Chapter 2 #2
“We haven’t gotten to that. However, she showed up just when I got back here, and the storm is freaking crazy and…”
“And she’s stuck there with you.”
“Bingo.”
Naturally, Connor laughed first. “Okay, so what do you need from me? Is she pretty? Are you already hitting on her and wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to be coming back?”
Ugh…this was so not what he needed.
Thank God I didn’t put him on video or speaker first…
“No,” he said firmly. “She’s a bit uneasy with the situation, and I promised my business partners would vouch for me. As in putting her mind at ease.” He paused. “Can you do that, or do I need to call Milo or Walker?”
More laughing.
The dick.
“Connor…”
“Okay, okay. I get it. You don’t want to scare the poor girl. All kidding aside, I think it was rude as hell for her to leave us hanging, but she deserves to feel safe. So…put her on the phone.”
Axel hesitated for a moment, but when he looked at Maisie, he asked, “Do you want to talk to him like this or should I put him on video?”
“Video. Please,” she said quietly.
“Con? I’m switching over to video, okay?”
“Sure! Let’s do this!”
And while he switched it over, he silently prayed he wasn’t making a huge mistake.
Maisie took the phone from him and watched as a very handsome—and somewhat familiar—face appeared on the screen. She did her best to keep her expression neutral, but it was obvious that he didn’t know her.
“Hey, Ms. Quinn,” he began with an easy smile. “Sorry to hear that you’re stuck at the resort to ride out the storm.”
She fidgeted with her wet hair and knew she must look like a drowned rat.
Forcing a smile, she replied, “I’m just thankful to have shelter.
I drive an old truck that was giving me some issues—which is why I missed our appointment—and I fear I would have been stuck on the side of that winding road that leads to the resort right about now. ”
“Then I’m really glad you made it because I was just telling Axel that there’s been reports of some downed trees along that road. Your truck could’ve been hit by one,” he said solemnly. “So really, it’s a good thing you were able to make it up to the lodge.”
Nodding, she swallowed hard. “Exactly.”
“I know it’s shelter from the storm and all that,” he went on, “but you are safe with Axel. He’s one of the best guys I know, and I don’t know if you’re local to Harbortown, but if you are, you can call anyone in town and ask about him.
He’s as good as they get. With any luck, the storm will pass in a few hours and you’ll be on your way, but in the meantime, you don’t have a thing to worry about. You have my word.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
It would have sounded more believable if her voice wasn’t shaking, but she was choosing to believe that was because she was cold and her clothes were soaking wet.
“Unfortunately, there isn’t any proper furniture in the lodge yet.
That’s why we were talking to decorators.
But there’s enough that you can be comfortable while you’re there.
And there’s plenty of food, so help yourself.
Just know that Axel’s not a great cook,” he added with a wink. “Do you have any questions for me?”
Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “I’d really still like to interview for the job. I know it looks bad that I was late, but I had a legitimate reason. And Axel’s seen my truck. He would probably agree that it’s seen better days.”
She glanced over at him, and he didn’t look pleased that she was asking about the job.
“That’s got to be Axel’s call,” Connor told her. “I’m not there, and I’m not going to be back for several days. If he’s willing to go through with the interview, then I’ll back him up. But we had other applicants who were on time and presented some solid plans to us.”
“Oh.”
Before she knew it, Axel was gently taking the phone from her hands. “Thanks, Con. We need to go and get warmed up. We’re both soaked to the skin. I went down to the old storage room and grabbed robes and towels and stuff, but Maisie’s shaking like a leaf, so…”
“Got it. Stay safe, and I’ll call you when I know I’ll be driving back. Just know it probably won’t be until Tuesday since I’m losing so much time with the drive.”
“No worries. If things are as bad as you’re saying from the storm, I have a feeling we’ll be in cleanup mode when the crews get back on Monday. You won’t be missing anything important.”
“Alright. Well, again, stay safe, and good luck!”
Axel hung up and looked at her. “You okay?”
No. No, she wasn’t. Right now, she was freaking out inside. She was trapped in a semi-deserted resort with a strange man, her life was literally hinging on getting this job, and she just knew Axel was looking at her like she was a damn mess and not someone he wanted to see decorating his resort.
Dammit.
She nodded. “Just c-cold.” Her teeth were literally chattering.
“Come on. Let’s get you to the closest room so you can warm up.”
He led the way, and she followed close behind him. He was tall and lean, and after lying on top of him, she knew he was solid muscle. It felt like she was ogling him from behind, but what else was she supposed to look at other than his back and his butt?
I could pay attention to the space, especially since I want to decorate it!
That was probably what she should be doing, but by the time that really registered, they had already crossed the massive lobby and were heading down a wide hallway that housed a bunch of rooms. Axel stopped at the first one and motioned for her to go in.
When she stepped inside, it was completely bare. The walls were painted white, and there was paper covering the floor everywhere except for the bathroom. The tile floors were new, and so were all the fixtures, but it was very basic.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why didn’t you wait to do the bathrooms until after you hired a designer?”
“We were testing things out to see if we could do that sort of thing on our own. Plus, fixtures in almost any hotel are the same. We’re not looking for over-the-top luxury or to go super cheap.
Everything you see was somewhere in the middle.
We figured a decorator would come in and pick colors and wallpaper, but bathrooms are typically just white, right? ”
“They can be.” She noticed there were no accessories—no towel racks or toilet paper holders—and knew she could turn this very basic space into something stylish and functional with very little effort.
But she’d wait to talk to him about that until they were both warm and dry.
“Um, anyway,” he said as he took a step toward the door. “The water gets really hot, you’ve got towels, shampoo, and a robe. Take as long as you need, and I’ll meet you back in the kitchen when you’re done.”
“Thanks, Axel.” Then, she waited for him to leave before locking the door behind him.
Nice guy or not, it was just the smart thing to do.
The water truly was hot and so much better than the shower she had at that cheap hotel in town.
So, she lingered a little and luxuriated a bit as she got warm.
When she stepped out to dry off, she cringed at her reflection.
She didn’t have her makeup, moisturizer, a hair dryer, or even a brush with her.
“Well, it wasn’t like you were looking great before,” she mumbled as she rubbed her skin until it was dry.
Thankfully, the robe was big enough for her.
So many times she stayed at five-star resorts where their complimentary robes were meant for petite people and they always made her feel like she wasn’t good enough to warrant a nice garment.
But this one? It was white and fluffy and it fit her perfectly.
The toiletry kit had some body lotion, and she opted to use it on her face because it was better than nothing. And she towel-dried her hair the best she could before combing her fingers through it. It had a natural wave that she tended to straighten, but for now, it was just going to do its thing.
With nothing left to do, she gathered her wet clothes and used towels before sliding her feet into the slippers. If the situation weren’t so bizarre, she’d say she felt very comfy and cozy.
Leaving the room, she slowly made her way back to the lobby and found Axel standing in front of a massive stone fireplace.
It was the focal point of this area, and she could envision some amazing chairs positioned in front of it—upholstered, oversized leather, set up in several small gatherings along with a large coffee table.
It was so clear in her mind that she wished she could whip out her computer right now and mock it up in her design program.
Axel turned and smiled at her. “How was your shower?”
“Glorious,” she said, smiling back at him. “Thank you.”
“I’ve already got a teapot on the stove in case you wanted tea, but there’s also a Keurig out there if you prefer coffee.” Then he motioned to the mismatched chairs he set up close to the fire. “You can put your clothes and things out here so they can dry.”
Thanking him again, she did just that and then followed him out to the kitchen. But this time she took her time and admired the space.
In the kitchen, Axel was putting a pod in the coffeemaker, and Maisie considered her options and went for the tea.
He had been considerate enough to put out a mug for her along with a selection of teas plus milk and sugar.
The natural thing for them to talk about was the decorating and her interview but based on the way he reacted when she asked Connor about it, she decided to bide her time.
“So, how’d you end up being the lone guy here this weekend?”
Shrugging, he placed his mug on the stainless-steel table and then went into what looked like a pantry. When he came out, he had a couple of boxes of assorted cookies and put them out for them.