“It’s fantastic. Genuinely. This is amazing. I’ve done a lot in hospitality, and this is by far one of the most complete, amazing places I’ve ever been. I’m not just saying that.”
Cody turned to look at her, the corner of his mouth tipping upward. “I wouldn’t care if you were.”
“Why? Because flattery is nice even if it isn’t sincere?”
“No,” he said. “Because I don’t care about your opinion.”
There he was again, being as abrasive as possible, and it still made her stomach feel warm.
“Well, that’s nice for you. I think I have to care about your opinion, though. Professionally.”
“Not really. I’m mainly going to be out of your hair, I promise. I hired you to do the job. So, unless you mess up spectacularly, what I’d like is to just not notice you.”
This was the least comfortable interaction with a boss she’d ever had, and she wanted more. She wanted to run away from him and stand there talking to him forever. At least when she was standing there with Cody, her body felt so electrified that she couldn’t feel the crushing pain over the end of her marriage.
She didn’t feel quite so out of body. She felt grounded. Felt like her feet were firmly planted on the ground, and that was a relief. All things considered.
They stepped inside the little building, and for the first time, Marlowe actually felt something like happiness. Okay. This was really gorgeous. Really, really gorgeous, and she could see people wanting to come here, to drive out of town and sit in the rugged surroundings and have coffee and cake. She hadn’t been kidding when she said that Cara was the best. She really was.
Guests would love to come here, take a little break from the imposing elegance of the hotel, and be in a place like this, which was just so cozy and lovely.
“I like this,” she said again. “The elegance of the hotel, the rustic surroundings, the absolute cuteness of the bakery, this is exactly the kind of multifaceted experience that guests willremember. Not offering you my approval, I know you don’t want it, I’m just commenting.”
“Comment noted,” Cody said.
“I literally can’t wait,” Cara said, brushing tears away. “This is just a dream come true.”
Again, Marlowe felt something tight in her stomach. She was so glad that it was a dream come true for Cara.
This wasn’t her dream.
Yes, she could be thankful that she had landed here, that this was a safer place to be than stuck in New York with no lease and no idea what she was going to do next, but it didn’t make it pleasant.
Nor did it make being around Cody feel comfortable in any regard.
She supposed if she were in her marriage still, it might be even weirder to be next to a man who made her this hot. But this really wasn’t better. Because her heart still felt tangled up in Aiden, and this job suddenly represented much more than it ever would have otherwise.
Without it, she was alone in the world.
Without it, it was like free-falling off a cliff.
Being hot for your boss was a bad idea at the best of times, but in this scenario? Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
Also, she was still technically married. How the hell were they going to do a long-distance divorce?
You already divided up your assets.
Her thoughts were spinning in terrible circles, and she didn’t like it.
She gritted her teeth. “This is great.”
She said it because if she didn’t, she was going to cry.
“I’d like to get to my house,” Cara said. Then she giggled. “I’ve never had my own house before. I’ve just always lived with my mom, and I’ve been taking care of her. So… This is… I’mjust really excited about this. Thank you so much, Cody, and I promise I’m not going to let you down.”
“Right,” he said.
