Read Online Otter Under Fire by Dakota Rose Royce - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dakota Rose Royce
Ads: Link
circa 1922. Tempest felt very elegant in her custom made suit and designer accessories, but she almost wished she had worn a hat—given the surroundings.
She hadn’t seen Aunt Carole and Uncle Florian for a little while. They sent her a card every year on her birthday and at Christmas and there was usually a nice letter and an even nicer check. They talked to her on the phone when Otter called them—just to say hello. They lived out in the middle of nowhere at the time, hopefully they weren’t getting bored.
But then they requested to see her in person, by herself and Otter free. That was unusual. So she allowed them to arrange a flight for her and she made sure she wore her best tailored silk blend business suit so she would make a good impression.
Tempest had a secret that only Otter knew. Her business was a success, but she wasn’t making a lot of money yet. Sure, her clients were becoming more successful, but that didn’t always translate into lots of dollars in her pocket. It was all working though, because Tempest had a plan.
It was true that all her clothing was custom tailored and she had a closet full of designer bags and shoes. She had her own personal soda pop fountain in the kitchen that was replenished for her by a company delivery man that usually only made commercial deliveries. She had lovely pieces of jewelry. She had a motorcycle, the latest in electronics and a beautiful office with a large conference room.
They were all payments from her clients.
It was rather brilliant, really. If she had demanded large sums of money, many of her clients wouldn’t have been able to afford her services and possibly gone out of business. Instead they gave her merchandise and services along with smaller payments so that all of them thrived to their mutual benefit. Tempest reasoned that she wouldn’t have been able to afford much of what she had even if she charged them all full price. Consequently she looked the part of a wealthy and successful marketing strategist while building her business from almost nothing.
The driveway sported a vintage Mercedes and a Land Rover. The lands behind the breathtaking house were extensive and filled with curiosities that Tempest would have loved to explore. It was evident that engineering and design ran in the family.
The door was answered by The Leonard Florian himself. He had aged extremely well, Tempest thought. He was still tall and handsome, but his hair had gone from blonde to white. His hazel eyes were full of intelligence and confidence, borne of being the best in the world.
Vaguely Tempest remembered seeing a gossip magazine that reported that Leonard Florian had been spotted playing poker with Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa in a bar a couple hundred miles from Graceland only last month. She had giggled to herself when she had seen it and wondered if he had read it.
Leonard Florian became one of the first famous chefs. He was known not only for his mastery of the culinary arts, but he was an engineer as well. His fame came from kitchen appliances and gadgets he invented that revolutionized food preparation. At the height of his popularity, he had disappeared with his wife on an ice covered mountain road in late 2007. Many people thought he was dead. Otter said they just got tired of living in the limelight.
“It’s so good to see you,” Leonard Florian said, giving her a big hug, “and thank you so much for coming out to see us.”
“How could I resist? You made it sound quite secret and exciting.”
“That was always your draw,” he said as he opened the door wide so she could come inside. “You loved an adventure.”
He led her to a comfortable and lovely sitting room. Over the fireplace was the original of their legendary wedding photograph. He had married a premier dancer who later became the designer of the 80’s and the 90’s whose brand continued even though nobody was really sure if she was still alive.
As if she read Tempest’s mind, Carole
She hadn’t seen Aunt Carole and Uncle Florian for a little while. They sent her a card every year on her birthday and at Christmas and there was usually a nice letter and an even nicer check. They talked to her on the phone when Otter called them—just to say hello. They lived out in the middle of nowhere at the time, hopefully they weren’t getting bored.
But then they requested to see her in person, by herself and Otter free. That was unusual. So she allowed them to arrange a flight for her and she made sure she wore her best tailored silk blend business suit so she would make a good impression.
Tempest had a secret that only Otter knew. Her business was a success, but she wasn’t making a lot of money yet. Sure, her clients were becoming more successful, but that didn’t always translate into lots of dollars in her pocket. It was all working though, because Tempest had a plan.
It was true that all her clothing was custom tailored and she had a closet full of designer bags and shoes. She had her own personal soda pop fountain in the kitchen that was replenished for her by a company delivery man that usually only made commercial deliveries. She had lovely pieces of jewelry. She had a motorcycle, the latest in electronics and a beautiful office with a large conference room.
They were all payments from her clients.
It was rather brilliant, really. If she had demanded large sums of money, many of her clients wouldn’t have been able to afford her services and possibly gone out of business. Instead they gave her merchandise and services along with smaller payments so that all of them thrived to their mutual benefit. Tempest reasoned that she wouldn’t have been able to afford much of what she had even if she charged them all full price. Consequently she looked the part of a wealthy and successful marketing strategist while building her business from almost nothing.
The driveway sported a vintage Mercedes and a Land Rover. The lands behind the breathtaking house were extensive and filled with curiosities that Tempest would have loved to explore. It was evident that engineering and design ran in the family.
The door was answered by The Leonard Florian himself. He had aged extremely well, Tempest thought. He was still tall and handsome, but his hair had gone from blonde to white. His hazel eyes were full of intelligence and confidence, borne of being the best in the world.
Vaguely Tempest remembered seeing a gossip magazine that reported that Leonard Florian had been spotted playing poker with Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa in a bar a couple hundred miles from Graceland only last month. She had giggled to herself when she had seen it and wondered if he had read it.
Leonard Florian became one of the first famous chefs. He was known not only for his mastery of the culinary arts, but he was an engineer as well. His fame came from kitchen appliances and gadgets he invented that revolutionized food preparation. At the height of his popularity, he had disappeared with his wife on an ice covered mountain road in late 2007. Many people thought he was dead. Otter said they just got tired of living in the limelight.
“It’s so good to see you,” Leonard Florian said, giving her a big hug, “and thank you so much for coming out to see us.”
“How could I resist? You made it sound quite secret and exciting.”
“That was always your draw,” he said as he opened the door wide so she could come inside. “You loved an adventure.”
He led her to a comfortable and lovely sitting room. Over the fireplace was the original of their legendary wedding photograph. He had married a premier dancer who later became the designer of the 80’s and the 90’s whose brand continued even though nobody was really sure if she was still alive.
As if she read Tempest’s mind, Carole
Similar Books
