She held the phone in front of her and switched to video. Her screen illuminated with Morgan’s smiling face and bouncing black curls, surrounded by several of her employees and colleagues. They broke into a chorus of greetings.
Ava laughed at their enthusiastic hellos. A fear of missing out washed over her, wondering how everything was running in her absence.
“We miss you, Ava,” one concierge, Michael, called out.
“Did you get the flowers we sent?” the housekeeping manager, Sandra, asked.
Ava recalled the beautiful bouquet of white lilies that had arrived at her apartment shortly after the news broke about her dad, before she left for Cedar Falls. She didn’t have the heart to tell them she’d re-gifted the flowers to her older neighbor, unable to stand the blooms so full of life amid her denial of her dad’s passing.
“I did, Sandra. Thank you everyone, they were beautiful. I appreciated the condolences,” Ava said instead.
“When are you getting back? Jacqueline’s been on our asses since you’ve been gone,” her assistant manager, Chris, griped.
The rest of them nodded, agreeing with him.
“It can’t be thatbad,” Ava said.
Morgan bit her bottom lip and widened her eyes, confirming their claims, while the rest stayed silent.
Ava gave them a placating smile. “I’ll talk to her. We’re meeting next week to go over some stuff. Just hang in there. I’ll be back in August. Sooner, if I can,” she said.
One of them, she couldn’t tell who, groaned at her answer.
“August can’t come soon enough,” Morgan said. She turned over her shoulder and made a shooing motion with her free hand. The gold bangles shining against her warm brown skin tinkled from the movement. “Alright, you all said your hellos. Let me talk to my best friend.”
They grumbled but wandered off, saying their goodbyes. Ava’s chest warmed at their reluctance to leave the video call, knowing they missed her. Staying busy at the cabin helped keep her mind off everything, but nothing beat the fast-paced environment of the hotel where she thrived. That’s where she fit.
“Now back to Clark Kent—”
“We’re done talking about Alec. It’s not happening. But I will consider the meeting. Now tell me, is Jacqueline really that bad?”
Morgan sighed. “She’s just being Jacqueline, but we’re used to you being around as her buffer. I think she’s just overwhelmed with the extra responsibility.”
Ava nodded, her mind jumping into problem-solving mode. “I’m meeting with her next week. She’s helping me prepare for my board presentation. In the meantime, I’ll give Chris some pointers on how to ‘manage up’ and handle Jacqueline, so it’s not so bad. If everything goes according to plan, he’ll be promoted to my job anyway, so he needs to learn how to do it.”
“We really miss you around here,” Morgan said. “How’re you handling things with your dad?”
Ava took a moment to think about it instead of giving a placating answer. How was she handling things?By ignoring them. Distracting myself. Obsessing over Owen and the parade of women in his life—
Ava cut off that train of thought.
“I’m being pulled in a lot of different directions, and the only way I’m staying sane is by staying busy,” Ava admitted.
Morgan’s eyebrows slanted down over her green eyes. “Don’t forget, you need to take care of yourself, too. You can only outrun your emotions for so long before they catch up to you. I’m worried about what will happen when they do.”
Ava deflected. “I’ll be fine.”
Morgan started to respond, but the crunch of gravel saved Ava. Someone was approaching the cabin.
“I need to go. Summer’s pulling up to the cabin now,” Ava said.
Morgan rolled her eyes, showing her dissatisfaction. “Ugh. Summer.”
“Be nice,” Ava admonished.
“She’s justsomuch. And honestly, isn’t it weird to still be friends with your ex’s sister?”
Ava heard a car door opening.
