7. Kristin
7
KRISTIN
“ Y ou seriously ate at Jokers again ?” I asked with an incredulous laugh. Will had apparently taken a liking to our local watering hole. “Other places cook food, ya know. Places that won’t put you in the ground so quickly, old man.”
“She’s got jokes,” he called out from the balcony, feigning laughter. “Do you always tell elderly guests they’re gonna die soon or am I special?”
I couldn’t help but giggle. “Only the severely infirm.”
Will stuck his head through the bedroom door. “Don’t let the gray hairs fool you. I’ve got abs under this shirt. Several, actually. Wanna see?”
“Ooh, can I?” I chucked a pillow at him. “Go do your work, Einstein! You’re distracting me from mine!”
“I’ll do as I please, woman!” He hurled the pillow at my head and slipped away, snickering like a madman.
The stupid grin on my face refused to leave.
For the fifth time this week, I ripped the old sheet from Will’s bed and replaced it with a new one. Deep cleaning a stay-over room was unheard of .
But here I was, cleaning away. Rich would throw a tantrum if he knew I was laundering a guest’s sheets every single day.
What Rich didn’t know wouldn’t kill him. On second thought, maybe I should tell him.
Cleaning Will’s room gave me something to look forward to. For forty-two minutes a day, I got to have an adult conversation that didn’t focus on all the shit swirling around my life like a tornado of unfortunate events. It was nice to have someone who had no clue about what was going on at home.
I found myself rushing through all the rooms before him and dragging my feet through all the rooms after.
Plus, I couldn’t remember a time when I’d laughed so much. I had always thought that a dry sense of humor and a killer deadpan were two of the sexiest qualities a man could have. Well, that and a nice ass.
Will had all three.
When we ran into each other at Jokers during girls’ night and played a round of pool, he won.
The date wager was a coin-flip scenario.
I meant it when I told Hannah Jane that I simply enjoyed the attention and wanted nothing more. But when Will pinned me between the pool table and his broad chest, it was like tossing a quarter in the air.
I knew in my heart which side I wanted it to land on.
I also knew I couldn’t let that outcome happen.
Will didn’t let it go.
“So, when are you gonna let me take you on a date?” he asked, typing away on his laptop. He was sitting out on the chaise lounge. The balcony doors were propped open, letting the sea breeze blow in.
It was night and day compared to the first time I had come to clean the room. He wasn’t hunched over his laptop in the dark with noise cancelling headphones and bags under his eyes. He sat outside and worked casually in the sunlight and fresh air while I tidied up inside.
Not that the room needed it.
He was the type of guest who made his bed every morning, left used towels in a neat pile, and kept trash to a minimum.
Every day since he won that pool game, Will asked me the same question.
So, when are you going to let me take you on a date? His question echoed in my mind. Every time he asked, I laughed it off and made something up about not having a day off.
But I did have a day off coming up.
Going on a date would’ve been fun. It had been a long time since I’d gotten dressed up for something other than hanging out with friends.
I loved girls’ night, but it was more fun for Maddie, Erica, Hannah Jane, and Bridget. They had men waiting for them at home when the night was over.
But what could I have said to Will?
Sure, you can come pick me up from my shitty trailer.
Dinner? Sounds great! I can’t stay out too late, though, because I have four kids that I’m responsible for.
Why did I drop out of college? Great question! When I found out my parents funded my tuition with drug money, dropping out seemed like the right move. Besides, when it comes to paying for classes or keeping the lights on, the choice is pretty easy.
“I can hear you thinking over there, Kris,” Will called from the balcony.
I brought the duster to a halt. “Sorry, did you ask me something?”
Will chuckled and closed his laptop. “Only the same question you avoid every day. You keep turning me down, and I’m starting to take it personally.”
“Sorry, I’m just a little distracted today.” I laughed nervously and finished dusting the ledge that held the coffee maker. He’d already gone through the entire bag of coffee grounds I picked up from Queen’s. Good thing I stashed a fresh bag in my cart for him.
“You know,” he began, moving inside. He set his laptop on the freshly made bed. “I’m a pretty good listener.”
“Are you?” I teased. “Or are you just trying to pry a date out of me?”
“I’m an excellent listener, I can iron pants like a boss, I grill a mean steak, and I always put money in the Salvation Army buckets at Christmas.” He ticked off his endearing qualities on his fingers.
“They should nominate you for sainthood.”
“Nah, I lied. I really was just trying to pry a date out of you.”
I clicked my tongue and shook my head. “Such a relentless heathen.”
He smirked and crossed his arms, muscles bulging beneath that tight gray t-shirt. “But really, what’s going on?”
Ugh.
His messy brown hair and hazel eyes chipped away at my defenses. And that didn’t compare to the damage already done by that irresistible work-face of his.
The way Will looked when he wore his silver-framed glasses and became so engrossed in a project that he forgot about the world around him—that was work-face.
And it was sexy.
I sighed, turning away from him to return the dust rag and lemon spray to the cleaning cart. “Just some work drama.”
“You can tell me, ya know. If you want to.”
“I’m fine,” I said flatly, forcing a smile to soften the words. It’s not his fault someone bought the inn. Or that I’m teetering on the edge because I don’t know if I’ll have a job in a few weeks. He didn’t need me to dump my fears on him.
Will started to speak, then cut himself off. He didn’t push any further, and I was grateful .
He didn’t know it, but my life was a house of cards. A slight breeze would make it all come tumbling down.
Holding everything together for five people was exhausting. I was tired of slapping on a smile and pretending like everything was okay.
It wasn’t.
But I lifted my head and told myself to hold it together just one more time. I had been telling myself that for five years.
Just one more time.
“Do you get a lunch break?” he asked in a gentle voice.
I nodded, not trusting my voice to remain steady.
“What time?”
“When I finish this floor,” I said, glancing at the bedside clock. “So, probably an hour and a half.”
“Can I have lunch with you? You know, on your break?”
“I was actually going to catch up on some… work,” I said. My plan had actually been to take a nap in my car during my lunch break, but I couldn’t say that.
Will raised his eyebrows, but he didn’t call my bluff.
“I wanted to try out the restaurant next door,” he said. “Revanche, right?”
I nodded.
Will moved closer and trailed his fingers down my arm. “If I order something to-go, and find you in about an hour and a half, would you eat with me?”
A cautious smile flickered at the corner of my mouth. “I can see that being a possibility.”
He grinned. “You’re not gonna make this easy on me, are you?”
I shook my head. “Not in the slightest.”
I may or may not have rushed through the rest of the floor. I may or may not have knocked out a few rooms on the next floor before my lunch break rolled around just to get ahead. And I may or may not have snuck into Hannah Jane’s office and freshened up.
God bless that woman and her desk stash of emergency cosmetics.
I was halfway across the lobby when I heard the ominous click of Hannah Jane’s stilettos.
“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” she asked, shifting her armful of wedding binders onto her hip.
I tucked my hair behind my ears. “Oh, uh, you know. Just on my lunch break.”
Hannah looked down at her phone. “Are we going to talk about the Chase thing ?”
I wrinkled my nose. “What Chase thing?”
She glanced left and right, then lowered her voice. “He kind of disappeared after what happened at the bar with Bee and Kingsley.”
“What do you mean, disappeared ?” I asked. “That doesn’t sound like Chase. He’s never been the flighty type.”
“I mean, he kissed her cheek, then walked out of the bar. By the time we got outside, he was gone. I didn’t see his car in his driveway for two days.”
“Maybe he stayed with Layla,” I suggested. “I mean, they are seeing each other.”
Hannah shook her head. “Mel texted Layla and checked. She hadn’t heard from Chase since the day before Kingsley showed up at Jokers. I finally saw him when I left for work this morning.” She paused, chewing on her lip. “His hands were cut up and bruised. He looked like he lost a fight with a brick wall.”
“Is there any chance he killed Kyle?” I said, half-joking.
Hannah snorted. “Goodness, I wish.”
I sighed. “I mean, we all worried about what would happen if Bee and Chase started dating and broke up. But we didn’t consider what would happen if they never got together.”
Hannah nodded in agreement. “I have a bunch of leftovers from a catering tasting this morning that I was going to eat for lunch. You wanna share?”
Before I could answer, the lacquered wood doors that served as the main entrance swung open. Will strolled in, carrying two loaded bags with the Revanche logo stamped on either side. When Hannah Jane noticed the branding. I could practically hear the wheels turning in her mind.
She nodded with a devious smile on her face. “I see you already have lunch plans.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned. “Please don’t make this a thing. It’s just lunch.”
“Mhmm,” Hannah snickered. “And Isaac and I were just supposed to be a one-night stand.”
“Han.”
“Kris,” she parroted.
Will sided up to me, shifting the bags to one hand. “Hey, Sunshine.”
Hannah’s smirk turned downright nefarious. “ Sunshine ? Oh, that’s just too cute.”
I felt like crawling under a rock, but Will was apparently unfazed. “Nice to see you again, Hannah,” he said casually.
Hannah Jane eyed the Revanche bags. “You didn’t happen to run into Maddie over there, did you?”
Oh no. If Maddie saw Will picking up lunch for two, it would only be a matter of time before the entire poker club found out.
Like clockwork, my phone exploded.
Maddie
KRISTIN TOTALLY HAS A DATE! Tall, dark, and handsome just picked up way too much food from the restaurant for it to be for just one person.
Melissa
OMG! Who? Hottie from the bar?
Bridget
If it’s that hottie from the bar, I approve. He tips well.
Steve
Chase, DeRossi, Lawson—y’all seeing this?
Erica
Aw! Go Kris! I’m totally game for babysitting so you can go out on dates.
Steve
Whoa. Hold the fuck on, Mrs. Pelham. We are NOT okay with Kris dating some random axe murderer.
Luca
Isaac and I need to be filled in. Who’s the axe murderer?
Isaac
I’m new to this. Do we get to kill someone? I’m in.
Hannah giggled as she typed out her two cents.
Hannah Jane
Will just saw Kris in the lobby and called her Sunshine. They’re definitely a thing. Shall we call for a vote?
Kristin
OH MY GOD. STOP. We’re not a thing. No one is voting on anyone. It’s just lunch.
“Well,” Hannah said with an all too giddy smile. She circled her finger toward the Revanche bags. “That smells delicious. We wouldn’t want it getting cold now, would we?”
Will looked down at me. “Hungry?”
“Starving,” I said, desperate to get away from prying eyes .
“Bye, guys,” Hannah sing-songed as she disappeared into the administrative wing
“Have you seen the courtyard?” I asked Will, motioning for him to follow me.
“Wow,” Will said, looking around as he set the bags on a table and sat down. “I never would’ve expected this to be here.”
“I’ve always loved coming out here,” I said, taking a seat opposite him.
Tucked away from prying eyes, the courtyard was a hidden paradise at the inn. Two-seater wrought iron tables offered guests a place to enjoy a morning cup of coffee. String lights zigzagged from wall to wall across the open-air courtyard. Three walls rose up from the cobblestones, covered in ivy and running vines. The fourth wall had been removed, opening the space to an immaculate view of the waterfront.
Hannah’s wedding clients always used it, but most guests were more interested in the beach or the waterfront shopping and dining options. That made the courtyard an idyllic place to escape.
“It kind of reminds me of Europe,” Will commented, unpacking the food.
“Ever been?” I asked.
“I’ve traveled a little,” Will said with a shrug. He popped the tops off two large takeout containers and handed one to me.
The sight of red meat and greens had my stomach growling. I fished around in the bag for the packet of disposable utensils.
“So,” he said, pouring a container of dressing over his steak salad. “What was the, uh, drama you mentioned earlier?”
“Will—”
He reached across the table and laid his hand on top of mine. “Would it be presumptuous of me to point out that I think you keep a lot of things buried inside?”
I couldn’t help but laugh before taking a sip from my bottle of water. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t know you well enough to dump my shit on you.”
He speared a forkful of lettuce and topped it with a piece of medium-rare steak that cut like butter. “You don’t act your age.”
“Excuse me?”
Will grinned. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I just mean, I didn’t expect you to be twenty-five. You look twenty-five, but you seem like the type of woman who has seen some things.”
“Takes one to know one,” I clipped between bites. Will opened his mouth to make a sarcastic remark, but I cut him off. “You tell me your story, and I might tell you mine.”
“What do you want to know?”
It surprised me how quickly he offered a blank check for personal information. Of course, not everyone was as guarded as me, but still… I didn’t even know what to ask for. I knew that whatever I question I came up with, he’d expect the same in return.
And I wasn’t ready to give it to him.
I shoveled down a few bites, monitoring the time to make sure I didn’t go over my break. “How did you get into, uh, whatever it is you do?”
He chuckled. “That’s really what you want to ask?”
I shrugged.
“Okay, I’ll bite,” he said. “I was in foster care as a kid. Had a lot of time on my hands. I got into video games and started modding them. That got me interested in computers. Near the end of high school, I had gotten into coding and taught myself C++, Java, and a few other languages.”
Will paused and took a sip from his bottle.
“Ah, yes. Java,” I said, nodding enthusiastically. “I drank some this morning.”
He burst out laughing and choked down the water. “Proud of yourself? ”
I smiled proudly. “Obviously. It was hilarious.”
“And I’m the old one? That was a terrible dad joke.”
“Are you jealous that I’m a better old man than you?”
He grinned. “A little, yeah.”
Being able to make Will laugh sent a tingle up my spine. And that boyish grin made me tingle in, well, other places. “So, you started coding in high school?”
“Yeah,” he said, clearing his throat. “I had a math teacher who took me under his wing. He helped me apply for scholarships. I went to MIT and graduated with honors. And you know the rest from there.”
“That’s ridiculously impressive,” I said between bites. “So, playing video games helped you get into college?”
He nodded. “I guess when you put it that way, yeah.”
“Someone needs to tell Logan that,” I mumbled under my breath.
“What was that?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I said, waving my hand dismissively. “Can I ask what led to you being placed in foster care?”
He smiled. “I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”