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“It wasn’t that bad though,” I feel defensive about Ethan.
Jessica looks at me with mock anger. “Brooke, remind me to kill you for telling the big boss about my ‘know what I mean’ habit.”
“Oh, half the building knows,” says Jake, earning an exaggerated gasp from Jessica. “I have shown them the journal. Marketing is placing bets that you will break your record this month.”
“Privacy is dead,” sighs Jessica. “But I know you meant well Brooke,” she extends her hand to me, “thanks for saying that nice thing about me to the big boss. I love working with you too!”
I squeeze her hand, and frankly I am relieved that there is no confusion between us. She has been a straight shooter, she fought to hire me, and has welcomed me to the team like family.
Jake is obviously curious.
“Did you say anything good about me to the big boss?”
I cannot resist. “I tried Jake, but I couldn’t think of anything.”
Jessica laughs with a vengeance, and we exchange high fives.
“Oh Ha-Ha, go ahead enjoy your little joke, my room’s ready and I got the only available room on the highest floor. I am so above you both.”
Jessica strikes back in her hilarious exaggerated tone. “Oh wow, look everyone he got the highest floor, what an aristocrat!”
I do enjoy how our team gels. We get along in our own clumsy way and it’s fine. My initial anger at Jake for leaving me to sit with Ethan Knight has evaporated. I am surprised at the shift in my feelings. Just now when Jake called Ethan Knight an Iceberg, I felt defensive.
“Jake, do me a favor, don’t call him Iceberg.”
“But you were the one who said it…”
“Yeah, I know but he doesn’t deserve it.”
“Deleted from memory drive,” says Jake in a mock robot voice. “Good night peasants of the lower floors.”
“Good night your highness,” I shout back as he walks with nose in the air to the elevator. I turn to Jessica, “Get it Jessica, high- ness as in higher floor.”
Jessica reacts with late night frankness. Putting her hand on my shoulder, “that’s a bad joke Brooke.”
We both laugh at how bad the joke is. I guess they did not sleep on the plane as I did. I am full of energy, which might not be a good thing considering it is 11:00 AM at night.
Jessica finally gets her keys, and I am the only one from our team sitting in the lobby. Finally, I see the receptionist at the desk look up from her computer. She has a flustered, stunned look as if she has been struck by an invisible force. She is fixing her hair and pulling to straighten her shirt, standing up straighter, her cheeks are blushing. Only one man has that effect on women.
SURRENDER YOUR PHONE
BROOKE
Ethan Knight in a dark blue cotton shirt and light khakis, and canvas tennis shoes glides forward like a model in some Italian fashion show. Unassuming, completely unaware of what his good looks are doing to the three desk workers, he holds an old-fashioned camera in one hand. I immediately recognize it as one of those cameras that print out pictures on small square cards as soon as you take them.
“There you are, Miss Banner. Hope you are settling in.”
“I am, thank you, Mr. Knight, I am just waiting for my room.”
“Oh okay, where’s the team?” He seems to be in a good mood. A mood that reminds me of Hawaii. He has freshly showered; his thick hair is darker and sticking together in a neat wave with just a few strands falling forward and bouncing as he speaks to me.
“How do you like it here?” he smiles. Does this handsome heartthrob become more fun as soon as he leaves the North American mainland?
“This is absolute luxury Mr. Knight, and the location is to die for.”
“Exactly, I love this city,” he says.
I want to talk to him. I don’t want this conversation to end. But I don’t know anything about Lisbon. I do what he hates most. Make small talk.
