One
53 Days UntilChristmas
Rosie Gonzalez rarely left work before six. Or seven, if she was being honest. She didn’t want anyone to think she was doing the bare minimum. But tonight, she wasn’t staying a minute longer than she had to.
At exactly five thirty, she shut down her computer, grabbed her purse, and unpinned her shiny gold name badge from her blazer.As she set it beside her keyboard, she regarded it with a touch of pride:Rosie Gonzalez—Assistant General Manager, The Duchess Hotel.
Seconds later, her phone pinged with a text from the hotel’s front office manager, Charlotte, who was known to her friends as Charlie. Rosie suspected she’d been counting down the minutes until tonight’s happy hour.
Charlie: Time for drinks at Pepe’s! Duchess Damsels assemble!!
Rosie: Yes!! Meet you in the lobby in 5.
She bit back a grin, eager for the salty-sweet tang of Pepe’s irresistible house margaritas. Over the past two years, she and three of the hotel’s managerial staff—the self-proclaimed “Duchess Damsels”—had made a habit of meeting up every other Friday to let off steam.
Another text appeared on her phone:
Charlie: Just to warn you, Drew’s meeting us at Pepe’s.
Rosie’s stomach fluttered with a sudden bout of nerves. She’d been looking forward to sharing drinks with her coworkers all day. But the prospect of seeing Drew Richardson changed everything. Ever since she’d paused her membership to Northlife Fitness last winter, she’d made a point of avoiding him.
Not that it washisfault.
Back when he’d been her personal trainer at the gym, they’d become friends. But she’d screwed up. First, she’d developed a huge crush on him, and then she’d lacked the confidence to tell him how she felt. Just as she’d been on the verge of confessing, he’d gotten involved with one of his coworkers. Which had sucked so much that Rosie had stopped going to the gym and lost touch with him.
Rosie: Drew’s coming? Why???
Charlie: I thought you liked him. You used to talk about him all the time.
Rosie: I did. But that was 8 months ago. Why now?
Charlie: Ask Selena. She’s the one who invited him.
Rosie let out a shaky breath. Why was she getting so worked up about this? In a few minutes, she’d have all the answers she needed.
When her desk phone rang, her shoulders tightened.Please don’t let it be an emergency. Two nights ago, she’d stayed until eight, helping maintenance deal with a plumbing crisis on the third floor. When you worked at the oldest boutique hotel in Victoria, B.C., minor catastrophes like that were commonplace. It didn’t help that the owners hadn’t renovated the rooms in over twenty years.
To her dismay, the name Preston Hargreaves appeared on the caller ID.
Picking up the receiver, she greeted her boss with an enthusiasm she didn’t feel. “Good evening, Mr. Hargreaves. Can I help you with something?”
“Sorry I had to postpone your employee review this morning, but I can finally fit you in. You’re not on your way out yet, are you?”
Seriously?She’d spent all day waiting for that damn review.
“It’ll be quick,” he added. “I have to leave by six for a dinner reservation.”
“I’ll be right there.” She texted Charlie:
Rosie: The boss wants to meet now, but I’ll be done by 6. Can you wait for me?
Charlie: Yikes! I hope he has good news. We’ll meet you at the bar.
Now, Rosie would need to wait even longer to find out why Drew was joining them. Though she was desperate to know more, she couldn’t afford to lose focus. She silenced her phone and stashed it in the pocket of her blazer.
Seeing that Preston’s office door was open, she poked her head in. “May I come in?”
“Of course. I was just finishing up with your file. Give me a second.”
