The Hotel

by Pamela Kelley

  “It has to be hard for him, and for you and for her, too. I can’t imagine,” Paula said.

  He nodded. It was so hard to see his mother like that and he felt awful for his father. He was glad, though, that since he’d been home, his father seemed less stressed and more optimistic about it all. David wished that he could be around more often, but in a little over a month, his assignment would be over and he’d be heading back to New York. Usually, he was eager to get home to his Manhattan apartment, but this time, he was in no hurry. Summer on Nantucket and spending time with his family was where he needed to be, for as long as possible.

  He noticed that Paula’s glass was just about empty. “Would you like another glass of wine?”

  “No, thank you, though. One was perfect. I think I’m going to head home.”

  “Okay. See you tomorrow, then. I’m glad you came out with us.” She seemed more relaxed and he would have liked to talk to her longer. He was just glad that she seemed to have thawed out towards him.

  She smiled. “I’m glad I came out, too. See you tomorrow.”

  Chapter 20

  Andrea was in a fantastic mood. Earlier that afternoon, she’d received a text message from Elaine the headhunter. She’d made the final cut for the two candidates the Alexandria Hotel wanted to invite in to meet the board. It wouldn’t happen for three weeks because of some travel schedules but Andrea was totally fine with that. She still wasn’t sure what her interest level was to actually move to Manhattan, but it was nice to be a step closer to having that option.

  And while she wouldn’t admit it to her grandfather or Paula, she was enjoying her new role. There were almost no management responsibilities other than scheduling people and passing along any company-wide updates, which were few and far between. As Marco had said when they met up at The Club Car a few weeks prior, it was a fun job. And Andrea was having fun, for the first time in a long time. The role really did play to her strengths. She loved Nantucket and loved sharing what she knew about restaurants and different sightseeing options on the island.

  The weekend shifts when she and Marco often worked together were the most fun. He made her laugh, and they shared a similar sense of humor. He was quickly becoming a good friend. It didn’t hurt, either, that he was quite good-looking with his dark hair and eyes and warm smile. He made everyone feel welcome and flirted with all the women, no matter their age, and they loved it.

  She couldn’t help but notice that the few times their hands accidentally touched as they both reached for something that there was an immediate buzz of electricity. So, yes, she was attracted to Marco and she sometimes ever so faintly picked up a similar vibe from him, but each time he quickly made a joke, and the moment was gone. She suspected that he felt, as she did, that it would be a huge mistake for them to do anything beyond friendly flirting. Her track record wasn’t great, and the last thing she needed was an awkward breakup and then have to still work so closely together. Plus, she didn’t want to lose their budding friendship. They’d gotten into the habit of having after work drinks once or twice a week and she looked forward to it.

  She was surprised to see Paula join them at the outside bar. Miss goody-two-shoes rarely went for after work drinks. Even her brother seemed surprised to see her. She couldn’t help but notice that Paula’s hair looked more polished than usual and she was wearing lipstick, something she rarely did. And the consultant, David, was with her.

  She wondered if Paula was interested in him? Maybe she didn’t even realize that she was. That wouldn’t surprise Andrea. Especially as she gave Ben her number. Andrea assumed if they hadn’t already had a date that they’d be going out soon. Paula wasn’t the type to date around. She wasn’t surprised when Paula only had one drink before calling it a night. And she noticed with interest that David finished his beer and then left, too.

  When she’d first met him, she found David attractive, but after that initial conversation when she realized he agreed with her grandfather’s decision to replace her with Paula, she wrote him off as stuffy and boring. Maybe he and Paula would make a good match, after all.

  “You’re deep in thought. Should I be scared?” Marco teased her.

  She laughed and turned her attention back to Marco and Nick. “Sorry, just spaced out for a moment. What are we talking about?”

  “Nick was just saying that he’s going fishing on Sunday and asked if I want to join him.”

  “I thought you didn’t like to fish?” she asked.

  “Good memory. I told Nick that but he’s pretty persuasive.”

  “You should come, too, Andrea. When was the last time you fished?” her cousin asked.

  “It has been a long while. I don’t even remember.”

  “It’s not about the fishing as much as it’s just fun to hang out on the beach on a beautiful afternoon. It should be a good time. I was thinking of asking Bella to come again. She actually enjoys fishing and I know her sister leaves Sunday morning.”

  “Who is this Bella? Is this someone you’re dating?” Andrea asked. She noticed that Nick flushed a little.

  “I can’t say that we’re dating really. I took her fishing once. I enjoy her company, but she’s a guest. I know she won’t be here for long.”

  Andrea grinned. “But you like her. I can tell. I’ll come. I’m curious now to meet her.”

  “Okay, we’ll plan to head out around noon.”

  “You’re right. I was skeptical but dark chocolate covered cranberries really are delicious,” Julia said. She and Bella had just tried candy samples at Sweet Inspirations, the chocolate shop that Johnny, the driver from The Whitley, had mentioned.

  “You should bring a box home. I’m going to get one, too,” Bella said.

  “Good idea. I can’t believe this is my last day. I’m a little envious that you get to stay for another month or so. I know you need it, though. I can tell it’s helping.”

  “You can? That’s good to hear. I wish I could stay longer.”

  “You seem more relaxed and for the first time in a long time, you seem happy instead of stressed. How are you feeling?”

  “I’m good. I haven’t had a Lyme flare-up since I got here and I’m actually feeling stronger every day. I wish you could stay longer, too. This week has flown by.” And it had been a wonderful week. They’d managed to pack a lot into it, seeing the Whaling Museum, going on a walking ghost tour through one of Nantucket’s oldest neighborhoods and eating at so many great restaurants.

  They did quite a bit of shopping, too, and Bella made sure to bring her sister to Nantucket Threads. Julia fell in love with several cute tops and a gorgeous pair of leather sandals. It was all new stuff from the last time Bella was there. Izzy made sure to tell them about her online store, too, in case Julia wanted to order anything once she got to Vermont.

  “I can’t thank you enough for that Instagram post. My online sales blew up, especially for those boots.” Bella had posted a pic of herself from the knee down, of her wearing the boots and had included a caption, “Surfing online and fell in love with these boots from Nantucket Threads. Gorgeous and comfy.” She made sure to mention she got them online so people wouldn’t connect the dots and think she was on Nantucket.

  But the post made people curious about where she was. She’d been off all social media since she came to Nantucket—no Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. But a few days ago, she made that post and popped onto Facebook and immediately left after seeing post after post of people wondering where she was and who she was with, as if they knew her. She knew that was all part of being a celebrity, but still, it was a little unnerving.

  The cashier, a young girl who looked about sixteen, rang them up and as she handed Bella her charge slip, she paused.

  “You look so familiar. I was trying to figure out where I knew you from and it just hit me. Has anyone ever told you that you look like Cami Carmichael? It’s the smile I think.”

  Bella nodded. “I get that now and then. She’s much prettier, though, an
d has lighter hair.”

  “Right. Her hair is gorgeous. Anyway, thanks for coming in.”

  When they stepped outside, Julia whispered, “Well, that was close. Is that the first time someone has sort of recognized you?”

  “Yes. I think she bought that it wasn’t me, though.”

  “I think she did, but I’m not so sure about the people who were standing right behind us. I thought I got a glimpse of someone snapping a picture with their cellphone. It might not have been of you, though. It probably wasn’t.”

  Bella felt a little sick to her stomach. She’d been thoroughly enjoying being an anonymous tourist and moving about the island freely without worrying about being recognized. “I hope not.”

  They called for a ride back to the hotel and relaxed for a bit in the room. They’d both picked up a few new books in the bookstore downtown and read for a while before showering and getting ready to head down to dinner.

  It was Bella’s first time actually eating in the restaurant, though she’d ordered room service many times. She’d never wanted to eat alone there and attract too much attention.

  They had a reservation and were taken right to their table, which was by a window with a breathtaking view of the ocean.

  “It’s so close, I almost feel like we’re on a cruise ship,” Julia said as they sat down.

  The room was beautifully elegant, with rich navy silk window treatments and gold and navy carpeting. Everything else was white—the linens, plates and flowers in square crystal vases.

  Their server was an older man in his fifties, Bella guessed. His name was Ramon and he proudly told them that he’d just celebrated his twentieth year of working at The Whitley.

  “And I understand that our chef, Nick, has a special tasting menu for you tonight. He’s picked out matching wines as well for each course, if that suits you? Or you could order cocktails.”

  “The wines sound wonderful to me,” Bella said, and her sister nodded in agreement.

  “I’ll be right back with the first one, a sparkling rosé.”

  When Ramon returned, he set down the flutes of pink bubbly wine and a small dish of some kind of paté and sliced baguettes. There were also a few small gherkin pickles, a grainy mustard and sweet pepper jelly.

  “That’s Nick’s foie gras paté and assorted condiments. Enjoy!”

  The next few hours were a blur of one delectable dish after another and an assortment of wine tastings that perfectly complemented each course—everything from spicy tuna tartare to a silky lobster bisque, duck confit and a sliced chateaubriand topped with orange-scented poached lobster. They finished with a crème brûlée that was a swirl of dark chocolate and coffee flavors.

  When they were completely and totally finished, Nick walked up to the table.

  “I hope you enjoyed the tasting?”

  “It was amazing, incredible. Thank you so much,” Julia said.

  Bella smiled. “Insanely delicious. Truly the best food I’ve ever eaten. Thank you, Nick.”

  He grinned. “I’m so glad you both liked it. I had a lot of fun with the menu.” He glanced at Julia. “I’m sorry you have to go home tomorrow.”

  “I really wish I could stay longer. But I’m heading out first thing in the morning.”

  “I’m going to miss her,” Bella said wistfully. She’d gotten used to having her sister’s company. It was going to seem quiet once she’d gone.

  “A few of us are going fishing tomorrow. To that same spot I took you. My cousin Andrea and Marco, who also works at the concierge desk. Why don’t you join us? It’s supposed to be a gorgeous day.”

  Bella smiled. “I’d love to. I was wondering what I was going to do with myself tomorrow.”

  “Perfect. Meet us out front at noon tomorrow and bring your lucky lure!”

  Chapter 21

  “I think you should go out with him at least one more time.” Lucy had stopped by Paula’s cottage Sunday afternoon before they went to family dinner at their mother’s house. Neither one of them wanted to have their dating lives dissected over the dinner table, especially if Aunt Vivian was there. She could be relentless with the questions.

  “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” It wasn’t that Paula didn’t like Jason. He was a nice enough guy. But she hadn’t felt a single spark on their date the night before. He took her to The Gaslight, which was a great date spot, with good food and live music. It was a fun night. She felt like she was having dinner with a friend, though, so she wasn’t sure if it was fair to him to waste his time with another date.

  “So, I’ve dated a lot of guys that I didn’t feel attracted to on the first date, but I still give them at least another chance or two, because sometimes the attraction does come. Not always, but sometimes. Remember Bill?” Lucy dated him for over a year and they somehow managed to remain friendly after the breakup.

  “You weren’t attracted to him at first?” Paula didn’t remember that.

  Lucy laughed. “Not even remotely. But he was so nice and funny, and we had a great time together. By the third date, he was much cuter, because I knew him better and bam, the attraction was there. It might have also had something to do with the fact that I overheard someone else say they thought he was hot.”

  Paula laughed, too. “Funny how that works. How did your date with Ben go?”

  “We had fun! He’s not my typical type at all, but he’s a nice guy and really outgoing. We went to The Club Car for dinner and drinks, and I think he knew a half dozen or so people there. I like him enough to go out with him again.”

  “Well, that’s good.”

  “You know, I have an idea. He mentioned going to see some blues bands next Saturday afternoon. It’s at Cisco Brewers and will go all afternoon with five or six different bands playing sets. It’s an outside thing and there will be beer, of course, but wine, too, and all kinds of snack stuff, like hot dogs. Very casual. Why don’t you and Jason come with us? It might be more fun with a small group.”

  “That’s actually not a bad idea. If he calls this week, I’ll suggest it to him.”

  Bella was sad to see Julia leave Sunday morning. She was more alarmed, though, by the text message her sister sent from the airport. While waiting to board her plane, Julia was checking Facebook and there was a picture of Bella and Julia in the Sweet Inspirations shop and the caption, “Is Cami Carmichael vacationing on Nantucket? If not, she’s a dead ringer except for the hair.”

  Panic swept over Bella. She wasn’t ready to deal with the media yet. Not on Nantucket, which until now had felt like her safe place. She thought about what to do and then she walked down to the lobby and went to the hotel’s luxurious spa, which also had a hair salon.

  She made sure not to smile when the hostess greeted her—and that was hard, but necessary. She didn’t want anyone else to put two and two together.

  “Can I help you?”

  “I’d like to get a cut and color please.”

  “Let me check and see who is available.” She took a look through her schedule. “Stephanie can help you. Please follow me.” She led Bella to a chair facing a mirror in the back of the salon, which was perfect. No one was likely to notice her there. A moment later, a stylist walked over.

  “Hi, I’m Stephanie. What are we looking to do?” Stephanie didn’t seem to recognize Bella, and she relaxed a little. No one other than the girl in the store had come close to recognizing her but now that her picture was on social media, Bella knew she had to change her look immediately.

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Bella. I’d like to get some layers and go to a rich auburn with beachy loose curls all over. Kind of the Meg Ryan look if that makes sense?”

  “Got it. Huge Meg Ryan fan.” Bella wasn’t surprised. Stephanie was about fifty so probably saw all of Meg Ryan’s romantic comedies. Bella’s natural hair color was a dark strawberry-blond, but she’d been strongly encouraged to bleach it blond when she got her first big break. The thinking was that redheads weren’t as popular. Bella did
n’t agree or like it, but she wanted to work then, so she bleached it a sun-kissed blonde for her first role and it became her signature look.

  Stephanie chatted away while she stripped off Bella’s existing color and then applied the lighter shade. Bella learned Stephanie was a Nantucket native, married with two children, and one just had their first child.

  “So, I’m a grandmother, finally. It took them long enough. They’ve been married for almost ten years.”

  “Congratulations, that’s exciting.”

  Once the color was applied, Bella relaxed even more. No one was likely to recognize her now. She looked quite ridiculous with her hair going in all different directions and half of it covered in foils. Stephanie explained that she wanted a layered natural highlights effect, which sounded good to Bella.

  An hour later, when her hair was rinsed, cut, dried and curled, Bella opened her eyes and was amazed at the transformation. The Meg Ryan bouncy curl look was cuter than she’d expected and the rich, red color matched her skin better and made her eyes pop. She was still a little nervous about people recognizing her, but no one had seen her as a redhead before and they wouldn’t be expecting the hairstyle, either. She knew she had to take additional precautions, though. She wouldn’t be going anywhere, not even to the beach with Nick and his friends, without her dark aviator sunglasses and a floppy beach hat.

  She also knew that it was time to have a conversation with Nick, before he heard the truth from someone else or, God forbid, the media.

  “What’s going on at the hotel? Is that someone from TMZ?” As Nick pulled up to the entrance to pick up Bella, he noticed several vehicles that seemed to be sitting and waiting for something or someone. He glanced in his rearview mirror. “Do we have anyone famous with us right now?”

  “Not that I’m aware of,” Andrea said from the backseat where she and Marco were sitting with Nick’s packed cooler in between them.