I hear what she’s saying and what she isn’t.
“I got you. Text me the details and I’ll be over in a few minutes.”
“Holland rescues The-Ding-Dong-Brad again!” she says emphatically.
“Quit calling my employee a ding-dong.” I set the radio down.
Must be my lucky day. I find the missing boxes in the shipping elevator on the way down to start my search. Anyone looking for them has been in this elevator at least five times.
Damn. That’s embarrassing. Maybe the lodge isn’t operating as smoothly as I’d thought.
I load the boxes on the dolly and take them to the vendor area. I’m not sure who I’m looking for but hoping it won’t be too difficult.
Before I start looking for who these belong to, someone pacing outside the conference room draws my attention. It really is my lucky day. When I get closer, I realize it’s the woman from yesterday. Same high heels, herbrunette hair long and tucked behind her ears, but this time she’s talking to herself.
Not talking exactly, but giving herself a verbal ass-kicking. The more I hear, the worse I feel.
“Stupid. So Stupid. Careless. Ivy, you’re so stupid. Why didn’t you check…”
Gone is the woman with the strut from the front desk. She’s replaced with a frazzled version of a woman with her head down and jaw clenched. She’s rubbing her hands together, white-knuckled, and shaking her head. It’s like the words aren’t enough and she needs to be physically hurt.
This is painful. I can’t take another minute. I stop the boxes right in front of her and noisily set the dolly down to get her attention.
“I’m guessing these belong to you?"
Chapter Six
SOMEONE’S VOICE BREAKS through my panic.
“Are you Ivy?” He gestures to the boxes.
“Yes, I’m Ivy. Yes! Thank you so much!” Finally, I can breathe again until I get a full look at who the voice belongs to.
This man is definitely not Brad. His dark hair is doing that swoop-fallen bang thing that I feel like I’ve read about but have never seen. It looks like it’s still wet. He’s wearing jeans and a flannel button-up and his eyes are the color of rich coffee.
“Hello? Anyone there?” He waves a hand and leans in a little closer to my face. Close enough for it to be clear I’m being a creep and have forgotten how to function in society. I blame it on being surprised. Someone awkward and young, like Brad, is who I was expecting. I wasn’t expectinghim. He’s taller than me, not by a lot, but enough for me to notice.
“Yes, I’m here. Just a little caffeine crash,” I joke, but wonder why I can’t act like a normal human who has conversations all the time. “You can put them on the table that looks like a splinter hazard.” I gesture inside where the mostly empty table is mocking me at this point.
He carefully wheels the boxes to the table, dodging vendor displays and people. After unloading the boxes, he puts the dolly back where I hadpractically left marks in the carpet with my pacing.
He returns with a box cutter and starts opening boxes.
“What are you doing?” My voice comes out higher than intended.
“From what I understand, these boxes have been MIA all morning. I can help you,” he says, still carefully opening the boxes.
“Oh, are you sure? You must have something else you should be doing.” I start unpacking the boxes he’s opened.
“Nope, Bea called me in to help,” he shares. “I’m not on the schedule today so I have nothing but time.” His voice is deep and scratchy in a way that immediately makes someone more attractive.
Even though he’s offering to help, I feel bad. My hands—still clasped—are pressing on my lower stomach. The man’s eyes peer down, taking me in. I’m lost in the way he seems to almost look through me. My skin prickles with awareness.
I don’t want to be a burden but I don’t even get a chance to protest.
“Based on that verbal beat down you were giving yourself, it seems like you could use it,” he says, wiping a little bit of sweat off his forehead.
My chest squeezes and my cheeks burn. I must have beenactuallytalking to myself while I was pacing. Nothing like turning on the crazy when meeting new people.
