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“Thank you, that sounds lovely.” He points to the door and I’m grateful he doesn’t walk me inside his bedroom. It smells like him the second I move inside. The bed is made and there isn’t an item out of place, but it still feels way too intimate to be standing in the place he’s temporarily calling home.
I might drool a little as I move into the bathroom where a huge tub is calling my name. There’s a large shower as well, and as much as I want to use the tub, there isn’t time, and that’s a bit too much to do in my boss’s bathroom. I have to remember he’s hired me for the week. I also have to remember I don’t like the man.
I shake off the feeling that he’s so much more than I thought he was. If I feel this way after only a day and a half, I can’t imagine how I’m going to feel by the end of the week. Since there’s nothing I can do about that, I decide not to dwell on it.
I strip away my soggy clothes, wringing them out and leaving them on a towel on the counter, then turn the shower on and blissfully sigh as hot water streams over my shaking body. There’s a knock on the bathroom door that freezes me where I stand.
“There are clean, dry clothes on the bed,” Callan calls, then I hear the door click as he exits the bedroom. I feel a slight disappointment he didn’t walk into the bathroom and join me. What’s wrong with me? Of course he isn’t going to walk inside. And I don’t want him to. Really. I don’t.
I take my time in the shower, quite impressed with the hotel’s selection of soaps. The one I choose smells great, not that I’m too picky with what soap I use at home. I don’t buy the cheapest on the shelves, but I certainly don’t spend ten dollars on body wash either. There are much better ways to spend money.
I’m warm after about ten minutes so I turn off the shower, quickly dry off, wrap myself in the towel, then crack the bathroom door open and peek into the bedroom. It’s empty. I step into it to find sweats, a tee, and sweatshirt, all with the golf course logo on them. He must’ve run down and grabbed them for me from the gift shop. It’s such a thoughtful thing to do I don’t know what to think about it. There’s no bra, but I’m sure that’s not something on the shelves of the shop. I move back into the bathroom, rinse out my bra and undies, then dry them with the hairdryer. I’m taking far too long, but I need undergarments.
After dressing and partially drying my hair, I find Callan sitting in one of the oversized chairs in the living room, facing the fireplace that now has a beautiful fire blazing inside of it. I quickly take the other chair, loving the heat emanating from it.
“This room is great,” I tell him. “And that shower was heavenly. I wish I had one that big at home. I’d shower three times a day.”
“I’m pleased with the accommodations,” he tells me. I can’t imagine the life this man lives, that this is nothing to him. I don’t comment.
“I ordered food. I’m starving,” he tells me.
My stomach rumbles at the thought of food. “I guess we worked up an appetite playing golf. Who would think such an leisurely game could make someone so hungry?”
We chat for a few minutes before there’s a knock on the door. A man shows up with a cart of food that sends delicious aromas into the air. Callan tips him, tells him he’ll take care of it, and sends the man away. I stay where I am in front of the fireplace. I don’t want to know who’s working room service. The gossip is growing worse and worse by the second. I can feel it now.
Callan uncovers the plates and I chuckle. There’s enough food for four people. The sad thing is we’ll probably finish it all, and I have zero remorse about it. I grab a plate loaded with chicken strips and French fries, then pile some onion rings on it and take some dipping sauce. We move to the table, and I instantly miss the heat of the fireplace.
“Why don’t you fill me in on more antics from this town while we eat?” Callan suggests.
“There are so many tales I don’t know where to begin.” I eat a chicken strip as I think of a good story, then smile.
“Well, a few years ago, the high school seniors decided on a fun prank. They got about a hundred chickens and snuck into the school and released them. When the principal came in that morning, there was a mess everywhere. He was calling for heads as the kids all came to school to find chickens and feathers, among lots of messes, up and down every hallway. The only saving grace is all of the classroom doors were shut so they weren’t disasters too.”
“Did heads roll?”
“No one fessed up to it, and no one told on the kids who did it, but it took all day to catch all of the chickens, and took the kids another full day to clean the school. The principal made the entire student population clean since no one would rat out the suspects. They all said it was gross but totally worth it.”
“What happened to the chickens?”
“They had a happy ending. They were taken to a local farm where they all laid many, many eggs for the community for years to come.”
“Where did they find a hundred chickens?”
I laugh. “Rumor is one of the kids with a farm was in charge of the chickens. They planned this for a while and all pitched in to buy chicks. There was an old barn on the property the parents never went to. Somehow they pulled it off and managed to keep all of those chicks fed. I’m sure if vehicles had been searched they would’ve found all sorts of evidence of who transported the squawking things. It was the talk of the town for quite some time.”
“That’s certainly a prank that will go down in history,” Callan says.
“Well, the gossip mill had a blast with it.” I lean forward. “But they also look for any excuse to pass along juicy stuff. I was really surprised they didn’t spill on the kids. But they were quite pleased the kids got away with it. Nothing happens in this town without the senior squad knowing about it. The principal even went and talked to them, but they wouldn’t budge.”
Callan laughs again. “I bet your Aunt Eileen heads up that group.”
I grin. “You know she does.”
“This is quite the lively place.”
“It’s perfect here. Sure, it can be boring sometimes, but I’d rather have boredom than fear. I took a trip to LA once and was walking down the street at night and ended up being followed. I barely got back to my hotel. The guy started chasing me. I can’t imagine always living in fear. If someone here is chasing me, it’s to play some sort of prank like a water fight, not to stab me or worse.” A shudder passes through me.
“I don’t understand the criminal mind,” he says. “It’s something I’ve never been able to comprehend. What makes a person decide it’s okay to harm others? We’re all born these perfect little babies, and so many criminals were raised in good homes, so they can’t blame their viciousness on their childhood. I don’t know what disconnect is in their brains that they want to act in evil ways.”
