Although that was going to happen no matter where they had their breakfast, she wanted the intimacy of them just being a man and woman sharing a meal together rather than coworkers up in the wide-open spaces of the lodge.
“The cabin,” she finally said.
They began walking when he agreed. “That was kind of my choice too. Like…the lodge is work and the cabin’s home. Sometimes it’s nice to keep the two separate.”
Back in the cabin, they made waffles again. Why? Because they’re delicious. Maisie showered while they were heating, and when she stepped out of the bathroom, Axel had his small table set for them. He kissed her softly before holding out her chair for her, and her heart actually ached because a fling shouldn’t be this good.
Or…the flinger? Flingee? Was that even a word?
Either way, the guy you were flinging with shouldn’t be better than all the guys you’d ever known. It wasn’t fair.
“You okay?” he asked as he served their breakfast. “You were frowning.”
“Oh, um…sorry. My mind just wandered a bit. Thinking about all I want to accomplish today.”
“I get that.” He sat opposite her, and for a few minutes, they ate in silence. “You don’t have to accomplish everything today,” he commented. “I mean, even if the roads are cleared tomorrow, it’s not like you have to leave and can never come back, right?”
“Once the roads are open, I should leave,” she countered quietly. “I’d like to be in my own clothes again, and I really need to start ordering products so we can get things rolling here.”
“Yeah, but we haven’t had time to talk to Walker about signing contracts and completing costs and payments and all that.”
Damn. She’d forgotten about that part.
“And when did you say he’d be back?”
All he did was study her for a moment. “We can call him later today and find out. For now, let’s enjoy our breakfast and then head up to the lodge to get started.”
“Okay.”
So they finished eating, cleaned up, and Maisie got dressed while Axel packed up a cooler bag of food for them to have for lunch. She had to pack up all her presentation stuff and bring it with her because she wanted to have all of her information right there with her so she could make changes on the spot.
Up at the lodge, Axel put the food away and then helped her set all of her stuff up exactly where she had it the first night.
“Okay, I’m gonna leave you to it,” he said. “You don’t need me following you around like a shadow, and I’ve got to head up to the top floor to inspect all the rooms and the owner’s suite, and then up to the mechanical floor to inspect for any leaks or damage to the roof.”
“Fingers crossed everything’s okay.”
“Same. We just had a new roof put on, so it better be in good condition. I’d hate it if we had damage already.” He glanced around before facing her again. “Are you going to be okay? Do you need to ask me questions while you’re walking around?”
“If I think of any, I’ll make note of them in my phone and discuss them with you over lunch. I really want to envision everything I mocked up in the actual rooms and all that. I’m going to take some pictures and load them into this program I have so you’ll be able to see it all.”
His smile was almost ridiculously bright. “I can’t wait! This is the stage where it’s feeling like we’re getting close to being able to open to guests!”
She couldn’t help but smile too. “I’ll do everything I can to help you get there. I promise.”
Leaning in, he kissed her soundly before wishing her luck and walking away. Now it was really time to get started, but it suddenly felt overwhelming. She really should have a contract in place before she got in too deep. After all, everything could change, and Walker—or any of the guys—could decide to go with someone else and use her ideas anyway!
That didn’t seem likely. If the rest of the guys were like Axel, she couldn’t imagine them screwing her like that. Still, by this point in a business relationship, there would be an initial agreement in place that outlined the scope of work. It would list all the areas to be decorated, the design phases including concept, schematic, design development, and installation. Next would be payment terms, purchasing responsibilities, and budget limits.
The general terms of agreement should be presented to her by the resort, and then the rest would be her responsibility. Shouldn’t it?
“Dammit. I should know these things.” Sitting down at the big table, she opened her laptop to do a little research and found a contract template that she could easily use and put all her numbers into once she had them all worked out.
Feeling better, she was able to get up and get to work.
They both lost track of time, and by the time Axel came downstairs for lunch, it was after two. Luckily they were only eating sandwiches, but he was a bit filthy and sweaty. It shouldn’t have looked sexy, but on him, it did. His hair was messy and there was dirt on his cheek, his hands, and his jeans. It was his hands, however, that kept her mesmerized. She loved it when he was like this and she had no idea why.
“Tell me what you’re thinking right now,” he demanded gruffly, breaking her out of her reverie.
