Chapter 5 #3
Freddie’s hovering impatiently beside Kieran’s desk. There are two in the room, but his is the one covered in clutter. I’m not sure if he’s naturally the kind of person who has a messy workspace or if this is a reflection of how busy he’s been lately.
“Top drawer,” Freddie prods when I don’t move fast enough to suit him.
“Thanks.” I slide the drawer open and find an assortment of pens, a box of paperclips, some Post-it Notes, and a set of keys on a blue lanyard.
Attached to the lanyard is a silver rectangular name tag with my name engraved in black.
Kieran must have raced right out to the key place or wherever to have that made up so quick.
“Got them,” I declare, closing the drawer again and slipping the lanyard over my head.
The weight of the keys settles against my chest, and I love it. Belonging, here I am.
I sneak back out of the office, waving to Skye when he smiles at me, then use my very own fob to let myself back into the guest-only part of the house.
Freddie follows, chattering about how he’s always liked the elegance of the silver name badges, but they just don’t have the same class and distinction that a matte gold would, don’t I agree?
“I never thought about it,” I tell him. “Different types of name tags aren’t high on my priority list.”
“Sorry?” a female voice asks, and I whirl to see a woman standing in the doorway of the library.
Uh-oh.
“Apologies,” I say as cheerfully as I can manage. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”
“Oh, no, you didn’t… I thought I heard voices…” Her gaze darts around as though trying to see who I was talking to.
“And came out to listen? How terribly rude.” Freddie sniffs.
When better to try out my new life? “That was me,” I tell her. “Just chatting with one of our ghosts. I’m Josh, and I work here.” It gives me a little thrill every time I say that.
“Oh! Well…” She laughs uncertainly. “I guess we were told this place was haunted. Is... is the ghost still here?”
Freddie puffs himself up.
“Nope!” I declare, hoping he’ll take his cue from me. His chest deflates. “He got bored when we started talking. But I’m sure you’ll see at least one ghost during your stay. Have a great day!” I give a little wave and keep walking in the direction of the staff-only area.
“Lying is a contemptible habit, Josh,” Freddie lectures me. “Why didn’t you tell that woman the truth?”
I wait until I’m through the door to answer.
Can’t have her overhearing again and realizing I bold-faced lied to her.
“The thing is, Freddie, even people who like the idea of ghosts get a bit unsettled when said ghosts just pop out of thin air. It makes them wonder if they’re being watched all the time. ”
Freddie takes a moment to consider this while we duck back into the mudroom, and I load myself up with my bags.
“But they often are being watched all the time,” he points out.
“Yes, but they don’t want to know that. They prefer to think of ghosts as beings they might encounter and not realize aren’t living until after the fact.”
“Ahhhh.” He nods. “Is that why gentlemen are perfectly happy to flirt with that jezebel, Maisie, and invite her back to their rooms, but then curse up a storm when they discover she’s a ghost?”
Note to self: be prepared for male guests to call me swearing in the middle of the night.
“Something like that. If they don’t realize at first that she’s a ghost, to have her seemingly disappear when, uh… at a key moment is quite confronting.”
Tapping his finger to his lips, he says, “You’ve given me much to consider. I’ll take my leave of you now, if you know where you need to go next?”
“By all means,” I assure him. “Thank you for your help.”
With a polite nod, he strides back toward the main hall, walking right through the door. I’ve seen it happen a million times, and it still makes me blink.
Okay… next stop, food. I poke my head into the kitchen, where Arissa greets me warmly.
“Kieran said I could grab lunch here today, if that’s okay?” I ask.
“Absolutely. What do you want? We’ve got salads and sandwiches, or the hot option is dumplings.”
“A sandwich would be perfect. Is takeout possible? I don’t want to get under your feet here, and I want to start getting my stuff settled.”
Two minutes later, I’ve got a wrapped turkey sandwich, chips, and a cookie tucked in my laptop bag and am heading for the elevator. I make a mental note to do something nice for the kitchen staff. I definitely want to stay on their good side.
I let myself into my apartment with a sigh of relief, to find that someone’s opened the windows and a fresh breeze is wafting in. A huge smile overtakes my face. I can’t believe I get to live here.
My attention is caught by a bunch of stuff on the island, and I divest myself of my bags and go to check it out. There’s a small basket of whole fruit, a loaf of bread, and a jar of peanut butter, along with a card.
Welcome aboard, Josh! Here’s your starter pack. Bottomless coffee and tea downstairs for all staff. We’re so glad you’ve joined us.
Your new workmates
I think this smile might be permanently etched into my cheeks.