A Suite Geek (Suite Love Series Book 3)

by Sue Gibson

  Across the table she sought Edward’s eyes. His glance bounced away before returning. She lifted her eyebrows and directed her gaze toward her parents. Under the table, his shoe nudged against her sandaled foot and he nodded his encouragement.

  She stood. “Mom, Dad,” she began. “I have some news.” Her mother carefully set her coffee cup down and placed her free hand on her husband’s forearm. “Good news.”

  Kathleen visibly relaxed.

  “I think you both know how much coming back home meant to me. And working at the Nirvana is my dream job.”

  Lily returned her grateful smile with an encouraging one of her own. “I see the rewards of my job in so many different ways, every day.” She looked at Edward, her current and favorite success story. Even with a smear of mustard staining the front of his shirt, he looked unflappable, the calm centre of her storm.

  “So what’s your good news?” Kathleen looked expectantly at Edward. “What could possibly make your life more meaningful?”

  Christy blushed and pushed on.

  “Weatherall, the hotel conglomerate that owns the Nirvana chain, has offered me a new job—a promotion to Director of Guest Services.” She waited. Her parents exchanged a glance, but kept their expressions neutral, as if holding off their response until they heard the details.

  There was no putting it off. “I’d be based in

  Toronto.” If she hadn’t noticed her father’s hand reaching to enclose his wife’s, she’d think her announcement hadn’t upset them at all.

  “They want me to implement the type of programming I’ve introduced here to the two new hotels opening soon.”

  A collective congratulatory rumble emanated from the crowded table until her mother’s voice broke free, “But you don’t know anything about other communities. Like where the artists live or if there are Tai Chi and Yoga programs already up and running. How could you possibly? You grew up here!” Her mother looked first to her husband then to Paul for backup, her voice trailing off.

  “That won’t be my responsibility. I’ll hire someone who knows the area. A local. Like me.”

  “Good luck with that, sis. You’re one of kind,” Paul said, his voice full of pride.

  Edward turned toward Paul, his expression thoughtful.

  “So you won’t actually work directly with the guests anymore? You’re job is….administrative?” Her father said the word slowly, as if trying to reconcile the job with his daughter’s skills.

  “That’s right.” A stab of annoyance threatened her composure. “I’ll supervise three Recreational Directors, including whoever fills my present position. They want me to implement innovative programming—based on the success of the Loon Lake Nirvana.”

  She looked at Edward for back - up. Her promotion already had his resounding approval, but his broad smile bolstered her spirits anyway. She could handle the job, but would she enjoy it? She swallowed hard, her personal reservations were better kept to herself.

  “I’ll have a downtown office and Lily has generously offered me the use of their Toronto condo until I find something of my own.”

  “That sounds wonderful, honey,” her mother said, rallying. “Now your father and I will have a place to stay when we go in for a show!” Her mother’s bright smile belied the slight tremor in her voice.

  “Congratulations!” Her father walked around the table and drew her into his arms. “We’ll miss you, but I couldn’t be more proud.”

  Paul extracted his legs from beneath the picnic table and disappeared through the kitchen door, returning with a bottle of sparkling apple cider and a stack of clear plastic cups.

  Quickly pouring a round, he raised his cup in a toast. “To your much deserved success and happiness in Toronto.” She blinked back tears. Everyone she loved was right here in this yard and she’d miss them all.

  “To Christy,” everyone shouted out, Edward’s voice rising in the mix.

  With the accolades, her excitement reignited. It was high time she stretched her wings; realized her potential; grew into her given name. She glanced at Edward. He stood in a shaded corner of the yard—the only spot with cellular reception—rapidly tapping his Blackberry. A smile pulled her lips. For the moment anyway, her old Edward had replaced the new gregarious Ted.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Everyone had gone home, and Christy paused wiping the vinyl tablecloth to watch her father and Edward return the backyard to its pre-party state. Under her father’s direction, Edward heaved a stack of plastic lawn chairs to his shoulder and carried them to the garage. For a man who spent most of his days in an office, Edward’s physique was… remarkable.

  The two men worked in an easy rhythm, Edward handling the heavy stuff; her father focusing on gathering up the odds and ends. Grabbing the oversized trash can, Edward easily manhandled it to curb, while her father zigzagged across the yard, snagging paper napkins and dropped plastic forks.

  Next Edward dismantled the portable canopy, sorting the metal leg extensions by length and tying them together, marking each group with a black marker. Her father looked on approvingly.

  “Christy, we’re almost done here. Why don’t you and Edward relax; enjoy the evening,” her mother urged. “Take a walk down by the lake, perhaps.”

  In Buttermilk Falls an evening stroll by the lake was paramount to an engagement announcement. She hadn’t walked the shoreline with a date since the night of her high school prom.

  “Alright.” She didn’t care if the whole village heard about it. She was moving to Toronto anyway.

  Her mother’s head lifted, surprise in her eyes, but her voice came across as casually concerned. “The temperature is already dropping. Better take a sweater, dear.”

  “I’ve loaded the dishwasher Mom, and the leftovers are in the fridge.”

  “Thanks.” Her mother looked exceptionally pleased, but wiped out.

  “I’ll ask Edward, but only if you promise to go put your feet up. In fact, ask Dad to massage them with that scented oil I brought you from the Wilderness Spa.”

  Her mother’s eyes lit up and she smiled mischievously. “John! It’s almost time for Jeopardy.”

  His head turned toward his wife’s voice and he rested his rake against the garage.

  Edward joined them on the patio. “Thanks so much for coming Edward,” Kathleen said. “I’ll be sure to email some photos to your mother right away.”

  “Great. She’ll appreciate that. They love British Columbia but I know she misses home. At least the internet keeps you two connected.”

  “That’s true. We love it!” Her face sobered for a minute. “I hate that teenagers waste so much time on it these days, but I must say, when used properly it’s fabulous.”

  He nodded in agreement. “And now you will be able to use it to keep in touch with Christy too.”

  Her mother’s gaze flicked up to the curtained windows of Christy’s cozy garage apartment. “Of course. I’m sure we will be messaging like crazy.” She turned her head and called out a second time. “Ready, John?”

  Holding hands, her parents walked toward the

  house. “They’ll be alright,” Christy spoke her thoughts out loud. “They’ve got each other.”

  Edward’s hand reached out to her, his strength bolstering her resolve. Moving on was the right thing to do.

  She tightened her fingers around his. “Come on, I’ll show you the path down to the shore.”

  Two blocks west, they stepped off the pavement and crunched down a graveled right-of-way that served as both a boat launch and public access to the lake. Near the lake, they left the gravel for a narrower dirt path leading west. Lined on both sides with riotous wild raspberry bushes, it’s well-worn center paralleled the meandering shoreline.

  They walked in silence to the path’s end and a mowed grassy area populated with two wind- bleached wooden benches and a weathered picnic table.

  They dropped onto the first bench and lifted their faces to the view. “Nice,” Christy murmur
ed, her shoulder resting against his.

  Across the lake, a crooked row of jack pines pillared the fiery horizon. The lake was now more green than blue, calmed and settled.

  “Now I really wish I’d remembered my camera. My parents would’ve loved this shot.” Edward shaded his eyes against the sun and peered down the lake to the mouth of Greensly Bay. “I bet Mom sat in this very spot when she was younger,” his voice full of the awe serendipity produces.

  “Mine, too, probably.” They were quiet again, processing their own particular moment in time. Up until two weeks ago, she’d have said that she and Edward shared no common ground—other than overly-involved mothers. But tonight, on this hidden

  beach, their lives linked, proving a theory she’d been contemplating lately. Regardless of personality style, maybe some people were just meant to be together.

  “So just one week left here, for you.” Earlier she’d pulled up his departure date on her computer. He was leaving the morning after the disco dance.

  “Actually six days; I leave in six days.” He slumped against the graying wood and heaved a sigh. “I like my job but I’m not looking forward to going back to the city.”

  She glanced at his face and her heart fluttered in her chest. He stared out to the lake while kicking his foot against a chunk of driftwood. The man who’d arrived two weeks earlier considered vacations more punishment than reward. Either she was amazing at her job, or he didn’t want to say goodbye in six days either.

  She reached for his hand and squeezed. “You can always come back,” she said softly.

  From the far shore, the plaintive call of a loon rose and echoed across the lake. Goose bumps pebbled her forearms. Twenty-six years exposure to the loon’s lonely call and the sound still pulled at her heart. She scanned the lake’s mirror top hoping to see the blackened silhouette of the loons gliding toward one another.

  Edward tipped his head as they waited for the lost loon’s reply. At last, a lilting melody floated up from behind Osprey Island and they laughed at their mutual foolishness. “I don’t know if I would have slept tonight if I hadn’t heard that.”

  “See, I knew you had a soft side.” She gently poked him in the arm with her fist. “My Tai Chi lessons must have put you in touch with your emotions.”

  “Yea, that’s what happened.” His voice, low and

  brimming with emotion, betrayed his lighthearted words. He continued to stare ahead, his face in shadow.

  “What then?” she whispered, willing him to turn to face her. “What happened?” Intuitively, she knew the answer, but still her pulse thudded in her ears, waiting for his words to confirm the message in his eyes. Would Edward have the courage or would the moment slip away?

  Voices drifted over the water from a cottage across the lake. A door slammed, goodnights bantered back and forth. Then silence again, this time deeper, draping them like a warm blanket.

  His jacket rustled against the wood as he shifted against the bench. “You happened.”

  His words washed over her, then again, their meaning filling her heart until it hurt in her chest. She felt him turn, she tipped her head slightly back to better see his face. Mere inches away, his expression clearly defined his intent.

  His lips touched hers, at first soft and tentative exploring her own, before deepening with her acceptance.

  His pulled back, the night air slipping in to cool her flushed cheeks. When she met his eyes, the vulnerability there tore her heart. It was her turn to speak. “You happened to me too.”

  Her hands slid up behind his neck and she drew him back down, returning his ardor with her own. His arms tightened and she melted against his warmth, fully trusting him to protect her heart. Edward or Ted, it didn’t matter. She was falling hard for both versions of this man.

  ****

  The moon was high in the sky by the time they

  climbed the worn path back to the street and stepped quietly onto the dewy grass of her parents’ back yard. Beside the lake, they’d talked for hours, filling in the gaps their mothers’ letters hadn’t covered.

  Neither of them ready for the evening to end, they settled in the double swing. He draped his arm across her shoulders.

  She stroked his forearm. “Sorry I jumped all over you earlier when you offered to help me prepare for my interview.” No longer worried he’d think her dumb, it was easy to admit she could use his help. “If I had time, I’d prepare a PowerPoint presentation for the Board.” She shrugged her shoulder. “It’s not just time I’m short of, I’m not even sure where to start.”

  He pulled his arm from her shoulders and turned to face her, his smile broad. “Yeah, I know a little something about promoting with PowerPoint. What were you thinking?” One of his knees began to bounce.

  Tension eased from her shoulders. “You know, photos and text showcasing the programs I’ve implemented. Maybe some testimonials. There are lots pinned to my bulletin board.”

  Nodding, he pulled out his Blackberry and began typing. “What else?”

  Leaning ahead, she matched his enthusiasm. “Well, the Toronto executives are used to some pretty slick stuff, I don’t want to look amateurish.” She glanced to his face. Can you add some bells and whistles?”

  “Not to blow my own whistle, but… it’s pretty much what I do, full time. Let me shoulder this for you, I promise you’ll be happy with the results.”

  She chewed her lip. It’d be great to hand this over

  to someone who knew what they were doing. Plus she wouldn’t have to neglect her current guests. “What else would you need?”

  “Current digital photos. I’ve got a good camera. I could take some pictures tomorrow.” He nudged into her shoulder and grinned, “And I’ll probably lift some text from your famous brochure.”

  He made it sound so easy. She nodded in the direction of the hotel. “I guess we’d need some kind of release from the guests….”

  “I can a pull a template off my computer in minutes.” He shrugged his shoulders, indicating how easily he could provide the forms.

  “Are you sure? It sounds like a big pain in the neck, for someone supposedly on holiday.”

  “Are you kidding? I’ll pull it off without missing a single Tai Chi lesson. Trust me.”

  She sighed and nestled back in under his arm. “You’ve no idea how much this means to me. Now my guests will still have my full attention.”

  “You go about your business, and leave it to me.

  It’s my pleasure to help you advance your career.”

  She traced her finger along his jaw, across his bottom lip. Leaning in, she dropped a kiss on his cheek. Edward was the ideal mix of geek and hunk. He tugged her closer and bent in, this time for a real kiss.

  Chapter Eighteen

  11:30 p.m.

  Edward. Kathleen posted pictures from the BBQ. You two looked perfect together!! Love Mom.

  7:15 a.m. Edward didn’t see the sun climb above the tree line or notice the room brightening until the computer monitor required an adjustment against the glare. He leaned back, laced his hands behind his head and read the concluding text for the third time. Letter perfect, he hit “Save”. Returning to the beginning he clicked through the pages. Nature inspired colors backed the easy to read font he’d chosen to describe Christy’s innovative guest packages. A muted sound track of lapping waves, inspired by last night’s lakeside visit, reinforced the message.

  The blinking clock at the bottom of the screen told him he’d already logged in six hours and he knew the project required at least six more data entry hours. He rubbed his jaw, rough with stubble.

  Then there was the field work, shooting pictures of Christy on the job. He smiled. Work really wasn’t the right word. His eyes flicked to the tiny clock again.

  No way would he cancel a minute of his Christy time and have her think he’d reverted to type. There had to be a solution. He drummed his pen against the edge of desk.

  He closed out the screen and spun his computer />
  chair toward the expanse of glass. Oblivious to the pricey view, he marveled how his life had changed. Feeling foolish for smiling, but powerless to stop, he recalled kissing Christy under the stars. He straightened in the chair. Only a fool would waste these last few days holed up in the suite when he could be with the woman he loved.

  He wheeled back to the desk and pulled up his schedule again. He raked his fingers through his hair. Not only was there loads of work left to do on the PowerPoint, he also needed to make time to take Christy on a real date.

  She’d mentioned a new little restaurant, The Crow’s Nest, tucked into the cliffs on the north shore of the lake. She’d recited its great review from the local paper. He’d discreetly typed its number into his Blackberry, determined to be the first man to take her there. Who was he kidding—not just the first, hopefully the last.

  He reached for his phone, scrolled through his contact list and punched in the digits.

  “Pinnacle Promotions. Jon, here. What’s up?” Bobby had insisted they drop traditional phone etiquette and present a trendier image.

  “Jon, it’s Edward. Got time to help me out with a little project?” Plucked from a competing firm, Jon had arrived just after Bobby. His track record was impressive and he was hungry for advancement. Most importantly, he owed Edward a large favor.

  Minutes later, the PowerPoint file was on its way to Jon, complete with detailed instructions. After he screened today’s photos, they’d follow, along with the testimonials. Jon promised to work the magic that had landed him two industry awards.

  Ten minutes later, after a shower and a shave, he grabbed his camera and strode past the closet doors. In his peripheral vision he caught a flash of his image and his footsteps slowed. He backed up and looked straight on into the full length mirror. His face, now a deep golden hue, showed no sign of fatigue, even after pulling an all-nighter. In fact he looked a lot like the men in Christy’s brochures. He grinned at his reflection and slid his bare feet into a pair of hand- made sandals he’d purchased from a local leather- smith. Satisfied, he strode out to the Penthouse elevator and punched the Lobby button.