Christmas Inn Maine

by Chelsea M. Cameron

  I thought about saying “alcohol” but told her I wanted a glass of Cabernet and after a quick perusal of the menu, I ordered all of the specials.

  She snatched my menu away and I glanced out the window at the snow. It was really coming down in white clouds. The backyard of the inn was lit up, including the gazebo and, if it weren’t fucking freezing out there, it would be pretty beautiful to sit and read for a while. At least I had my books back up in my room. Should have brought one down with me, but I had hundreds on my phone, so I pulled up one of my dinner books and started reading while I waited for the wine.

  Laura arrived with the glass and set it down in front of me. She looked even more pissed than she’d been when she took my menu.

  “Your salad will be right out.” She left me and made her rounds to the other tables and I watched her. I’d never seen her with her hair up, and it was throwing me off. Did her parents own this inn? Was she going to inherit? I didn’t really know her story because I’d never asked.

  I saw her go to the table with the older woman and the pig, and there were a few other people sitting there. Laura leaned down to one woman who wore a suit so well she looked like she belonged in a city, and not at this charming small-town inn.

  The woman looked over at me and our eyes locked and I knew she had to be Laura’s mother. They were practically twins. The mother looked at Laura and then back at me before getting up and making her way over to my table.

  Shit. I shouldn't have been staring.

  I looked into my wine glass. I’d been so distracted by Laura I hadn’t touched it yet.

  Laura followed the woman who was definitely her mother and I wished I had a book in front of my face to avoid them, but I was out of luck.

  “Hello, I’m Laina Sterling. Laura tells me that you work together. It’s so lovely to meet you.” She put her perfectly manicured, ring-studded hand out and I had no choice but to shake it.

  “Uh, hi. Yes, we work together.”

  “What brings you to Maine?” Laina asked, and Laura had to go tend to another table, leaving me alone with her mother. I wanted to slip through a crack in the floor and disappear forever. Why was this happening to me?

  “I, um, rented a cottage, and it didn’t work out and it was snowing so I stopped here for the night and I’ll drive back to Boston when the snow stops.” I didn’t really feel like chatting with Laura’s mother. This whole thing was awkward enough without me getting drawn into her family.

  The dining room started to fill up with other people and I hoped she would move on and go talk with someone else.

  “Oh, you don’t need to leave. Stay. We have plenty of room.” Now I was in the position of telling her there wasn’t enough room on my credit card for more nights at this place.

  “As our guests, of course. On the house.” My mouth almost dropped open at the offer.

  “No, no, that’s fine. I couldn’t possibly accept that. I’ve got plans back in Boston.” She looked at me and I could tell she knew I had no plans.

  “It’s no imposition. We have plenty of other family staying here right now at no charge. What’s one more?” Wow, guess they didn’t really care about making enough money from their rooms. They probably made enough the rest of the year, but that didn’t mean I wanted to be their charity case.

  “Listen, have dinner and think about it. It’s no trouble at all. The more, the merrier.” She patted my arm and got up. I sputtered and couldn’t form any words and she swept away before I could come up with anything to say. Then Laura was back with my salad. Her lips were pressed together and her jaw was tight as she set the plate down. I expected her to head off again, but she paused.

  “What did my mom say to you?” I stabbed a piece of salad with my fork.

  “She asked me to stay longer. For free. Don’t worry, I’ll be out of your hair tomorrow, as soon as I can.” She tapped her foot on the floor and crossed her arms.

  “I’m not going to stay,” I reiterated. “I don’t want to be here anymore than you want me here.” She seemed to get increasingly agitated at my presence. I’d never really seen her like this at the office. She must keep the hostility under wraps when our boss was around.

  “Whatever,” she said, and then walked off. Okay, then.

  The salad was amazing and I finished my first glass of wine before I was done with my salad and was feeling pleasantly warm and cozy. I sunk into the gentle sounds of silverware on plates and chatter. Halfway through the dinner, someone sat down at the grand piano at the other end of the dining room and started playing softly. Against my will, I was charmed by the whole place. The wine was partially to blame, I hoped.

  My potpie came and was one of the most delicious things I’d ever eaten, but I would have rather eaten glass than tell Laura how good it was when she came and asked. I sipped at a second glass of wine and waited for my dessert. The dining room had gotten louder as the evening progressed and the piano player struck up a tune and all of a sudden, everyone was singing. I looked around and found a red-faced Laura looking like she wanted to die. I snorted into my napkin. I might as well enjoy this while I was here. I could bring it up again and tease her with it when she pissed me off at work.

  I almost started singing along, since I knew the tune. It was one of my dad’s favorites.

  This place was really doing a number on me. I needed to get out ASAP. I finished my dessert and waited for the bill. Laura came back over and asked how everything was and I couldn’t lie.

  “Excellent.” I waited for her to give me the check. I had my card ready so it would be a quick process, but no bill was produced.

  “Your dinner has been comped,” she finally said.

  “Oh, you didn’t need to do that.”

  “I didn’t. Take it up with my mother, but you’ll lose. She always gets her way.” She sighed and I almost wanted to know the story there. Laura looked off into the distance and I could tell she was stressed about this whole thing. It couldn’t be easy to have someone you don’t like invading your space.

  “Well, she didn’t need to do that, but thank her. I’m going to go back to my room and stay there the rest of the night so you won’t see me again until I’m leaving tomorrow.” I scurried from the table before she could say anything else.

  I had plans for the rest of the night, and they involved the Jacuzzi tub, some bath oil, a robe, and plenty of guilt-free TV. Might as well enjoy it because tomorrow it was back to Boston and back to my real life. I hadn’t heard from the renter of the imaginary cottage, but the booking site said they were looking into things and I was probably going to get a refund since I cancelled the booking. It would just take some time to process, so I wasn’t completely fucked.

  I found some battery candles and set them up and made a whole spa atmosphere in the bathroom before sinking into the tub and filling it with water and lavender bath oil. Perfection.

  I let the water melt (most of) my stress away and then wrapped myself in a thick robe and climbed into the giant bed. Someday, I wanted to have a bed this big. Someday, I wanted to have an apartment that would fit a bed this big.

  After a while, I started feeling like I wanted a little something, and found that they did have room service until ten. The menu was limited, but they did have an assorted cookie plate that came with a glass of milk. Fuck yeah, that’s what I wanted. I called down and ended up speaking with Michelle and placing the order. I told her not to comp it, but to put it on my card.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t. My aunt makes the rules and you’re not allowed to pay for anything. Sorry.” She did seem apologetic about it.

  “Then I’m cancelling my order. Sorry to bother you.” I hung up before she could say anything else. I didn’t want Laura holding this shit over my head at work.

  Fifteen minutes later there was a knock at my door. I got up and made sure the robe was secure and looked through the peephole.

  Laura stood there with a covered tray along with a huge glass and a pitcher of what was prob
ably milk. I had no choice but to open the door.

  “Your cookies and milk,” she said, and I could feel the annoyance radiating off her again. Like, major annoyance.

  “Don’t you have a room service person?”

  “Usually, but tonight that person is me.” She shoved the tray at me and I had no choice but to accept it or drop it and lose all the precious cookies and spill milk that she’d probably have to clean up.

  “You’re not wearing your pin,” she said as I struggled with the tray. I needed to get to the gym more. Build up my arms a little bit.

  “No, I wasn’t planning on being with people who would need to know my pronouns. She is good. I’ll let you know if that changes.” It was my default, but I still had they/them days and sometimes they/them weeks. Being a demigirl was confusing as fuck sometimes. Why couldn’t I just have been given the right gender in the first place?

  “Fine,” she said, before pivoting and stomping down the hallway.

  My cookies didn’t taste as good as I wanted them to, and the milk was so ice cold it made my teeth hurt. I told myself that I wasn’t going to let Laura affect my mood, but Laura was definitely affecting my mood.

  Ugh, I didn’t want to think about her. I flipped through the channels that were showing a hell of a lot of holiday content that I skipped and settled on the network that had the show about people buying houses. I finished the plate of cookies, which had included double chocolate chip, gingerbread, sugar, oatmeal chocolate chip, and these little ones that had jam sandwiched in between. Perfection.

  I left the TV on and put on my pajamas and brushed my teeth. My alarm was set for much earlier than I wanted it to be, but I was going to have to dig my car out of the parking lot before I got on the road. Definitely wasn’t looking forward to that. I settled into the bed and was nearly asleep when there was a commotion in the hallway that sounded like a stampede, urgent whispering, and a strange squealing noise.

  The pig was loose.

  Two

  I didn’t think I’d be much help in catching the pig, so I stayed in bed, but I couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t just the strange room, although that was what I wanted to tell myself.

  If I was being completely and totally honest: the idea of going back to Boston tomorrow was making me more depressed than I thought it would. I’d just gotten so excited about the little cottage by the sea.

  Fuck, I still had all the damn groceries in my car. I’d completely forgotten about them in the back. At least it was cold enough that everything would stay frozen? Yet another waste.

  I groaned and tried to find a comfortable sleeping position.

  A book. I needed a book. I got up and went to the suitcase that had my books in it. I turned the light on in the little sitting area and looked through to find one of the books I’d picked to help me get to sleep.

  There was a tiny coffeemaker in the room that also dispensed hot water and I scrounged up some peppermint tea and found a packet of honey. If I couldn’t sleep, the next best thing was reading.

  I pulled a soft cotton blanket off the back of the loveseat and curled up in it with the book and the steaming cup of tea beside me. Too bad I couldn’t stay here for the next two weeks, but there were two big obstacles to that plan. Laura and money. I wasn’t going to overcome either of those anytime soon, so even though it almost broke my heart, I was heading back to Boston in a few hours. I just had to kill some time until then and turned the page of my book.

  The next time I awoke, I was still on the couch and the book had fallen to the floor. There were sounds outside the door of people bustling around and stepping on creaky floorboards and having conversations about coffee and pancakes and plans for the day.

  I blinked and looked out the window. It had stopped snowing, finally, but there was definitely at least a foot or more piled up outside. The white gazebo was frosted with icicles hanging from the roof. It was disgusting how picturesque this place was.

  I got up from the couch and groaned. It was a nice couch, but nothing could beat a bed for sleeping. Too bad I’d never get to find out what it was like to wake up in the California king. I sighed and packed my book up and threw on some clothes before brushing my teeth and packing the rest of my shit away.

  I did want to have breakfast and thank Laina for letting me stay. I had the feeling they would have an incredible spread and I didn’t want to miss it before I left.

  I brushed out my tangled light-brown shoulder-length hair and made a face at the dark circles under my eyes. I wasn’t winning any beauty contests today, but when did I ever? That was what was so freeing about being non-binary: I didn’t have to fit into the traditional “beauty” box. Sure, I liked to lean on the femme side, but I also rarely wore any kind of makeup, and I only wore a dress once in a blue moon. Weirdly enough, I’d gotten a little obsessed with jewelry lately, like a magpie, and I’d been collecting statement necklaces and lots and lots of bracelets that I stacked up and down my arms.

  I shoved on just about every one of my favorites. The jingling comforted me for some reason. I turned my head to the side and figured that was good enough.

  The smells hit me the second I put my head out of the door and into the hallway. Bacon, cinnamon, fresh coffee, warm bread, and a million other spices and scents that made me instantly starving.

  I slowly made my way downstairs and peeked into the dining room. Whole lotta people in there, including Laina, the pig, and Laura. I didn’t know who I wanted to avoid more.

  I tried to sneak in, but that didn’t really work.

  “Colden, good morning,” Laina said, coming over. It was literally looking at what Laura would turn into in the future. Incredibly beautiful. Not as if she wasn’t already, but age would only sharpen it and make it more intense, if that was possible.

  “Good morning,” I said through a yawn.

  “Did you sleep well?” I shrugged.

  “Oh, no, was there something wrong with the room?” She seemed genuinely concerned and it was making me embarrassed.

  “No, just with my brain,” I said, looking for a way out.

  “I’m sorry about that, but you look like you could use a good breakfast. Why don’t you come and sit with us?” For a second, I considered bolting and just heading for my car and leaving right then.

  “Oh, no, that’s fine. I should get on the road.” So much for eating.

  “Come and sit down,” Laina said, putting her arm around me and dragging me into the room. I wanted to dig my heels in, but I didn’t. Instead of leading me to the cluster of tables that she’d come from, she took me to a little nook where there was a table that would only fit two people max and motioned for me to sit down.

  “Is this better?” It wasn’t ideal, but it was the best in the given situation. I was at the back of the dining room, so I could see all the activity, but was apart from it.

  “Thank you,” I said, and Laina gave me a warm smile and squeezed my shoulder.

  “Enjoy your breakfast and don’t you dare try to pay. My husband Antonio and I wouldn’t hear of it and he’s the chef.” She pointed her finger at me and I wanted to argue, but you didn’t argue with a woman like Laina Sterling.

  She smiled and walked back out of the dining room. I sat there for a second and then Laura appeared. She was gorgeous, of course, but there were also dark circles under her eyes, and her shoulders were slumped a little.

  “Do you want to know the specials?” she said with a sigh as she handed me a menu. I did, but I also didn’t want to make her repeat them.

  “No, that’s fine,” I said, looking at the menu.

  “Can I start you with something to drink?” She had dropped all pretense of being happy I was here and I could tell if I stood up and walked out, she would be relieved.

  “I’m leaving soon, I promise. I was just hungry.”

  She sighed again.

  “I’ll have a caramel latte and a glass of cranberry orange,” I said, not looking up at her.

  “Fine,”
she said and stomped away. She was probably going to spit in my juice.

  While I tried to decide what I wanted to eat, I scanned the room and took it all in. Laina flitted around, talking and laughing with each table. I also saw Michelle a few times, and there was the pig with the older woman who wouldn't stop feeding it from the table. A little weird that they had bacon on the menu.

  The warmth and coziness of the breakfast was seeping into my bones again. I realized I didn’t want to leave. Then Laura came over with my coffee and juice and I reminded myself that I did need to leave.

  “Ready to order?” she asked. I hadn’t seen her write down a single order she’d taken and I had to admit that was pretty impressive. There were a few other servers to take care of the dining room, but she was the one who always seemed to be moving in three directions at once.

  What had brought her to Boston and away from here? Why hadn’t she stayed?

  “Colden?” she said, snapping me out of my mental rambling.

  “Yeah, sorry. I’m going to have the eggs benedict with a side of potatoes and the fruit. Thanks.”

  She took the menu and went to grab a coffee pot to give someone a refill before going to take another order. I pretended to mess with my phone, but I was watching Laura. I was tired just seeing all the things she was doing.

  I wondered if she was getting paid, or if this was the “break” she got. Not exactly relaxing if you got roped into still working. That kind of sucked. No wonder she was tired.

  I got lost in wondering about Laura and didn’t notice until I heard a snuffling noise that the pig had wandered over to my table.

  “Oh, hello.” I was still a little uneasy about the giant animal, but it seemed friendly. Did pigs bite?

  I scratched the top of the pig’s head and then I heard a voice.

  “Minnie likes you.” I looked up to find the older woman beaming down at me.

  “Minnie?” I asked.

  “That’s her name. She was supposed to be a miniature pig, but you can see how well that turned out.” I looked into her face and saw Laura’s and Laina’s eyes. She smiled and her whole face crinkled in a way that made me want to smile with her.