I shook my head. “You don’t need to apologize. I get it.”
He snatched his coat off the back of a couch and slipped it on. “I better go see if she’s alright and tell her we were just talking.”
“Of course.”
He looked like he wanted to say more but spun back toward the door.
I let my shoulders sag, a little disappointed our conversation was over. It had been nice talking to him.
At the last moment before the door closed, Giles poked his head back through.
“Thanks for giving me another chance, by the way.” He gave me a sheepish smile.
“Thanks for finally speaking more than five words to me.”
He winked at me. “You were right, you know? You are nice.”
With that, he let the door close behind him.
ChapterFourteen
“Next Tuesday?Are you sure you can’t get anyone in here sooner than that?”
“Sorry, it’s right before the holidays. A lot of people are either sick or taking time off. Or pretending to be sick so they can have time off.”
The owner of the housekeeping company was sending me into yet another circle. When I first got here, Bev had told me they had been using this company for years. Unfortunately, loyalty only ran so deep. A cleaner had only bothered to show up to work a handful of the days since I’d been here.
“You realize I’m going to have to clean these rooms myself, right?”
“Do what you gotta do.”
I took a deep breath in to keep from snapping at this man. Apparently, being a long-time customer gave you no type of advantage when dealing with someone like this.
After a few more minutes of back and forth, I got him to agree to at leasttryto send someone out here tomorrow. Hanging up the phone, I tied my golden hair back. I guess it was on me to ensure today’s arrivals had clean sheets.
Leaving a note at the front desk to call my cell if anything was needed, I abandoned my station to get some rooms turned over. I entered the first suite downstairs and stripped the bed.
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
Frankie: Have you frozen to death yet?
Mattie: This is the mortuary. Mattie died days ago, but no one bothered to call and claim the body.
Frankie: Ha ha. I’ve been busy! So tell me everything. How is it?
Mattie: It’s beautiful here. My apartment is so cozy, and most of the people are nice.
Frankie: Omg, I just fell asleep reading that. That’s it!? I thought you went there for a fresh start and an adventure.
Mattie: I am having an adventure!
Frankie: How’s the hot snowboarder you were telling me about?
I thought about this before responding. My answer before the bonfire would have been entirely different than the answer I wanted to give now. Ever since our conversation in the kitchen, Giles had occupied my thoughts more than I cared to admit.
When I came into work the day after, I was on edge the whole time, just waiting for him to make an appearance. But he didn’t show. In fact, the bonfire was three days ago, and he hadn’t shown his face at the lodge since.
Mattie: Ugh idk. We talked for like an hour the other day, and I thought maybe we were going to be friends, but now it seems like he’s avoiding me.
