Billionaire's Love Suite Read Free

that though Justin was the best there was when it
came to balance sheets and investments, he had not spent the last ten years
learning the hotel business. His secret dream was the ambition of a lonely
child. He didn’t know how to market, advertise or expand the hotel business.
He didn’t know if he should or should not shut down food and beverage.
He didn’t know how to manage the staff and he didn’t know what
other people looked for in a luxury hotel. He only knew what he liked and
that didn’t count for much when millions of dollars were at stake.
    In the past three weeks since his father’s death, Justin had been going
through a crash course in hotel management, and he was being taught by his
new Director of Operations, Shana Jackson.
    Justin didn’t understand that hotel staff personnel were a nation unto
their own, though he’d read this in one of Shana Jackson’s first emails. She
had told him that each and every person on staff was essentially a caregiver.
It was critical that the staff understood that the patrons walking in
the hotel front doors were often sleep-deprived, hungry and irritable from
jet-lag or traffic. Good staff understood that they needed to act as quickly
as emergency room attendants to their guests. Saving sanity was part of the
“mission” of a great hotel.
    Justin hadn’t known any of this. He hadn’t met Shana Jackson yet, but
she was already becoming indispensable in many ways. Unfortunately, she
had submitted initial renovation budgets that called for tens of millions
of dollars to be spent to completely overhaul every property in the chain
starting with the New York City hotel first. Justin had known updating was
necessary, but he was shocked at the kind of expansive changes Shana adamantly
believed were necessary to not only compete but to thrive in the
future.
    When Justin had gone to the credit markets in the United States for a
loan, they had turned him down flat. They thought several of the hotels
should be demolished and the land sold. The idea that his family’s legacy
could wind up as a parking lot not only saddened Justin, but it angered him
to no end.
    He looked at Trent. “I never thought I would be caught between the
proverbial rock and a hard place.”
    “You could have put up your own cash for the renovations. Lord knows
you’re set for a couple lifetimes,” Trent offered looking down at his shoes.
He knew Justin’s response before he closed his mouth.
    “With these last figures from Shana, the budget totals well over my portfolio’s
worth,” Justin explained.
    Trent took a deep breath. “So, buddy. You’ve got this first round of
financing secured here in Beijing.”
    Justin nodded solemnly and then rubbed his weary blue eyes. “I did.
However, I don’t like shelling out a half a point higher interest than anyone
else is paying. Still, it was that or walk away empty handed. They should be
real damn happy.”
    “Hey, half the businessmen I know would love to trade shoes with you,
pal. It’s not so bad.”
    “Yeah.”
    “So, you said Shana’s been giving you solid pointers about the business.
And even though you don’t like it, you didn’t turn down her ideas about the
renovations. You must believe that her ideas are sound and that they will
work.”
    Justin sucked in a huge breath. “I do. Frankly, I’ve believed the same
thing for a long time. Anyone who looks at the hotels can see how dated
they are. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out.”
    “So, why are you so angry with her?”
    “I’m not…exactly.”
    Trent eyed him sharply surveying his friend’s face. “I get it. She’s
smarter than you, huh? That’s what’s got your goat.”
    Justin smiled impishly and nodded. “Ah, but I was smart enough to
hire her. It’s just that she’s knowledgeable about something I should have
forced myself to take the time to learn years ago. It’s my own fault and I know better. I should have