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“That’s right.”
Morgan took a bottle of champagne from the cooler. “So that’s Après, the Lodge Bar, the restaurants, room service?”
“The juice bar in the fitness center, the snack bar attached to the lift, grocery runs for stocking the cabins per guest requests.”
“A lot,” Morgan said as she opened the bottle with an elegantly muffled pop.
“I have an excellent team.”
“I’ve only met Nick, but if he’s representative, you do.”
She dumped the ice, eyeballed a tablespoon of the crème de cassis into the flute, tipped the glass to pour the champagne.
“Do you think it adds elements of comfort and challenge, working in a family business?”
“I do.” Intrigued, Nell propped her chin on her fist. “Are you interviewing me?”
“Just making conversation.” She used the knife, sliced the lemon, cut out the pulp and made a perfect spiral twist. Topped off the champagne, added the lemon twist, then set the flute on a cocktail napkin. “Enjoy.”
Nell sipped, set the flute down. “Okay, that’s perfect. I wasn’t going to actually drink it, but I’m going to make an exception. Let’s take that table.”
When Nell walked to a booth by the windows, Nick gave Morgan a grin and a thumbs-up.
“I’m going to get this out of the way,” Nell began when Morgan sat across from her. “I’m sorry about what happened to you, what happened to your friend. I’m very sorry.”
“Thank you.”
“Part two of getting out of the way. I was annoyed when my grandmother set up this interview. Stepping on my toes.”
“Oh.” Shit! “I can’t blame you.”
“Grandmothers.” Now Nell shot out a megawatt smile. “Good thing I adore mine.”
“I’m going to say the same for me and mine.”
“All right, we’ll close those doors for now.” Once again, Nell opened her briefcase. This time she took out a portfolio, opened it. “Your résumé’s impressive. But it doesn’t list your managing the Next Round bar in Maryland.”
“I tended bar there. I managed the offices for Greenwald’s Builders.”
“Your employer at the Next Round told me you often handled scheduling, inventory, ordering, even small repairs and maintenance.”
“As needed.”
“Two words to live by. He also told me that you were the second-best bartender he’s had in the thirty-one years of owning the bar.”
“Big Mac. Number one.”
Nell smiled again. “Exactly. Big Mac beat you out because he could sing like an angel and intimidated any potential troublemaker just by his size. But you were more dependable and flexible—so it’s a close call. He hoped to sell you the business when he retired.”
“He—” That hit hard. “I didn’t know that.”
“Apparently, neither did he, until you relocated. Are you planning to stay in Westridge?”
It shook her, the idea she’d been just that close to having her own. She had to put it aside now, because that was gone. And this was the here and the now.
“I want roots. I’ve transplanted them here. I have nothing to go back to, and my family’s here.”
“You’ve lived a lot of places, being in a military family. Any favorites?”
