Tessa sighed regretfully. “What I have planned for that day is to take final exams. Typically those would be in the morning and I’d still be able to be here in the afternoon as usual. But I’m also required to have a interview and verbal exit exam with the program administrator, and that’s been scheduled for the afternoon. If I don’t attend the interview, then I won’t be able to complete the program and receive my certificate. And Thursday is the only day the interviews are being held so I can’t re-schedule. I’m so sorry, Mrs. C. If it was for any other reason I wouldn’t think twice about changing my plans.”

Mrs. Carrington had a fierce scowl on her small, pinched face. “Yes, I’m quite certain about that, young miss. And you certainly need to fulfill all the requirements of your certificate program. This is simply terrible, terrible timing is all. It’s a pity Mr. Gregson wasn’t able to pay us a visit last month as he’d originally planned. But for a man as important as he is, things do arise that require his attention and it’s certainly not up to us to question him.”

“I’m happy to work overtime or do whatever else is necessary to get things ready for his visit,” assured Tessa, anxious to soothe her very testy boss. “Everything is always in perfect order around here anyway, so I doubt there would be much to do to prepare for his visit. At least in our department.”

Mrs. Carrington worked directly for the hotel manager and supervised the rest of the administrative staff – though it was quite apparent that she was actually the one who called most of the shots, and that even the manager frequently deferred to her. Tessa had initially been surprised at just how much the older woman knew about the hotel operations, and the Gregson Group in general, at least until she’d learned that Mrs. Carrington had worked at corporate headquarters in London for several decades. She and her husband Oliver had only moved to Tucson a little over two years ago, his doctors having decreed the hot, dry desert climate much more beneficial for his chronic asthma and other health related issues.

Mrs. C’s scowl only deepened at Tessa’s well-intended praise. “Well, of course it is, my girl. As if I would allow it to be anything but. And while I appreciate your offer to put in extra hours, I really did want for you to meet Mr. Gregson. He is the Regional Director of all of our hotels in both North and South America, you know, and meeting him could prove helpful one of these days to advancing your career. You’re a bright girl, Tessa, hardworking and dedicated. Just the sort Mr. Gregson admires. And with a company as large as this one, the opportunities for advancement are almost endless. Provided, of course, that you pursue that degree.”

“I know.”

It was far from the first time that Mrs. Carrington had stressed the importance of Tessa getting her college degree, pointing out that the company offered a generous tuition reimbursement program, and that she could take night classes while still working here during the day. Tessa had even done a bit of research, and determined she’d probably be able to get a grant of some sort to help pay for most of the tuition. She knew that Peter would wholeheartedly support the idea, even if it meant tightening their budget even more than usual.

But she couldn’t, just couldn’t, admit to Mrs. C. that the real reason she didn’t want to further her education at this point was her fear of failure. Tessa knew that she was no brainiac, and the very thought of having to take another algebra or geometry class filled her with dread. High school had been a struggle for her every single day, and she’d been lucky to have graduated with a modest C+ average. She had zero idea how she would cope with the pressures of university level courses, and precious little faith that she could keep up with the demands.

Mrs. Carrington heaved a sigh of resignation. “However, it doesn’t seem as though you’ll get to meet Mr. Gregson after all this trip. A pity, because he’s quite an impressive man. Trust me, you would never forget meeting someone like him, Tessa. He’s both intimidating and charismatic at the same time. Not to mention the hardest working individual I’ve ever met, especially given his position in the company. Ian is definitely not a man content to rest on his laurels, or delegate what he considers his responsibilities to someone else. He may be one of the owners of the company, but you’d never know it to observe his work ethic.”

Tessa had learned from Mrs. C. that one of the many duties of the Regional Director was to visit each property in his territory at least once every two to three years. Mr. Gregson would spend a full day here touring the resort property, meeting with the management staff, and performing some sort of evaluation. She was amazed that he had so much responsibility, and guessed that he traveled a great deal given that there were several dozen Gregson properties under his direction.

“It must be hard on his family to have him on the road so often,” sympathized Tessa.

Mrs. Carrington shook her head. “Ian is a bachelor, actually. No wife or children. And how that state of affairs continues to exist is beyond my comprehension. He’s what one would rather indelicately call ‘quite a catch’.”

Mrs. Carrington had to take an incoming phone call at that moment, and thus end the conversation, but her description of Ian Gregson intrigued Tessa. Mrs. C. was normally not impressed by anyone, rarely if ever issued a compliment, and more often than not could be heard pointing out an individual’s numerous faults. So it surprised Tessa to hear her stiff-lipped, starchy boss sing the praises of their Regional Director quite so firmly, enough that she furtively pulled up the page on the corporate website that contained photos and bios of the executive staff.

Tessa knew that the Gregson Group was a family owned company, and that it had been founded in London over sixty years ago by Leland Gregson. Under the direction of Leland’s two sons – Edward and Richard – the company had grown by leaps and bounds, rapidly expanding from its European locations to North and South America, Australia, and Asia. The company had built dozens of brand new properties, but had also acquired existing ones to bring under the Gregson corporate umbrella. Nearly every hotel and resort owned by the company merited a five star rating from all of the major travel services, and the Gregson name was synonymous with wealth, class, and prestige.

Tessa quickly scrolled down the page of bios, noting that Edward and Richard both appeared to be in their late fifties or early sixties, and bore a great resemblance to each other. The next bio was that of Hugh Gregson, the eldest son of Edward and the Regional Director of the European hotels and resorts. Hugh was a graduate of Cambridge, married to the former Victoria Halstead, and was the father of four young sons.