“First, I’m fine with you doing the interview,” he began. “So you can relax about that. And it’s not just because there’s nothing else for us to do, but because I’m genuinely curious about what you’ve prepared.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t get me wrong; I was totally prepared to say no and tell you how you missed your chance, but…after you explained things, I realized that it would be petty to do that. After all, we’ve all had off days, right?”
She nodded.
“As for all the other stuff? For total transparency, I do know what it’s like to have to beg and grovel for something that felt like it was life or death.” This wasn’t the sort of thing he shared with just anyone, but it seemed pertinent. “My parents used to work here at the resort when I was a kid. Then, my dad took off, and my mom…well…my mom couldn’t handle it. I was put into foster care.”
Maisie gasped softly.
“Those first few months were awful. I bounced around from house to house. The first one, the guy was big on discipline and…let’s just say CPS stepped in to get me out of there. The second house wasn’t much better. When they placed me with the Blake family, I didn’t want to go. I begged my caseworker to convince my mom to take me back. I was too young to understand what a mess my mother had actually become.”
Pausing, he had to tamp down his anxiety because just thinking about that time in his life was never easy.
“Anyway, I was placed with the Blakes and…they saved my life. I was defiant and rebellious and prepared for the worst. But they took me in and showed me kindness and compassion. They gave me boundaries, and I learned what a normal and healthy home life could be.” Swallowing hard, he continued. “They never adopted me because my mother was still alive. They would bring me here to the resort every summer for a couple of weeks because it was a way for me to see her without getting CPS involved. It probably wasn’t legal, but it meant a lot to me to spend a little time with her in a place that we used to go to.”
“Axel…”
“I aged out at eighteen,” he said. “And the Blakes wished me luck and helped me get an apartment, but their job was done. I didn’t go to college because I wasn’t a very good student and didn’t get any scholarships. So, I went to work in construction. Luckily, I was good at it. I moved around a lot for a few years; you know, just trying to figure out what I wanted my life to look like. Unfortunately, I never felt like I belonged anywhere.”
Walking back over to his stool, he sat back down.
“I met Walker, Connor, Milo, and Slater during those summer vacations, and we always kept in touch. They all had it so much easier than I did, but they never made me feel like an outsider. When Walker came up with the idea of getting a bunch of friends to invest in the resort, I wanted in. It was a no-brainer to me. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any money. All the other guys did. Lots of it. But me? I wasn’t exactly living paycheck to paycheck, but I certainly didn’t have the capital the rest of them did. So, I made a deal with them. I was going to invest by putting in the time, the labor. At first, I didn’t think they were interested, so I begged. Not much, but I most certainly begged. And now…here I am.”
“Wow.”
“So I get it, Maisie. I get it. And I’m not asking what your story is. If you want to tell me, I promise I’ll listen and keep it to myself. But I’m not going to pressure you about it. If you’re telling me your situation is desperate, then I believe you.”
For a moment, she just stared at him warily.
Again.
He got the feeling that Maisie Quinn did not trust easily. But then again, neither did he.
“How about we make dinner and try to sit and relax? As I’m sure you saw, there’s a big table with chairs that are definitely more comfortable than these stools out in the lobby area. That’s been our work hub. And after we eat, I’ll run down to the storage room and hopefully find stuff so we can bunk down somewhere comfortably.”
“And…the interview?” she asked quietly.
“After I come back up with supplies and dry off, I promise to listen to your entire presentation. Deal?”
“Deal.”
It was oddly intimate to cook dinner in the massive resort kitchen with Axel. Neither of them excelled in cooking, but they managed to make a couple of steaks, some french fries, and some canned corn.
Not the healthiest meal, but it was actually very good.
Or maybe she’d been existing on fast food for the last week and this was the first proper meal she’d had in a while.
After dinner, they cleaned up together before Axel made himself another makeshift poncho out of the extra-large trash bags. This time he put it over the robe. It didn’t seem like a good idea, but he didn’t want to put his damp clothes back on.
But he did wear his work boots—because, you know, traction—and the overall look was hysterical.
She kept that observation to herself.
As soon as he stepped out the door, Maisie got to work setting up her presentation on the table in the lobby where they had eaten dinner. It was the perfect setup and gave her plenty of room to spread out her displays.
She was so nervous that her hands were shaking, but she did everything she could to put her own mind at ease. After all, she knew she had put together a strong submission that deserved to be considered.
