Selena rolled her eyes. “It’s fine. We’re not getting much done. Knox seems more…distracted than usual.”
“Just leave the inventory sheet for me,” he said. “I’ll see if there are any suppliers we want to cross off the list, and I’ll get back to you.”
“Check to see if we need to increase our orders, too.” She handed him the clipboard. “Now that we’re busy, we can’t afford to run short of anything.”
“Will do.” Normally, he was on top of this shit, and he liked working with Selena, who managed the hotel’s beverage inventory. She had a knack for seeking out local breweries, wineries, and cider orchards to ensure the Lily provided visitors with an authentic taste of Vancouver Island.
“All right, I’ll let you lovebirds flirt for a few minutes before Knox gets stuck dealing with all those thirsty insurance guys.” Selena glanced around the lounge. “Where’s Miles? You’re going to need backup tonight.”
“He’ll be here in a bit. He’s had some scheduling issues.” Over the past few weeks, Knox had tried to rein in his frustration with Miles. While the guy was a decent bartender, he’d recently been struggling to balance his duties at the Lily with a temp job at an office downtown.
“Let me know if that gets to be a problem,” Selena said. “You shouldn’t be stuck making dozens of pumpkin spice monstrosities on your own.”
“You don’t like pumpkin spice?” Charlie placed her hand over her heart. “It’s the official flavor of fall.”
“It’s basic as hell.” Selena turned to leave but stopped short as Alejandro, the assistant manager of the Grand Duke, walked into the Gilded Lily. “What’s that slimeball doing here?”
Alejandro sauntered up to the bar. While the guy was way too smug for his own good, Knox couldn’t deny that he was a smooth fucker. Clad in a charcoal gray suit with a silvery blue tie, his dark, wavy hair in a perfect flow, he looked more polished and professional than anyone who worked at the Duchess.
“Good afternoon, ghostbusters,” he said. “Who ya gonna call?”
“Jealous, are you?” Selena demanded.
“Of what—your so-called ‘haunted’ hotel?”
Knox bristled with annoyance. “Itishaunted. We’ve got substantial proof.”
“Just because a place is old and run-down doesn’t mean it’s haunted.” Alejandro picked up a laminated card from the bar and grimaced. “A pumpkin spice white Russian? How nauseating.”
“First of all, don’t insult Knox’s drinks,” Charlie snapped. “Second, I’ll have you know our hotel was the site of a tragic incident in 1924. Three people died in room 309, which was later turned into a storage room. A room that shows all the signs of being haunted. Over the years, a lot of our staff have been locked in there, presumably by a vengeful ghost.”
Alejandro’s smug look vanished. “I don’t believe you. If a scandal like that had ever happened, everyone would know about it.”
“The hotel covered it up,” Charlie said. “It wasn’t in the papers, but we found proof in the provincial archives. Plus, I discovered written accounts from staff members who had unsettling experiences in that room.”
“But no one’s seen a ghost, have they?” he asked. “At the Grand Duke, guests have supposedly witnessed apparitions floating through the hallways.”
“And yet you turned down the opportunity to host the show?” Selena crossed her arms. “Bad move on your part. LandingCanada’s Most Hauntedhas been great for business.”
Upon seeing the sour look that passed over Alejandro’s features, Knox swelled with pride. “We’ve got a full house for the entire week of Halloween.”
“Must be a nice change of pace,” Alejandro said. “But we’ve never had a problem attracting guests. And we don’t need a fake ghost to do it.”
Selena chuffed out a furious breath. “Why are you here? I can’t imagine you came for a drink.”
Alejandro turned to Knox. “I’m here for you, barkeep. I wanted to offer you a proposition.”
If it was a job at the Grand Duke, Knox wasn’t interested. No way was he leaving the Duchess, not after he and Charlie were finally connecting. Even so, he was curious. “What is it?”
“We have a huge gala taking place on October twenty-fourth—the Saturday before Halloween.” Alejandro gave Selena a condescending smile. “Remember, querida? I told you about it when we ran into each other at Pepe’s. Though maybe it slipped your mind, given that you were slightly inebriated?”
“I remember,” she grumbled. “You’re hosting a party for that fantasy show.”
Fantasy show? Knox’s shoulders tightened. “Do you meanThe Hidden Forest?”
Alejandro nodded. “That’s the one. The CEO of Royal Host—our management company—is good friends with an exec from the show. They go way back. Because of that, we’re hosting a gala celebrating their one hundredth episode. But our event manager dropped the ball. Too many of our regulars already requested off that night because it’s so close to Halloween. So, we need an extra bartender with plenty of experience. Despite the fact you work in this dump, I’ve heard good things about you.”
Knox’s throat lurched with a hard swallow. If Alejandro had asked him a month ago, his answer would have been “no way in hell.” But ever since his conversation with Charlie three days ago, he’d been thinking about everyone on the show that he’d left behind. Remembering the good times as well as the bad. Could he risk attending such a high-profile event? He had no idea what Evan’s reaction would be. Would he want to mend fences, or would he have Knox kicked out on sight?
