Tom chuckles. "It's good you can still appreciate the place, given the circumstances that brought you here."
"I actually don't mind picking up trash," I say, sitting back and taking a sip of my drink. "I wouldn't want to do it every weekend but it's a lot better than I thought it'd be. I like being out in the fresh air, being in nature. And spending my nights here at the inn has been like a vacation. I hope to come back here every year if I can."
"Things will be changing, but hopefully not too much." He wraps his hands around his glass, spinning it around as he gazes at it.
"You're making changes to the inn?'
"I'm not. The new owners will." He glances at me. "Aiden told you about the sale, didn't he?"
"He said you were thinking about selling. He didn't go into details."
"It's not official yet. We have a lot to sort through. I wasn't sure I could go through with it but I can't keep it going with Lois sick. My time needs to be spent with her, not here at the inn."
I gulp past the lump in my throat, feeling like I'm about to cry as I think about Tom and his wife and what they must be going through right now. This inn was their dream. They've worked here since high school. They probably thought they'd work here for many more years, and now they can't.
"I'm so sorry, Tom. I know how much you and your wife love this place."
"We do." He pauses, gazing down at his glass. "But it's time to move on. We knew we'd eventually have to sell it. The time just came sooner than we wanted."
"Could you maybe keep it but have someone else run it?"
"I could if I didn't need the money from the sale. The medical bills will be arriving soon and I won't be able to keep up if I don't sell the place."
"There's got to be something else you could do."
"Even if there was, I think it's time. Lois and I devoted our lives to this place and now it's time for someone else to take the reins. We'll get to have the retirement we never thought we'd have."
He sounds hopeful, so maybe Lois will be okay. Maybe they caught the cancer early. I'm afraid to ask, knowing it might be something he wants to keep private.
"Will you get to choose who buys the place?"
"Not if I sell to the investment firm Aiden works for. Those places usually fix up a property, then sell it to the highest bidder."
"But don't you want it going to someone who loves it as much as you do?"
"That would be ideal, but unfortunately there aren't people lining up to buy an old inn in the middle of nowhere. The place needs a lot of repairs. A new owner isn't going to want to take on those expenses in addition to a mortgage." He gets off his barstool. "I need to get back to the desk." He pats my shoulder. "I know you miss him but he'll be back next week."
How did he know I'm missing Aiden? Did he just assume that or can he tell?
"Want another?" Charlie asks, pointing to my empty glass.
"No, thanks. I think I'll just go up to my room."
Charlie motions to where Tom was just sitting. "Did he tell you what's going on?"
I nod. "I feel so bad for him. For both of them."
He grabs a rag and wipes the bar where Tom's glass was sitting. "My aunt had breast cancer and she's doing great now so maybe Lois will be okay too."
"Breast cancer? That's what she has?"
"Yeah. I don't know how far along it is. Lois didn't want us knowing too much."
A waiter comes up to the bar. "I've got a big drink order." He hands Charlie the order slip.
"I'll get right on it."
I get down from the barstool. "I'm going to head upstairs."
Charlie smiles at me. "Goodnight!"
When I get to my room I feel an emptiness come over me. All I see when I'm in this room are memories of Aiden and me, of him holding me in his arms, laying beside me, looking at me as if there's no one else in the world he'd rather be with. It never felt like a lie, which is why I'm finding it so hard to believe he's still with Celine. But if he's telling the truth and he's no longer with her, then why is he letting her get in the way of our happiness?
I know Aiden's concerned about Celine interfering with his handling of the inn deal, but Tom made it sound like the deal was almost done. If that's true, then Aiden no longer has an excuse for why we can't be together. He doesn't need to worry about Celine interfering.
The next morning I wake up to the sounds of thunder cracking and hard rain pounding against the windows. I get up and yank open the drapes and see the dark sky and a bolt of lightning shooting through it.
Checking my phone, I see a text from the work crew supervisor saying all work for today is cancelled. I was really hoping to get another eight hours of my community service done but it's not going to happen.
I take a shower and get dressed, then pack up the few items I brought. Maybe I'll have breakfast before I go if the dining room isn't packed with tourists.
As I'm about to leave my room, someone knocks on the door. For a moment I think maybe it's Aiden, coming here to surprise me. What if he did? What if he's here to tell me he doesn't care about work or Celine or anything other than being with me? Being a couple, a real couple who can go out and do things together and spend the night at each other’s place. I'm so excited about that actually being true that I whip open the door, a big smile on my face.
It quickly drops when I see Celine standing there.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sophie
"Good! You haven't left yet!" Celine smiles as she goes past me into the room.
I shut the door and turn to her, trying to figure out why she's here. Aiden said she never leaves the city.
She's wearing a beige trench coat that's undone enough that I can see her white button-up shirt underneath, along with a thin silver chain around her neck that holds a square-shaped diamond. Glancing down, I see dark dress pants covering her thin legs, and black pointy high heels on her narrow feet. She looks so out of place up here in the country.
"What are you doing here?" I ask.
"I needed to talk to you and clear all this up since Aiden apparently can't bring himself to do it."
"Do what?"
She pats the bed. "You should probably sit down."
"I'm fine standing." I fold my arms over my chest. "Now tell me why you're here."
She walks up to me. "I know you've been coming up here with Aiden. I didn't want to believe it so I had him followed."
"You were spying on him?"
She shrugs. "I had to know the truth. I knew he was seeing someone up here. Daddy's cheated on Mother many times over the years so I'm well aware of the signs. I just never suspected it was you until I saw how you looked at him." She narrows her eyes at me. "Like he was yours."
"I don't know what you're—"
"The night of the client dinner. You couldn't take your eyes off him. I thought it was just a little crush but the more I watched you, the more I noticed it."
"Noticed what?"
"You had that look in your eyes. That angry, jealous look women get when some other woman tries to take her man." She smirks. "You don't seem to understand that he was never yours. So I'm here to make that crystal clear." She's taller than me and leans down to my face. "Aiden is mine. He's been lying to you this whole time. Using you for a little side action. It was never anything other than sex to him. A fling to mix things up." She laughs a little as she stands up straight. "You didn't really think he'd leave me for you, did you?"
"I need you to go," I tell her, pointing to the door. I'm not having this conversation with her. I need to talk to Aiden. I need to hear this from him.
I can't believe this is happening. It's my worst fear come true. Even though I had my suspicions, I really didn't think Aiden would do this. And maybe he didn't. Maybe Celine's lying. Maybe this is all some game she's playing to make me break up with him.
"Why do you think he doesn't go see you when you're in the city?" she asks.
I don't answer.
"I know he doesn't. I hav
e my friend Anna keeping an eye on you. I believe you met her. She lives in your building."
That's why her friend showed up at my door. It was a warning, to tell me I'm being watched.
"Aiden doesn't come see you because he's with me."
What she's saying hurts so much I can't take another second of it. "Celine, I need you to leave. I don't need to hear any more."
"Actually, I think you do." She pouts, and holds her hand out to me. Her left hand. There's a big sparkly diamond perched on her ring finger.
My heart's pounding and my throat starts to burn. I feel like I can't breathe.
"It's an engagement ring," she says. "Aiden gave it to me last night."
I stare at the ring, unable to believe this is true. How could Aiden do this to me? How could he use me like this? How could I be so wrong about him?
She walks to the door. "Hopefully, knowing this is enough to get you to stay away. If not, you have some serious issues. You might want to see a mental health professional." She opens the door. "Oh, and about this little inn? Aiden's ready to close the deal. He probably didn't tell you but we plan to tear it down and build something people will actually want to come to. We've been working on the plans for weeks. It's going to be an all new inn and spa with modern amenities and spa-inspired cuisine, catering to New Yorkers who want to get away for a weekend without having to rough it in some run-down country inn." She smiles. "Aiden and I can't wait to get started on it!" She gives me a wave. "Have a good trip back!"
When she's gone I collapse on the bed, feeling like I might get sick. Did that really just happen? Is Aiden really engaged to Celine? He has to be. She has the ring!
And what she said about the inn. Are they really tearing it down? How could Aiden go along with that? He was so upset when his grandparents' inn was torn down so why would he tear down this one? Were all those stories he told me not true? Maybe there never was an inn in Maine. Maybe he made it up.
Needing to get out of this room and all its memories of Aiden, I get up, grab my bag, and leave, racing down the stairs. The tourists in the lobby give me a funny look and I wonder if I have mascara running down my face from crying or if I just look like a crazed lunatic trying to get out of here as fast as possible.
"I'm checking out," I say to Tom.
He had his back to me but turns around, smiling. "I figured you wouldn't be working today in the storm. You sure you don't want to stick around and relax a little before you go back? We're serving up blueberry pancakes for breakfast."
"No, thanks. I'm not hungry." I hand him my key. "I'll see you next weekend."
He eyes me. "Is something wrong? You seem to be in quite the hurry this morning."
"I just want to get on the road. It's a long trip."
"Oh! Before you go, I was going to give you our home address, in case you want to send Lois a little note or get well card. You certainly don't have to but I know she'd love hearing from you."
"Of course! Absolutely. I'd love to send her something."
"Let me just go write it down."
As he goes to the back room, I glance down at the counter and see a stack of papers that look like a contract. The name of the firm Aiden works for is printed at the top. It must be the offer, the one Aiden claimed wasn't done yet.
Peeking in the back room, I see Tom searching for something to write on. I pick up the contract and flip through it, stopping when I see the offer. I don't know what an inn is worth but the amount listed doesn't seem like nearly enough. I flip through the other pages, looking for anything that says they're tearing down the inn but all I can find is some vague language about modifications being made as the new owner sees fit. That could mean anything.
I didn't want to believe Celine was telling the truth but maybe she was. Why would Aiden allow this? And why would he offer Tom such a ridiculously small amount for the inn and all the land around it? Is it because he knows Tom has no choice but to sell the place? Did Aiden get to know Tom just to find out how desperate he was to sell the inn?
If that's the case, I really didn't know Aiden at all. He's not the person I thought he was, and definitely not a person I'd want to date. I guess having Celine show up here was a blessing. I needed to know the truth.
I quickly drop the papers when I hear Tom coming back.
"Here you go." He hands me a sticky note with his address on it. "If you want to give her a call, that's an option too, although she's been sleeping a lot since starting the treatment."
"I'll send her a note." I softly smile at him. "Take care, Tom. I'll be thinking about you both."
"Have a safe drive home." He gives me a wave as I leave.
Driving back, my mind shifts between Aiden and Tom. I'm angry at Aiden and sad for Tom. Both situations have me so worked up I can barely focus on the road. The rain continues to fall the whole way back, the clouds as dark and gloomy as my mood.
When I get to my apartment, there's a piece of paper taped to the door. A final eviction notice. I rip it off the door and go inside.
"Two days?" I say as I read through the notice. "Are you kidding me?"
I drop my stuff and go down to the first floor and knock on the landlord's door. He takes forever to answer, and when he finally does, he almost shuts the door in my face. He knows why I'm here.
"Wait!" I grab the edge of the door, hoping he doesn't slam it on my fingers. "I'll give you two hundred. Will that buy me another week?"
"Sorry, lady, but I've already given you two extensions. This is your last notice. You pay off what you owe or get out. And if you don't get out, I'll be cleaning out the place myself and changing the locks."
"I'll have the money. I just don't have it right now. I don't get paid until Friday."
"Not my problem. Now get out of here before I call the cops."
I back away as he shuts the door.
Going back to my apartment, I try to figure out what to do. I don't have what I owe him and there's no way I can get it in two days, unless I could convince Bianca to give me an advance on my paycheck.
It's Sunday, but I'm sure she's at the office. She's there almost every weekend. I head down there, thinking she'll be less likely to tell me no in person than over the phone. I go in the building and up the elevator, feeling more and more nervous the closer I get to our floor.
When I go in the office I see Bianca at the printer, her back to me.
"Bianca," I say, getting her attention.
She whips around. "Sophie, what are you doing here? I thought you were in Vermont."
"I was, but it rained so they called off the road work."
She glances at Beverly's office. The light's are on, which is odd because Beverly never works weekends.
"Is Beverly here?" I ask.
"I need to do some work." She hurries off.
"Wait." I race up to her. "Why is Beverly here? What's going on?"
"Sophie," Beverly says, coming out of her office. "Just the woman I wanted to talk to." She's wearing a navy pantsuit, her arms crossed over her chest. "Come. Let's talk."
I look over at Bianca. She stares back at me, not giving me any clue as to what this is about.
I go into Beverly's office and she shuts the door.
My stomach's in knots, wondering why she wants to talk. She's never had me in her office. She's barely spoken to me since I started working here. Is this because I wasn't at the event last night? When Bianca said Beverly wanted to talk to me I thought I'd just get a brief scolding, not a sit-down talk in her office.
Beverly sits behind her desk, looking at me through her stylish black-framed glasses.
"It has come to my attention that you lied to one of our clients regarding a recent event."
"What client?" I move to the edge of my seat. "What are you talking about?"
"Celine Trystal."
"I didn't lie to her. Why does she think I lied?"
"She recently discovered that you didn't purchase the chocolates that were served at the client dinner you w
ere in charge of. And yet you let her believe they were from the vendor you agreed to use for the event."
"It was a tiny chocolate shop in Brooklyn and they called me the day before the event saying they had a water leak and couldn't make the chocolates."
"Did you find a new vendor?"
"I couldn't. I didn't have time. I had to make them myself. I stayed up all night."
"You made them yourself," she says in a disapproving tone.
"I didn't know what else to do. We were running out of time."
"And you didn't think Celine would want to know that you'd made them yourself?"
"I didn't think I needed to tell her. I didn't think she'd care. It was the same chocolate the shop was going to use. They sold it to me along with the molds."
"Ms. Trystal paid for professionally made chocolates, not ones made in your kitchen."
"I didn't charge her for the chocolates."
"But you let her believe they were from the store in Brooklyn, the one she had approved. You admit that you lied to her."
"I didn't lie. I didn't even think to tell her. I was so busy that day trying to get the room set up and making sure everything was perfect that I didn't think to tell her. How did she even know?"
"She visited that little shop last week to get more of the chocolates for one of her father's work functions and the woman apologized for not being able to make them for the client dinner."
I sit there, angry and frustrated and just wanting to get this over with so I can get out of here. I worked so incredibly hard on that dinner and this is the thanks I get? Sitting in the boss' office and getting reprimanded for staying up all night to fix a problem that popped up at the last minute? Most other bosses would praise me for what I did, not reprimand me.
"I'm sorry, Beverly. I won't do it again."
"No. You won't. You're fired, effective today. Clean out your office and leave any notes or files for the events you're working on with Bianca. She'll take over until we find someone else."
"Wait—you're firing me for making chocolates? Are you kidding me?"
"I'm firing you for lying to a client, and using your home kitchen to prepare food for an event. That's a health code violation. You don't have the proper permits. If this was leaked to the board of health, we could be fined, or even shut down."
Falling for Aiden Page 21