Chapter 20 #3
Reese closed her mouth. Hallie had read her like a book. “You’re right, I don’t. But the thing is, I think that you do. And I’d be stupid if I didn’t try to get you committed to staying on full-time.”
There was that evasiveness again; Hallie wouldn’t meet her stare. “If we’re being honest, I have been thinking about what comes next, too.”
Reese smiled sympathetically, realizing that Hallie was really struggling. No matter what she said next, Reese wouldn’t hold it against her. “Do you see the inn as part of your future?”
“I do love it here,” Hallie said earnestly. “This has always been my home, and I enjoy all the parts of the job that I just mentioned. I just…”
Reese waited as Hallie formed the thoughts that maybe were materializing for the first time in the face of Reese’s probing questions.
“I feel like a big part of my life is watching other people live theirs. Does that make sense?”
A hollowness opened up in Reese’s chest as she considered what that would feel like, as an outsider always looking in. “It does.”
“So I’ve been thinking about making some changes,” she said seriously, eyes trained on Reese.
Reese, to herself, reaffirmed her commitment that she’d support Hallie no matter what. “Like what?”
“I need a better work-life balance. I need to date and hang out with friends and go spend a Saturday seeing where the day takes me. Do you know I haven’t done that in years?”
“I didn’t know that, but it makes a lot of sense,” Reese said, having had firsthand access to all the hours that Hallie worked.
“The reality is, my family doesn’t own this inn anymore. I’m an employee, and I want to start acting like it. That doesn’t mean I don’t care or that I won’t still be an invaluable member of the team, but I need to stop letting this place be my life.”
Reese winced, thinking of all the days she’d begged off from work because something had come up with her family. “I think that’s fair. And I’m sorry if I did anything this summer to make it more difficult for you to separate yourself from the inn.”
Hallie waved her off. “I’d do anything to help Sydney, and at the heart of it, covering for you was mostly for her.” She smiled wryly. “Not that I don’t like you, boss, but we aren’t there yet.”
“No offense taken,” Reese said, appreciating the honesty. She could understand wanting to do anything she could to help Sydney. “So, it does sound like you are open to sticking around? Provided there are some changes? Or are you looking for a fresh start somewhere?”
Hallie was clearly giving the question serious thought; her lip was pulled between her teeth as she chewed on it. The moment was on the verge of becoming comically drawn out when Hallie let go of her lip with a pop and beamed a smile at Reese. “I want better health insurance.”
“Absolutely,” Reese batted back.
“And a raise.”
“Seems only fair, given the work you do here.” Hallie had only ever been paid a nominal salary, all things considered. Reese had always been planning on increasing that at the end of six months if Hallie stuck around.
She could see Hallie practically vibrating. “I want every other evening and weekend off.”
“I would never impede a young woman from having a vibrant social life.”
Hallie pursed her lips before asking, “Is there anything else I should be asking for? I assumed you’re better at negotiation, but it doesn’t exactly seem like it right now.”
That made Reese laugh. “How about I put together a packet and you can consider it as a formal offer, once you have everything to look over?”
She wondered if Hallie would start running around like an excited puppy when Reese told her about the profit sharing, which would incentivize Hallie to help the inn succeed in a way that paid off for her, too.
Hallie interlaced her fingers on top of the desk and nodded solemnly. “I agree to the terms of reviewing the terms at a future date. ”
Reese laughed again, and she felt a lightness in her chest, at least professionally, that she hadn’t felt in a long time. This was what she liked. Solving big problems. Designing structures that helped the machine keep plugging away.
And Hallie, it seemed, really did love the day-to-day of managing The Stone’s Throw, so it was a perfect balance, the two of them.
“Have you mentioned this to Sydney yet?” Hallie asked.
Reese shook her head. “I have not. This is between us, and I take our professional relationship seriously.”
She could already see the laughter bubbling up in Hallie, and she put her hand up to stop it.
“Regardless of the various states of undress that you’ve seen me in,” she said, remembering a week ago when Reese, topless, had run into Hallie while she’d been sneaking to their shared kitchen area late at night to grab a glass of water.
Hallie smirked. “Hydration is so important. Especially after exercise.”
Standing up, Reese ran her hands down her shirt to smooth any wrinkles. “Great, glad we sorted that out. I’ll send you the offer when I have it ready.”
She didn’t mind that she could still feel Hallie’s smirk as she exited the office. Instead of going to see if Sydney was back yet, she seated herself at the check-in desk to give Hallie a much-deserved break.
“Remind me why your flight is so disgustingly early tomorrow?” Reese asked as she brushed her teeth, her mouth filled with minty foam.
Sydney walked up behind her and wrapped her arms around Reese’s torso. “I believe it’s so we can spend an extra night together, but with your tone, I’m beginning to re-evaluate that decision. ”
Reese spat out her excess toothpaste, Sydney giving her just enough slack to lean forward and rinse her mouth out with water. “Booking it seemed like such a good idea at the time.”
Sydney laughed lightly into Reese’s hair. “Until the reality of waking up at four a.m. comes calling?”
Reese was going to drive Sydney to the airport, and they had to leave six hours from now.
She wasn’t looking forward to it. Because of the ungodly hour.
Because she’d be separated from Sydney for another five days.
Because it made that hole in her chest that felt empty when Sydney wasn’t near flare up, and she could already feel it beginning to carve itself out.
She leaned her head back against Sydney’s chest, loving how, at a few inches shorter, she nestled perfectly into the crook where Sydney’s collarbone and neck met.
“We could just be hedonists,” Sydney said, her fingers beginning to play across Reese’s exposed stomach. “Quit our jobs. Travel the world.”
“I thought you hated packing your suitcase,” Reese said, her words coming out in an uneven rasp as Sydney’s fingers scratched lightly, just below her bellybutton.
Sydney didn’t miss a beat. “We’ll get an RV then. Live life on the road.”
Reese turned her face so she could see Sydney’s eyes, alight and playful.
“I don’t think we’d do well at that, but something tells me you already know that,” Reese answered, savoring the feeling of closeness, Sydney’s warm breath ghosting across her cheek.
She broke the moment to wrap her hand around one of Sydney’s own and pull her over to the bed.
Reese had gotten back to the room first tonight, and she had already been in bed reading a book when Sydney had returned.
With Sydney’s arrival, she’d forced herself to take out her contacts and brush her teeth, but she wanted nothing more than to crawl back into the warmth and comfort of their shared space .
“How was dinner with Brian?” Reese asked sleepily, already snuggling in against Sydney’s chest.
“Your mom tagged along for the actual dinner, but then Brian and I stayed longer to catch up.”
Reese picked her head up to look at Sydney then. “My mother? Sharon Devereux?”
“Possibly soon-to-be Sharon Walcott again. She mentioned it at dinner tonight,” Sydney said as she carded her fingers through Reese’s hair.
Reese snuggled back down against Sydney. “Good for her.”
“Yeah, I think she really liked the tennis lesson.” Sydney quieted before adding, “I think she really liked Brian, too.”
“I cannot lift my head again for the life of me, but it does deserve another look.”
“I know, babe, but I’m just telling you what I saw. They were pretty cute together, I have to admit.”
“Sydney King, you softy,” Reese said. She tried to punch lightly at Sydney’s arm, but she got distracted and ended up running her hands along smooth skin instead.
She felt Sydney melt into the touch, and they both stilled, the steady thrum of Sydney’s heartbeat audible with Reese’s ear so close to her chest.
“What are your thoughts on marriage?” Sydney asked, and Reese was jarred from the hazy comfort she’d been experiencing until a second ago.
“Like you and me getting married?”
Sydney groaned. “Not specifically, no. I just meant… we’ve been dating now for a few months, and I know we haven’t really followed the usual steps?—”
“Understatement,” Reese cut in.
Sydney squeezed her a little tighter. “Anyway, it’s something that people talk about when they’re dating. Whether their future desires align. So I was just curious where you fall on the subject.”
Reese felt her own heartbeat pick up, and she scrambled to work through her thoughts so that whatever she shared didn’t make her sound insane.
“Megan and I, I now realize, had a very practical relationship. We didn’t talk about marriage because we were already running the business together, and to me, that had felt pretty serious. ”
She sighed when Sydney started running her fingers through Reese’s hair again.
“So you haven’t really thought about it?” Sydney asked, her voice soft and coaxing, like she’d give Reese all the time in the world to figure out her thoughts.
That made Reese want to give her an honest answer, to lay her cards on the table. “It’s something I do want. I want to share my life with someone. I want to make that kind of commitment. I want to know that we’re going through the world as a team, and that we’re stronger because of it.”
“I like that,” Sydney said, and Reese could feel the smile on her lips as she kissed the top of her head.
“I don’t think I’d ever thought about it like that because, well, you’ve seen my parents’ relationship,” she said vaguely, hoping that explained things.
“I get it, babe.” Sydney kissed her head again, and Reese let the pleasant warmth at the simple, comforting gesture float through her.
“And you?” Reese asked, moving her hand to run her fingers along Sydney’s arm, wanting to feel connected to her.
“I do. It’s something I’ve always wanted. Kids, too,” Sydney added, “but I know that’s a bigger conversation.”
“Well, it’s not going to happen accidentally, so we’d have to talk about it eventually,” Reese joked, realizing that the idea of having kids with Sydney didn’t scare her. At all.
She wanted everything with Sydney, and her heart skipped a beat at the thought that was becoming more and more common.
“I need to think through the second one a little more, since it’s not something I’ve fantasized about or had a plan for, but I am cautiously open to the idea,” she settled on, hoping that was enough for Sydney for the moment .
Sydney scooted down farther on the bed so that she could look at Reese. “I think that’s a really responsible way of handling this. I love that about you,” she said before kissing Reese on the nose.
“I’m glad you asked me,” Reese admitted before adding, “And that you’re thinking about the future. I am, too.”
Sydney pulled her closer, and as Reese went back to listening to the rise and fall of Sydney’s chest, of the steady thrum of her heartbeat, she wondered how life could feel any better than this.