I nod in agreement.
“Well, thank you. That’s very kind.” Roger smiles at me again before saying, “Would you like to go meet Eddie? I know the Mingling and Jingling is supposed to start soon.”
“Yes, I’d love to meet him!” My response is full of more enthusiasm than I feel. Truthfully, I’m nervous to meet Eddie Evans. Something about this whole arrangement feels odd. I’ve seen guest services provide hosts before, but this situation feels different. I doubt we have enough staff to give each athlete their own private host. Why does Mr. Evans need one?
I don’t have time to think more about it though because Roger quickly says, “Off we go then, to meet the man of the hour!”
Before we can get out the door, Lauren says, “Oh, and Roger, don’t forget about the interview.”
Roger nods and swallows. “Right, the interview.”
Hmm. More weird vibes. I want to ask what the interview is, but I don’t want to be nosy. I follow Roger to the elevator, where he taps the button for floor 5. My stomach is doing flip-flops. I take a deep breath to calm myself.
Roger must notice my unease because he says, “Eddie is a great guy. He can be a little on the quiet side. Some mightdescribe him as…brooding, we’ll say. But, once you get to know him, he’s great.”
That was an interesting description. Why do I feel like he’s selling me something that I don’t want to buy?
I nod with a closed-mouth smile and attempt to pump myself up.This is my job. It’s just a week. You can do anything for one week. And as everyone keeps saying, it might be great.
We arrive at the door and Roger knocks. My mind is racing. Who is Eddie Evans, the mysterious guest in suite 508?
Chapter 5
Eddie
I’mtryingtohypemyself up for a week of charity events and holiday festivities. In my experience, charity is just a fancy word for pity in wrapping paper. My biggest challenge is keeping the ghost of Christmas past at bay. I take a deep breath, then refocus my attention to the task at hand: picking out what suit to wear. That’s when I hear a knock at the door.
“Come in,” I yell, knowing it’s Roger, who has a key. He was at a meeting with some Mynt management lady and said he’d be back shortly.
The suite they’ve given me is nice, to say the least. I have a living room, kitchenette and a separate bedroom, plus a balcony overlooking the mountains.
When the door clicks open, I call out from the bedroom. “Do I have to wear a tie?” I stare at the three tie options that are laid out on the bed above the three suit options. I hate suits, but I especially hate ties. They make me feel like I’m being choked.
When Roger fails to appear after a few moments, I walk to the living room. Roger is standing in the entryway with his hands behind his back, like a soldier waiting for orders.
Suddenly, a petite woman appears from behind him. I notice she’s wearing a professional suit jacket with a nametag. My gaze lingers on her big, beautiful brown eyes. I’m caught up in their endless depth, knowing full well I’m staring but not sure how to make myself stop.
I almost jump when she yelps, scrunches up her face, shields her eyes and takes cover behind Roger.
What just happened? Did she see a spider? Is there an intruder lurking behind me?
Roger quickly clarifies. “Eddie, hey, um you don't have to wear a tie, but you do need pants.” He points to my legs, and I look down only to realize I’m in my underwear. Worse yet, my boxer briefs are bright red and have Cheez-Its on them. Yes you read that correctly. I am in underwear advertising my favorite snack. The most eccentric of all my boxer briefs by far.
My eyes go wide as I look back up at Roger and the woman shielding herself behind him. Trying to disguise my complete embarrassment, I calmly say, “I’ll be right back.”
I can feel my face burning, and I know my cheeks are fire-engine red. Why did Roger bring a woman into my room? What is going on?
Once in my room, I throw on some black sweatpants. Maybe I’m hallucinating.Is this just a bad dream?Then, I attempt to nonchalantly walk back out into the living room.
The woman is still there, standing next to Roger. We all stare at each other.
Thankfully, Roger cuts through the awkward silence. “Before we decide about your wardrobe, I want to introduce you to Maya Torres.”
The woman reaches out her hand, and her small smile turns into a wide grin. “Hello, Mr. Evans. Nice to meet you. My apologies for coming in unannounced.”
“It’s entirely Roger’s fault,” I reply with a scowl in Roger’s direction.
“Yes, so sorry about that.” Roger stifles a chuckle.
