"Bro, you sure you don' wanna smash?" Nick, Zero's lifelong friend asked referring to his question on if Zero would smash or pass on the attractive publicist he once got a sweet little candy crush on a few years back after meeting once at a party yet didn't even talk to.

It was ridiculous really, Nick chuckled.

Nick was also an investor in the lodge with as much at stake as Zero. Nick had just been recently laid off from his job at CNT sports network and had wanted in on the project. Zero didn't need the money but he'd agreed anyway because there was no one he felt closer to than Nick.

The two were tight from childhood, they'd rebel roused all throughout high school varsity football with Nick known for breaking hymens, hearts and Zero had couped up this image as being mature and above all the drama of girls or boys.

But with parties, it was another narration and as a result, the people in town remembered them as a collective pain in the ass even if both had returned as hometown heroes Nick from his stint in Detroit and Zero for his in Dallas.

"Yo! Gideon. Are you fucking with me? You've been infatuated with him his since he was with that tool and now he's under your roof looking better than ever and you say you don' wanna hit that?" All his best friends and family used his real name on him "And you expect me to believe that?"

Zero paused from lifting weights with Nick spotting; put the 300pounds back in their holder "Damn sure man. You've been single for too long go find a girl and stop prying into my love life." He said his mind drifting to the moment in the hallway when he'd almost pinned Jude against his rock hard body and taken him right there on the wall.

Zero sat up and let the blood rush to his head, it had settled permanently in another body part and would stay there as long as the publicist stayed, right there under his roof-in his line of vision.

Nick shot him a look "Hmm ...just be careful, his uncle will come after you with a shotgun the bastard has perfect aim and" Nick chuckled stretching out his arm. " C'mon girls in this town have rings on their mind, I'm definitely not the cuffing type you know that."

'His Uncle...'

Zero was instantly reminded of the doghouse he'd just crawled from at Carl's bloody mercy. Screwing his nephew would do worse than just send him back there. He scowled "We have enough business to worry about, let's get things sorted out and get back on schedule yea?"

"Fine by me, I'm outta here will meet you at the site tomorrow but first...I have to say my farewell to your lovely houseguest." Nick said with a wicked grin crossing his face in good-hearted mischief.

Jude Reynolds sat on the bed in the guest bedroom, buried in paperwork, laptop and documents scattered around him. "Sophie are you still there?" he adjusted the cell phone so he could see his sister better on the face time call.

"I'm here, I'm just thinking. You mentioned they've been missed deliveries on materials from the same company?"

Jude outstretched his left leg "No that's what's so strange. Different companies, different times nothing consistent here to go on. But it seems beyond construction and work delays. Sometimes there's the occasional subcontractor who won't show up and that messes with the entire schedule. Add the heavy rains in May and June rumours that make no sense and things are backlogged and fucked up like crazy."

"Bad PR?" Sophie murmured.

"If they don't open up by thanksgiving, Christmas the latest they'll lose out on holiday bookings which are to fund his nonprofit summer camp. Another thing he didn't tell me about. I had to read it on a local blog site." Jude breathed into the palm of his hand frustrated.

"A mysterious motherfucker huh," Sophie joked.

"A contradiction is more like it. You'd think he'd be proud of it and ready to publicize it all over right?"

Sophie chuckled "What's your preliminary plan?"

"I think someone's deliberately sabotaging him or someone's a big idiot either way, I'll make sure we counter the bad with good PR. The community has to know about his contribution to society. So to built trust, support, and meet up with his workforce and gauge their reactions to the place being built by him."

"What's your reaction to the man?" Sophia asked.

Jude adjusted the Parker pen in his hand and touched at his reading glasses, "I don't know Soph, he's not everything that the reports made him out to be."

"Yikes" Soph took a sip of water.

"Remind Uncle Carl to over me Zero's past portfolio on him."

"Yea sure, now about my problem, should I confiscate my client's phone or just change his Twitter password?"

Before Jude could help a knock sounded on the door and in came the man himself with a tall attractive similar haired and built guy.

"Call me when you're done." Sophie said on the other end of the face time call.

"Bye." Jude said as he cut the call and assessed the guy whose face he'd just recently been looking up online.

The other guy whom many women and men alike would find attractive stepped forward with an extended hand "Hi I'm Nick, Gideon's business partner."

Jude shook his hand. "I've been reading up on you especially since Zero here never told me he had a partner." He side-eyed the retired athlete for a reaction.

Zero remained impartial.

Nick laughed, apparently finding the omission amusing, Jude didn't. How could he help Zero out if he was withholding helpful information? Jude made a mental note to dig deeper into the pair's friendship.

"That's Gideon's ego for you, can never admit he needs help," Nick said and soon they all fell into professional conversation planning and placing Jude's strategy.