Life's Illusions

By Allan R Brettell

PJ, (Paul James Thorn) running from heartbreak, determined he’ll never love again, convinced work is the only escape. Lenny, (Helena Wicklow) escaping a stifling engagement, not looking for love, wanting only companionship, and fun. They meet in Spain, enjoying a renewed friendship, healing each others wounds, not understanding their relationship until a chance injury brings them suddenly to that point where realization dawns, neither can exist without the other, they are inexplicably linked, deeply in love for all time. Follow along as a Family Dynasty based on love is founded. Watch the family grow, creeping slowly around the globe. Feel the love, the joy, the heartbreak, and the misery. Share their journey as ‘Life’s Illusions’, bring promises of happiness and heartbreak. Experience how day to day events impact a hardworking, immensely wealthy family, see how they deal with love, laughter, sadness, and heart rending loss.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Aug 7, 2019
• ISBN: 9781483435466

Book preview

07/27/2019

PROLOGUE

PJ, (Paul James Thorn) running from heartbreak, determined, he’ll never love again, convinced work is the only escape.

Lenny, (Helena Wicklow) escaping a stifling engagement, not looking for love, wanting only companionship, and fun.

They meet in Spain, enjoying a renewed friendship, healing each other’s wounds, not understanding their relationship, until a chance injury brings them suddenly to that point, where realisation dawns, neither can exist without the other, they are inexplicably linked, deeply in love, for all time.

Follow along as a Family Dynasty is founded, based on love.

Watch the family grow, creeping slowly around the globe.

Feel the love, the joy, the heartbreak, and the misery.

Share their journey, as ‘Life’s Illusions’, brings promises of happiness, and heartbreak.

Experience how day to day events impact a hardworking, immensely wealthy family, see how they deal with love, laughter, sadness, and heart-rending loss.

Experience the laughter, love, and tears, not always in equal measure.

Ride a roller coaster of emotions with, ‘Life’s Illusions’.

CHAPTER 1

Hurt and angry (not the physical sort of hurt, but the pain was just as real) Paul James Thorn, (PJ), 25 years old today, sat in the back of the limousine taking him to his grandfather’s New York City office.

He should be home now, having birthday drinks with his partner of four years, Jess (Jessica Hartnett), and their close friends, before setting out for the ballroom at the New York Woodruff, (Flagship hotel in the family business), venue for his 25th birthday party, but he’d been AWOL for the last 8 hours.

His day had started well, being woken by Jess a little after 7am with a wonderful birthday breakfast tray in bed, including a beautiful red rose in a crystal vase.

They’d eaten, and kissed their way through most of the food, before turning to more serious, passionate matters.

It wasn’t long before PJ and Jess were entwined in deep and serious lovemaking, bringing PJ to an enormous climax before he lay back exhausted, his arms wrapped tightly around her.

As PJ lay spent, softly stroking Jess’s firm ass, he was surprised when she pulled away, heading to the bathroom.

Hey, you didn’t get off.

Turning slightly as she entered the bathroom, Jess blew him a kiss.

No time now you have a breakfast meeting in precisely 55 minutes, I’m taking an IOU, which I intend to collect tonight after the party.

PJ sprang out of their super king bed, following Jess into the bathroom where the shower was already running.

Grabbing her tenderly around the waist they kissed.

Ok it’s a deal, I owe you; I’ll make sure to pay that debt with interest later, but just how do you know what meetings I have scheduled, are you keeping tabs on me?.

He was puzzled by her nervous answer but presumed there was possibly some secret party arranging going on, some surprise for his birthday, and she wouldn’t want PJ digging, so he’d dismissed his girlfriend’s strange behaviour in favour of an intimate, cuddly, feely, fun shower.

A little over 55 minutes later after making a slight detour to a Manhattan Jewellery Store, he was sat in his Grandfathers office, awaiting the arrival of his Father and Grandfather (Peter Thorn and Paul James Woodruff).

PJ used the time to look over the performance reports of Woodruff European Leisure and Hospitality, which Celia, his Grandfathers PA, had informed him would be the focus of today’s meeting.

The reports made pretty grim reading, they showed a markedly steady fall in revenue from the European section, it took PJ no time at all to drill down to the root of the problem, the Spanish properties.

He suspected he was asked to attend this meeting because he’d dealt with a similar problem here in the US, successfully placing this sector back into profit.

To fill in time he dialled the number of the New York Woodruff Hotel, requesting to be put through to the entertainment manager, who paid special attention to his request for a dramatic drum roll moment, at his direction later that evening.

It would be when he brought out what would be a surprise for all, he would ask Jess to join him on stage, where he would go down on one knee in front of around 200 guests and ask Jess to marry him.

Deep in thought, studying the rings he’d had specially made, his Grandfathers arrival startled him, jumping up he immediately enveloped the smaller man into a hug, enjoying the feel of the hug being returned,

This was something he never did with his father, strange, but he dismissed that thought.

He’d never been really close to his father, even though apart from his college years, they’d lived in the same house for 25 years, first as a family, then just the two of them after his Mother’s death when PJ was ten years old.

Since she passed away it had been his late Grandmother (who sadly, had passed away just two years earlier), and this man, his Mothers Father, who had been his constant source of love.

PJ knew his Grandfather tolerated his father purely because he had married PJ’s mother, even PJ had to admit, his Father had below average business sense, relying on staff to run the European Sector he controlled, often suffering his Grandfathers wrath for poor decision making.

His Grandfather had built the company into a Multi-National Giant with divisions of Banking, Leisure, Property, and stakes in many other interests, the company, Woodruff Corporate was now a Multi-Billion Dollar Global Company and still family controlled.

The company shares were split between 4 people, PJs Grandfather held 55%, PJs Father held 12% which he’d inherited from his wife after her death, PJ held 29% inherited from his Mother and Grandmother and the final 4% held by Jess, left to her by PJs Grandmother, who like PJ, had always believed Jess to be his soulmate.

Spying the ring boxes his Grandfather asked to see them, approving the darker gold bands, with the white gold thinner band overlaid around the centre, the inside inscribed, PJ/Jess For all Time, Soulmate’s.

His Grandfather asked.

You’re set on doing it then?.

PJ had replied with a beaming smile.

Yes, she’s the one, the only one

Whilst awaiting the arrival of his Father, PJ used the time to gather information on today’s meeting, which had been called at his father’s request.

It’s the damn Spanish Hotels.

His Grandfathers tone easily showed how annoyed he was.

They’ve been getting worse and worse, for more than a year and a half.

PJ knew Sylvio Ramos was the man his father had appointed head of Spanish Operations in the Leisure sector, he’d never rated the man, never approved of his performance or abilities, he viewed him as lazy, greedy, with poor people skills, surrounding himself with management heavies to frighten the staff into line.

This was not at all PJs way of working, he found it completely abhorrent, but Senior Ramos was PJs fathers’ problem, (his father was President of European Operations), PJ hadn’t gotten involved up to now.

So why am I involved, it’s not my area?.

PJ was President of North American Operations, and vehemently opposed to helping his Father in any way.

But he had a gut feeling he knew what was coming, when he’d taken over their North American Operations a little over a year and a half ago, (which until then, had been managed by his father), there were twenty two Hotels badly underperforming, spread over six States, now all but one were back into the performance area expected of them.

The one misnomer was the Washington Woodruff Hotel Resort, that one was a work in progress, where the management team had allowed the property quality to slide badly, and competitors to gain ground.

PJ had a dedicated squad working alongside the Hotels Management Team, their objective, to upgrade facilities whilst lobbying and wooing previous high-profile guests to return to the fold.

And it was working, so much so that the current plan was to have the specialist team pull out during that next week.

I’ll let your father explain if he ever gets here.

His Father was now 15 minutes late, something PJ and his grandfather found completely foreign, if you agreed an appointment, you kept to the schedule.

Just at that point Celia, PA to PJ’s Grandfather, buzzed through to say PJ’s Father had been detained, he’d sent a message, they should go ahead, conduct the meeting without him.

PJ was pissed to say the least, moreover, he could see his Grandfather was equally annoyed, he guessed his Father was ducking out of asking him to swap continents, clean up his mess yet again, relying on PJ never disappointing, or refusing, anything his Grandfather asked.

PJ stood up.

I propose we postpone this meeting, let Daddy Dearest do his own dirty work another time.

His Grandfather was chuckling, knowing his son in law would be seriously annoyed that his plan had backfired.

I’m going to play hooky today, so I’m swearing you to secrecy, don’t let the Chairman of the Board find out, or he might sack me.

PJ was laughing as he said it, but his grinning Grandfather replied.

I reckon you have that old fool wrapped around your little finger, so I’m guessing you have nothing to fear on that front.

PJ hugged him again kissing him on the cheek.

Be careful what you say about our Chairman, he’s no fool, and I for one love him dearly.

Not to be outdone his Grandfather replied.

Back at you boy.

They’d hugged with genuine affection whilst walking out into the executive lobby, his Grandfather saying.

I’ll see you later at the party.

His mood was upbeat as he caught the elevator down to the parking garage.

He’d decided to return home, maybe pay his recent dues early to Jess, after all it was his birthday, and he rather liked the idea of a randy mid-morning romp, before a long leisurely lunch, followed by maybe a lazy afternoon romp as well.

He had no idea his decision would wreak havoc throughout every part of his life, nothing would ever be the same after that day, his life, which until then he’d considered idyllic, would be left in tatters.

As he exited the private elevator into the lobby serving both penthouse apartments, he mused that in the six years he’d owned this apartment, never once had he met anyone from the Investment Company that owned the other apartment.

Entering his own apartment, he had the strangest feeling, but he couldn’t put his finger on what was troubling him.

And then it dawned on him.

There on the ornate side table in the entrance lobby, sat a set of keys which he immediately recognised.

Realisation kicked in, the Fire Red Ferrari, parked two bays away from his space in the underground garage, belonged to a friend of Jess, Bill Freemantle, who always hung around with Dave Danbury, they were like a nasty double act.

He didn’t like them, and made no secret of it, always refusing any social event where they would be involved.

In PJs opinion, they were lecherous creeps, fawning over and leering at whomever they were out with, constantly regaling all and sundry with their sordid tales of group sex, swingers’ parties.

But Jess had known them a long time, and it wasn’t PJs nature to dictate who she should, or shouldn’t, have as friends.

They must be helping her with something for tonight’s party, now PJ felt a pang of guilt for not going ahead with the meeting his Father didn’t attend and leaving Jess to get on with his surprise.

Rather than startle them he dropped his keys on the same side table, heading to the kitchen for coffee, then into the lounge, where he noticed Jess’s track pants and white blouse on the sofa, along with what looked to be two other shirts, a T, and a white button up.

He would later recollect calling out Jess’s name, hearing a mad scrambling sound from the bedroom.

As PJ walked through the lounge, she came from the hallway which led to the master bedroom suite, looking like she’d spent a night in a whore house, wearing only an almost transparent, tiny white thong, an arm protectively placed across her chest to hide her naked breasts.

She looked shocked, agitated, causing PJ to suppress a giggle, at a guess PJ would have said Jess was embarrassed being caught having a sly mid-morning bit of me time, after all PJ had left her unsatisfied earlier, but she wouldn’t, would she? not with two of her closest friends there, and PJ was sure they were there.

It was a surreal situation, PJ’s usually alert mind seemed to be struggling, having great difficulty making one plus one add up to two, and almost before the conclusion registered, there were tears coursing down his cheeks.

He could hear someone saying the words, not realising where they were coming from.

No, please no, it can’t be.

It was PJ himself groaning out those words.

He’d pushed roughly past Jess, and there, in the bedroom, his worst fears were confirmed, Bill, shirtless pulling up his pants, Dave, stark naked, frantically grabbing for his pants

PJ turned to face Jess as Bill approached them.

Why?

It was all he could manage as the wracking sobs engulfed him.

He’d tried to push back past her, to get away from this nightmare, but Jess and Bill both had hold of him.

Ignoring pleas from both to wait, he punched Bill hard in the face twice, enjoying the resounding crunch as Bills nose erupted in a fountain of blood.

Pushing Jess roughly aside he heard, and saw, Bill’s nose spurt blood in every direction as he fell backwards into a side table smashing it, scattering pictures and ornaments.

Just then he felt an arm round his throat, choking him, dragging him down.

Pushing backwards with all his considerable might, he propelled himself, and what could only be Dave, into the mirrored doors of a closet, hearing the doors smash, and a scream from Dave as his naked back was cut by broken glass.

Dave released his choke hold, falling to the floor groaning, as Jess crossed the room towards them.

At this point PJ saw red, pushing Jess physically away from him, propelling her backwards into a bedside table, sending both Jess, and a crystal lamp crashing to the floor.

She just sat there, head in hands.

Looking around the room he saw Bill on the floor almost unconscious, groaning with blood pouring from his shattered nose, Dave lying half in half out of the shattered closet with visible cuts to his back and shoulder.

Then there was Jess, his Jess, his soulmate, or so he’d thought, just sitting there crying.

"This was why you were acting strange this morning, why you didn’t want to get off with me?, you wanted to save yourself for these scumbags, you think so little of me, of our life, you’d throw it all away for shit like this pair.

He was pointing at Bill and Dave.

Jess was sitting huddled, arms around her knees sobbing.

PJ wasn’t finished.

You have fifteen minutes to be dressed and out of here, after that I’ll have security remove you dressed or not.

PJ walked out of the bedroom, across the lounge and into the kitchen, where he took a beer from the chiller, not remembering what had happened to his coffee.

He wished he could wind back the clock, to a time before all this happened, but he realised, that just meant Jess would still be doing it, but behind his back.

He heard the front door slam, assuming they had left, then a few moments later the noise of someone clearing up in the bedroom.

He stormed angrily towards the bedroom, fists balled, ready to inflict serious harm, but he found Jess alone, crying, as she gathered up broken items into a trash bin from the bathroom.

What are you doing, I asked you to leave, are you deaf now as well as devoid of morals?.

She turned to him still crying.

PJ please, we need to talk.

But again, he saw red, before he knew it, he was screaming at her with tears flooding from his eyes.

Talk, you think talking will resolve this, are you fucking mad, how the hell is talking going to help us now, you trashed everything Jess, me, us, our life together, just for a fuck with those two slime balls, well I hope it was worth it because there is no more us, now get what you need together, make sure you’re gone before I get back.

PJ stormed out of the apartment almost falling into the elevator, stabbing frantically at buttons to shut the doors, he needed to be away from there, he didn’t care how badly Jess was hurting, he couldn’t see, his eyes were blurred with tears, all he wanted was to go back in time, to not see or know what his mind now refused to accept, his Jess, his soul mate, the love of his life, the one he would die for, had been fucking around whilst PJ worked, and he, so stupid, so blind, didn’t know.

How could he be so blind, how had he not seen this, how many times had they laughed about his stupidity, how many more of his friends knew about this whilst PJ was blissfully ignorant.

He didn’t know how he got there, or even where he was, but he became aware of someone wiping his face with a freezing cold cloth.

As his vision cleared, he saw Billy, CEO of Fielding Presidential Hotels, PJs best friend, and partner in crime since age five, when they met on their first day of school, two terrified 1st termers.

Billy was crying, as he looked down at PJ.

PJ mate, for fuck sake tell me what’s wrong, you’re scaring the shit out of me

Over the next hour between bouts of both rage and sobbing, he’d told Billy what he’d found returning to his apartment that morning, by the time he’d finished he felt numb, all cried out as Billy hugged him tight, rocking slowly back and forth until PJ drifted off into a restless sleep.

When he awoke Julia, Billy’s girlfriend, was leaning over him placing a steaming mug of coffee on the side table.

PJ sipped at the coffee and grimaced, it was heavy with sugar, and he didn’t take sweetened drinks.

Julia saw his expression and cut off the protests with.

Stow it buster, you need the sweetness to replace some of that lost energy, now drink.

She’d told him that Billy had shared his problems with her, she knew it would be alright because she was almost PJs sister, they’d been friends so long.

Billy came into the lounge talking on his cell phone.

Breaking off, he spoke to PJ.

All hell is breaking loose, no one has been able to contact you for over eight hours, I have your Grandfather on hold, he’s worried sick, I haven’t told him anything except that you’re upset and safe, he wants to talk to you.

PJ took the phone from him and could hear the concern and relief in his Grandfathers voice as he spoke.

PJ told him he’d gotten a bad shock earlier and needed to see him, but he didn’t want to talk on the phone.

When asked about the party PJ said he wouldn’t be there, right now he didn’t want to be around anyone except Billy, Julia, and his Grandfather.

His Grandfather mentioned that Jess was worried, she’d been frantically searching for him, PJ replied harshly.

Oh, I bet she has, well she’s top of the list of people I don’t ever want to see again.

PJ could tell his Grandfather was shocked, he asked if PJ had his car, which PJ honestly didn’t know, he didn’t remember how he got there so his Grandfather suggested he would have his driver pick PJ up, he was already on standby to take his Grandfather to ‘The Woodruff’ for the party.

So, here he was in the back of a limousine, heading to his Grandfathers New York office, knowing he would have to pour out all the sordid details, but confident his Gramps would help him sort this mess, he was PJs rock, he always had been.

Paul James Woodruff sat directly across from his grandson in the lounge area of his large office looking stunned, with tears running down his cheeks.

I’m so sorry PJ, right now I want to take her out and flog her publicly.

PJ had calmed down some since telling his Grandfather everything, other than that he just felt cold, it could be happening to someone else, he really felt nothing, he asked his Grandfather for something he needed so badly, help to escape, to leave this nightmare behind.

His Grandfather was alarmed, upset, thinking PJ was going to leave both him and the business, but he calmed down a little when PJ explained what he wanted.

He’d said no one could object to what he would be asking for (meaning his Father), because it was what they had been meant to discuss that morning, had his Father bothered to turn up for their meeting.

PJ wanted to take control of the European Division, but would report only to his Grandfather, no one else.

He wanted Carte Blanche authority to reshape, remodel, hire and fire as he saw fit, plus a 10% increase in the Spanish Operating Budget for a period of 12 calendar months, from the beginning of the next month, because he knew that’s where the main problem was, not around the other European Countries, he wanted his specialist team on the ground in Spain in the next 48 hours, and going forward they would be his staff alone, no one else would have use of them, as had been the case in the past.

PJ was adamant he wanted no involvement in anything that remotely involved Jess.

His Grandfather raised only one point, would PJ attend board meetings where he would have to be in the company of Jess.

PJ told him he wouldn’t attend in person, he’d participate by video conference, which his Grandfather was okay with.

One of PJs first acts after taking his place on the board, had been to convince his Grandfather that video conferencing was an effective modern tool for companies of their size.

They had long since departed from the practice of dragging people all around the world to be half asleep around one table, it was counterproductive and costly, so board meetings tended to rotate around the globe, with the nearest Managers to the venue attending in person, those further away would video conference, giving a mix of attendees at each meeting.

PJs Grandfather agreed to all of his requests, calling in Celia, and dictating what was effectively PJs Appointment Directive, commencing as of midnight that night, incorporating all of the conditions PJ had requested, he’d asked Celia to get it down to their legal guys for scrutiny, and to have it back with him in two hours, during which time he intended taking PJ out for a birthday dinner.

As they left the office his Grandfathers mobile rang, he looked distinctly angry when he saw the caller ID, he’d answered with a sharp retort.

What!.

PJ was stunned, he’d never seen his Grandfather so angry, or openly hostile, but then he realised, his Grandfather must be talking to Jess.

You expect him to turn up and pretend everything’s fine so you can save face?, well let me explain something in simple terms, he won’t be attending your party, he’s going out for dinner with someone who’s loved him like a son since the day he was born, someone who still does, someone who would rather lose a limb than hurt him, something you failed miserably at, now get your useless ass to the hotel reception, make certain they charge every last cent of that party cost to you personally, and you better believe I’ll be checking on that, oh and Jess, don’t ring me again unless you want me to come over there and push that phone publicly down your throat, be in my office tomorrow at nine am.

At that he cut the connection.

He was visibly shaking and stood there in silence, PJ put his arm around him.

Come on Gramps.

Something he hadn’t called him for a long time, it had been his name for his beloved Gramps in the years when he was growing up.

Salvage a little of this day for me, let me have a pleasant dinner with the one member of this family I love more than anyone else on this earth.

And so, it was settled, they went out to dinner.

Just the two of them, and to make it even more special, his Grandfather took PJ to the Fielding Presidential, Billy’s Flagship hotel in New York.

He must have had Celia call ahead, because to PJs surprise they were greeted by none other than Mr William Fielding (Billy) himself, and on his arm Julia, they were led to a prime table in the centre raised executive dinning enclave, prompting considerable interest throughout the dining room, after all, it was common knowledge, there was a massively expensive party in full swing at the New York Woodruff, which was being hosted by Jess Hartnett, PJs lover of 4 years, in honour of PJs birthday, and yet, here was PJ choosing to snub that party, which signalled a pretty significant rift in both the ranks at Woodruff, and in PJ and Jess’s private life.

As they were about to order Celia arrived, his Gramps asked her to join them, she argued, but as his Gramps pointed out, PJ wanted to be surrounded by people who loved him tonight, so she gained automatic entry, and he was right.

During the meal PJ realised in a few hours he would be flying away, across the Atlantic in his Gramps private jet, leaving behind these people he loved, but right now he was so hurt and confused he didn’t know if he’d ever return.

After dinner, in Gramps office they finalised PJ’s contract, and he took a few minutes to send an email to Jess.

Oh Jess

This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life.

I want to ask why, why you would hurt me so badly, but I don’t really want to know the answer, that would probably hurt even more, to know that the person I thought was my soulmate, the one I loved, would have given my life for, the one I’d planned on asking to marry me, didn’t really love me at all.

It would be so much easier if I could convince myself I didn’t love you, but I can’t, I’ll always love you Jess, but I don’t think I can ever forgive you.

By the time you read this I will be gone from the States, and I doubt I’ll ever return.

The locks and entry code for my apartment will be changed at midday tomorrow, if you want to take anything, anything at all, do it before then.

I don’t think I could ever face going back, it would always remind me of the heartbreak I had to face there, of losing you, of losing us, so tomorrow the realty agent will list it for sale.

Goodbye Jess.

PJ.

CHAPTER 2

For nearly a year now PJ had lived in Torremolinos.

Jess had tried repeatedly to contact him, but for a long, long time, PJ had refused to even speak to her, he’d received emails almost daily for the first few weeks, none were ever replied to.

In her emails Jess had poured her heart out, telling PJ over and over how sorry she was, what a fool she’d been, how she regretted the hurt she’d inflicted, how she was praying that PJ would give her another chance, how she wanted to make up, wanted PJ to let her show him, he was her world, her one love.

PJ had read the first few, then started deleting them as they arrived, he knew Jess sent everything with a read request, she’d know instantly PJ was deleting them without even reading them.

Trying to hate her hadn’t worked, PJ had thought about her constantly in those first few weeks, wanting to talk to her, to ask why, was he a disappointment, a bad lover, did he do something wrong.

He had a feeling that somehow, he’d caused Jess to hurt him, that he was the one at fault, and it was getting to him, until he spoke to his Gramps about it one day, and his Gramps asked.

As a favour to me, please see a counsellor.

PJ came away from that first session feeling better than he had in a long time.

Around the sixth session, he knew it wasn’t him, it was Jess who’d chosen to abuse the trust he’d placed in her, and he’d understood then, even if they could get back to a place of friendship, they would never be as close again, there would always be that big divide between them, a gulf, a wound they could probably never heal.

His Father hadn’t tried to contact him.

His Gramps had told him, he’d never raised any questions of why PJ had suddenly departed the States, which was fine, PJ was completely indifferent to him, they’d never been close, and even after the counselling sessions PJ felt no affection for his father.

The first few weeks he’d worked like a mad man, then he’d made a pact with his Gramps, to take regular time off.

Although he couldn’t bring himself to hook up with any of the girls who went out of their way in the local nightclubs to offer a night of distraction, he did hook up with a girl he knew from college (Helena Wicklow) who had roomed on the same floor as he and Jess a few years earlier.

She’d been a fun flirt in college, now taking a tour of Europe with a group of friends, before going home to the states to start work in her father’s law firm.

After they’d met in Torremolinos she’d decided to stay on for a while when her friends left.

They’d enjoyed many a night, falling in and out of bars and clubs when PJ wasn’t working.

He knew everyone looking at them saw a couple, but they didn’t.

Helena had escaped a stifling relationship, then taken off on her tour of Europe.

PJ had escaped the nightmare he’d discovered that day of his birthday, they were kindred spirits having fun, so she’d moved into his apartment for the duration of her stay.

Every Thursday evening Helena (Lenny) and PJ would have dinner, then tour the bars and clubs until the early hours.

It soon became the norm to end up together back in his apartment, which was in a complex across the road from the Woodruff Hotel.

Inevitably some of those nights they had hot sweaty tumbling sex, often without any thought of protection because Lenny was on the pill.

Lenny did more to help him relax than any therapy could, she would regularly breeze into his office, announcing that work was suspended, they were going out for some fun and relaxation.

Back in the states PJ would have exploded at even the thought of someone disturbing his working day, but with Lenny it was a waste of time, she dismissed any objection, reminding him she was a lawyer, and could cite any number of precedents to quell his arguments, and all this whilst the staff looked on trying not to openly laugh, but if he were really honest, the moment she appeared PJ was itching to discover what adventure she had in store for them, so she never had to try too hard to oust him from his work.

Woodruff had 42 hotels on the Spanish mainland, plus 12 on various islands, 54 in total.

Of those 54 hotels 31 were either underperforming, or returning no actual profit, all the under performers were on the mainland, not the Islands.

PJ decided early on that he would visit every one of their properties, which gave Lenny her first mission, to plan out a 2 day stay at each, his only stipulation, that they needed to be surprise visits, not thinking Lenny would take it quite literally, not telling even him when or where they were going, and so, on some of her surprise appearances in his office, he would be led to a car and given map coordinates, which resulted in their arrival at a Woodruff Hotel somewhere in Spain.

Unbeknown to him, she and Pip (his PA) were in league, coordinating his calendar, ensuring there were no missed appointments or meetings.

Woodruffs stock (Hotels) were divided into sectors on every continent by size:

0 to 100 Rooms = Small 1

101 to 150 Rooms = Small 2

151 to 200 Rooms = Medium 1

201 to 250 Rooms = Medium 2

250 plus Rooms = Resort

The problems were much bigger than PJ had faced back in the States, but he knew they could be resolved.

He’d arrived mid-July, deciding to book into the Torremolinas Woodruff (230 Rooms) a Medium 2 size hotel, wanting to gather first-hand experience of Spanish hospitality without the fanfare of his arrival.

That hotel was one of the many properties making a loss and returning poor customer reviews.

His arrival at the hotel had been traumatic to say the least.

He’d had a booking confirmation from a regular accommodation site.

The cost had been pre-settled by Pip his PA, who had placed the booking to avoid alerting the hotel of his visit.

The only plus point during check in was that no one picked up on his identity, though he seriously doubted they would have acted any differently had they known who they were checking in.

The front desk, or reception as it’s known in Europe, was a complete nightmare, it was a wonder anyone ever managed to survive the check in process.

Staff were slow, disinterested, and unexplainably dressed in a variety of non-uniform items, including a guy in shorts and tee, a girl in an almost see through top and hot pants, and an older male, who PJ assumed was possibly the front desk manager, dressed in part uniform, including a dirty wrinkled shirt, without tie or name badge.

The room had a fantastic view over the gardens and pool area, then onwards to the sea.

Unfortunately, that was the best he could say about the room.

Under and behind the beds was thick accumulated dust, and odd items left by departing guests, including a bra, a sock, and an unopened (thankfully) condom.

The wardrobes were devoid of any hangers, and thick with dust, though the room safe which had cost him 3 euros per day as a cash payment, actually worked (an interesting point because to PJ’s knowledge, Woodruff didn’t charge for a safe, other than a 10 Euros deposit which was refunded when the guest returned the safe key at check out).

So, someone was pocketing 21 Euros per room per week, a potential 4,830.00 Euros weekly.

The bathroom had mildew growing in numerous areas around the bath and shower, also around the sinks, of which there were two, though only one had taps that worked, the other had taps that just spun, they didn’t dispense.

The toilet lacked a cover on the flush mechanism, causing the user to risk stabbing a finger in order to flush.

Neither of the bedside lights worked, nor did the bedside switch designed to extinguish the main light once a guest was safely into bed.

The paintwork was what he would call dingy, faded, there were bad areas of scuff marks, and obvious loutish damage like kick marks to doors and walls.

In his student days this was the typical state of a room he’d encountered on stag does, where the lads were interested only in somewhere to crash in a coma, after spending riotous days and nights drinking.

From the noise rising from the pool bar he guessed that was what this hotel was now attracting, any self-respecting family arriving there would be horrified.

A multitude of complaint visits to the reception desk (necessary because the telephone was never answered) resulted in the toilet flush being mended, the lights finally all working, and a cleaner spending an hour under his direction to remove the accumulated crap from under the beds and in the wardrobes.

He reckoned the room was now struggling into a nearly three-star rating, still way below what it should have been.

The following morning PJ sent an urgent message to his specialist team, advising he wanted all of them on the ground in Spain within 24 hours.

His PA, Philipa Irene Parker (Pip) would be arriving in the next couple of hours, along with Freddy Fellows and James Garret his Security Team.

He was certain then, that he’d struck pay dirt right there in the first hotel.

There was one thing troubling him, he’d studied the last 12 month MI (Management Information) of the stock (Hotels) which were presenting problems, all seemed to have similar revenue/cost streams, suggesting a plan was being operated on a grand scale, meaning some extreme digging would be necessary to uncover the size and scale of the management pyramid running it, but on the plus side he was confident, once it’s extent had been established, it would be relatively easy to take out, then he could concentrate on the rebuilding process.

The room clean-up was an opportunity to glean some housekeeping information.

Rozel, the cleaner assigned to correct the faults he’d reported was candid in replying to his questions around