Mandy Makes Her Mark Read Free Page B

class—no doubt upgraded by an admiring flight attendant, the sort of thing that was always happening to him. Jayde and Sylvie had both been seated in the main cabin, their stunning looks having less of an effect on the flight crew, perhaps. Jayde jumped up and hugged Mandy, but Sylvie barely looked up from her magazine, and Mandy spent the next six hours in a middle seat all the way in the back, being jabbed with the elbows of the businessmen on either side. Sleep was out of the question.
    There was only a brief layover before the puddle jumper to Key Grande, and Mandy spent it bolting down a sandwich. She was accustomed to being the only person in a room eating, but Jayde at least joined her for a smoothie, then regaled her with stories of her Minnesota childhood. By the time the plane landed and they exited to the tiny airport hangar, Mandy was desperate for a nap. Maybe she’d just go straight to bed and sleep until tomorrow and pray that everything fell into place on its own. Let Lark sweat the details for once.
    But when she walked through the terminal, Zeke was waiting, holding a sign with the names of everyone from the agency except for her—and Mandy remembered that the one detail she hadn’t taken care of was to book herself on the shuttle to the island.
    She’d hoped that one of her models would offer to stay back with her—but one by one, they filed past her without meeting her eyes: imperious Sylvie, grumpy Tad, and anxious Jayde. Poor Zeke, forced to deal with all that attitude. No wonder he looked exhausted now.
    Mandy handed him some folded bills.
    â€œOh hey, thanks, Mandy, but it’s not necessary.”
    â€œWell…” Mandy had a feeble burst of inspiration, fueled by her resolution to use this trip to wake up her inner flirt. She fluttered her eyelashes and swept her hair off her shoulders. “Perhaps you could use it to buy me a drink later.”
    â€œSay! Not a bad idea,” Zeke said, pocketing the cash and then chucking her on the shoulder in a decidedly unromantic way.
    Mandy knew the move well; it was a sign of the sort of “buddy” relationship she inspired in men, especially once they met Luna. Well, you could never have too many guy friends, right?
    â€œLooking forward to it,” she said gamely.
    On the way to the registration desk, Zeke chatted amiably about the history of the island, the layout, the activities, and entertainment available.
    â€œI’m here for business, but I hope I’ll be able to take advantage of the resort when I’m not working,” she said.
    â€œOh? What sort of work do you do?”
    â€œI run a modeling agency. We’re doing a shoot for a bridal wear collection.”
    â€œYou don’t say?” Zeke seemed genuinely impressed. “That explains the, uh, distinctive appearance of that last crew. They all yours?”
    â€œAll mine,” Mandy said, thinking , for better or worse .
    â€œAnd you’re what, like their boss?”
    â€œWell, in a sense, I suppose. I mean, you’d probably have a hard time convincing any of them that they report to me. They tend to be…headstrong.”
    â€œAh. So you’re more like their babysitter. Making sure they make good choices and so forth.”
    Mandy couldn’t help laughing. “You’re not so far off the mark.”
    Zeke introduced her to the concierge, an elegant woman named Amelia Drake with a silver bob and large, stylish glasses. Amelia gave her a key and directions to her bungalow. As Mandy was walking through the manor she took a quick look into the restaurant and lounge.
    Sitting at the bar, to her surprise, was Tad. He was hunched over a drink, looking like he could use a double. Mandy slunk by, hoping Tad hadn’t noticed her. The last thing she needed when she was so exhausted was the emotional turmoil caused by spending time with Tad. Making conversation with him was like pulling teeth; he avoided