShe writes for
Travel on a Shoestring.
â
âIs that Miss or Mrs. Gatch?â Desmond asked.
âMiz-z-z-z,â Annabelle hissed.
âMs. Gatch, then,â Desmond said graciously, shaking her hand. âI think youâll find the Polynesian Princess offers its guests excellent value.â
âHmph,â Annabelle replied. âThe complimentary shampoo is microscopic. And thereâs no sewing kit, no shoe shine kit, no nail care kitââ
âIâll look into all of it,â the hotel manager said diplomatically. Turning to Frieda, he asked, âAnd you areâ¦?â
âFrieda Stein,
Go Seniors!
magazine.â
She stuck out her hand, as if to shake. Instead, Desmond grasped her fingers and brought them to his lips.
âEnchanté,â
he murmured.
Frieda giggled. âMy goodness! What a charmer you are, Mr. Farnaby!â
âThank you, my dear. And I hope youâre equally charmed by our lovely hotel.â
âThis is Mallory Marlowe,â Courtney said, stepping behind her chair and placing her hands on her shoulders. âMallory writes for
The Good Life.â
âAh. A fine magazine. Itâs a real pleasure to have you as our guest, Ms. Marlowe.â
When Desmond shook her hand instead of kissing it, Mallory didnât know whether or not to be insulted. In the end, she decided it was better to be treated like a professional than a femme fatale.
âAnd last but certainly not least, this is Wade McKay, the publisher of
Living Well.
Itâs a Canadian magazine thatâs based in Toronto.â
âWade.â
âDesmond.â
The two men shook hands. Phil looked on, scowling.
âI hope you all make yourselves at home,â Desmond said, spreading his arms in a welcoming gesture. âIf thereâs anything I can do to make your stay more enjoyable, please donât hesitate to ask.â
âHow about that nail care kit?â Annabelle muttered.
âThank you, Mr. Farnaby.â Beaming, Courtney added, âWeâll be seeing more of Mr. Farnaby later on, at the reception this evening. If you have any questions about the hotel, heâll be happy to answer them then.
âAs for the other aspects of your visit,â she continued, focusing on the group once Desmond had left, âI want you to feel you can come to me for anything you want. Youâre our guests. So I encourage you to think of me as much more than just your tour guide and point of contact here in Orlando. Think of me as your family. Your sister or your daughterââ
âToo bad incest has such a bad name,â Phil wise-cracked. âI canât remember the last time I was on a press trip with such a hottie.â
Courtney froze. Mallory winced as she watched the young womanâs face turn as red as the anthuriums that decorated the table.
âHey, part of your job is to make sure all of us have a good time, right?â Phil went on, smirking. âIâve already got a few ideas. And the fact that weâre in a hotel makes them a lot easier to put into practice, if you catch my drift.â
Mallory glanced around the table. All the writers had the same stricken looks on their faces.
âThe people who read my website are always looking for new and unusual things to do,â he continued. âSo I hope youâre open to trying new things. It just so happens I packed a copy of the Kama Sutra in my suitcase.â
âIâI wasnât going to admit this,â the young tour guide stammered, âbut this is the first time Iâve run a
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