the half hour we spent chatting. So what? He’s a stimulating conversationalist, too. Regarding him now, she no longer saw him as the famous All Black but as a man—a man who was stealing into her thoughts a little too often.
“I did have a reason for joining you today.” Jase’s comment sent a further crack splintering through Debra’s earlier euphoria. So he hadn’t casually sought her out. He’s probably been bored silly with my chatter.
She drew back and thrust out her chin as her face burned. Stupid woman! What had she been thinking? Her personality didn’t attract men, especially not attractive men like Jase McEwan.
“If I can clear your absence with George, would you like to come to Queenstown with me on Wednesday?”
Moments ago she would have leapt at the offer, but now her intellect was in charge. He had to have another reason, rather than a burning desire for her company. His next words confirmed this.
“Southland is encouraging tourists to take in the Southern Scenic route rather than just doing Queenstown, Milford Sound, and back to Dunedin. We’re having some success but its slow catching on, especially during the winter months.”
He slid his empty plate aside and leaned forward. She couldn’t doubt his enthusiasm. “Here at Riversleigh we’re trying something else. I’m meeting a small group of Japanese businessmen in Queenstown tomorrow, escorting them around the Southern route and then touting the resort as an ideal venue for meetings, conferences, etcetera, as well as showing them we know how to relax and pamper them. I know enough Japanese to get by, and I’m sure they’ll have an interpreter with them, but if I showed up with a fluent speaker from my staff...” He raised his eyebrows.
“It would make you look good,” Debra supplied dryly.
“Exactly.” Jase nodded, showing no embarrassment at his subterfuge.
“So what happens when they get here next year expecting fluency on staff?”
“And you won’t be here,” Jase’s comment was a statement, not a question. “We can cater with basic French, German and Japanese for guests already. The local high school is helping but I wouldn’t call any of us fluent yet. We’re all studying to get better.”
Thrusting aside the hurt she refused to acknowledge, Debra once again became the consummate businesswoman. Jase had included himself in this endeavour to extend the hotel’s service.
Debra’s fingers rubbed an imaginary mark on the table while her mind digested this. Points for his personality had waned, but professionally they were increasing in his favour.
“So would you like to come? It’s not a requirement of the job or anything. You can refuse.” As she remained silent, he dipped his head and muttered, “You’d have a chance to see some of the area.”
A day in his company, even with Japanese businessmen, would give her a deeper insight into his character—only to ascertain his involvement with any wrong-doing at the hotel, of course.
“Will Ms. Murphy be going too?”
For a second, before he managed to hide it, derision flashed across his face. “No, she’s tied up with other meetings. It’ll just be me and you.”
Ahh. So this was Jase’s idea. It might be an attempt to up the room rate, which Madeline Murphy either disapproved of, or rejected out of hand. Interesting...
“Okay, I’ll come. I’d never get that far on my days off. It would be good to have a look around.”
“And put you in your mother’s good books?”
“Oh, yes. It will definitely do that.” Debra grimaced at the thought of Karin’s reaction.
Not only was she going to see some of her mother’s beloved Southland countryside, she’d be spending the day with an attractive man. The same attractive man Karin knew she’d had a teenage crush on. Sadly he didn’t know Debra existed, except as a useful language tool.
Chapter Four
Hidden away in her room, dictating work to her personal assistant via her cell phone, Debra
“I did have a reason for joining you today.” Jase’s comment sent a further crack splintering through Debra’s earlier euphoria. So he hadn’t casually sought her out. He’s probably been bored silly with my chatter.
She drew back and thrust out her chin as her face burned. Stupid woman! What had she been thinking? Her personality didn’t attract men, especially not attractive men like Jase McEwan.
“If I can clear your absence with George, would you like to come to Queenstown with me on Wednesday?”
Moments ago she would have leapt at the offer, but now her intellect was in charge. He had to have another reason, rather than a burning desire for her company. His next words confirmed this.
“Southland is encouraging tourists to take in the Southern Scenic route rather than just doing Queenstown, Milford Sound, and back to Dunedin. We’re having some success but its slow catching on, especially during the winter months.”
He slid his empty plate aside and leaned forward. She couldn’t doubt his enthusiasm. “Here at Riversleigh we’re trying something else. I’m meeting a small group of Japanese businessmen in Queenstown tomorrow, escorting them around the Southern route and then touting the resort as an ideal venue for meetings, conferences, etcetera, as well as showing them we know how to relax and pamper them. I know enough Japanese to get by, and I’m sure they’ll have an interpreter with them, but if I showed up with a fluent speaker from my staff...” He raised his eyebrows.
“It would make you look good,” Debra supplied dryly.
“Exactly.” Jase nodded, showing no embarrassment at his subterfuge.
“So what happens when they get here next year expecting fluency on staff?”
“And you won’t be here,” Jase’s comment was a statement, not a question. “We can cater with basic French, German and Japanese for guests already. The local high school is helping but I wouldn’t call any of us fluent yet. We’re all studying to get better.”
Thrusting aside the hurt she refused to acknowledge, Debra once again became the consummate businesswoman. Jase had included himself in this endeavour to extend the hotel’s service.
Debra’s fingers rubbed an imaginary mark on the table while her mind digested this. Points for his personality had waned, but professionally they were increasing in his favour.
“So would you like to come? It’s not a requirement of the job or anything. You can refuse.” As she remained silent, he dipped his head and muttered, “You’d have a chance to see some of the area.”
A day in his company, even with Japanese businessmen, would give her a deeper insight into his character—only to ascertain his involvement with any wrong-doing at the hotel, of course.
“Will Ms. Murphy be going too?”
For a second, before he managed to hide it, derision flashed across his face. “No, she’s tied up with other meetings. It’ll just be me and you.”
Ahh. So this was Jase’s idea. It might be an attempt to up the room rate, which Madeline Murphy either disapproved of, or rejected out of hand. Interesting...
“Okay, I’ll come. I’d never get that far on my days off. It would be good to have a look around.”
“And put you in your mother’s good books?”
“Oh, yes. It will definitely do that.” Debra grimaced at the thought of Karin’s reaction.
Not only was she going to see some of her mother’s beloved Southland countryside, she’d be spending the day with an attractive man. The same attractive man Karin knew she’d had a teenage crush on. Sadly he didn’t know Debra existed, except as a useful language tool.
Chapter Four
Hidden away in her room, dictating work to her personal assistant via her cell phone, Debra
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