Sweetheart Deal Read Free Page A

appliances.
    â€œOur beds have high thread count Egyptian cotton sheets and your choice of pillows,” Alejandro said with a wry smile as he followed me into the bedroom. “And a specially made mattress so comfortable that guests often claim they’ve never enjoyed anywhere they’ve spent the night more.”
    I willed myself not to think about how long it had been since I’d actually enjoyed spending the night in my own bedroom.
    Much less anywhere else …
    The remainder of the tour was something of a blur as we wove around the never-ending mosaic-lined swimming pools featuring everything from submerged chaises to swim-up bars, past the championship golf course, and out to a stretch of soft white sand that looked out onto the impossibly blue waters of the Mayan Riviera.
    â€œDelightful,” Alejandro said. “Yes?”
    So were the undertones of his spicy yet subtle cologne as I followed him into the resort sales office.
    Vacation ownership at the luxe Hacienda de la Fortuna had to come with a steep price tag, so I expected to see a room full of uncomfortable presentees, all seated in defensive positions, looking nervously at one another, arms and legs crossed, the women clutching their handbags, and the men looking down at their feet. Instead, prospective buyers seemed downright relaxed as they sipped on cocktails, nibbled on snacks, and chatted with well-dressed salespeople.
    As Alejandro led me toward his office on the other side of the sales floor, he stopped to check in at various conversation clusters.
    â€œHow has your experience with us been so far?”
    â€œWonderful,” said an older lady. “Antonio here is taking wonderful care of me.”
    Antonio, who looked like Alejandro’s slightly swarthy brother, gave her a playful wink. “Tell me, are you staying in an ocean or courtyard room?”
    â€œCourtyard,” she said.
    â€œHow about we upgrade this fine lady so she can enjoy the view?” he said.
    â€œDone,” Alejandro said.
    â€œWow,” she said. “Thank you.”
    â€œWow is right,” I said, after watching Alejandro proceed to authorize a free boat tour pass for one family and stop to pour a congratulatory glass of champagne from the signing bottle of another on our way to his glass-walled office. “I can’t imagine how this could be any more—”
    â€œPleasant?” he asked as he motioned me to sit and an assistant appeared with snack and beverage cart. “That’s how we roll around here.”
    The presentation itself lasted far longer than it was supposed to, but the time somehow flew by as I sipped on a fresh margarita. Alejandro covered everything from a brief history of the resort to a detailed explanation of the exchange program that allowed owners to trade their vacation time at Hacienda de la Fortuna with resorts all over the world.
    â€œCertainly in Hawaii and the Bahamas,” he said, recounting the spots I’d mentioned over lunch as destinations I most wanted to visit.
    â€œSo I can trade my week here for—?”
    â€œA romantic getaway to Bora Bora,” he said. “If that’s what you desire.”
    I looked down and fiddled with my ring so neither the camera nor Alejandro could see my expression. “I can’t imagine anyone desiring anything more than what you’re offering here.”
    â€œI’m glad you feel that way,” Alejandro said.
    â€œI guess it all comes down to cost …” I mumbled, “versus benefits.”
    â€œWhich we have in abundance,” he said.
    I looked up and our eyes met again.
    Alejandro pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. “Given everything you’ve told me about your lifestyle and vacation habits, I hope you will allow me to presume that your family would be most interested in a three-bedroom unit you’d use for two weeks a year?”
    â€œTheoretically,” I said.