Addicted (The Addicted Series, #1)(115)

"I don't know. There is a track nearby I might try and find out, but the fastest I've had her up to is a hundred and forty on a road trip through Canada on a vacation. But there are NISMOs that can top two hundred easily. I've spent most of it on getting the zero to sixty time down. I'm at just under one point eight seconds right now."

I blinked. I think my car did zero to sixty in about ten times that. "Wow. So does that mean you're driving this every day now?"

Yuki nodded with a smile. "I can't just let her stay inside all the time, although I am getting a SUV for the winter months, when the roads are snowy or we have bad driving conditions. But in good weather, this baby is going to purr."

"Amazing. Well, I guess we need to get this meeting with Mr. Williamson out of the way. Any advice?"

Yuki laughed and nodded. "Yes. Mind your manners. He's not a bad man I think, but he has been in the Forrester Hotel group for almost forty years. He knows this is his last assignment before he retires, and he plans on, as he put it, training the next generation properly. I would suggest not telling him to, what was it you said, Krystal? Yes, no telling him to f*ck off."

I groaned and sighed, walking away after giving Yuki's car a lingering last look. "I only said it once, you know. Sheesh, tell your boss to f*ck off once, and it stays with you forever."

Yuki led us to the general manager's office, where a man who was older than John Castelbon sat behind his desk, dressed in a perfectly pressed gray suit. "Mr. Williamson, this is Julian Castelbon and Krystal Aksoy." She nodded respectfully, and turned to go, slipping me a wink as she did. "No f*ck off!" she mouthed as she walked out the door, and I had to repress a smile.

"Come in, please and close the door," Mr. Williamson said. I felt like I was back in school being called to the principal's office. "It's good to meet you two. I've been looking over your profiles, expecting your arrivals. Mr. Forrester has made it clear to me, you two are in a relationship?"

"Yes we are," Julian said, "I was assured it wasn't going to be a problem."

"Since you are on equal levels in the hotel chain of command, it shouldn't be," Williamson replied. "On the other hand, I must make it very clear that regardless of that and your, ahem, personal relationship with Mr. Forrester, I expect you both to uphold the highest standards of professionalism. That means that where guests can see you, no public displays of affection, especially if you are on duty."

"We understand," I said, giving Julian a warning glance. I could read Williamson like a book, and understood it was a very old-school book. He ran his hotel like he was in the military, and would not be afraid to cut down anyone who gave him trouble. "Outside our quarters, there is no public displays of affection on resort grounds. Is that going to be all the time?"

"Most of the time. I'm not exactly Captain Bligh, regardless of what some of the younger staff may say about me. There are social events and other such times on the resort calendar in which the lines of duty are somewhat relaxed, and you'll be given the opportunity to act more, well, more relaxed. Miss Watanabe has that schedule already for the next two months."

It took me a minute to realize that Williamson was talking about Yuki, who in all the years we'd interacted together, I'd never heard anyone refer to her by her family name, although I should have known since Masaharu Morimoto signed the gift to her uncle with the same name. Still, it took me by surprise. "We'll check with her."

"Good. As to current business, for about the next month there isn't much on site for you two to do. I understand why Mr. Forrester asked you to come up however, as the weather turns cold very soon, and when the snows set in, it's not a pleasant time to travel. Also, from what I understand Miss Aksoy, you wish to create a menu that is based off of local products, correct?"

"Outside of a few standards such as hamburgers, a pasta dish, and other things, yes. I'd like at least half of the menu items to be seasonal and local."

I caught a hint of a smile from Williamson, and I think I went up a notch in his eyes. "Excellent. If so, you would probably want to spend as much time as you can over the next month exploring the Kennebunkport area. There are a lot of lobster boats in Maine of course, but there are other things as well. Do you have leads on suppliers?"

I shook my head. "I have some on vegetables, but since I wanted as much of our seafood to be straight off the boat as possible, I still need to meet the local fishermen."

"Okay. I suggest starting with the local chamber of commerce, and of course heading down to the docks themselves. There has to be at least four or five crusty old seadogs who can point you in the right direction. Now, as for you Mr. Castelbon, you have your own kettle of fish to fry."

"I do. First semester finals are next week, and I'm taking four courses."

"So I've been informed. Let me put it bluntly, Mr. Castelbon. I've worked for Forrester Hotels since I graduated the University of Ohio over forty years ago. In that time, I've worked with quite a few members of the program you are a member of. Each of them, regardless of whether under Mr. Dwayne Forrester or under his father's time as head of the company, came in with impeccable academic credentials, and a relatively clean history. Mr. Castelbon, you have neither. What you do have is a record that includes three felonies, numerous civil lawsuits, and a list of former girlfriends that reads like my grandson's copy of the Maxim 100. That, and the endorsement of Mr. Forrester himself. I will be a very strict, but a very fair taskmaster, Mr. Castelbon. Do not think I will not act with total professionalism towards you. On that same note, there will be no slack just because you are friends with Mr. Forrester. Do I make myself clear?"