Chapter 18
Maddox stood in the back corner of the Sugar Maple conference room, scanning the space for any last-minute issues and chiding themself for getting distracted with Denise a few minutes before.
Helping her mic up was an ordinary task they’d do for any guest, but they’d enjoyed it with her more than they should have.
They shouldn’t have been enjoying it at all!
They shouldn’t have been savoring the heat from her skin or her faint lavender scent as they’d attached the belt clip, shouldn’t have been admiring the lovely swell of her ass, shouldn’t have stood close whispering in her ear, and they absolutely should not have been imagining what it would be like to press against her back and caress the soft skin of her neck with their lips.
Even when they’d indulged in showing a guest or two a fun time in the past, Maddox had never had trouble focusing on the task at hand during working hours.
Why did they have to break that streak over Denise Farrington, of all people?
Despite the complicated circumstances of how they’d first met and despite the future of Middle Waters being in her hands—or her father’s, at least—Maddox and Denise had smoothed things over and found their way to a friendly working relationship.
The last thing Maddox should be feeling about her was attraction.
Or if they did feel it, they shouldn’t be letting it cloud their thoughts like this.
The seated crowd quieted down, and the sudden drop in noise roused Maddox from their swirling thoughts.
They looked toward the front of the room in time to see Denise move to the center of the raised platform.
From here, Maddox could take in, not only her sumptuous curves in that sharp, tailored business suit but also her graceful, confident stance, which contradicted the hell out of the nerves and self-doubt she’d revealed to Maddox only the day before.
They whistled under their breath. Damn.
It was a good thing Denise had found a way to cope with the discomfort of being the center of attention, because Maddox didn't know how anyone in the room could do anything but focus on her completely.
Denise looked over the crowd and flashed the friendly, engaging smile she’d shown Maddox right before she’d shaken their hand on her first day at the resort.
In making her welcoming remarks, she kept the same gracious tone.
She outlined the year’s successes and growth with supporting facts and figures that garnered applause from the audience.
Instead of glazing over challenges, she addressed them honestly and optimistically, even throwing in a joke or two about mishaps like the company-wide computer outage that had shut down daily operations earlier in the year.
As her talk came to a close, Denise said, “On a personal note, I want to say how grateful I am to each of you for all the work you’ve put in this year in helping make my father’s vision a reality.
And in the next couple of days, I’m looking forward to hearing all of your ideas for how we can get even better next year. Thank you!”
The attendees applauded warmly and, for the first time since she’d started speaking, a hint of discomfort and embarrassment became visible on Denise’s face, but she hid it well. It was doubtful anyone else was watching her as closely as Maddox was, anyway.
As excellent as Denise’s talk had been, she was probably already exhausted by now, if she struggled with social situations as much as she’d described.
While they watched Denise descend from the platform and begin mingling, Maddox became even more determined to ensure every aspect of this event within their control went as smoothly as possible.
On the morning of the second conference day, some of the stronger personalities in the Farrington group clashed during breakout sessions.
From their place on the outskirts, Maddox didn’t know the details of the conflict, but it wasn’t hard to pick up on the resulting tension that hovered over many of the attendees.
Maddox had seen this type of conflict at events before, most recently three months ago when several professors staying at the resort for an entomology conference had nearly come to blows over which one of them had the most prestigious research.
Maddox couldn’t fathom growing violent over who was the biggest bug expert, but it wasn’t their place to judge.
The situation had, however, given them a new idea for their bag of tricks for smoothing over event challenges.
They prided themself on being able to arrange the right little details that could help shift the energy of a room with no one even noticing.
They were now halfway through the lunch hour, and the trick seemed to be working.
With help from Mark and Lenny, Maddox had swapped out the lunch service setup from a buffet line to “family style.” They had also removed extra seating, ensuring all attendees would have to sit next to someone instead of spacing out into factions.
In short, people were clustered together and reliant on each other to serve food.
Now, they all appeared to be conversing civilly.
The change in behavior prompted Mark to shrug at Maddox and mutter, “Guess they were just hangry before.”
Maddox chuckled at the observation. She had worked with Mark for about eighteen months and had quickly noticed his uncanny ability to read a room. It made him good at his job, and they were glad he was helping with this conference.
They were glad for Lenny too, but at sixteen, he was still inexperienced.
Maddox tried to balance guidance and supervision with giving him space to learn and grow into his job.
They could tell he was getting flustered, though.
If the resort hadn’t been shorthanded today, Maddox would’ve called in extra help.
As it was, they were not quite vigilant enough to prevent an iced tea mishap.
Maddox had just turned to leave the dining area and retrieve more beverages when they heard an ominous splashing noise followed by several exclamations.
They turned and grimaced once they realized Denise herself had just gotten a pitcher of iced tea splattered all over her blouse.
Poor Lenny was staring at Denise with terror on his face.
Maddox hurried across the floor; eyes trained on Denise to see her reaction.
By the time they arrived at the table, Lenny was sputtering, “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, ma’am. I’ll get this cleaned up right away.”
Denise stood, causing several chunks of ice to slide from her blouse and clatter to the floor. She dabbed at the mess with a napkin. Then she paused and patted the stammering boy on the shoulder. “Lenny, right?”
When he nodded, she continued with a kind smile, “Don’t worry about it, Lenny. It was just an accident.”
Maddox froze. The moment was so much like that day seven years ago.
The woman in front of her wasn’t the same.
She was healthier, more energetic and self-assured.
But beneath it all, they glimpsed that same thread of kindness that had prompted Denise to show compassion to Maddox—someone many people simply overlooked—on what may have been one of the darkest days of her own life.
Maybe it was that same kindness, goodness even, that had prompted Denise to make amends with Maddox after their rough beginning here at the resort.
Maybe she had fought past the shock and discomfort of seeing a face from her past enough to remember who she truly was.
Not the cold, haughty woman who’d demanded to work with another manager.
But the softer, vulnerable one who’d admitted to her pre-conference anxiety and who treated the people around her with compassion and respect.
Maddox kicked themself into gear to get the mess cleaned up and helped the guests who were nearest the spill relocate to other seats. All except for Denise. She excused herself to go change.
In the hallway outside the dining space, Lenny was still distraught over the mishap. Maddox sympathized. He was still a kid. Not only was the resort his first job, but this was his first major event to help with since starting. Maddox pulled him aside in the hallway. “Hey, are you okay?”
“No, Maddox. I was a disaster out there!” Lenny groaned. “You showed me the right way to pour, and I forgot and didn’t do it. I’m really sorry.”
He looked like he was about to spiral, so Maddox gave him a light punch to the arm. “Whoa! Hold on a minute, Len. Did your arm fall off?”
Lenny stilled, and his brow crinkled. “Huh?”
“Did your arm fall off?”
“No,” he scoffed.
Maddox kept a deadpan expression. “Did your ear fall off?”
“No!”
“That’s good. What about your nose?”
“Maddox, come on!” he complained, but he was clearly trying not to laugh. “No! My nose didn’t go anywhere.”
A grin won out over Maddox’s phony stoicism. “No, it didn’t. Nothing important fell off because all you did was make a simple mistake. It happens. You learn from it and move on, right?”
Lenny lowered his head.
“Right?” they prompted, leaning down to catch his gaze.
He looked at Maddox and nodded once. “Right.”
Maddox’s grin widened. “Good! Now that we've cleared that up, why don’t you go back out and help Mark?”
“Okay.” It was good to see his smile return as he hustled back to the dining room.
Maddox was about to join him when a rustling sound plus the unmistakable scent of lavender stopped them in their tracks.
They spun around to see Denise standing in the doorway leading toward the guest rooms. She still hadn’t changed.
She’d unbuttoned the top several buttons of her white blouse—presumably to dry off—and now a captivating strip of her fair skin was showing.
Moisture from the tea had seeped all the way through the fabric, making it cling to her breasts. Damn, she had a nice set.
Denise cleared her throat, and Maddox’s head jerked up.
“I’m sorry about all this.” They waved vaguely at Denise’s blouse.
She smirked and raised a single sculpted eyebrow at them, a gesture that made something rearrange itself in the pit of Maddox’s stomach. “By ‘all this,’ do you mean the spill or your thorough inspection of the damage just now?”
Maddox coughed out a laugh. “The spill!” Then, before they could think better of it, they swept one more appreciative glance over Denise’s chest. “I can’t bring myself to be sorry for being thorough.”
The smirk on Denise’s face deepened, and her tone grew the slightest bit sultry. “And I can’t bring myself to be offended.”
A flutter of intrigue rippled through Maddox’s core.
“As for the spill,” Denise continued in a lighter tone. “It’s really no big deal. As you can see, my nose didn’t fall off either.”
Heat flooded Maddox’s cheeks. So Denise had overheard them playing the little Did your nose fall off? game. “That’s good. Yours is—uh—nice. Your nose, I mean."
They almost grimaced after they’d said it, especially when Denise chuckled. How did this woman manage to force them from smooth to cringe in a single conversation?
Taking pity on Maddox’s awkwardness, Denise changed the subject. “I’m on my way to change now, and then I need to get back to it. But I wanted to find you and thank you for everything you’ve done today.”
Maddox stood taller. “You’re welcome, but it’s really not necessary. All we did was put the Day 2 arrangements into action just like you and I planned.”
Denise took a step closer and looked Maddox in the eyes.
“I wasn’t talking about the plans, Maddox, although they all played out nicely.
I was talking about the way you situated the luncheon to get everyone in a friendlier mood.
I know for a fact that several of these people are bitter rivals, but the meal got them all chatting.
It’s like you helped neutralize them. And I want you to know I appreciate it. ”
Of all things, Denise’s words actually made Maddox’s face get even warmer. They hadn’t expected her to even notice what they had done with the lunch arrangements, let alone figure out why they’d done it and to thank them for it.
Most days, it seemed like Maddox’s entire life was spent backstage, but Denise had pulled back the curtain on them today. And Maddox wasn’t sure how they felt about that.
“I was glad to help however I could…especially after you explained how stressful this type of event can be for you."
Surprise and uncertainty flashed across Denise’s face, but she quickly covered it with a smile. “Yes, well. Thank you again.”
Denise reached out and gave Maddox’s hand a quick squeeze before she turned on her heel and exited the hall.
Maddox’s hand tingled from the brief connection long after Denise was gone.