DIDN’T SEE THAT ONE COMING
brOOKLYN
I stepped into the hallway, making sure to leave the privacy, please tag on my hotel room door as I closed it behind me. I’d been at Sugar Mountain Resort since I’d walked out on Eli that afternoon, and I really needed to figure out a game plan going forward. Staying here had been impulsive and was supposed to be temporary, but things with the divorce had progressed so quickly that I didn’t have it in me to think about permanently relocating until that part was finalized. It was as though my brain could only handle one life-changing event at a time.
Staying at Sugar Mountain felt like the best kind of fever dream—from the bed and the oversize Jacuzzi tub, which I used almost nightly, to the delicious chef-inspired restaurant and room service. My wallet was the only one complaining. The resort wasn’t cheap, but the friends and family discount Sierra had gotten for me made it worth it.
I’d woken up to a text message from her, asking me to stop by her office on my way out this morning, and I was a little nervous that maybe I’d gotten her into trouble somehow.
I rode the elevator down to the main level, surprised when it didn’t stop on any of the other floors to pick people up. Stepping into the expansive lobby, I walked toward the bellhop.
“Morning, miss,” he said, tipping his head.
“Good morning. Could you point me in the direction of Sierra’s office?”
He took a few steps, maneuvering his body in front of mine. “See the hallway right down there?” He pointed off to the left, around a giant bouquet of wildflowers, and I nodded. “Go down it and keep walking until you reach the end. All the offices are there, hers included.”
“Thank you so much.” I smiled before following his directions, taking note of the fall decorations that were just starting to replace the ones from summer.
I loved this resort. And not just because the hottest men in town were the owners of it either. No. Sugar Mountain Resort was an institution, a legend. The one place you aspired to celebrate your milestones at. Get married, have prom, work events, promotions, et cetera. Everyone wanted to have them here. Even out-of-towners, which was why it was getting more and more difficult for locals to book the place. Trying to grab a banquet hall on a whim? Forget it. Trust me, I’d tried more than once in my line of work.
Sighing as I walked down the hall of offices, I marveled at the deep wood decor. It felt classic... timeless even. Scanning the names on the walls as I passed, I noticed Thomas O’Grady, director of finance, on the wall and ran my fingers across it. I paused only briefly before trying to peek inside, but the room was dark, and the blinds that covered his large window were drawn shut.
I continued walking until I reached Sierra’s office door and knocked. She looked up from her desk, her jet-black hair spilling over her shoulder as she smiled up at me.
“Oh, Brooklyn! Yay!” She clapped her hands together before she started waving. “Come in. Come in. Close the door behind you.”
I did as she’d demanded, even though I had no idea what was going on. “Are you okay?” I asked, and she only smiled bigger, if that was possible.
“Yes. Sit down. I have to talk to you.”
“Okay. I’m sitting,” I said as soon as I pulled out a chair and sat in it, noticing the large picture window behind her that took up almost the entire wall. The view was stunning. And peaceful.
Sierra and I had met five years back because of our respective jobs. She was the events coordinator here, and I worked for an event planning company. There were times when I felt like I talked to Sierra every single day in regard to one upcoming affair or another.
“I’m just going to cut to the chase,” she said, her voice taking on a more serious tone, and I found myself shifting in my chair as nerves coursed through me.
“Okay?”
Shit. Was this about the other day, when I had come back drunk and quite literally run into Thomas? I hadn’t seen him since, which helped keep my embarrassment at bay.
“I’m leaving the resort,” she blurted out, and I reared my head back in surprise.
“Wait. What? Why? Leaving? Like for good?” The questions spilled out of my mouth before I even processed them.
“Jada and I are moving out to Cherry Cove. So, I’m quitting.”
“You’re quitting. Who’s going to take your place?” I wondered.
I’d dealt with the assistant coordinator in the past, and while she was sweet, she was definitely still learning. I couldn’t imagine a resort of this size and reputation handing the reins over to someone not entirely qualified to handle it.
“That’s why I called you here,” she started to explain, but the breadcrumbs she was placing down were not making sense in my mind. “How happy are you at Kleinfeld’s?”
How happy was I at my job? I enjoyed it, but I loved planning weddings the most. And that was the event I got to plan the least. Kleinfeld’s was known for their corporate parties.
“Uh, I mean, I really like my job. Why?”
“Because I think you should be the one who takes mine.”
“Wait.” The pieces finally clicked together at once, and I shook my head in disbelief. “You want me to take your place here? Be the events coordinator for Sugar Mountain Resort?”
“I do. I think you’d be a perfect fit.”
“Holy shit,” I whispered, and she laughed before I formulated a response that sounded more professional. “Can you tell me a little about the job? Like, what is your day-to-day like?”
Sierra launched into a spiel about dealing with vendors and clients and how she rarely drove anywhere because everything and everybody came to her. That was a nice perk, considering my current job had me driving around for meetings and location scouting all the time. The thought of staying in one place was definitely appealing. When she finished filling my head with so much information that I thought it might explode, I found room for one more question.
“What kind of events do you book the most?”
“Weddings. Hands down. And once the wedding barn is finished, we expect that to increase by at least three times.”
“What’s the ‘wedding barn’?” I asked, making air quotes with my fingers.
“Patrick”—she paused before adding his last name—“O’Grady is currently constructing a top-of-the-line event space. It looks like a rustic barn on the outside, but it’s going to be breathtaking inside. All rich woods and exposed beams. It’s divided into multiple areas that can be opened or closed with a sliding barn door depending on the size of the party. There are also two full-sized working kitchens, so we don’t have to move the food or staff from the main building. Multiple spaces for bars. There are changing rooms for the wedding parties, if needed. Four bathrooms. A loft. I mean, it’s also a gorgeous space for corporate meetings, team building, reunions, or any kind of parties. Here, let me show you.” She pointed at her computer screen as she typed away quickly.
I shoved out of my chair and walked up behind her, peering over her shoulder.
“These are the finalized sketches.”
She scrolled through multiple variations of how the space could be used and decorated, and I swore I almost started crying. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“It’s stunning.”
“I know. It’s all Patrick’s doing too. He designed the whole thing.”
“Wow. I had no idea he was that talented.” It wasn’t meant to be a rude or judgmental statement in any way.
Everyone in town knew that Patrick was building a house, but it was set so far back from the road that you couldn’t see it if you drove by and tried to peek. Which I might have done once or twice with Lana.
“He’s a really brilliant contractor and designer. You should see his house,” she breathed out, her eyes wide, like even she was impressed with what he’d done. “Anyway, what do you think? Are you interested?”
My mind was still reeling, spinning with details and trying to overcome a bit of shock. “I’m a little overwhelmed, to be honest.”
“I know. I get it. You think it would be just like what you’re already doing, but technically, it’s not. It’s definitely different and extremely busy, but you have a staff working under you, which I know you don’t have at your current job.”
Just then, a thought entered my mind, and instead of working it out in my head first, I simply blurted it out. “The decorations and events for the resort. Like trunk-or-treat and the Easter egg hunt and those things. Do you handle all that as well?”
The Sugar Mountain Resort was known for their decor all year long. Each season or holiday had the resort grounds sporting decorations that matched. There were multiple events that the hotel held throughout the year for families, like picnics, treasure hunts, and Fourth of July festivities. There was a never a dull moment, and I couldn’t imagine being responsible for all of that and also overseeing all the paid events.
Sierra looked at me like I was half crazy. “God, no. Are you insane? That’s a completely different department, and they have their own staff. We don’t even interact if I’m being honest.”
“Okay. I was starting to wonder if you weren’t fully human,” I said with a laugh before replaying her earlier statement in my head. “You mentioned the staff that works under you. How pissed will they be that they weren’t considered for this position?” I wondered, not wanting to step on any toes or get off on the wrong foot if I was actually hired and accepted the job.
“They might be a little hurt at first, but they’ll understand. They aren’t ready to handle this. And the only person who is, Maribel, doesn’t want it. She isn’t interested in her life revolving around her job, which is why she refused to accept the assistant position, too, when I offered it.”
“I can respect that.” Not everyone was as career-driven as I currently was. Obviously, or else I’d still be married.
“Can you give me a minute?” she asked before picking up her phone and dialing. “Thomas. I have Brooklyn in my office, and I wanted to send her down for an impromptu—” She paused as she looked at me.
She couldn’t possibly want me to interview for the position right this second. I wasn’t prepared. And Thomas O’Grady, of all people. I fought the urge to roll my eyes and stifled the dread that started to build inside my chest.
“Uh-huh. Sounds good. Thanks for fitting her in.”
Sierra slammed down the phone with a smile. “Can you stop by Thomas’s office on your way out and meet him? He just got in and has an opening.”
I pressed my lips together tight as I tried to think of a response on how to get out of this. But, damn, this offer was too good to be true.
Sierra snapped her fingers. “Brooklyn? Do you have time to meet with him right now, or do you need to go?”
“Right now?”
“No time like the present.”
“Why am I meeting with Thomas?”
It was a stupid question. Thankfully, Sierra didn’t call me out on it.
“Um, because he’s the director of finance, and I work pretty closely with him. He’s my direct report.”
“So, he’d be my boss?” I asked, my voice shaking only slightly on the last word.
“He’d be your boss, yes.” She cocked her head to the side, as if studying me or at least trying to figure out what my issue with him was. “Hey, look, if you’re worried about his reputation, let me tell you that Thomas is all bark and no bite. All talk, no walk. People are scared of him, but those people are dumb.”
An uncomfortable laugh bubbled up from my throat. I wasn’t sure I bought Sierra’s version of Thomas in the slightest. Granted, I didn’t know him at all, but he’d seemed pretty scary the other day when I ran into him.
“If you say so.”
“Anything he does or says that comes off as mean is always in the best interest of the resort. He loves this place. We all do.”
That was kind of the best sales pitch I’d ever heard, and she wasn’t even trying. I stood up from the chair and went to shake Sierra’s hand before she scurried from behind her desk and wrapped me in a bear hug.
“I really do think you’d be the perfect fit. Don’t let Thomas’s grumpy exterior scare you off.”
“I think he might hate me,” I admitted.
She pulled away, giving me a confused look. “Why would you think that?”
Taking a step back, I crossed my arms over my chest and shifted my weight. I wasn’t sure if I should be confessing this to Sierra or not, but I considered her a friend, and we were both adults.
“Well, I might have been pretty drunk the other day when I got back here, and I might have sort of, kind of run right into his rock-hard chest and almost gotten whiplash in the process.”
“Oh, Brooklyn,” she said, covering her face with her hands. “He didn’t say anything to me about it.”
“Why would he say something to you about it?” I asked through my mortification.
“Because I brought up your name for the job. He didn’t mention any drunk collisions.” She gave me a shrug. “What else happened?” She was trying to be serious, but she couldn’t stop laughing.
“I honestly don’t remember everything, but I think I might have called him a rock or something?”
Sierra laughed even harder. “A rock? Like, ‘The Rock’?” She made air quotes with her hands, referencing the actor. “Or a rock? What type of rock?”
“I don’t know. Some parts are kind of fuzzy.”
“Except for the running into his body part, huh?” She wagged her eyebrows, and I shook my head, wishing this moment would end.
“What can I say? Drunk Brooklyn’s an idiot.”
“She sounds like a good time.”
“Ugh,” I groaned.
“It’s fine. You’ll be fine. Now, go. Get this job so I can move and start my life without worrying about this place twenty-four/seven because I know she’ll be in good hands.”
“That was really sweet,” I said as I straightened my skirt with my hands and pulled down my blazer.
“I mean it.”
“Well, thank you. Okay,” I said as I finished fixing my outfit. “Wish me luck.”
I had a feeling I was going to need it.