“I do! I love hearing about other people’s jobs, and inns are fascinating. The things that happen there, the people you meet. I’m sure there’s so much gossip behind the scenes.”
Hallie walked backwards to sit on the bench that filled the space between their two bedroom doors. “I guess there is quite a bit of gossip, yeah. And the customers can be so interesting. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s a customer service job, so some of them can be shocking, but, overall, people are great. And, you know, it’s kind of famous for being cosy and romantic, so we get a lot of really cute couples coming through.”
She paused when she realized she was heading into dangerous territory with those thoughts. Especially when Audrey was watching her so intently and moving to sit besideher. She should have worked harder to keep River in the conversation.
Audrey laughed gently. “I suppose it makes sense in such a setting that people would fall for their colleagues.”
“Right…” Hallie’s stomach turned. The truth felt like it was bubbling up inside of her, desperate to fling itself from her body. Sure, she didn’t know Audrey all that well yet, but she didn’t want to lie to her. They were forming a friendship and she didn’t want to do that on a fake foundation. It felt all wrong.
“Do you not think?”
“Uh, yeah, I think it’s possible. That it’s something that would make sense. There haven’t actually been that many couples on the staff.” Her heart raced, her brain circling on the idea of telling Audrey the truth. What would happen if she did? Would it really be all that bad? It was just one person…
But she and River had agreed not to do that. Sure, they hadn’t discussed individual people and what would happen if Hallie became friends with anyone here—most especially Audrey, who was already something of an outsider in the group—but it was implied. If you wanted to sell a fake relationship, you couldn’t start telling people it was fake.
Audrey laughed. “Well, there is one now.”
“I suppose so, yeah.”
“I actually work with a few couples. Funny how a more romantic setting is losing out to a college and forensics…”
Hallie laughed, the sound a little disjointed. “Yeah, that last one might not be screaming romance…”
“Maybe not. But, you know, when your job is… well, death, it can be tricky finding people that fact doesn’t stress out or disgust, so maybe it makes sense people would date within the pool.”
“Ah, yeah. Maybe there should be more people working in hotels who end up together, bonded by the horrifying scenes they’ve witnessed in guests’ rooms.”
Audrey laughed. “Perhaps the housekeepers are doing exactly that. I can see it now, all of them discussing and dissecting the stains they’ve seen left on sheets in the middle of their first dates.”
Hallie recoiled, shooting Audrey a revolted look even as she laughed. “Do you mind? That’s horrifying!”
“Hey, just calling it how it is. You think I don’t visit crime scenes? More than one hotel there…”
“It’s clearly a wonder anyone remotely connected to your job is dating at all. It must really put you off people and the things they can do.”
Audrey’s smile dropped and she adjusted her position, sucking in a slow breath. “Sometimes, yeah, but you’ve got to hold onto the good, the knowledge that, while terrible things can happen, almost everyone has people who love and care about them. Things can be hard, but what it really comes down to is finding answers for the ones who are grieving, the ones who go on loving. And dignity for the ones who are lost”
Hallie stared at her. It was a wonder someone whose family treated them so badly had such a beautiful outlook on life. Sure, it helped her stay… grounded and optimistic in the face of the horrific, but there was something about her that was justgood,that wanted to stay soft and gentle, that saw the beauty in the bad and just kept loving. She deserved so much more than she was being given by her family.
And what harm would telling someone like that the truth do? Audrey knew how to keep secrets. She was doing it constantly around all of these people who didn’t really know her.
“And that’s why you do it,” she said, watching Audrey intently.
“Yeah. I can handle the bugs and the bodies. It can be awful, of course, but you learn how to protect yourself. The part that always sticks with me is the grief around it all. I don’t talk to a lot of the loved ones, but that doesn’t mean I don’t see it. People always think they have more time, you know? It’s human. They worry about being too much, go along with what’s expected of them, and they always think they’ll have time later to tell someone how much they love them, how much they matter. Then, the unthinkable happens. How does anyone deal with that? The least I can do is help provide some answers.”
Hallie hugged her blankets impossibly closer to her. Perhaps it made sense that someone so closely connected to death understood living better than most. Perhaps that explained why she kept coming around a family that rejected her. She never wanted to regret things, never wanted to squander days where she could have shown someone they were loved.
And, sure, they didn’t know each other all that well. Audrey wasn’t one of her loved ones. Hallie wasn’t someone Audrey really cared about. But… they had this moment, and she could connect or she could hide. She could open up and take the chance, just in case tomorrow never came, or she could hope, without knowing what would happen, that she’d get another shot.
She wasn’t completely sure what she wanted another shot at. It wasn’t as though she and Audrey were likely to run into each other again. But… she wanted to connect. She wanted one person here to know her. Risky though that was.
“It’s not that far from what you do,” Audrey said unexpectedly.
Hallie spluttered in surprise. “What? Yes, it is! I check people into hotel rooms, plan excursions for them, give them… wake-up calls. It’s not the same.”
Audrey shook her head, looking impossibly genuine and thoughtful as she looked at Hallie. “You care about people and their needs. Sure, it seems different—and your people are alive, I hope—but it’s caring, looking into the things people need, trying to help them. You spend your days connecting. That’s not nothing.”
Hallie stared. How was one of the smartest people she’d ever met looking at her job and thinking it so much grander than it was? Hallie enjoyed her job, and she had aspirations of advancing, but she’d heard from more than enough people that it wasn’t exactly rocket science. But, there she was, talking to a real-life scientist and feeling… blown away. “River and I aren’t dating.”
