Kate rubbed her hand, a small frown creasing her brow. “Huh. That was… odd.”
Lena’s peace flickered. “What?”
“I don’t know. But… when I touched you, I got this little jolt of something. Emotion. Like it didn’t come from me.” Kate shook her head, looking almost embarrassed. “Probably just sleep deprivation.”
Bzzt.Lena groaned and picked up her phone.
David:
Need you in tech suite. Something weird with the sensors. Bring caffeine.
Lena sighed and stood, her moment dissolving like sugar in water. Of course. “Back to the chaos.”
A mischievous twinkle sparkled in Kate’s eyes. “That from David?”
“Yep.”
Kate raised a brow, mouth twitching in a smile. “Weird tech issues and coded flirtation. Are you two flirting over firewalls yet?”
Heat rushed to Lena’s face—unexpected and unwelcome. An immediate denial jumped to her lips. “We’re not?—”
Kate held up a finger, her smile widening. “Let me stop you right there. I’m a writer. I know tension when I see it. Just don’t wait too long. Life’s short, and the last time I blinked, I ended up locked in a sauna by a lunatic.”
Lena snorted, the heat in her cheeks refusing to fade. David. The thought of him brought a confusing swirl of feelings—attraction, yes, but also alarm. Fear of wanting something. Worry it would go horribly wrong. “Noted.”
Kate hesitated, something softer crossing her expression. “Hey. Want to grab lunch tomorrow? Just us. You look like you could use a proper meal and someone to talk to. Not that I can replace Emma, but I’m a good listener.”
The mention of Emma stung—the familiar ache of the loneliness Lena ignored daily. But Kate’s offer… it landed differently. Genuine. Without expectation or judgment.
Lena paused, surprised by how much she wanted to say yes. How much she needed to. “That obvious, huh?”
Kate gave her a crooked smile. “Only to someone who’s been through the spin cycle, too.”
Solidarity. Recognition. The kind of empathy that didn’t require explanations.
Lena nodded, something like comfort seeped into her chest. “Lunch sounds great. I’m off tomorrow, so I’ll be kicking around. I better get moving before the Tech God curses me.”
She turned to leave, already pulling up the resort’s sensor grid on her phone—but not before glancing back to see Kate watching her with that same gentle understanding. Someone who saw her. Someone who got it. Someone who looked at her and didn’t see broken or too much or damaged goods.
Lena didn’t feel so alone anymore.
Chapter 11
Nebulous Realm
David leanedover and thumped his forehead against the wall with a dramatic exhale. Across the desk, Lena stifled a laugh behind her fingertips while Nick didn’t even attempt to hide his amusement.
“Why am I here again?” David asked, lifting his head enough to scowl at both of them. “I have absolutely nothing to add to this conversation.”
He should be neck-deep in code or tracking digital breadcrumbs left by Chester—the world made so much more sense in ones and zeroes. But in here? In this nebulous realm of job titles and office structure? He was lost.
He hated feeling lost.
Nick and Lena had been ping-ponging staff configurations for eons now, dissecting every tiny nuance of the Rooms Division hierarchy like they were playing a high-stakes game of chess. No one was in danger, unless you counted David’s last nerve. His lips pinched together.
“Why do you people make things so difficult?” The words burst out as he threw his hands up in an exaggerated plea and closed his eyes, thunking his head against the wall again.
“Life is binary. Yes or no. Do we need a Resident Manager? Yes, and thank god we already hired her. Front Office Manager? Obviously. Someone needs to oversee the three-ring circus. Department heads? Big nope. Supervisors make more sense—they’re versatile and easier to schedule. If you want peak efficiency, schedule them to only work frontline shifts when coverage is tight. Otherwise, let them manage. Lena knows what works best. Done. Can I go now?”
