Chapter 14
What the hell is wrong with me?
It was at least the fifth or sixth time Maddox had asked themself that since waking up, when the morning had dawned with painfully clear hindsight about the conversation they’d had with Ms. Farrington the day before.
What had they been thinking, going off on her like that?
Sure, in the heat of the moment, it had been easy enough to get swept up in righteous fury, knowing they had nothing to lose since there was no way they’d get to keep their job, anyway.
But what they’d failed to remember was that they weren’t the only person involved.
Oliver’s future and the livelihoods of the entire resort staff were at stake.
Maddox had begun to make peace with the idea that this buyout could benefit all of them in the long run.
But what if Maddox had pissed Denise Farrington off so badly that she washed her hands of them, and she told her father to call off the deal?
Oliver would still need to sell, but he might never get the kind of offer he’d probably get from the Farringtons again.
And the missed opportunity would’ve all been because of Maddox’s temper.
It was doubly frustrating because it had been so out of character.
Years ago, Maddox had learned the high cost of letting their anger and frustration go unchecked.
Since then, they’d figured out how to handle themself with the utmost patience and calm no matter what.
Or at least they thought they had. But now here they were again, jeopardizing the futures of people they cared about because of their anger.
This morning, they were cleaning the graffiti off the wooden walls of a forgotten storage building on the outskirts of the resort property in a kind of self-imposed exile, while they fretted over the predicament they’d created.
They needed to repair the damage they’d done.
Like restoring the vandalized building in front of them, the task would be difficult, but surely not impossible.
Maddox would do whatever it took if it meant fixing things for their friends.
“Hello.”
Maddox gave a start and dropped the power washer they’d just turned off. They spun around to find Ms. Farrington standing in the drooping shade of a black willow tree a few feet away.
Damn the woman’s knack for scoping out Maddox’s location no matter where they were on the property! They hadn’t even told anyone where they were headed this morning. Did she have some kind of radar?
Probably a moment too late, Maddox remembered to hide their scowl and greet her. “Ms. Farrington.”
When she simply stood there without responding, Maddox spoke again, keeping their tone professional. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“Yes.” Ms. Farrington took a step closer. “I’m looking for a restaurant recommendation.”
It took all of Maddox’s self-control to keep their jaw from hanging open. Restaurant recommendation? They didn't know what new game Ms. Farrington had started, but they had little choice but to play along. “Of course. What did you have in mind? Any particular cuisine? Casual or formal?”
“I think it should be something locally owned rather than a chain,” Denise said decisively, “and semi-formal is fine. Wherever locals go when they want to make a better impression.”
Maddox chewed their lip. Better impression? There wasn’t time to figure out the odd wording, though. “In that case, I recommend Murray’s. Their food is local farm-to-table, and it’s delicious. Plus, it’s upscale enough to be classy without being stuffy.”
Denise nodded. “Do you like it?”
That question startled Maddox even more, but they answered, “I don’t get to go there often, but when I do, I love it.”
“Okay, that sounds great. Thanks.”
Maddox raised an eyebrow. “You’re welcome?”
“There’s just one more thing.” She stepped even further out of the shadow of the tree. Sunlight streamed through the leaves and illuminated her. Her hair was down again, and the soft brown waves swayed distractingly in the breeze.
Maddox swallowed and refocused their attention on her face. “Yes?”
Ms. Farrington drew in a breath as if she were about to leap off a swimming pool diving board. “Are you free to have dinner with me this evening?”
Maddox smoothed a hand over the white tank-style binder they’d put on after showering.
It was nice to be able to wear it. Their typical workday lasted well over eight hours, and it wasn’t practical or healthy to keep even their best-fitting binder on for that long.
But on their rare nights out or special occasions when they dressed up a little more, they’d wear it, appreciating the confidence boost.
Next, they pulled on a white cotton tee, a pair of dress slacks, and their nicest dark blue blazer before meeting their reflection in the mirror with a critical, searching gaze. After a moment, they relaxed, comfortable with the shape of their body in the outfit they’d chosen.
That was the only thing about this evening they were comfortable with, though.
After Ms. Farrington had sprung the dinner invitation on them, they’d hurried through the rest of the day’s tasks, so they’d have time to clean up and meet her at Murray’s at seven. It hadn’t given them much time to worry about the evening or Ms. Farrington’s motivations.
But they were worried now.
It probably should have been a relief to have this opportunity to chat with Ms. Farrington again and try to make amends for the way they’d talked to her the day before.
But it was hard to make a plan for that when they didn’t know what to expect from her this evening.
Would she make threats? Demands? Another bribe attempt?
Her behavior when she’d asked Maddox about restaurant recommendations had been the warmest it had been since her arrival, but would it stay that way during dinner?
Was she ready to work with Maddox now, or at least willing to keep working with the rest of the resort staff?
There was a lot riding on the answers to these questions, and the uncertainty was filling their stomach with anxious flutters.
They searched their reflection to once again draw on the comfort they’d found when they’d first looked, but they couldn’t help smirk when they met their own eyes.
Maybe being dressed like this and presenting with intentional authenticity was making it harder to lie to themself.
Because they had to admit the flutters couldn’t only be blamed on worry over the resort’s future.
Some of them could be blamed on Denise Farrington herself.
The situation between Maddox and Ms. Farrington was complicated as hell.
But that didn’t quench the wild undercurrent of nervous excitement thrumming through Maddox, knowing that, tonight, they were having dinner with a woman they found attractive and compelling.
That fact was enough to warrant taking a little extra time with their appearance.
Sure, they knew it was silly. This was far from a date. Maddox didn’t have time for dating, and even if she happened to be queer, there’s no way Ms. Farrington would get involved with the help. But Maddox was her dinner date for the night anyway, and that was a confusing mix of scary and thrilling.