"Seriously? Whatever I need?"
"Dat is what de guest notes say." He winked then handed her the access card. "De spa and shops are part of dat arrangement, so do be sure to visit dem when ya have a chance."
As Reynard was walking out the door she asked, "Do those notes mention when Mr. Nash is arriving?"
He glanced at his watch. "He is due to arrive by helicopter at four, so ya should expect him shortly. Remember, just call de concierge desk if ya be needing anyt'ing, day or night."
Of course, she thought, someone as famous as her temporary employer would be coming in by helicopter.
Being told to expect him shortly had Maggie rushing to unpack so she would be ready to offer her assistance instantly. She couldn't get over being given carte blanche in a hotel like this. It was easy to imagine what another sort of person might do with such an opportunity. Mr. Nash was either insanely generous or far too trusting... or he was expecting more from her than she was aware of.
Not for the first time, she found herself wondering about the vague "additional requests" Tanya said might come from hotel management.
Along with the book she'd picked up about the Davenport Resort, she'd bought a copy of Mr. Nash's latest bestselling novel. As she placed both on the nightstand, she took another glance at the author's photo on the back cover. She intended to familiarize herself with his writing style, but she had yet to read the first page. His bio simply stated that he enjoyed being a storyteller and living a solitary life outside of Portland, Maine. Not much to go on.
In the black and white photo of him, he was casually leaning against a tree trunk, wearing jeans and a bomber jacket. In the background was a snowcapped mountain. He was looking at something or someone not in the picture. His face bore just a hint of a grin and a five-o'clock shadow, and it looked as though a gust of wind had mussed his wavy hair. If he was half as sexy as the photo, she imagined every woman in the hotel would be stalking him or even slipping him their room access cards. Perhaps one of her duties was to be his shield... or his beard. She could handle that and most other responsibilities... as long as she wasn't asked to do anything immoral or illegal.
Tanya had let her know there were a number of local women and one man who were equally qualified for the job and several of those would have taken the job for free just because they were fans of Nash's books. Maggie had never read a single one, being a diehard romance fan herself, but that turned out to be one of the reasons she was chosen. What set her apart from the others, however, was another fact entirely.
Shortly after Maggie had gone to work for "It's Only Temporary", she saw Tanya reading one of Nash's novels and mentioned she had briefly attended high school with him. When this assignment came up, Tanya suggested Maggie apply for it because he might be more at ease with someone he knew, even if it was only for a short time many years ago. Maggie had warned Tanya that she doubted he'd remember her; they barely knew each other; she only remembered him because he became famous.
Those responses were far from the truth but it kept her from sounding like a foolish girl.
About eighteen years ago, when she was in tenth grade, a painfully shy boy named Noah Nash transferred to her school. He might have come and gone without her ever meeting him except for their ending up as biology lab partners. He was an army brat who had already attended four schools before enrolling at hers. Not only was he continuously the new kid, he had a small, lean frame, shoulder-length, somewhat curly, brown hair and deep blue eyes with thick lashes, which made him pretty enough to be a girl and that made him an easy target for bullies. He had only been at her high school a week when some dumb jock called him a fag within Maggie's hearing.
She had thought Noah seemed too effeminate and gentle to be totally straight but she detested the macho mentality and thought of a way to flick the guy's nose. Though Maggie was attractive, had noticeable curves and a lot of friends, she wasn't interested in a steady relationship with any of the boys she knew. The problem was, as long as she didn't hook up with anyone, she was always being approached and even pressured to do something she wasn't ready for.
Because she had been at the right place at the right time, Noah had accidentally become the answer to her teenage dilemma.
As the time for Noah's arrival neared she checked her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She kept her straight, dark brown hair chin-length with a thick layer of bangs, more for ease of care than style. For the same reason, she rarely wore makeup other than a hint of lip gloss, but today she had gone to the extent of framing her hazel eyes by enhancing her lashes with a few swipes of mascara. Not knowing what she'd be doing the first day, she had chosen a pair of black dress slacks and a loose, lavender jersey top which fit the guidelines of business casual. She wanted to look at ease but strictly professional.
As she made one final critique of her appearance, she wondered if he would remember her at all. It was so very long ago.
Suddenly the mirror clouded over and, thinking it was steam, she swiped her hand over it. A second later, the glass cleared and she was watching a remembered scene from high school. Stranger yet, the next instant it felt as though she were there, back in Clarksville, Tennessee, reliving the moment...
* * *
Maggie waited for the three bullies to tire of calling Noah names and tossing his backpack back and forth in a mean game of keep-away. As soon as they strutted off, so proud of putting the new kid in his place, she walked over to where Noah was sitting on a concrete wall with his head bent over a book.
"Hi."
He didn't reply or raise his head so she set down her books and hopped onto the wall next to him. "Those guys are buttheads." He let out a sound that was part snort and part sniff. "Wanna get back at them?" He raised his head and narrowed his eyes at her. She noticed they looked a little watery as though he was on the verge of tears. "I need a favor." She finally had his whole attention.
"From me?"
"Yes. I think you'd be the perfect person. You don't like biology much, do you?"
He snorted again. "Really don't like any of the sciences, or math for that matter. I get by but the thought of having to dissect a frog—" He made a gagging face.
"I could help you with it. Make sure you passed at least."
"Shoot. How big of a favor do you need? Just because I lived overseas for a while doesn't mean I have any drug connections or fake ID or anything."
"Wow, you think I'm a stoner or party girl?" She was rethinking her plan to save him from the bullies after all.
"What? No, no. That's not what I meant. It's... it's just that you're, you know, one of the cool girls at this school, which usually means—I'm making it worse. Just like I always do. Sorry."
She patted his knee. "No need to be sorry. I get it. But here's the thing. I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend. Go to a few dances and parties with me. Plus, it would really help if you'd sit with me and my friends at lunch. You know, that kind of thing."
His frown deepened. "Now I'm really confused. You're popular and really pretty. You could have any guy you wanted."
"But I don't want any guy. Not at the moment anyway. I want to have fun without... the other stuff. I was hoping you'd understand but if I'm asking too much..."
His whole expression lightened. "Let me get this straight. I hang with you and your friends. You tell everyone I'm your boyfriend. And you help me get through biology. Is there something you haven't told me?"
She shrugged. "Well, you'll probably have to hold my hand or put your arm around me when we're in public. Would that be okay?"
Noah threw his head back with a loud laugh. "I think you just might be the craziest girl I've ever met but you've got a deal." He squinted at her for a moment as though trying to visualize how this was going to work. "I'll need a good girlfriend's nickname for you. What do you like?"
She was pleased he wasn't questioning her explanation. "Oh, I don't care. Just so it's not Magpie. I got called that all through grade school."
&n
bsp; "Okay, Punkinhead it is."
She lightly punched his arm. "Try again." His gaze shot to a spot beyond her and she turned to see the jocks had rounded up a few more of their pals and were heading back toward them. "Better yet, kiss me. Quick." Despite her command she hadn't really expected him to slam his mouth against hers. She tasted blood and knew her tooth had cut her lip. She pressed her palms to his shoulders and whispered, "Easy, boy. Like this." She tilted her head and gently touched her closed mouth to his, retreated and came back again.
His fingers trembled as he stroked her cheek and neck and when his hand moved down her back a tiny murmur of appreciation rose in her throat and vibrated against his lips. A heartbeat later he was kissing her in earnest and certainly didn't need any more instructions. His lips were soft and felt really nice against hers but it was his hands that had her melting. No longer tentative, his touch was light and feathery, then firm then light again, roaming over her back, into her hair, up and down her arm. And everywhere he touched she felt nerves tingling... awakening. It was a new feeling and she liked it a lot.
"Hey, Magpie, your boy's startin' to turn blue. Better let him get some air!"
Breathlessly Maggie and Noah parted in time to see the jocks walking away, howling over their unexpected discovery.
What the heck had just happened?
She had gotten carried away, was what happened. For the first time ever. With a pretend boyfriend. Who may not even be interested in girls. What the heck was wrong with her?
"Well," she said as cheerily as possible, "that should take care of letting the entire school know I have a boyfriend by tomorrow."
He picked up the book he had dropped at some point and held it on his lap. He cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. I think you're right. But, I, uh, I'm not sure we should do a lot of that sort of, I mean, if it's just pretend..."
"Right," she agreed too quickly. "No kissing." It was pretend. He was just doing what she'd told him to do. Even though, for a moment, it sure had felt like something very real.
"But now I know what I'm going to call you." He ran his index finger across her lower lip then licked the tip of his finger. "Sugarlips. Pretend or not, it sure was sweet."
Her breath caught in her chest. How could something so corny make her want to throw her arms around him and start kissing again? Instead, she gave his arm another playful punch. "Just remember I hold the fate of your biology grade in my head." She hopped off the wall and gathered her books. "Gotta go. I'm already late."
That five-minute interlude set the stage for the next nine months. As far as anyone knew, Maggie had a boyfriend and was off the market. Noah had to be straight because he was with Maggie. And he got all B's in biology.
They held hands in public, slow-danced at social events as though they were the only two people on the gymnasium floor and exchanged whispers over the biology microscope. But they never made physical contact when they were alone, and they absolutely never ever kissed again.
Despite the pretense or because of it, they became best friends that year.
When the year ended, Noah announced his family had to move again. Maggie cried and Noah consoled her without saying how he felt about leaving. In an instant he had hidden himself behind a wall she couldn't penetrate. She promised to write once a week and call every day but Noah had been on this road before and warned her things change when two people live in different places, no matter how close the friendship had been.
The last thing he said to her was, "If we're meant to get together sometime in the future, it will happen. If not..." He shrugged, smiled and gave her a kiss on the top of her head—something he could now do after growing five inches in one year. "If not, I hope you have a great life and find someone you don't have to pretend with."
She leaned into him for a long hug.
"But you'll always be my little Sugarlips."
* * *
Maggie blinked her eyes at the mirror several times before she was certain the only image being reflected was her own. Still, she had the eeriest feeling something extraordinary had just occurred. It felt as though she had drifted off into a deep dream, but that wasn't possible. She was wide awake, still standing upright in the bathroom and—she glanced at the digital clock embedded in the corner of the mirror—it was exactly the same minute it had been when she last checked the time.
If this were one of the paranormal romances she enjoyed reading, the mirror could be a portal to another time or place but she hadn't actually gone anywhere and, besides, she knew very well that the magical sort of things found in romance novels could never actually happen in real life. Her history of unsatisfying to disastrous relationships was clear evidence of that.
Her self-analysis came to an abrupt halt as she heard a recognizable voice in the great room. It was Reynard, giving the exact same speech she'd already heard. Rather than being caught in the bathroom, she hurried out into the living room to greet her new boss and find out immediately if he remembered her or if she had embellished a minor encounter from their mutual past.
Reynard saw her and nodded but Nash had his back to her. He was even taller than when she'd last seen him but she remembered the thick, wavy hair. Her fingers curled into her palm as she recalled what it felt like to play with it when they slow-danced or when she was teasing him.
She swallowed hard and her lips parted as her gaze took in the breadth of his mature shoulders and the evidence of a firmly toned back through a light-blue t-shirt. Inching downward she noticed how his worn jeans were snug enough to show off—
Just then he turned around, glanced quickly at her face then at a spot behind her.
Maggie stepped forward quickly, holding her hand out. "Hello, I'm—"
He cut her off by holding up an index finger between them and turning back to the bellman.
The gesture was as rude as having a glass of icy water thrown at her face. She had her answer. The Noah she remembered, whether he recognized her or not, would never have cut her off like that. It was enough to yank her back to her normally poised demeanor.
She waited patiently in the spot where he had suspended her, hands gracefully folded at her center, happy-to-assist smile in place, as Reynard completed his guided tour and left the suite. She waited several more seconds while Noah stood facing the closed door.
Just when she began to wonder if he was okay, he turned around... and smiled.
"Hello, Sugarlips."
Chapter 2
"Sorry to interrupt, Boss, but you wanted to know when Mr. Nash arrived."
Lillian Davenport, owner and general manager of the Crystal Island Davenport Resort, motioned for her executive assistant to come in. It took her a few seconds to finish the email she'd been composing. She clicked send and gave Mercy her full attention. "Did Reynard check in with you yet?"
Mercy grinned. "Just now.
"And?"
"He called him... sexy." She chuckled at the surprised expression on her boss's face. "I don't think he meant it that way... although you never know with Reynard. When I asked him to elaborate, he said Mr. Nash is charismatic, confident and well-mannered, unlike some of the celebs we've had here." Mercy narrowed her eyes. "So why do you look worried?"
"I'm not—" After five years working side by side, she couldn't hide anything from Mercy. "I'm concerned. It's one thing to have a few so-called ghost hunters looking under rocks from time to time. They enjoy minimal credibility while their suppositions have added to the island's mysterious quality. However, someone of Noah Nash's fame, added to the sort of things he writes about... well, there's no telling what he might take into his head to investigate or what he might write."
"Your marketing people are convinced there's no downside to having him here," Mercy reminded her.
Lilli grimaced. "Life has taught me there's a downside to everything. Did Reynard feel we could trust him not to damage our reputation?"
"He said if Nash makes a promise, he won't break it, but what you consider damage, he could co
nsider enhancement."
"You're right, of course. I'll just have to figure out a way to keep tabs on the direction his story is taking. Did he have anything to say about the temp?"
"He said Ms. Harrison seemed nervous but competent. I would be very surprised if the agency sent anyone who wasn't highly—"
"Did Reynard see them greet each other?"
Mercy made a face as though trying to remember exactly what was said. "It sounded out of character from the other traits Reynard listed. He said she tried to introduce herself but Nash cut her off with a hand gesture, which seemed rude on the surface, but Reynard felt sure it was something else... like he didn't want to greet her in front of the bellman."
Lilli filed that impression away for the moment. "Anything else?"
"Just that I can't wait to meet the man Reynard calls sexy!" She wiggled her eyebrows and got a slight smile out of her boss.
As Mercy updated her on a number of more routine issues, Lilli's mind wandered to something else that concerned her despite any evidence of there being a downside. Reynard's employment record was exceptional. Not a single complaint had ever been lodged against him. He clearly enjoyed his position and often received commendations for going above and beyond his job description, which is why he was promoted to bell captain and had the ear of the owner's executive assistant.
And yet, something kept Lilli from being completely comfortable around him, even though he had always treated her in a respectful manner. It had occurred to her that it was simply a matter of him being extremely attractive, even sexy in an exotic way, but there wasn't even a rumor of his behaving inappropriately with coworkers or guests.
More likely it was his eerily accurate intuition about people. Mercy had recognized it early on and occasionally, and unofficially, asked him for his opinion, as she had in the case of Mr. Nash and the temp. Lilli had too many secrets to be comfortable around an employee who might see through her façade... besides Mercy. Whatever Mercy knew, she kept to herself.
But there was also something curious about Mercy's relationship with Reynard. They both started work at the hotel on the same day, a fact which Mercy insisted was mere coincidence. But that very day, Lilli had accidentally seen Mercy and Reynard exchanging a few words with serious expressions. When asked, Mercy had brushed it off as a silly flirtation and yet, Lilli hadn't thought it looked silly or intimate. It looked like Mercy was chastising him and he was trying to defend himself. Not exactly a typical scenario between two people who'd just met. The strangeness of it stayed with Lilli all these years since, even though Mercy had become her most valued and trusted associate.
Some Time Away (Lovers in Time Series, Book 3): Time Travel Romance Page 2