Andy stood and allowed her to lead the way to her bedroom. “You say that as if it’s my fault.”
“It might not be your fault, but it was absolutely because of you,” she said with a smile.
They both stripped off their clothes in silence and climbed into the bed. Andy pulled her close, so her head rested on his chest. Yet another way she fit his arms perfectly. He felt her relax in his arms as he stroked her hair. It didn’t take long for her breathing to slow, and he knew she was nearly asleep.
“I haven’t gotten much sleep either,” he said softly. “Don’t worry. This time we’ll get through it together.”
Chapter 13
Samira was having a hard time concentrating. The long commute and living in two different places was beginning to wear on her. As soon as she felt settled into her childhood home, it was time to wake up early and head into the city. As soon as the city sounds began to blend into the background, it was time to head back to the island. Instead of falling into a routine, she was feeling more unsettled with each passing week.
She stepped out of her office to calm her mood by taking a short walk. She stopped at the front desk and let them know she was heading to lunch and would be back soon. Just before she made it to the front doors, she heard hurried footsteps approaching.
“Samira, hold on,” Andrea said. “Do you have a minute?”
Samira tried not to sigh too loudly before answering. “Well, I was going to use my lunch to take a walk and grab something from the coffee shop. Did you need something?”
“Mind if I tag along?”
She did mind. “No, not at all.”
Andrea fell into stride beside Samira, oblivious to the lie. Samira tried to shake her mood so she could be better company by the time they reached the coffee shop. She appreciated Andrea’s silence as they walked. The afternoon was cool, but not miserably cold. The damp scent of dead leaves hung in the air as a reminder that the warm days were behind them.
They reached the small coffee shop on the corner and went straight to her usual spot, a small corner table by the window. “The usual?” the barista called over from behind the counter.
“Yes, please. Make it two,” Samira responded.
“I take it you come here often.”
“You never knew this was where I grabbed my coffee?” Samira asked, surprised.
“I never really thought about it. There’s like four places to get coffee within walking distance. This one is the furthest.”
“Exactly. No offense, but that’s the point. When I leave for lunch, I like to leave. If I make a coffee run, it feels good to get away,” Samira explained.
The barista appeared with two steaming mugs of coffee and two fresh baked croissants.
“Did you have something you wanted to talk about?” Samira asked after taking a much-needed sip of coffee.
“How much longer are you going to be doing the back and forth?”
“I can put the house on the market in a couple weeks. Why?”
“Well, I’ve got some things going on that are time consuming. There are quite a few things that I take on that should really be a manager’s responsibility, but I don’t want to pile more onto you while you’re already pulled thin with the commuting and working from home one day a week.”
Samira was surprised by what she was hearing. Andrea took on those additional responsibilities because she enjoyed the work. She always wanted to be a hands-on owner and feelinvolved with the daily running of the hotel, not because Samira couldn’t handle the workload.
“I’m ready to take on whatever you’ve been doing that should be my responsibility. Don’t feel like you have to juggle extra work. I don’t mind putting in a few extra hours while I get used to it,” Samira responded.
Andrea was quiet. Her gaze studied her face as if looking for a clue. Samira’s skin prickled as she felt a wave of anxiety. Andrea was usually straight forward. It wasn’t like her to not come out and say what was taking up so much of her time, but she wasn’t going to ask her. She knew Andrea would tell her when she was ready.
“I mean it. I can handle it. Worst case scenario, there are a few tasks that I could probably have the night and weekend managers take care of. Don’t worry about me. I know how to delegate and how to get things done,” Samira pressed on.
Andrea gave her a quick nod before turning her attention to her coffee and croissant. Samira followed suit and they finished their lunchtime breakfast in silence. She knew Andrea well enough to let it go. Andrea would make up her own mind and do what she thought was best.
“How’s the guy?” Andrea asked as they headed back to the hotel.
“He’s good. Really good, actually.”
