by James, Ava
Isabelle lay back down on the bed and closed her eyes. All she could see was Donovan's sweet, coffee-colored eyes. She had to shake that man from her brain. And fast. He already meant more to her than Tim ever had, and she could only imagine how painful his rejection would be.
She wasn't hungry enough to order lunch, but she wished she could get out of the hotel room for some fresh air. The sky outside her window was a crisp and beautiful blue, and wispy clouds floated by without a care.
Laylah returned, just like she had promised, with a proposition.
"Ms. Wilson, Isabelle, I talked to my boss and we came up with an idea. What would you think about staying here on Scarlett Mountain and working here, for me?"
"I've never worked in a hotel. I don't know the first thing about hospitality or customer service. I wouldn't know where to start."
"It's not so scary. I'm sure that Brandon Molek's executive assistant can handle it."
"How do you know where I work?"
"Worked. I called my boss and he wanted to do some checking before we offered a broke homeless woman a job and a place to live."
"I don't understand. You're offering me a job to work here at the hotel?"
"Yes, of course. All employees are also offered room and board. We usually have college interns work here in the summer, but the last couple haven't worked out so well. We have an immediate opening if you're interested."
"I really don't know what to say. This has all happened so fast."
"Say yes. I think you would do really well here."
"Okay, yes. I will stay here and accept the job. What is the job, exactly?"
"You'll be our evening and weekend desk clerk. I'll have Jeanette add you to the schedule and run up a copy for you. I assume that your availability is flexible?"
"Sure."
"Alright, well, due to the situation, you're welcome to stay in this room until Friday. After that, we'll need to move you to your staff room."
"Staff room?"
"Yes, all staff quarters are on the second floor."
"This is all very overwhelming. I really don't know what to say."
"Well, say thank you. Stay off that ankle, and let us know if you need anything." Laylah smiled as she turned and left Isabelle's room. Isabelle didn't really want to stay on Scarlett Mountain, not with Donovan within arm's length. He'd be just about impossible to get over now.
*******
"Problem solved, Don!" Laylah didn't wait for him to say hello. Her voice was brimming with excitement.
"What?"
"Ms. Wilson. I threw a job at her and made corporate happy. She won't be able to sue us now."
"Wait, what?"
"She is broke, homeless and just lost her job. I offered her a job at the hotel and she took it. I guess all's well that ends well, right? Alright, gotta run. Thanks, Donnie!"
Laylah hung up before he had a chance to tell her for the hundredth time to not call him Donnie ever again. Donovan didn't feel too bad about ending things with her; he knew that his brother, Kayden had it bad for her. Kayden had watched her climb out of her black Audi with her luscious ass and buttery blonde hair and he was smitten. He hadn't admitted it to himself yet, of course.
A couple of hot months a few years back and Laylah called him Donnie when they were together. The sexual chemistry had never been quite right and they had parted as friends. Occasionally, Laylah would call him Donnie to remind him of what he'd walked away from. It never had the effect on him that she wanted it to.
Donovan set his phone down and looked out the garage door toward the hotel. Isabelle's room was on the other side, so he knew that she couldn't look down and see him. So far, he'd been able to think of little else. He had tried to forget her and now it looked like she wasn't going anywhere.
After a week in bed, Isabelle's ankle felt a lot better. Still a little tender to the touch, but she had been able to stand long enough last night for a hot shower. Every time she took a bath, she hoped that Donovan would come into her room, scoop her out of the tub and eat her pussy until she screamed his name again.
Laylah sent Amber, the newly promoted morning desk clerk, up to her room for paperwork. Amber was obviously the town gossip and as far as Isabelle could tell, had the perfect job for her personality. She was already getting the inside scoop about the locals. The small tourist town was beginning to feel like the subject of a soap opera.
Isabelle envied Amber's bubbly nature. She was tall and curvy like her, but she didn't seem the least bit self-conscious about her body. Her tops revealed her cleavage and her skirts left little to the imagination. Amber was voluptuous and confident. Isabelle assumed that was a combination few men could resist.
Amber offered to take Isabelle out shopping for new clothes on Friday. She was due to start training on Monday and needed some clothes. She hadn't been back home to gather her things from Tim's. She hadn't bothered to call him, figuring that her text had explained it all. Laylah gave her a five hundred dollar clothing allowance on top of everything else to get her started. The stars had clearly aligned and everything didn't feel quite so hopeless. Just as long as she didn't see Donovan.
Isabelle wasn't sure how long she would be able to stand and walk around outside, but her painkillers worked wonders. But she craved something more than room service. She'd tried half the menu already and Donovan was right, the food was pretty good. But some fresh air and a cute waiter would hopefully hit the spot.
"Alright, hon, I'll be by around three to fetch you, so be ready. I'm going to take you to Scarlett's for some real food, and get you outta this room. The boys will be up to get you moved while we're gone." Amber gathered her purse and keys and gave Isabelle a hug. She'd never made friends with a woman so quickly before. Amber's warm nature made it easy. She was a great listener, and an even better talker. Isabelle didn't share her feelings for Donovan with her; a little sexual gossip about one of the firefighters would be nothing but chum in the water for Amber.
"You're in for a treat!" Amber was right on time. All of Isabelle's belongings were packed up and ready to be moved to her employee suite downstairs. Isabelle had seen her new room and was in love. It was a little bigger than her guest suite and was on the other side of the building facing the mountain with a breathtaking view.
"You've been cooped up in here way too long, and I'm telling ya, Scarlett's has the most amazing food. There is nothing bad on the menu, I promise."
Scarlett's was owned by Lillian Reynolds, a refugee from San Francisco who came to the mountain for a more simple life. She had been an executive chef at Rye, a posh downtown eatery, and had grown tired of the pace. On the mountain with her own restaurant, she could create the most amazing dishes that tourists loved and locals raved about.
Sharing cocktails over lunch, Isabelle grew more and more comfortable sharing her life story with Amber. She kept her feelings for Donovan locked in a liquor-proof cabinet in her heart. Amber seemed much more interested in hearing the dirty details of her relationship with that asshole Tim anyway, and Isabelle had plenty of stories to share.
"I hope you're hungry, ladies." Simon, their waiter, set down plates with the most amazing-smelling food. Amber had ordered the maple glazed salmon, which was the special of the day. Isabelle was always a little apprehensive to try new food, and had gone with fettuccine alfredo. Their lunch date continued on in perfect fashion. They ate, drank another cocktail, and Amber spilled endless details about the locals. She talked about Zak and Axton from the firehouse, but she never mentioned Donovan. She spoke about Axton so much that Isabelle was picking up on the fact that Amber had a massive crush on him. Who could blame her, really? All of the men in the firehouse were hot. They were a gang of rippled-muscle rescuers, and Amber confided in her that they were all massively wealthy.
Figures, he's got money too.
After lunch, they went to Mini's for coffee. Isabelle ordered a cappuccino and the barista remembered her from last time and created a bear in the foam. Isabelle
stared into her cup and Amber stopped talking. It seemed like the first time they had sat in silence.
"What's wrong?" Amber set her cup down and watched Isabelle.
"Nothing. It's nothing. I got a cappuccino here the morning before my hike, and it just brought back the memory of the accident."
"Isabelle, honey, I'm so sorry. I just can't imagine how that all felt. I'm so glad that Donovan found you when he did. You're safe now." Amber grabbed Isabelle's hand. "You're safe now."
Isabelle smiled at her and looked back down at the bear in her cup. Its deep coffee-colored eyes reminded her of Donovan, but she had no intention of spilling all of the dirty details to Amber. At least not until she got to know her better.
"So, Laylah is alright as a boss. She's way too concerned about what corporate thinks, though. It's all about the bottom line. Sometimes I want to tell her that there is more to life than money. Have you seen her car, that black Audi? I've worked here three years and every year she has a different car. Brand new car every year. Must be nice, huh? Oh, well, she takes good care of us, though. She is generous, that's for sure. It was her idea to create the staff quarters. Corporate came in and remodeled about five years ago, before I started, and she had them make staff suites so that we'd all be on site. She has a house about fifteen minutes away, though. I heard her husband died and left her a shit-ton of money and she doesn't really need to work anyway, but she loves the hotel."
The gossip effortlessly oozed out of Amber. Isabelle was realizing that no matter how nice Amber was to her face, she needed to watch what she said to her.
"Oh, and once a month, the hotel hosts a huge party, kind of like a ball. Well, some months it's more like a prom. It's usually the last Saturday of the month, so, this coming Saturday. It's a lot of fun. Everyone dresses up, dancing, booze, mixing with the guests and locals. It is always our busiest weekend of the month. The busiest weekend of the summer is always Independence Day. Laylah will have us start working on preparations for that soon."
"It's March." Isabelle couldn't imagine that there was that much preparation needed for one day.
"Yeah, and it'll be the Fourth of July before you know it. It's crazy how fast time flies over the summer."
They both looked up when the door opened and the spring breeze poured inside. Donovan and two other men walked inside and Donovan looked right at her.
"Speaking of hot." Amber locked eyes with one of the other men. She had a look on her face like she was looking at a decadent treat.
The guys walked inside and went to the counter. Sitting at the corner table, Isabelle and Amber had a perfect view of their asses. "Yum," Amber whispered and winked at Isabelle. Isabelle couldn't help but smile. She wondered if Amber knew the guy she was ogling the same way that Isabelle knew Donovan. Watching him at the counter, seeing his arm muscles bulging in his shirt, her panties started getting damp. Damnit. Not over him. Isabelle struggled rationalizing the intense magnetic pull between them. I wonder if he feels it too.
The men got their coffee and headed toward the door. Please don't come over here, please don't come over here. The guy Amber was watching reached the door first and held it open. Donovan smiled at Isabelle and raised his cup at her before putting his sunglasses on. He paused for a moment before heading out the door.
"Alright, what was that?" Amber's wide eyes told Isabelle that she was on to her and wanted details.
"What was what? What are you talking about?"
"Do you think I'm dumb? I saw that look on your face, and your hands are shaking."
"It's nothing. They were cute. What? Can't a girl look?" Isabelle tried to backpedal, despite knowing that Amber was way too smart to believe any of it.
"Yeah, a girl can look. That wasn't a look. That was a moment."
"They were cute firemen. That's all."
"Uh-huh. I'll let you get away with that this time. But seriously. Which one?"
"Come on, Amber!"
"Fine. As long as it wasn't Axton."
"Which one was Axton?"
"The gorgeous one."
"That doesn't help me. They were all cute."
"Exactly. They're all cute, but Axton is gorgeous." Amber sighed and took a sip of her coffee. "Those guys were Axton, Jake, and of course Donovan." She watched Isabelle's face change at the mere mention of Donovan's name. "It's Donovan, isn't it?"
"It's Donovan what?"
"The one making your panties wet."
"Amber, come on, really?"
"Oh, please, Isabelle, I'm a woman too and I know that look. I need a change of panties and Axton's never rescued me after a night alone outside on a mountain."
"Alright, enough. Yes, Donovan's cute, he's really nice and he saved my life. That's all there is to it, okay?"
"Sure, keep telling yourself that, honey. I'll leave you alone about it. For now. And don't worry, I won't say a word to anybody. I promise." Her words didn't exactly reassure Isabelle. "Hurry up and finish that so we can head to town. I don't know about you, but I need a dress for Saturday. Axton and I have been doing 'the dance' for a while now, and I'm not sure how much more I can take." Amber finished her coffee and grabbed her purse.
Amber led the way to her little sports car, a beautiful blue two-seater BMW. "This is your car?" Isabelle asked.
"Yeah. Don't drool too much; it's like ten years old. I'm just trying to keep it alive until I marry a billionaire."
"Well, good luck with that!"
"Well, there are plenty to choose from up here. All those guys."
"Which guys?"
"The firefighters. Maybe not billionaires, but they have a ton of money, all of them. Just pick one, take a weekend workshop on giving blowjobs and give him the time of his life."
"Is that your plan with Axton?"
"Already took the workshop." Amber licked her lips and pulled her door shut.
Forty minutes later and they reached the Shops at Gramsby. The new shopping center was overflowing with posh boutiques. Isabelle was amazed it wasn't gated.
"Laylah gave me $500 for clothes. I can't spend it all on a dress and shoes for Saturday. People will begin to notice if that is the only dress I wear to work every day."
"I know just the place." Amber turned out of the parking lot and they headed further east. Buried back in an older strip mall was a tiny dress shop. There was only one other car in the parking lot, and a flashing 'Open' sign in the window.
"My aunt Catherine owns this place. She'll hook us up." The girls headed inside the tiny store and looked around at racks of irregular dresses. "She gets these dresses for almost nothing because they have little flaws. She's a seamstress and repairs them, making them better than new. This place is amazing. I can't believe I didn't think of it before."
"Amber! Hi, honey! How are you?" Catherine came up from the back room and Isabelle could see that Amber's bubbly nature ran in the family.
"Hi, Aunt Kitty. We're here for dresses. Got a fancy party on Saturday and we're on the prowl."
"I love you, Amber, honey, but you're always on the prowl. How is this Saturday any different?"
"Well, this Saturday I have a cohort. Kitty, this is Isabelle. Isabelle, this is my aunt Catherine. I call her Kitty because when I was little, my mom always called her Cat. I guess it stuck."
"It's nice to meet you, Catherine. This looks like an amazing dress shop."
"Thank you. Please call me Cat, or Kitty. I'm doing some work in the back. Prom season is going to hit like a hurricane before I know it and I have a ton of dresses to get ready. You girls look around and let me know if you need anything, okay?"
A half dozen racks were packed full of dresses. With her curvy figure, Isabelle hated shopping for clothes, let alone a dress for a fancy party, something she hadn't confided in Amber.
"Isabelle, look at this!"
"What?" Isabelle turned around and walked over to the rack Amber was at. She grabbed and held up a gorgeous emerald green chiffon gown. The plunging neckline would leave litt
le to the imagination thanks to Isabelle's full breasts. She wasn't sure she could pull off such a beautiful gown, but she wanted to try. Isabelle had never tried to make a man jealous, but she hoped Donovan would rip the zipper of his pants if he saw her in it.
"This would be amazing with your eyes. Oh my God! Look at this." Amber held it up and Isabelle was instantly in love with it.
"What size is it?"
Amber looked in the back for a tag. "No tag. Can't tell. Just try it on. I've got a good feeling about this one!" Amber handed it over to her, smiling like she had a winning lottery ticket in her hand. Amber impatiently waited outside the dressing room while Isabelle tried it on. "Is everything okay in there?"
"No, not really."
"What's wrong?"
"It won't zip."
"Kitty!" Amber screamed for her aunt, startling both Kitty and Isabelle.
Catherine came out from the back room with a measuring tape draped over her shoulder. "What's going on?"
"We found this amazing dress, and it's a little snug. Work your magic, Kitty Cat!"
Before Isabelle knew what was happening, Catherine was inside the dressing room with her. The flowing dress came up perfectly over her hips and little waist, but the zipper wouldn't budge past that.
"Alright, honey, let me see. I can probably make this work. Is this the one you definitely want?"
"Yes, it's gorgeous."
"It's stunning with your eyes, that's for sure. Let's make this happen, love." Catherine took some measurements of Isabelle's waist and bust. "Okay, so, we need to get you into this thing and you need to be able to breathe, right?"
"Yes, breathing would be great."
"Perfect. Go ahead and slip this off and let me see what I can do." Catherine left Isabelle alone to change. Isabelle came out of the dressing room and Catherine floated away into the back room.
Amber was scouring the racks for a dress for herself and let out a shriek.