“You’re about done here in a few minutes, aren’t you?” Ellis asks.
“Yes, sir. I have an appointment down at the hospital. Got to get this baby checked out again,” I tell him, lifting my cast-encased arm.
“Well, I’ll keep my fingers crossed for good luck and that everything is healing well.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Say, Miss Scarlett, does your friend, the one who lives with you, have a job of his own yet?”
I look up from the computer, finding Ellis directly in front of the counter. “Actually, he’s been having a difficult time snagging a job anywhere. We don’t have a car yet, so he’s exhausted options that are within a walking distance or close enough for a cheap Uber ride. I’m sure he’ll find something soon, though.”
“Well, I was going to say, we’re in need of a new bellhop. Ralphie was let go this morning, and I’m going to be hiring.”
Rather than jump out of my pants with excitement that Ellis is considering a job offer for Brendan, I’m wondering why Ralphie was let go. This hotel isn’t very big and layoffs don’t sound like something of the norm around here. “What happened to Ralphie?”
Ellis squints his eyes and his lips unfurl into a straight line. “I’m not sure if you know, but he’s older, going to be seventy soon. Anyway, he was having difficulty lifting bags, and I had a number of complaints from guests that he was asking them to help with their own bags. I feel terrible, but I need a capable person for that type of job.” For a man who looks like he takes baths in hundred dollar bills, I’d think he would try to find a more suitable position here for Ralphie rather than just kick him out, but what do I know?
“Well, as sad as I am for Ralphie, I’m sure Brendan would be honored to fill out an application.”
“Great,” Ellis says. “Have him stop by my office when you see him next.” With that statement, he taps his hand on the counter a few times and walks off, leaving a trail of clacking echoes from his designer shoes in his path.
I guess job security isn’t a thing around here. I’ll keep that in the back of my mind as we come closer to the one-month mark of me figuring out if I’ve transitioned to a normal life here, or if I’m still homesick. I’m hovering somewhere in the middle, leaning toward the side of homesick at the moment.
The hour hand on the grandfather clock hits five, and I grab my belongings to head off toward the hospital.
For the last week, I’ve debated how this will turn out. If Austin is there, do I act like nothing happened? Or do I give him the cold shoulder? I didn’t give him my number. He didn’t ask for it, but I also didn’t offer it. However, Brendan did inform me that Austin has his number, which solidified the fact that Austin didn’t intend to contact me. Though I could have contacted him since I have his number, I felt like I needed to wait it out and see where his thoughts were at. I don’t like to be forward, not after my track record.
I can’t say I haven’t been wondering how two people can share a kiss like we did, then find their friends, go in two separate ways, and close the book. I shouldn’t have let him kiss me in the first place. Maybe he’s avoiding me. He could have come to his senses, especially seeing how we haven’t run into each other in this teeny tiny little town. Whatever. I’ve put him out of my mind, and he can stay there. Hot lips or not, it was just a kiss, and it was just one night. I’ll live.
The walk to the hospital is just about twenty minutes, but much easier on me now that I’ve purchased flat shoes—they’re the trendiest ones I could dig up. I’ve been against this style for a long time since I’m just over five feet tall, but heels do not work in this town with its cobblestone streets and sidewalks.
I walk through the main entrance of the hospital and check in at the ER’s front desk with Daisy to ask where the Orthopedic department, so I can say hi to Daisy. By the time I greet her, I realize I feel mildly awkward around her now too.
“Scarlett, how have you been?” she asks with excitement.
“I’ve been well. How about you?” I’m unsure of what she knows about the happenings that night with me and Austin, but hearing the excitement in her voice, I assume she knows more than I wish she did, so I’m going to keep our conversation brief.
“I’ve been great. What can I help you with?”
“I was wondering if you could tell me where the Orthopedic department is?” I should have just looked at the map in the lobby.
“It’s on the third floor,” she says.
I’d like to know if Austin is working right now, but I’m not going to ask. It will open a dialogue I don’t want to have.
“Thank you,” I tell her while turning toward the elevators. “Scarlett?”
Dammit.
“Yeah?” I turn back.
“I know this is none of my business, but did something happen between y’all that night of the Ice Cream Festival?”
You’re right, it isn’t your business. I’d say that if I was up north and someone asked me, but Daisy seems like the type to tear up if I were to talk to her that way.
“Nope,” I tell her, lying through my teeth.
“Oh,” she says, pressing her lips together as if she’s trying to hold in her words. She quickly glances down at her papers and ends the conversation, making things far more awkward than they were a second ago.
“Is he working tonight?” I ask her. Might as well know now since I’m already feeling nice and uncomfortable. At least she brought it up first.
She looks down at her watch. “Yes, ma’am. His shift ends in about an hour.”
“Cool,” I say, making it look like I don’t care.
I don’t care. Nope. Not at all.
I head over to the elevators and try to put everyone in this town out of my mind for the time being.
