“Problem solved. Now get your head of your arse. You’re a fucking legend. There’s nothing washed-up about you. You can still get it up, can’t you?”
I chuckled and grabbed a pebble from the ground rubbing the smooth surface between my fingers. “Everything’s in working order. I know how much you like to think of my dick.”
Finn’s voice purred. “You know it, baby.”
I barked out a laugh. “Fuck off.”
“You’re a virile man, you own an incredibly successful business, and you’re not horrible looking. Definitely not as good looking as me but you get by. Okay, you have some family drama. Who doesn’t? If this girl is really… wait what’s her name?”
“Nairie.”
He hummed in intrigue. “Oh, that sounds exotic. I’m picturing curves for days and dark, sultry eyes.”
I gritted my teeth. Finn’s charm was lethal sometimes. “Shut it.”
“Wait, is this the same lass you visited in America? Wasn’t she Elle’s best friend?”
I threw the pebble over the cliffside. “Yes.”
Finn howled with laughter. “Oh, you dirty bastard. Your sister’s best friend?”
I waited for him to finish laughing and paced back and forth, the gravel crunching beneath my boots. I waved to another passing guest, an older Canadian man who retired from his finance business and grew out agreying ponytail.
“Are you done yet?”
Finn cleared his throat. “Look, it’s clear you’ve already laid claim to the lass. Get over yourself and get under her. Preferably soon because this simpering fool act is not a good look on you.”
He was right.
I took a deep breath and started walking back to the inn. “On it.”
***
It was too late in America to call Nairie but I wanted to bring up the long distance conversation again. Maybe I could move to Los Angeles for half of the year and get someone else to manage the inn part time.
But as soon as I got back to my office, I was bombarded with people needing things from me and it only went downhill from there.
I nearly bit Poppy’s head off when she wouldn’t stop chattering about her mother and sister’s latest argument. “Poppy, I’m sorry, but please get back to work. We can’t have the front desk empty for so long.”
Poppy huffed. “You’re so cranky today. The guests are doing fine except Monsieur Grange and his escort.”
I continued walking to the kitchen as Poppy trailed behind me. “Escort? I thought that was his wife?”
We entered the rustic stone kitchen where Phillip was starting dinner for the guests. I snuck a piece of roasted carrot and looked out the back window to make sure the barn was withstanding all the rain we’d had.
“I thought that too, but then I did some digging, and apparently, he’s some big tech guy, and there are pictures of him on Google with his wife. Which is not the lady staying with him in our honeymoon suite.”
I hated the idea of guests using the inn for their debauchery. “Tell them his reservation got cut short.”
“Are you insane? He’ll go on a rampage.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Make up something believable. I don’t want that sort of thing here.”
“Fine, I’ll try, but he’s going to want to speak with you.”
“So be it.”
By the end of the day, I was utterly spent. I did, in fact, have a standoff with the Frenchman that exhausted me to no end. Monsieur Grange promised to leave a scathing review, but it was worth it to finally be rid of them. I texted Nairie again to see if she had time to talk, but she still didn’t reply, so I was currently wallowing in my office armchair by the fire.
