Chapter 8 The Offer
The Offer
Ava kicked her feet up on the porch railing and relaxed into the cushioned chair with her third coffee of the day. Sleep continued to escape her the previous night, leaving her with a headache and a determination to stay busy.
That’s how she ended up finishing all the downstairs closets. She’d removed everything, organized them into keep, donate, and trash piles, then cleaned each closet from top to bottom. A lingering mist of lemon cleaning spray filled the downstairs.
Normally, the sense of accomplishment would drive her to keep going, but the tense muscles in her back forced her to take a break. At least for a bit.
She sipped her coffee and soaked in the quiet afternoon.
Loons cooed from the pond at the edge of the property, their calls echoing through the trees.
Wind sent ripples across the surface of the glittering water.
Leaves and pine needles covered the unused canoe by the dock.
She made a mental note to check on its condition.
The canoe might be in the rare category of items that would be worth selling.
And then her intrusive thoughts struck, ruining her peace.
Thoughts of Owen and the redheaded woman he’d led behind the counter in the café.
It bothered her how easily he invited her into his space.
Then it bothered her that she was bothered by it.
What Owen did with other women was none of her concern.
Time for another distraction.
She pulled out her phone and shifted into work mode. The double-digit number next to her email app begged for attention. She scanned her inbox, her finger pausing at an unread email from Alec.
Was he switching to email now to reach her?
Her first instinct was to delete the email without opening, but the subject line piqued her interest. Against her better judgment, she opened it.
Subject: Board Member Connection
Ava,
I’ve tried reaching you on your cell, but my messages don’t seem to make it to you. The reception must be poor at your father’s property.
I heard you’re being considered for a position on the Grand Bohemian Board of Directors. This is a fantastic next step for you. As you may remember, I have connections to existing board members. I’d be happy to arrange a meeting.
Think it over. No strings attached. I only have your best interests in mind.
Warm regards,
Alec Dolton
Chief Financial Officer
Aurum Hospitality Group
She didn’t know what to think of his offer.
Despite what his email said about no strings attached, she suspected he’d use the opportunity to convince her to get back together.
But accepting his help would increase her chances of securing the board member spot.
Conflicted, Ava texted her best friend in the city.
Ava: Got a weird email from Alec. Can you talk?
Morgan: Say less.
Morgan: Going to the break room.
Morgan worked in the marketing department at the Grand Bohemian.
A former concierge who preferred memes to customer service, she switched over to marketing where she thrived.
In a few short years, she was managing the social media department and was Ava’s right-hand woman for planning on-site events.
Her phone screen lit up with Morgan’s incoming call.
“Hello.”
“Alright, what’s happening with Clark Kent?”
Ava rolled her eyes. Alec’s dark hair and blue eyes, combined with square-rimmed glasses, were reminiscent of Superman’s alter ego. Morgan was a big fan of Alec, and more importantly, his money. She thought Ava was crazy for breaking up with him.
“He’s been texting me non-stop since I left town. Even sent me a picture of his morning wood the other day as if that would do him any favors.”
Morgan sucked in a breath through the phone. “Oof. That’s not the move, but it’s sweet he misses you.”
Ava scoffed. “I don’t care if he misses me. I don’t miss him. But that’s beside the point. He sent me an email this morning, offering to set up a meeting with his connections on the board.”
“Okay,” Morgan drew out the word. “So, what’s the problem?”
Ava was reconsidering her decision to call Morgan for advice.
“Don’t you think he’ll read too much into it if I accept his offer? He said ‘no strings attached’, but there are always strings.”
“Ava, babe. Do you hear yourself right now? Your hot, rich as fuck ex wants to help you out, and is pining for you, clearly wanting to get back together. This sounds like a win-win to me. You two were already a power couple before, but if you secured this board position? You’d be unstoppable. Take the meeting.”
She wanted the position. Despite practically running the place as Hotel Manager, she still couldn't make actual decisions. They followed the direction and vision of the board, which didn’t always align with the opportunities she saw in her day-to-day dealings.
She knew what their customers wanted, and it wasn’t always what the board insisted on.
This was her shot to influence the future of the hotel, and probably the closest she’d get to owning a business of her own.
Her dream of opening a bed-and-breakfast had gone up in smoke alongside her relationship with Owen, but it lingered in her subconscious. And if this was the closest she’d get to making it a reality, she would take the opportunity.
So maybe taking the meeting wouldn’t be so bad, after all. She could hold her own against Alec’s persuasions to get back together.
“Maybe you’re right. About the meeting, not dating Alec again.”
“I am right. About both. But one thing at a time. And —” Morgan cut herself off. Voices drifted through the speaker, talking to Morgan. She heard snatches of the muffled conversation, including her name.
“Can you switch to video? Some of the crew are in the break room with me, and they want to say hi.”
Ava lowered her feet from the railing and ran a hand over her hair to smooth it down. “Sure. One sec.”
She held the phone in front of her and switched to video. Her screen illuminated with Morgan’s smiling face and bouncing black curls, surrounded by several of her employees and colleagues. They broke into a chorus of greetings.
Ava laughed at their enthusiastic hellos. A fear of missing out washed over her, wondering how everything was running in her absence.
“We miss you, Ava,” one concierge, Michael, called out.
“Did you get the flowers we sent?” the housekeeping manager, Sandra, asked.
Ava recalled the beautiful bouquet of white lilies that had arrived at her apartment shortly after the news broke about her dad, before she left for Cedar Falls.
She didn’t have the heart to tell them she’d re-gifted the flowers to her older neighbor, unable to stand the blooms so full of life amid her denial of her dad’s passing.
“I did, Sandra. Thank you everyone, they were beautiful. I appreciated the condolences,” Ava said instead.
“When are you getting back? Jacqueline’s been on our asses since you’ve been gone,” her assistant manager, Chris, griped.
The rest of them nodded, agreeing with him.
“It can’t be that bad,” Ava said.
Morgan bit her bottom lip and widened her eyes, confirming their claims, while the rest stayed silent.
Ava gave them a placating smile. “I’ll talk to her. We’re meeting next week to go over some stuff. Just hang in there. I’ll be back in August. Sooner, if I can,” she said.
One of them, she couldn’t tell who, groaned at her answer.
“August can’t come soon enough,” Morgan said. She turned over her shoulder and made a shooing motion with her free hand. The gold bangles shining against her warm brown skin tinkled from the movement. “Alright, you all said your hellos. Let me talk to my best friend.”
They grumbled but wandered off, saying their goodbyes.
Ava’s chest warmed at their reluctance to leave the video call, knowing they missed her.
Staying busy at the cabin helped keep her mind off everything, but nothing beat the fast-paced environment of the hotel where she thrived. That’s where she fit.
“Now back to Clark Kent—”
“We’re done talking about Alec. It’s not happening. But I will consider the meeting. Now tell me, is Jacqueline really that bad?”
Morgan sighed. “She’s just being Jacqueline, but we’re used to you being around as her buffer. I think she’s just overwhelmed with the extra responsibility.”
Ava nodded, her mind jumping into problem-solving mode.
“I’m meeting with her next week. She’s helping me prepare for my board presentation.
In the meantime, I’ll give Chris some pointers on how to ‘manage up’ and handle Jacqueline, so it’s not so bad.
If everything goes according to plan, he’ll be promoted to my job anyway, so he needs to learn how to do it. ”
“We really miss you around here,” Morgan said. “How’re you handling things with your dad?”
Ava took a moment to think about it instead of giving a placating answer. How was she handling things? By ignoring them. Distracting myself. Obsessing over Owen and the parade of women in his life—
Ava cut off that train of thought.
“I’m being pulled in a lot of different directions, and the only way I’m staying sane is by staying busy,” Ava admitted.
Morgan’s eyebrows slanted down over her green eyes. “Don’t forget, you need to take care of yourself, too. You can only outrun your emotions for so long before they catch up to you. I’m worried about what will happen when they do.”
Ava deflected. “I’ll be fine.”
Morgan started to respond, but the crunch of gravel saved Ava. Someone was approaching the cabin.
“I need to go. Summer’s pulling up to the cabin now,” Ava said.
Morgan rolled her eyes, showing her dissatisfaction. “Ugh. Summer.”
“Be nice,” Ava admonished.
“She’s just so much. And honestly, isn’t it weird to still be friends with your ex’s sister?”
Ava heard a car door opening.
“She’s my friend, regardless of her brother. Plus, she’s the only one helping me with the cabin. So really, she’s helping me get out of here faster, so I can get back to all of you. Suck it up, buttercup.”
“Fiiiine,” Morgan sighed. “I’ll talk to you later. Tell Summer I said hi.”
Morgan ended the video call before Ava could respond. She sighed and got up from the chair, throwing her now lukewarm coffee over the porch railing.
Break time was over. Back to her current reality.