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Eighties synth pop music poured from invisible speakers, and the animation I’d spent the week programming zoomed forward to present the first question.
“Wow, Jake, this is outstanding! I was expecting some white slides with black text, maybe an occasional image. I’ve never seen a slideshow like this.”
A small blossom of gratification unfurled in my chest, but I tried not to look too pleased with myself. “Hey, I told you I’m a PowerPoint Ranger. It’s a skill.”
“It definitely is.” She clicked through several slides, watching the images and text zoom around as the sound cycled through several tracks. “Is it all like this? All hundred questions?”
“You bet. I don’t do anything by half-measures.”
“Well, I have to admit, I’m impressed. This will certainly be the fanciest trivia night we’ve ever had.” She grinned up at me and my chest squeeze.
“Thanks, I’ll make sure and let my CO know that certification translated to the civilian world.”
“CO?”
I cringed; I still hadn’t figured out how to stop using the military lingo. “Sorry, Commanding Officer. And there aren’t actually certificates for this stuff. It’s just a common joke that we get awards for strange things and that the skills don’t translate over to civilian life.”
Mercifully, Ellie laughed. “No, I get it. I’m sure there are lots of skills like that where there’s no civilian equivalent. But I’d say this is a useful skill. I’m glad I asked you to do it. I couldn’t have done anything like this.”
The heat crept up to the tips of my ears, and I knew I was blushing furiously, but I had no control over it. Thankfully, the pub was semi-dark. “Well, thanks. Do you need help setting anything else up?”
We set out a stack of answer sheets and pens on the bar, close to the door. But after that, there was nothing left to set up and twenty long minutes until the event started, leaving me and Ellie essentially alone in the dim pub.
As if sensing my discomfort, Ellie said, “Why don’t we get a drink? We’ll have to camp out down here for the evening anyway, since I have to stay plugged into the system.”
“Well, that’s horribly archaic,” I teased. “You don’t have Wi-Fi in here? One star for this resort, that’s completely unacceptable.”
Ellie chuckled, then flagged down the bartender so we could get a couple of beers. “You know, you’re not far off. People actually do review like that. And we do, actually, have free Wi-Fi in here. It’s just the projector isn’t Wi-Fi enabled—it’s not exactly a priority. I think I’m the only one who uses it, and only for trivia nights. In our conference rooms we have electronic white boards, USB ports, all the modern amenities.”
“I was just teasing. I think this resort is very well-appointed.”
“I know, but the reality is customers can be harsh. That’s part of why I started this whole ‘employee satisfaction’ program. The employees worked hard, and aside from a paycheck, there was little else for them to be excited about. When you add in overly critical and sometimes just downright mean guests, a lot of them would rather quit and find something easier. So I made it my mission to make Aspen Ridge a more fun place to work, and as an unexpected result, it’s actually created a better experience for the guests, too.” Our beers arrived, and she took a long swig.
I sipped my own, my brain mulling over her words for a moment before I spoke. “You know, my only work experience prior to this was the military. It’s not the same as a civilian job at all. You sign a contract, and they basically own you for the length of it. I went where they told me, when they told me, and worked as long as they told me doing whatever they ordered me to do. I couldn’t just quit because I had a lousy day—you literally go to jail for that. So my mindset is different, I guess, when it comes to work.”
Ellie nodded. “That’s reasonable, and I’d say it’s pretty clear in how you approach things. I don’t think you do half-measures.”
Pleased, I smiled and settled further into my chair.
“But that said, it’s not as bad as it sounds. There are programs on every base where they try to provide entertainment and community for everyone stationed there. We had festivals and street fairs and low-cost excursions to local attractions outside of base, too.
“So I guess what I’m saying is, I get what you’re trying to do, and I admire it. It makes a difference; a job can either be a place you go to collect pay, or it can be like a family. The military is like a family no one on the outside can really understand, and I see how you’re making that happen here.” I summed up, suddenly nervous again. I set my beer down and wiped the condensation on my jeans.
Ellie’s answering smile was breathtaking. “Thank you, Jake. That really means a lot. My dad and the VPs have kind of treated it like a pet project that keeps me busy and doesn’t do any harm, so they leave me alone. But he’s always claimed that Aspen Ridge is a family—I think he didn’t realize that we lost that feeling in all the expansion. Suddenly we had more employees than he ever met in person, and the people at the lower tiers weren’t getting the same family experience. I thought this was a good way to improve that.” She reached over and placed a palm on my knee. Heat radiated from the spot, and I went completely still for fear of doing something odd and embarrassing myself. “I’m glad you see it from my perspective.”
“Yeah, of course. I mean, I’ve witnessed how popular these events are first hand.” I grabbed my beer bottle again, trying to cool my sweaty palm. “See?” I gestured to the door, where groups of people were filing in, chatting happily and picking up their answer sheets before choosing a table. “You’re definitely making a difference for them, and they obviously appreciate it.”
Before I even knew what happened, Ellie leaned forward and kissed me. Her scent filled my nose, and I froze completely when her lips pressed lightly to mine. It was over lightning fast, so quickly I could almost convince myself it didn’t happen. But it did, and the surge of heat running through my body remained.
Ellie hopped out of her seat and started greeting people by name, then got to work running the slide show. I stayed by her side, and we chatted lightly through the evening. Ellie accepted compliments on the slides and finally announced the winning team before everyone went home. Neither of us said a word about the kiss.
But the lingering feeling of her mouth, and the taste of her lips, clung to me for the rest of the night. Ellie had kissed me, and I was so surprised I sat completely still. I didn’t even kiss her back. In fact, the night we met, she had kissed me first, too.
And the one time I almost made a move, I backed out. She had to think I was either too timid, or just not interested. Both of which were untrue.
I had to make sure she knew how I felt before we left, or it would congeal into a giant ball of awkward over the weekend and I’d miss my chance entirely. Sweat slicked my palms as I waited for the last few employees to leave. Ellie was wandering among the tables, picking up pens and helping the bartender clear glasses.
Resolved, I rushed over to help and Ellie beamed at me in response. I followed her to the bar with a handful of glasses, and we carried on tidying up.
