4. Ronan
“ O f course we’re gonna work together!” Connor exclaims, as if any idea otherwise would be crazy.
Charlie, my new supervisor, no doubt strong but with a thick layer of cushion to disguise muscle, frowns up at me from behind his desk in the maintenance office. “You sure you want to put up with him all day? It’s already bad enough that you have to live with him.”
I chuckle. “I’ll survive.”
“All right. You two are stuck with each other, then. You’re on trash today.” His slate-blue eyes roll over my stubbled jaw. “Is this the beginning of a new look, or were you two out too late last night to shave?”
Fuck. Not fifteen minutes in and I’m already getting grilled. “Which answer do you want?”
He smirks. “The one that means I don’t have to cite you for breaking the conduct code. I’ll give you a pass today because you just came in from the Midwest and they’re lax up there. But make sure you come in clean-shaven next week. Besides, the hipster thing wouldn’t suit you.”
“Yes, sir. ”
We’re almost out the door when Charlie hollers, “And trash duty on the beach does not take four hours, fellas.”
Connor offers an innocent look that’s as fake as a three-dollar bill. “Never, boss. Two hours, tops.”
“Uh-huh.” Charlie buries his nose in his paperwork again, not buying the act for a second, but not reprimanding us further. I get the impression Connor is one of those guys who gets away with a lot of things he shouldn’t get away with.
I’m not one of those guys. “Okay. So, where do we start? Parking lot? Kitchen?” If this place is anything like the Wolf back in Indianapolis, management is extra vigilant about keeping those areas clear of rodent-attracting debris.
Connor checks his watch. “If we hurry, we’ll catch the last half of the women’s volleyball practice on the beach.” He sighs. “And let me tell you, it’s a beautiful sight.”
“This isn’t gonna take long, is it?” Connor grumbles. Our heavy footfalls echo along the corridor in the employee-only area. The Wolf hotel chain may be ritzy, but they’ve saved their building budget for the parts that guests see. It’s beige walls and dim lights here.
“I don’t know. She said she needs a signature. Shouldn’t be more than a minute.” I got a message from an admin this morning, asking me to come in and sign some payroll papers that got messed up in my transfer. I’m not shocked. The guy who handled my move isn’t playing with a full deck.
“A minute, my ass. Do you know how slow they work in here?”
“You really are a whiny bitch when you’re hungry.”
“Warned you, didn’t I?” Connor pushes through the glass door marked Employee Administration and into an office as plain as a hospital waiting room—windowless and beige, the kind of place that makes me only too happy to be picking up trash out under the hot Florida sun.
I’d hang myself if I had to sit in here all day.
“Look, if I don’t do this, I don’t get paid, and if I don’t get paid, you’re not gettin’ rent money. So shut the fuck up.” It hasn’t taken long for Connor and me to get into a groove. We already sound like we’ve known each other for years instead of less than twenty-four hours.
Connor walks up to the counter that runs the full length of the room, keeping Wolf’s various “white collar” office admin staff (payroll, finance, customer service) and the “blue collars” (housekeeping, kitchen scullery, maintenance crew) separated. He slaps the little bell.
And we wait, listening to the medley of fingertips tapping on keys, phones ringing, a low buzz of voices, an occasional cough.
Not one head pops up from a cubicle.
“Told you. An hour.” He hits the bell again, this time twice and harder. “And fix your laces while you’re at it. Doesn’t that drive you nuts?”
I glance down to see that one of my laces is indeed undone and dragging. “Actually, I didn’t notice.” As I’m crouching to retie it, Connor bellows, loud enough to carry through the entire office, “Yo, Tatum! Can you help us out so we can go eat? You know how I get when I’m hungry!”
Fucking guy is going to get us both in shit, hollering like that.
“Would you be quiet? People are taking reservations in here!” a female whisper-hisses.
I stand to find a brunette on the other side of the counter. She’s wearing the standard-issue Wolf admin staff uniform, and my attention can’t help but veer downward to where the white blouse stretches across her tits.
When I lift my eyes again, I find her scowling at me.
It takes me a good five seconds before I realize that I recognize that scowl. “Oh, shit.”
“I told you Ryan works here, didn’t I?” Connor’s grin says he damn well knows he didn’t mention that and he’s enjoying every second of this. “She’s the coordinator for the housekeeping division.”
Ryan is no longer sweaty and disheveled. Her hair is piled on top of her head, and her rich hazel eyes are hiding behind a pair of dark-rimmed glasses. No makeup touches her creamy skin, from what I can tell.
“What do you want?” she snaps, but I don’t miss the blush crawling up her cheeks.
“Someone left a message about signing a payroll form so I could?—”
“Jean! Crew guy is here for you.” Ryan stalks away before I can finish, leaving me with my mouth open midsentence, staring at the way her hips swing in that tight purple skirt, her tiny waist making her ass seem bigger than it is. Not that I mind an ass that I can fill my hands with.
“Dick,” I hiss. “You could have warned me.”
“Hell no. Not after this morning. That was priceless, by the way.”
“I’ll bet. Anything else important you want to share with me?”
“Yeah. I’m fucking starving .”
A cute Asian girl appears. “Ronan Lyle?”
“That’s me. I got a call about paperwork?”
She sets a form in front of me. “I need you to fill this out.”
“Hey, Jean.” Connor rests his elbows on the counter and flashes her the same stupid smile he was using at the beach all morning. The one that got him four different phone numbers. “Big plans for the weekend?”
She dips her head to hide behind heavy black fringe as she lists her itinerary, hour by hour, it seems. I tune her out right after “sewing club” comes up and set to quickly filling out the form.
“What’s our address again? ”
Connor recites and I fill it out, all the while feeling Jean’s black eyes appraising me.
“So, this is your new roommate?”
“Yeah. Why?” Connor grins. “What did Ryan say?”
“Nothing.” The expression on Jean’s face says Ryan had things to say and they weren’t at all pleasant. She drops her voice. “She’s in a bad mood today.”
“I noticed. Something going on with the douchebag?” Obviously, Connor doesn’t like Ryan’s boyfriend and doesn’t care who knows it.
She glances over her shoulder and then whispers, “I heard they broke up last night, but I’m not asking.”
Connor’s face fills with understanding. “No wonder she’s being such a bitch.” A little louder, “Hey, Ry!” When she doesn’t answer, he raises his voice. “Ryan Tatum! I know you can hear me! Come over here!”
The sound of sandals slapping along the tile floor announces her approach before she appears. And the look on her face …
Connor really doesn’t want to keep his skin today.
“Would you stop being an idiot!” she hisses.
He ignores her tone. “What happened with David?”
I keep my head down, pretending not to listen as I fill out the rest of my form.
“Nothing.” But by the tone of her voice, it’s definitely something.
“You two broke up?” Connor pushes.
“So what?”
“So … you should tell me these things.”
“Why? You don’t give a damn. And it’s none of your business.” She’s trying to play it cool, but the slight waver in her voice betrays her.
“Come on. Don’t be like that.” The ever-present humor in his voice fades a touch.
“You want to talk about something? Fine!” Her voice raises an octave. “Let’s talk about our new roommate and his nudist tendencies.”
Heads pop up over the cubicle walls now. Jean stares at me, her mouth hanging open.
“You had to be there,” I explain with a shrug.
“I’ll bet.” Her gaze skims over the ink on my forearm. If it were cooler outside, I’d have to cover that up with a long-sleeved shirt. Employee conduct manual, page four.
“Oh, come on, that was funny. And besides”—Connor reaches up to seize my chin between his thumb and index finger—“how could you be so mean to this poor guy? He just had his heart ripped out. All he wants is to be loved. Can’t you show him some love?”
I slap his hand away.
Ryan’s hazel eyes shift to my face. She has pretty irises. I’ll bet her smile would be pretty too. If she’s capable of one. To Connor, she says, “Go eat. You’re more annoying than usual.”
“Yeah! That’s the point!” He taps on the counter as he strolls away, a wordless gesture to hurry up.
Jean breaks out in a fit of giggles, like he’s said the funniest thing. I want to offer her a bib to keep the drool from her blouse. I slide the completed form over instead. “Anything else?”
“No, you’re all set. Thanks for coming quickly.”
“That’s Ronan. He ‘comes quick.’ Tell all your friends,” Connor quips from behind.
I wait until the door is shut behind us before I punch him in the shoulder. “There’s something wrong with you.”
He rubs his washboard abs. “Yeah, my impending starvation.”
“You and Ryan have a strange relationship.”
“What are you talking about? It’s totally normal.”
“She hates your guts.” And yet she still lives with him.
Connor grins. “Yeah, maybe a little.”
I shake my head. “How old is she? ”
“Twenty-five.”
So is Connor, and I remember this because he’s one year older than me. “So, you’re twins?” I wouldn’t put it past him not to mention that.
“Nah. Half sister. Our dad was a little busy cheating on my mom that year.”
This is all starting to make sense. “No wonder you guys don’t look anything alike.”
“I only met her a few years ago. She was moving to Miami from Orlando, and she needed a place while she figured things out. My dad asked if she could crash with me.” He shrugs.
“I said sure, I didn’t care. And she hasn’t left yet.
She stays out of my life, I stay out of hers. It works, for the most part.”
“That explains a lot.”
“Like?”
“Why you haven’t threatened to pound the shit out of me if I bang her.” Like I did to all my friends back home when they so much as glanced at my baby sister Brittany.
“You kidding? I want you to try something with her. Just let me be there to see it. It’ll be fun watching her kick you in the nuts.”
I sigh. “Something is seriously wrong with you.”
He’s distracted from a retort by another crew guy coming around the corner. “Yo, Baker! What’s up? This is Ronan. He’s new.”
The blond nods once my way. “Not much. Did you read that email about Alaska?”
Connor’s eyebrows rise in question.
“They want us there a week earlier.”
“Seriously? But that’s like … two weeks away, then!”
Baker shrugs. “I know. They said they’ll reimburse flight changes, though.”
“I haven’t booked my ticket yet.”
“What? You’re crazy!” Baker shakes his head. “I booked mine months ago. I’ll let you know what I move it to. We should fly up together.”
“Definitely. Hey, we’re heading for Chipotle. Want anything?”
“Nah, I’m good. But thanks. See you guys around.” He keeps going down the hall.
And I’m left with yet another surprise courtesy of my new roommate. “You’re going to Alaska?”
“Yeah. That resort is opening.”
I remember the intercompany memo that went out last fall, encouraging Wolf employees to apply for jobs at the new seasonal hotel near Homer. I didn’t even open it. I mean, it’s Alaska. Who the fuck wants to go there?
Apparently Connor. And in two weeks, based on what these guys were just talking about. “How long are you gone for?”
“Five months.”
“Jesus. You are crazy.”
“What? Didn’t you ever go to camp?”
I burst out laughing.
“They’re putting the whole staff up in a village of cabins. And paying us better than what they’re paying here.”
“Yeah, it’s called danger pay, because you’re gonna get mauled by bears and cougars and shit.”
“Nah, this is a Wolf luxury resort, not some Ramada Inn. They’ll have all that sorted.”
“You’re gonna be bored.”
“You’re kidding me, right?” He grins. “How long were you pussy-whipped by your ex?”
“Four years,” I admit reluctantly. “Why does that matter?”
“Because have you not noticed the housekeeping staff that Wolf hires?”
“Of course I have.” Our employer is notorious for hiring young, attractive employees. I don’t know how they get away with it without any labor discrimination charges tossed their way.
“Well, all those housekeeping girls are gonna be in cabins a stone’s throw away from me, all summer long. Stuck at a resort with nothing to do but fuck crew guys. The last thing I’m gonna be is bored.”
“Fair enough.” I should have opened that email. Had I known Tasha was going to dump me, I’d probably be going to Alaska too. “Well … shit. You could have told me.” Here I am, making a fast friend of Connor, and he’s leaving.
He shrugs. “You should see if they’re still hiring.”
“What?” I chuckle. “I just started here. They won’t let me take off.”
“Won’t know if you don’t ask.”
“I don’t know.”
“Suit yourself.” He squeezes the back of my neck. “You and Ryan will have a great summer together.”
I groan.