I headed to the restroom and used it before rounding the corner to the front desk. The were a few guests standing there, so I waited for my turn. By the time I stepped up to the front desk, more people had gathered behind me in line, so I decided to make it quick. Another guest stood at the counter beside me, completing a form, so although I wanted to ask the woman, wasn’t she the girl I met at the strip club, I refrained, so as to avoid embarrassing either of us.
“Good morning, Mr. Fuller, and thank you for visiting Grace Gardens B&B. You look extremely relaxed and happier than when you arrived.”
“Thanks, I am.”
“How may I help you today?”
“I wanted some information on your horseback riding program. My girlfriend and I wanted to take a ride this afternoon.”
“That’s the perfect afternoon date for you and your girlfriend. Garden Stables is located back here behind the B&B. If you have never ridden a horse before, you can sign up for lessons, or you can do solo rides if you are experienced. They will have a waiver for you to sign if you choose either lesson. You can get there by walking or taking one of the golf carts on the property.If you walk, you can get there in ten minutes. If you take the cart, you should be there in about two minutes. Here’s a map for the location of the stables, although I doubt that you will miss them.”
I looked at the map as she handed it to me, and I unfolded it.
“Thank you so much.”
“Also, here’s the most romantic trail that you can take. If you take this trail, you’ll find that there’s a surprise waiting for you . . . right . . . about here,” she stated and marked an X on the map.
“Awesome. Thank you so much.”
“No problem, and make sure that you don’t forget to leave a review online for us and come back for future visits.”
The other person filling out the form stepped away from the desk, and I leaned in to ask her if she was indeed the woman from the strip club. But no sooner than I did that, she called out, “May I help the next person, please?” and answered the ringing phone at the same time. I sighed and stepped away from the desk, disappointed that I had missed my opportunity again.
When I returned to the table, Kennedi had just emptied her plate.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“Yeah, I am.”
“Did you get what you went to the front desk to get?”
“Yeah,” I murmured distractedly.
“Good. I’ve been thinking about this promotion a lot, Bryson. I will be dedicated to my new position, but not more than I am to you. I give you permission to pull my coattail if things get out of hand. In our new life, I don’t want my office time to go beyond six thirty. I don’t want my work at home time to go past six, and I won’t be working on the weekends. You are my priority. And while I know that it isn’t guaranteed that I’ll get it?—”
I stopped her sentence as we stepped onto the front porch of the B&B by placing my finger against her lips. “Shh. Don’t even talk like that. I don’t know how Carolyn or the board could choose anyone else but you for that position. You have given them your blood, sweat, and tears all these years. You’ve literally poured it all out on the floor.”
“I know, but they’ve posted it externally, and they’re probably interviewing other candidates.”
We stepped off the porch, and I took her hand in mine as we headed back to our cabin.
“And if they go with the other candidates, then you’re gonna say fuck ’em and leave.”
“I can’t do that, Bryse.”
“Yes, you can. Because if they don’t choose you, that’s essentially what they’re telling you. You interned under Milicent, and you have been her right hand all these years. That’s a muthafuckin’ slap in the face if they pull that bullshit, baby. And I won’t stand back and allow you to let them use you like that.”
I rubbed my thumb in the middle of her palm, and she rested her head against my shoulder as we slowly walked the trail with bright red, gold, and bronze leaves crunching underneath our feet.
“Where else would I go?”
We stopped underneath a grove of trees whose leaves were falling and swirling all around us. We stood in a field of autumn leaves, and it was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen aside from my woman.
I cupped her face. “We’d find someplace else, even if we had to create a magazine for you.”
Her eyes widened, and she asked, “You would do that for me?”
“I’d give you the world, Kenni.”
