I can barely stand to look at myself in the mirror as I put on my tie.
In the lobby, Lenora spots me coming with that extra set of eyes she has in the back of her honey blond head. “Perfect timing.” She spins and beelines for me. “You look amazing. Not surprising. But, oh. Uh-oh…”
I peer down, checking to ensure my fly’s up. “‘Uh-oh’what?”
“Are you…? No offense, but are you colorblind? It’s okay if you are. Lots of guys are. Like, twenty times the amount of guys compared to women.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re wearing a red tie with an olive green suit, Kellin. It isn’t Christmas. And not distinguishing between red and green is the universal sign for colorblind.”
That halts me in my tracks. I peer down again.
Shit. She’s not wrong.
“That suit is…” Lenora kisses her fingertips. “It’sbellissimo. Sorry to say, though, that tie has got to go. Follow me.”
The woman has me by the hand before I can argue, tugging me behind the counter.
“Lenora, let me just go to my room and grab another tie. I can see all the colors in the rainbow. This was simply an oversight.”
“Please, we have extras in the office behind the counter for these kinds of staff emergencies.” She tosses a little smile over her shoulder. “Don’t worry. They’re designer.”
Thirty seconds later, Lenora’s quick fingers replace the red tie around my neck.
This is Sunday school all over again.
Humiliating.
I deserve this.
At least the tie’s nice. A pretty slick midnight blue Givenchy.
I can see why Maeve says she can’t live without this woman. Her taste is impeccable.
And she drew me out of my headspace for a whole five minutes.
That’s true talent.
Now, if she could just permanently erase my guilt, I’d be in great shape.
But I guess she draws the line at working miracles.
Chapter 24
Maeve
“Italian wedding soup, chicken soup, butternut squash and ginger puree, six bottles of water, soda, sodawater, dinner rolls, lunch rolls, crackers, fresh sourdough… What’s his plan, to carbo-load the flu away?” I shake my head and laugh, mostly happy that I feel well enoughtolaugh.
Weird. Must’ve been a twenty-four-hour bug.
I’m so relieved Kellin’s managed to avoid catching it.
Kellin popped in and out of my room all day. In between preparations for the Weaver-Deaver wedding—I still snicker when I hear those names together—and dealing with day-to-day hotel shenanigans—that boiler for one—I don’t know how he found time to be so attentive to me.
Attentive but…distant, all his smiles a little too weak and hollow.
But maybe I’m reading into things. I did spend most of the day half-asleep.
