Dixie didn't have enough to say about Adonis. Apparently, he was a financial master, heading up a large, multi-million-dollar company that, using private money, specialized in renovating office buildings, strip malls, senior living facilities, and apartment and condominium units. Dixie described him as dynamic and masterful at meetings and conferences, almost always getting his way when decisions had to be made. She also told me once that "Adonis" was an extremely attractive and well-built man who deserved the name "Adonis." I noted her fascination with Mr. Adonis but didn't consider that she might have some relationship, other than business, with the man.
About two weeks ago, Dixie told me that Adonis had invited us and several other couples to a large chalet on the southern edge of Lake Tahoe. It was called "Tahoe House". We were to drive up Friday afternoon and return Sunday evening. I was told it was "all-inclusive" and that we would have a chef and staff to care for most of our needs. Further, Adonis had planned a few activities for his guests to make their weekend more adventurous and less sedate than just hanging around the chalet for three days. Apparently, the Adonis Group did this occasionally to form a close bond with investors, principal contractors, sub-contractors, and vendors for the business enterprise. Dixie was soon to be a significant player in the Adonis Group as well.
When I drove up to the front of the house, I noted that it was more like a mansion than a chalet. It was a huge, modern log cabin that blended well with the surrounding forest. The approach to the main doors was via a circular driveway that curved around a large circular patio with a fire pit in the middle. The main entrance was under an overhanging roof that protected visitors from rain and snow while getting in and out of their cars or handling luggage. Only a few minutes after I stopped, a large man opened the front door and welcomed us by name. "You must be Mr. and Mrs. Drummond," he said good-naturedly. "Welcome to Tahoe House. I'm Roco, here to take care of your luggage."
Dixie explained, "Roco is Xavier's bodyguard. He does all sorts of odd jobs as well. He is never very far away from his boss. He is also Xavier's chauffeur. When not needed, he stays in the background and out of sight. Most of the time, you never know he is there."
When the suitcases and bags were out of the car, I volunteered to move the vehicle to the large gravel area where other cars were parked. Once out of the car, I had a chance to look back at the grandeur of the building. It was a long, rectangular building that was three stories high. The second level had floor-to-ceiling windows that covered practically the entire length of the structure. I turned to see the same view as provided by the windows. Below me was the most breathtaking view of snow-covered mountains and lake I could imagine. It was indeed a picture-postcard vista.
On the right side of the building was a structure that extended at right angles to the house. It was easy to see that it was a garage with three large stalls. The right stall had a speedboat mounted on a trailer in it. The hull of a sailboat was slung from the ceiling. The middle stall had a black Lexus in it. I assumed that it belonged to our host, Mr. Adonis. A non-descript SUV was parked in the left-most stall. I learned later that this belonged to the chef and his wife.
The top of the garage, on the same level as the second floor of Tahoe House, had a large patio with a railing around it. I could see decorative lights up there, and a few people were leaning on the railing and waving hello to me.
Roco and our luggage were gone when I returned to the front door. In his place was a very beautiful woman. Dixie said, "Horace, this is Victoria. She's our hostess for the weekend."
Victoria held out her hand for me to shake, and we each said how happy we were to meet each other. Then, I added, "Please don't call me Horace. My name is Ace." Victoria understood my preference.
Although Dixie was a beautiful woman, Victoria was a super-model, even though she was only about five feet five inches tall. She was wearing slate blue pants that were loose except at her hips and waist. She also wore a long-sleeved white sweater that hinted at a great figure. Her thin waist emphasized the healthy size of her bustline. Long, dark brown hair cascaded over her shoulders and outlined a face equal to any glamorous movie star. In short, she was a very beautiful and alluring woman.
Victoria led us into the house and down a wide hall. To the left and right of us were additional hallways. Victoria explained that immediately to our left was a large game room and storage area. To the right was a day room where the staff could relax and enjoy themselves without mixing with the guests. Beyond these two rooms in either direction were bedrooms, four of them. She explained that guests would stay in bedrooms on the top floor and that these bedrooms were for Klaus, the chef, and his wife, Elsa. Klaus and Elsa's son, Ansel, was assigned his own bedroom. The last two bedrooms were assigned to Roco and herself.
Dixie expressed regret that Victoria had to live down here rather than upstairs with the regular guests, but Victoria said it was more than suitable. She took us to her room, and we saw it was very comfortable, like a large hotel room. It had a queen-sized bed, mini-frig and microwave. Further, it had a full-sized bathroom with a walk-in shower. Windows in the back looked away from the lake but provided a breathtaking view of the mountains. A sliding glass door at the back opened onto a small patio with an awning-covered table and four chairs. Dixie was satisfied that the downstairs quarters were more than adequate for the staff and Victoria and Roco.
Continuing down the central hall, we came to stairs leading up to the main level of the house. At the top of the stairs, we stepped through a broad, heavy wooden door that was a barrier between the primary and lower levels. We were actually in an anti-room of sorts. It had built-in benches on either side and hooks along the walls.
Victoria explained that the heavy doors prevented thieves from entering the main floor and the bedrooms on the third floor when Tahoe House was unoccupied.
"I call this room the 'mud room,'" explained Victoria. "Guests can come in from outside and take off their muddy shoes or hiking boots and hang up their parkas and raincoats before entering the house proper."
I asked about the heavy doors.
"It is relatively easy to break into the first level, but the heavy doors make it much more difficult to access the upper levels where the valuable furniture, paintings, silver, and expensive China were stored. The house has a security system that alerts the police in South Lake Tahoe to intruders, but it would take them forty-five minutes to get here. The last person to close up Tahoe House shuts and bolts the doors from the inside and then takes the freight elevator, located in the storage area beyond the kitchen, to the bottom floor, sends it back to the top floor and then shuts it off with a key."
Dixie had stepped into the great room ahead of me. She stopped cold when she saw the beautiful way the room had been decorated. I stood next to her and appraised my surroundings. Victoria motioned for us to follow her, giving us a quick tour of Tahoe House.
The great room was about thirty feet wide and eighty feet long. There were three large chandeliers made of brass and deer antlers hanging equally spaced along the length of the ceiling, which was about sixteen feet high. The far side of the room was made up of floor-to-ceiling windows that let in a significant amount of light and presented a beautiful vista of Lake Tahoe, the forest and the mountains. A large dining room table with chairs was at one end of the room. It was configured to seat ten people, but it looked like it could be expanded to accommodate many more. At the other end of the room, there was a giant fireplace. It must have been six feet high and six feet wide. The fire burning in the hearth was modest compared to what it was designed to handle. On one side of the fireplace was a set of stairs that Victoria said led to a large loft that overlooked the great room. A large set of double doors was on the other side of the fireplace. She added this was an office and library that Mr. Adonis often used for work while using Tahoe House.
Scanning the great room, I noticed that there was a full-sized bar on the near side of the room, complete with refrigerator, sink, wine cooler, and six bar stools. In front of the fireplace was a modular furniture set with seats facing the fireplace and the great room. On the window side of the room, there was a round table with four straight-backed chairs around it that could be used for playing cards or other games, while against the wall on the other side was a set of overstuffed chairs and two overstuffed sofas. In the middle was a large coffee table.
I noted that most of the wooden floor was covered with large, expensive-looking carpets. However, there were no carpets in the center of the room; rather, there was a polished wooden floor designed for dancing or socializing.
A set of French doors set into the glass wall opened onto the spacious patio on top of the garage structure. It had several outdoor tables with large umbrella-like awnings over each table. In the middle of the patio, a large jacuzzi, almost the size of a small swimming pool, was located.
All the other guests were lounging on the patio, but as we entered, they stood up to introduce themselves. First, there was James and Janet Thomas. James quickly explained that he was president of his own construction company and did all the building work for the Adonis Group. Next, there was Richard (Dick) and Regina (Gina) Dickson. Dick stated that he was into commercial real estate and worked with the Adonis Group when they acquired or sold their holdings. Finally, David (Dave) and Dorothy (Dottie) Harris. Dave said his company did all the accounting work for the Adonis Group.
