by Natalie Ann
“Like your father,” Emily said, adjusting the gown she was sitting in. She’d like to get up and change and finally said, “Can we continue this while I’m dressed? I get the feeling you enjoy doing this to rattle me.”
Ava smiled. “Nothing really rattles you though.”
Ava always did have a warped sense of humor. But she spoke the truth. Not much ever rattled Emily in life. Even the end of her engagement and Simon telling her she was a stone cold bitch. “Talk to me through the door.”
“Nope. I don’t want anyone to hear me, as it’s not public knowledge. I just filled the paperwork out last week.”
She jumped down from the table, making sure the gown was covering her bare butt, and ran to the bathroom to change quickly so they could finish their conversation. When she came out, she said, “So why are you telling me? Or you needed to talk to someone other than your parents and brothers?”
“Right on the first try. I know you won’t say much, right?”
“My lips are sealed. When will it be public knowledge?” she asked.
“A few weeks or less. It gives me time to find a place of my own and start letting my patients know.”
“Those on the island will be thrilled,” she said.
“They will. Many still don’t like giving birth here, but I’m really pushing hard to get more advanced equipment. It’s better than it used to be, but we will never be equipped for any major emergency.”
“Which is no different than any other small town in the state. I look at it this way. There are plenty air lifted out of smaller rural locations in this state besides the island.”
“Exactly,” Ava said. “Anyway, so that is my news. Oh, I’m sure you heard another one bit the dust over Valentine’s Day.”
“Drew and Amanda?” she asked. “I did hear that. Helena has been burning up the hotlines. Amanda seems like a great person. Drew looks happy.”
“Drew is always happy,” Ava said. “So...will you be next?”
“Don’t even go there.”
“Ah, but you want birth control.”
“Which means I’m having sex.”
“Lots of sex?” Ava asked. “Come on. I’m in a dry spell and we are off the clock. You’re dressed again.”
She laughed at her cousin. “More than I’ve had before, but it doesn’t seem to be enough either.”
“The best kind there is. So give me the scoop on him.”
“Not much to say. You know how we met.”
“But you knew him before the fundraiser?” Ava asked.
“I did,” she said. “He delivers my mail. Everyone knows and I’m sure it’s the big talk of the family outside of Drew’s engagement and Hunter’s soon-to-be son arriving.”
“Don’t forget about Mac dating someone now too.”
“Is he really?” she asked. “Is it Kayla’s other roommate? Sidney?”
“That’s what I heard. That he’s been seen at the bar while she is working.”
“And he must hate it if people are talking about it,” she said. Just like she hated being talked about herself yet here she was contributing to it. Urgh.
“I’m sure, but Mac has no problem putting people in their place. Kind of like you.”
“Speaking of that. And me. What have you heard about me and Crew?”
“Not much. Just that you seem happy too. You know the family. That’s all anyone really cares about.”
She was glad about that. “No one is making a comment about his career?”
“I’m sure there are plenty that love to gossip that might. It’s no different than people commenting on Kayla and Amanda trying to land a wealthy man. Anyone that knows you knows you wouldn’t put up with it. You had no problem dropping Simon.”
“No. No problem there, nor would I put up with it.” And it was time to change the subject too. Most of her family knew she ended that relationship and they knew it was because of several disagreements with Simon wanting more say in the building of the hotel. But very few knew what she’d admitted to Penelope that was the final straw. “So back to my question. Birth control options.”
Ava rolled her chair over and pulled some brochures off the wall. “The usual pill, a shot in the arm every three months, an IUD. Lots of information to read.”
“How soon could I get the shot in the arm?” she asked, looking at the brochure quickly. She’d done some research on it last week so was prepared to go this route if it was offered.
“Today if you want?” Ava said, laughing.
“Give it to me.”
“Your wish, my command,” Ava said, standing up. “I’ll be back in a few.”
By four she was walking into the hotel to see her father in the lobby with Mitchell. “Hey, what are you two doing here? Is there a problem? Someone should have called me.”
“No problem,” Mitchell said. “Your father and I wanted a closer look at the way the arches were done here for the lobby of the apartments we are putting up on the south side of the island.”
“Another set of apartments?” she asked. “Dad, you didn’t tell me that.”
“It’s Mitchell and Scott’s thing. I’m just handling the marketing,” her father said, laughing at her. “But if you must know everything, there are several projects in the works on the island. Do you need a full detailed report?”
Though her parents weren’t hurting for money, they weren’t nearly as flush as Scott and Mitchell Bond. She knew her father cashed in a lot of his investments and touched more of his savings than she felt comfortable with to be in on the hotel, but he said he’d never let her do it without him.
She’d make sure he got his money back and plenty more. So far things were going well.
“If there isn’t anything you need from me, then I’ll go to my office. I’ve got a few more things I need to deal with tonight.”
“Well, looky there,” her father said. “Does your boyfriend have a new route?”
Emily turned to see Crew walking in the door with a bag over his shoulder and moving toward the front desk, then sending her a wave and a smile.
“I wonder why he’s here today.”
“Your mother just brought up this morning that she’d like to have you two over for dinner. What a perfect time to ask,” her father said, moving toward Crew.
21
Put On The Spot
Crew had finished up his route early and had gone back to the office. When he was pulling in, a call went out that another carrier was getting behind and the post office didn’t like paying overtime when they didn’t have to. That meant anyone done with their routes or close would step up and help out.
It seemed like it meant him since there weren’t that many other trucks in the parking lot.
“I’m done today,” he said, walking in. “Where do you need me?”
Ralph, the supervisor said, “Rob is behind. He’s got a lot of stuff that needs to get delivered to the casino and Atlantic Rise Hotel. I believe he’s on his way to the casino or will be. Atlantic Rise is at the end of the route and they’ve got a lot too.”
“I’ll call him and say I’m on my way. I’ll take care of the hotel and he can finish the rest of his route.”
“Thanks, Crew,” Ralph said.
He turned and walked back out, then made his way toward the casino. By the time he caught up to Rob, who was a street over, he loaded up the delivery to the hotel into his truck. “Busy day?” he asked.
“You don’t know the half of it. But I had trouble with the truck and had to go back and switch them out so that killed almost ninety minutes on me. Homeowners don’t care too much if their stuff is later, but the businesses do. I’m trying to get them squared away and have focused on them.”
“No worries,” he said, then climbed in his truck and pulled away.
It would give him an excuse to check out his girlfriend’s hotel. Then he wanted to laugh when he thought that.
He wasn’t sure the last time he called a woman his girlfriend. Either wa
y, the worst part was he hadn’t stopped to see her place of business.
The one she lived and breathed and put before most things in her life.
Though she was making an effort to find time for him and he appreciated it.
The last thing he expected was to walk in the lobby and just be blown away by the openness. It was bright. It was cheerful and it was pretty crowded for a mid-February Monday afternoon. Most did look like employees, but everyone was moving around with a purpose.
Then his eyes landed on Emily’s father and Mitchell Bond next to Emily standing there in black pants with ankle boots on and her jacket as if she was leaving. Maybe she was getting out early and they could get some dinner.
When he saw Mason Rauch move toward him, he lifted his hand for a wave but made his way to the front counter to drop off the mail and packages first.
“Did you get a new route?” Emily asked him, her father right there too.
“No. I finished early, but the normal carrier got held up and was running behind. They sent me out to help him. Guess it was my lucky day to run into you. Just leaving yourself for the day?”
“Just coming back from a doctor’s appointment,” she said. “I’m on my way back to my office.”
“Doctor?” her father asked. “What’s wrong?”
Emily started to blush. Crew was curious if something was wrong too, but by the look on her face, she might not want anyone to know.
“Nothing major. Just my annual checkup with Ava.”
It took him a minute before he remembered Ava was an OBGYN. Mason was quick to change the subject. “So I was just telling Emily that Sophia and I would like to have you over for dinner this weekend.”
“You didn’t say this weekend,” Emily told her father. “Maybe we have plans.”
“Do you?” her father asked.
Crew wasn’t sure what was going on with the two of them going back and forth, but there were plenty of people watching the show and now looking at him. If her employees didn’t know who he was or what he did for a living, they sure the hell did now.
“No,” he said. “No plans. I’d love to.”
“Don’t let my father put you on the spot,” she said, moving closer to him.
“If you keep it up,” Mason said. “He’s going to think you don’t want him at a family dinner.”
She looked shocked. “It’s not that. It’s just you bombarded him.”
“Like you’re doing right now,” Crew said to her, then laughed when her jaw dropped.
“You’re probably right,” she said. “Sorry about that. Dad, dinner would be fine. Let me know the time. Crew probably has to work on Saturday, right?”
“Just the morning,” he said. “But I’m sure you’ll be here most of the day.”
“I’ll let you two hash it out,” Mason said and moved back to Mitchell who had been standing several feet away grinning.
“If you don’t want me there,” he said, moving to the side with her following. “Just let me know. I can make some excuse.”
“No. It’s fine. I just didn’t want you to feel pressured. Going to dinner with the family can be overwhelming to some.”
“Do I look like I can get overwhelmed easily?” he asked. “I was at your family’s fundraiser and then a wedding not long ago.”
And if her family was accepting of him like this and it continued, it was more points in his favor. He felt like he needed all he could get.
“That’s true. My bad. So you’re done for the day?” she asked.
“I am.”
“Can I show you around the hotel?”
“I’d love that, but I need to go back and clock out.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
He smiled. “It won’t happen. But if you aren’t busy, maybe I can come back and you can give me a tour. After I go home and shower and change though.”
“I’d like that,” she said. “It’d give me time to get some work done and an excuse to not stay too late.”
“You’ll let me take you to dinner after?” he asked, surprised that she was going to try to get out at a reasonable time when she normally worked late. “I mean I did just get put on the spot by your father.”
“Now you’re pulling my leg. But yes. Dinner sounds good.”
He turned to leave, but she pulled his hand and yanked him closer, then gave him a kiss on the lips, shocking him. From someone who said they didn’t want anything serious, she sure the heck wasn’t hiding what they had.
Emily went to her office to get a little bit of work done before Crew came back. She figured she had an hour or so. She could have gone home after her appointment and done her work there, but she found lately when she wasn’t in the office she wanted to spend the time with Crew.
She had an obligation to the hotel and her sister. Her father and Mitchell too. She couldn’t skirt her duties to have a personal relationship even if lately it felt as if she was losing at a game of tug of war.
“What are you doing here?” Penelope asked, walking into her office with a file in her hand.
“Working.”
“You had a doctor’s appointment. I figured you’d go home after.”
“You thought wrong. Though Ava was awfully gabby today.”
“All the more reason to go home.”
“But I didn’t. And I’m glad I didn’t. I ran into Dad and Mitchell in the lobby looking at some architecture for new apartments they are putting up. And when I was talking to them, Crew came in.”
“Crew was here? Did you show him around?”
“No. He was working, but he’s done and was going to change and come back. Then I’m going to show him around.”
“That’s sweet.”
“What is?”
“That he wanted to come back and check out our place.”
“I don’t know about that. I think I might have put him on the spot. That is, after Dad did, asking him to dinner this weekend.”
“If you’re going to dinner with him then I’m going there too.”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because,” Penelope said, “I need to give my approval.”
“You already gave it.”
“Not fully. I like the way he makes you feel or has loosened you up, but I want to see how you two are together.”
“I don’t know what the big deal is, but if it makes you feel better, then fine. Anyway, I asked if I could give him a tour and he had to go back to work but said he’d come back. Then he wants to take me to dinner.”
“Where are you going?” Penelope asked.
“No clue. We’ll figure it out. Anyway, I got the Depo shot.” She could always tell Penelope anything and for some reason just wanted to share this.
“Really? It took you almost two years to go on the pill with Simon.”
“I know. But that was different. We were younger and I didn’t want to take any chances. And I still don’t. This is backup. I don’t plan on telling him. It’s more like it will stop me from getting my period too.”
Penelope started to laugh. “I see the way it is. It’s so you don’t have to give up those few days of the month.”
She felt her face fill with heat. “Is that nuts or what? I don’t think I’ve ever thought of sex as much as I have with Crew. Maybe it’s more that than anything else.”
“I don’t believe so,” Penelope said. “But if it makes you feel better to think it, go with that.”
“So, what is in your hands? You were coming in here with something obviously.”
“Just some of the menus that I had printed up for room service. I narrowed it down to my favorite three on top but figured you’d want to see them all.”
She reached her hand out for the file and opened it up. Her sister had an eye for things like this and always had. “This one right here. I like how there is a faded image of the hotel with the sunrise.”
“I figured you would like that. Why not have dinner down in th
e hotel?” she asked.
“I think maybe we will.”
“See? You aren’t even afraid to be seen with him.”
“Why would I be?” she asked. “I kissed him in the lobby.”
Penelope laughed. “Not serious, my ass.” Then she walked out.
Forty minutes later her phone went off with a text and she saw it was Crew saying he was in the lobby. She responded she’d be right there. The administrative offices were on the main level but hidden off in the back.
When she turned the corner she saw her sister talking with Crew. “Look who I found,” Penelope said.
“He’s mine,” she said back. “Get your own guy.”
“You never used to be so possessive,” Penelope said. “See you this weekend, Crew.”
“What was that about?” he asked when they were alone.
“My sister is being a pain and trying to prove a point.”
“What point is that?”
“Nothing,” she said. “So how about we have dinner here at the hotel after I show you around?” She moved to the front desk. “Arlene, can I have a keycard for a few empty rooms? One with a single king bed and one with a master and another with an efficiency?”
“Will do. Just give me a minute to find them for you.”
She moved Crew to the side. “I figured I’d show you some of the rooms while we were at it. I know we aren’t full and there should be one of each of them open. It will give you an idea of the inside, but while she is doing that, let me show you around the ground level.”
They moved from the indoor pool, the hot tub and sauna next to the gym, to another conference room where people could book meetings or small parties, then the restaurant and bar, also pointing out a small shop that carried anything a tourist might want, need, or could have forgotten. “Over here we offer complimentary breakfast but keep it away from the restaurant so there isn’t any confusion.”
“This place is not just massive but impressive. Definitely better than nice.”