Cupids and Crooks, a Presley Thurman Mystery: First Chapter Friday
Chapter 1
“How did it go today?” Cooper asked, setting down his bag and loosening his tie.
I was lounging on the couch with Bella’s head in my lap, reading my latest US Weekly. Cooper’s appearance in my condo got a solid tail wag from Bella but she didn’t feel the need to get up to greet him. My dog was a little energy-level challenged. “Eh. It went well enough, but same old story. Too qualified for an entry-level job. They don’t think I’ll be happy if I take an entry-level job; they’re concerned I will leave as soon as a better offer comes along. I get it. After years in the human resources field myself, I realize from their perspective it is a legitimate concern, but darn it, I’m trying to change careers here and no one is making it easy.”
I had a business degree and had been the VP of human resources at a large corporation for years, thinking it was my dream career. Turned out I was wrong, and when I was unjustly fired and then offered my job back, I'd said no. I’d tried a few different things since then, while soul searching to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. Meanwhile, I’d continued to work at Silk, a high-end retail boutique I’d managed for a while. Today my interview had been with a small publishing company for a position as a junior editor. It was an entry-level job paying far less than I had made during my last stint in corporate America, but more than I was making at Silk. It was a job I thought I would enjoy, and these days that was much more important to me than money. Although I enjoyed my management position at Silk, I didn’t think it was something that would fulfill me long term.
“Well, I have something that might cheer you up.”
“What?” I turned to face him. “What do you have up your sleeve?” I looked at him suspiciously.
He leaned over to where he had set his bag and riffled around for a couple of seconds. Bella jumped off the couch and stuck her nose in his bag, convinced he was searching for a treat for her. He pulled out an envelope, walked over with Bella trailing behind him, and placed it on my lap.
I looked down. “What’s this?”
“Open it and find out,” he said, smiling.
I opened the envelope and pulled out two tickets. After looking them over, I turned to Cooper. “We’re going to Cabo San Lucas?”
He nodded, still smiling.
“We’re going to Cabo San Lucas,” I shrieked as I jumped up from the couch and threw my arms around him, and then let go and sat back, grinning from ear to ear. Being mid-February, it was cold and snowy here in Chicago, and getting away somewhere warm would be amazing.
“I kind of thought you would be happy. Can you be ready by tomorrow afternoon?”
“Uh, yeah! I can be ready right now. What brought this on? Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled, but you’re not usually Mr. Spontaneous.”
“Well, for once, I’m trying to change that. After all, it is Valentine’s Day on Friday, so what better time to be spontaneous?”
“You’re the best boyfriend ever.”
“I like to think so. Now, what are we going to do with sweet Bella here,” he said, giving her enormous head a few pats.
“That’s easy. Jared won’t mind watching her for a few days. Although I might have to bribe him with some souvenirs from Cabo.”
“Are you ready?” I asked Cooper, still unable to believe we were in sunny Mexico. Two short days after telling me about the tickets and we were out of cold and snowy Chicago and in the beach weather of Cabo San Lucas. I felt so lucky.
“Just about. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you up and ready to go so early and so fast.”
“That’s because it’s easier to get up and get dressed when I’m looking forward to my morning coffee by the pool overlooking the ocean. Now hurry up!”
By the time we had gotten checked in and to dinner last night, the sun was already going down and I was so exhausted I didn’t have much energy to explore. This morning I was excited to enjoy the beautiful sunshine out by the pool, followed by a day of doing nothing but lying in the sun napping and reading. I had a new romance by one of my favorite authors downloaded on my Kindle and ready to go.
“You look nice,” Cooper said as we got ready to leave our room. “Is that a new bathing suit?”
“Yep,” I said, happy that he noticed. My new black polka dot two-piece bathing suit and black maxi dress I had on over the suit fit me better than I’d expected, considering I hadn’t been to the gym in longer than I could remember. I’d thought I had a few more months before needing to don a bathing suit, and then this unexpected trip came up. Goes to show you should always be ready. Which I was not, but apparently Cooper didn’t agree. Yay for me.
“Poolside breakfast?” Cooper asked.
I looked at him sideways.
“Okay, stupid question. Poolside it is. I assume you wish to relax by the pool today.”
“Of course. What else?” I replied, putting on my oversized sunglasses to prepare myself for stepping off the elevator into the open-air lobby.
“Then I assume you won’t mind if I sign up for the golfing excursion.”
“Not at all. Golf away. Though why you would want to spend your time golfing instead of lying out doing nothing is beyond me.”
The elevator doors opened, and we stepped out. Instead of the relaxing tranquility of the main floor we experienced yesterday when we checked in—and the one I had been looking forward to today—the place was crawling with cops. And the area of the foyer that led into the main pool area was cordoned off with police tape.
“What the heck is going on here?” I said to Cooper in a loud whisper. “You think a guest had a heart attack or something?”
“Let’s not worry about it. We’re on vacation, remember? We should be relaxing without a care in the world.”
“I know that, but aren’t you the least bit curious?”
“No,” he said, and I rolled my eyes. He always liked to mind his own business, whereas I was always the curious one.
“Folks, I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but our poolside area is currently closed,” a concierge in a suit and tie told us. “If I may escort you to the patio overlooking the golf course, we have a full breakfast buffet being set up as we speak.”
“What happened?” I asked him as he led us to the other side of the hotel.
“Nothing that will interfere with your stay here,” he said, his pace picking up.
“I don’t doubt that, but I can’t help but be curious. Please tell me what happened,” I said, trying to convince him. I felt Cooper’s disapproving glance, which I ignored. You couldn’t find things out unless you asked.
The concierge was silent for a minute. “Well, I’m not supposed to say, but there was a murder this morning,” he said in a hushed tone as he stopped walking.
“Really?” I said, leaning a little closer to him.
“Yes. Lucia Vegas.” It was hard not to notice a bit of awe in his voice.
I had no idea who that was and my face must have shown that, because he continued.
“Lucia Vegas is a famous soap opera star here in Mexico. She was staying here for a few days, for some rest between movies. But you didn’t hear it from me,” he added as an afterthought.
I made a show of zipping my lips. “No one will hear it from me.”
But as I said it I couldn’t help but think, a murder in the hotel. This might not be the quiet vacation I thought it was going to be.
Happy reading,
Laina
