Chapter 28 Hurdled Over It
HURDLED OVER IT
“Sorry it’s taken a few days to meet,” Hunter said later that afternoon. “Things have been a little nuts.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Natalie said. “I knew you were off the island until this morning.”
Hunter was in Boston for the holiday, staying at his parents’ house with the kids and his sister Hailey’s family.
She’d also known Hunter took an active part in other Bond business ventures that would come to him at some point. For all she knew, he had some of his own.
Those were things she never talked about. It wasn’t her business nor anything she’d be part of. “We might have a little problem. I’m trying to get to the bottom of it but so far coming up empty.”
She didn’t want to bring this to his attention until she had answers, but after a day of getting nowhere she had no choice.
“What’s going on?”
“I don’t want you to think I’m making a bigger deal of this because of who it involves.”
Which weighed on her mind.
Along with Grace, Hunter was aware she was dating Arik. But no one else knew. At least she didn’t think so.
She wasn’t so sure she was ready to make it that public with those who worked for her.
If he weren’t a guest, she wouldn’t care. But being a guest bordered on inappropriate in her eyes, even though no rules were being broken.
Nothing more than her personal lines she’d crossed to even get involved with a guest.
She not only crossed it, but hurdled over it and kept going back for more. And she’d do it again in a heartbeat.
“Something with Arik?” Hunter asked, his grin more humorous than annoyed. She hoped it stayed that way but didn’t think it’d happen.
“On Saturday his mother showed up at The Retreat without his knowledge. She’s a divorce attorney. My money is on the fact she’s got people on her payroll to find out facts others want hidden.”
“She found him here?” Hunter asked, his smile gone along with his humor.
“It wasn’t a hard stretch, considering they knew we were dating. Erin knew my name, found where I worked, made a guess on where Arik was staying.”
“Plausible,” Hunter said.
“I’m not as worked up over that as much as she knocked on his door. Somehow she got his room number.”
“Not good,” Hunter said. “We pride ourselves on the privacy of our guests.”
“I’m fully aware and was just as upset as you are. I’ve questioned the front end staff concerning a leak and they are all denying it.”
“Do you believe them?”
“I do,” she said. “Most have worked here for years. The two newer staff have been off. I don’t see how it could have been them.”
“Are you sure Arik hadn’t told her?”
“No. He didn’t even tell her he was on Amore Island. She found that out through his father. The same with my name.”
She wasn’t so sure why Erin thought Arik would be at her place of business. It was only luck that had them running into each other.
One of those fate things on the island.
Another thing that made her wonder if she was falling for that lore rather than what was really in her heart.
No. She wouldn’t let the doubts creep in.
She knew what she felt.
She knew what they had.
It was real.
“It’s possible she could have seen him here,” Hunter said. “In the lobby and followed him?”
“Slim but plausible,” she said. “My other thought is, he gets a lot of room service.”
Erin would know that about her son. Anyone in the kitchen could have taken the order. He’d give his room number, but his name would still show up.
“Did you talk to Grace?”
“Not yet. She was off yesterday and I haven’t got into the kitchen yet. I don’t want to dump this on her.”
“You’re not. Everyone needs to be questioned. I’m not positive we’re going to find the person, but a notice will go out to all staff. Sometimes fear gets tongues wagging.”
It wasn’t like her to operate that way. But it was Hunter’s call.
“I’ll leave that to you. I’m concerned, as I always am, of anything that might reflect poorly on a guest’s stay or future guests.”
“We get a lot of celebrities here, not to mention extremely wealthy clients and events. Staff sign confidentiality paperwork. If someone, anyone, breaks that, it’s immediate termination.”
“Agreed. But we’ll need proof and no one is talking.”
“We can comp Arik back some of his stay for his trouble,” Hunter said.
“No. He wouldn’t want that. He thinks I’m making a bigger deal out of it. If I didn’t work here, he wouldn’t have said a word.”
“I’ll let you use your discretion on that.”
“Thank you. I’ll reach out to Grace before I leave and we’ll meet and keep you posted.”
“Thanks.” She stood to leave. “And, Natalie. Don’t get twisted when people find out you’re dating Arik. It’s going to happen.”
“I know. I hope it’s after he leaves. He’s looking for a house to rent.”
Hunter smirked. “Good for you.”
“Yeah, good for me.”
She left Hunter’s office and went to the third floor to see if Arik was around. Though he didn’t seem to mind all that much about his mother finding his room number, she did, and she’d keep him informed of what she was doing to make it right.
After the third knock, she was turning away when the door opened.
Her boyfriend stood there with glasses on his face that she hadn’t known he wore, his hair a disheveled mess of spikes in all directions, and an impatient glare right at her.
“Whoa. What happened to you?”
“Sorry,” he said. He lifted his glasses up and a flip switched in his features.
His facial muscles relaxed, his eyes were bright and clear, not annoyed and frustrated, and his hand came out to reach for hers, yanking her into the room so hard she slammed into his chest.
“You’re going to hurt us both doing that,” she said, catching herself from tripping on her feet. It reminded her of the drunken wedding adventure over a week ago coming out of the elevator in her much higher heels.
“Nah,” he said, his mouth landing on hers. “I’ve got you.”
“You do.” She returned his kiss, her arms sliding around his neck, him pulling her hips closer, his hands staying on her waist.
She shouldn’t be standing here kissing her boyfriend. Getting worked up. Wanting to strip him naked.
She was a good girl. Good girls didn’t do these things at work!
“What brings you by my room?” he asked.
She moved back a few feet and looked around. His laptop was open, and there were two empty water bottles next to a candy bar wrapper and a bag of chips.
The galley kitchen had dishes in the sink, the counters some residue she hadn’t noticed before. There were sneakers not matched up and kind of littering the living area with a few sweatshirts over chairs.
“Everything okay?”
He followed her eyes to the table he’d been at. “I’m working. I get lost in things.”
“You eat like that while you work? Do you leave DNA all over your keyboard too?”
She walked over and glanced at the black keys and saw some smudges of grease.
That was gross.
“It happens. I can’t get this puzzle app out of my head. I was making progress.”
“That’s great,” she said. “I’m happy for you.”
“It’s been a good day. I found a place and signed a six-month lease.”
“That was fast. I didn’t think you’d find something that quickly.”
“It’s not available until May first. I’ll talk to someone at the desk and see if I can extend my stay another two weeks here. If not, I’ll find another hotel, but thought I’ve got an in with someone here and hoped you’d pull some strings.”
The heat hit her belly, traveling up her chest. He was moving fast. Maybe faster than anticipated.
Or expected.
She wanted it. She just didn’t think it’d happen like this.
He was true to his word. Something she valued.
“I’m sure we can find you a room or even keep you here in this one. I can take care of that for you.”
The urge to offer her apartment was riding on the tip of her tongue screaming for an escape.
It was best not to test those waters just yet.
Her tiny place wouldn’t give him room to work and if he spent his time like this, she didn’t want to come home to the clutter either.
“I knew you’d come through for me. Were you looking for a quickie on a break?” he asked, his eyebrows wiggling some, his hand reaching for hers again.
She pulled it back before he could tempt her more.
She would not fall for his charm right now. Not on the clock.
Maybe later though.
“No quickie. I had a meeting with Hunter. I had to inform him that your mother had found out where you were and your room number without your knowledge. We take that very seriously.”
“It’s not a big deal,” he said.
“It is to our business. Did she indicate how she came about that information?”
“No. She’d never give it up. Finding where I’m staying was easy. She’s got private investigators on staff. She took a guess once she got your name.”
That was what she hoped.
“But she found out your room. My staff insist it wasn’t them. I questioned everyone that was on duty a few days before and the day she arrived. I believe them.”
Which didn’t mean someone wasn’t lying, but she didn’t think any of her staff would risk their jobs. It’s not like Arik was some celebrity. To them he was another guest who had some money. They saw that daily.
“I’m not sure what to tell you. My mother could have seen and followed me. Had me followed too. Though I’m not sure she would have gone to those lengths. Not for an Easter dinner or to meet you so early.”
Just the thought any parent would do that had the helicopter mom signs lighting up.
Though Arik made it sound as if he wasn’t close with either of his parents.
She sure didn’t witness it.
But he gave Erin the time when she showed up even as annoyed as he’d been.
He had more patience with his mother than his father.
They obviously had a closer relationship, but nothing like she had with her parents.
“The other thought that crossed my mind was someone from the kitchen. I’ll meet with Grace and go from there.”
“Don’t stress yourself out over it. I don’t care.”
“We care. Hunter wants to comp you some of your stay for the inconvenience.”
“Natalie, I’m going to get pissed in a second. You’ll ruin my good mood.” He put his hand up when she went to speak. “I get it. It’s your job. You take extreme pride in it. It’s admirable and I did the same when I worked for someone else. It’s what burned me out and got me sick.”
“Sick?”
“That doesn’t matter.”
But it did in her mind because it was the first she’d heard of it.
“What matters is that someone broke a rule and there are consequences for that.”
“Don’t get me involved. My mother pulls shit like that all the time. It’s not as if I were in hiding. If I were, she wouldn’t find me.”
“Well, we know you couldn’t hide here,” she said drily. It pained her to say that.
“You’re not comping me anything. End of story. Go put your sleuthing hat on and focus on that.”
She laughed. “I’m going to. While you play with making puzzles.”
“That’s right. We each have something we excel at. I would like you to come back when you’re out of work. Maybe we can both relax some after a frustrating day. Looks to me like you’re going to need it.”
“I’m not the one that looks as if a cyclone styled my hair,” she said, laughing. “You should check in the mirror.”
“You’re going to look like that when I’m done with you later.”
He yanked her to his chest again, his mouth covering hers, the tension leaving her body as she melted against him and clung on for support.
Yeah, she was in trouble.