Page 8 of Housekeeping

5

Laura

Work was technically over but I was still at the hotel, waiting in the staff lounge for Jessi to have the time to meet me.

She was acting even stranger than usual, and I was really growing more curious about what had happened between her and Trent that changed things so much. Ever since that night, she’d either asked to stay at my place or she’d gone to her parents. Wherever she’d ended up, it wasn’t her place, and that was odd for a woman as independent as Jessi.

“Laura!”

I looked up as Jessi finally walked in. She was still dressed in her chef’s uniform, which was covered in flour and stains. She wore an expression that said she was beyond exhausted. She did manage to muster up a smile for me though.

“You can go change first,” I said, waving a hand at her. “Get changed and come meet me here.”

She nodded, changing direction to head for the locker rooms. I’d already changed and was on one of the couches, reading on my phone. Reading was a luxury I didn’t allow myself often because it took up time, and I preferred physical books to e-books, but sometimes it was easier than giving into boredom.

With Jessi not far behind, I quickly skimmed over what I was currently reading, bookmarked the page on my browser, and put my phone in my purse. Just in time for Jessi to join me, back in casual clothes, with her purse slung over her shoulder. She dropped into the couch on the opposite side from where I sat, heaving a heavy sigh as her head tilted back and her eyes slid closed.

“You know, Jessi,” I said. “You’re not supposed to fall asleep in here. You might just spend the night like that, and it’s not good for you.”

“I do know that,” she grumbled, one eye opened in a slit to glare at me. “But I just need to rest for a minute. Today left me so fucking drained…”

I watched her silently with growing concern. Jessi wasn’t usually like this. She and I got along so well because she was normally happy and could keep up with the usually perky me. When we hung out, it usually ended with us sitting close together giggling about something, either the latest weird and funny rumors surrounding the hotel, or about guys. I didn’t date nearly as much as I’d insinuated to her so many times, and I knew that even though she was past her mid-twenties, she’d never actually dated before.

It was why this whole situation was giving her so much grief and making me worry about her every time I heard the young heir’s name. The dread I felt was almost close to when I heard Mason’s name, usually as I was called up to fix his room after another wild party. There was plenty to be grateful for on that front, even though he was always annoying when he visited, he didn’t spend that much time around Charlotte within the year. I could be sure about Mason leaving.

Jessi didn’t have the same assurance with Trent, who happened to be the eldest son and, or so I’d heard, the one to inherit most of the Thompson Empire.

“Hey,” I said after a few minutes when she didn’t lift her head up. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Feeling a little worried, I put a hand on her forehead. She didn’t move to pull it off, but I sat back with a sigh of relief.

“You don’t have a fever, but you seriously look like shit. You’ve worked much longer shifts than today, and usually I find you still energetic at the end of the day. So why is today so different?”

“Because usually I love doing what I do. I enjoy my job, so how could it be draining?”

“What’s the problem today?”

She shrugged. “It’s nothing, really. I’m just stressing myself too much. I keep getting distracted which leads to making mistakes, which leads to getting reprimanded by the head chef.” Suddenly, she sat upright, looking at me with a frown. “Can you believe it? I was scolded! That hasn’t happened to me since my first few months working here, and that was years ago.”

“You’re just going through a rough patch,” I said sympathetically, leaning closer to pat her knee and trying to reassure her that not only was I her friend, but her best friend and she didn’t need to make me an enemy. After I developed cancer, positive thinking was the only thing that kept me going and I wasn’t about to stop now.

“I’m sure you’ll get your groove back! After all, not only are you a professional, your creations are world class. If you didn’t want to come home so quickly after your studies in France, you could have made a real name for yourself.”

The story had been an interesting one to hear. Jessi’s family wasn’t particularly privileged, the only reason she managed to score a ticket out of the country, was because of her abilities as a pastry chef. I knew she’d worked in France for some time, though she never gave much detail because for most of that time she was simply improving herself, not going out to have fun in the streets of Paris.

If it had been me, I would have had at least a little bit of fun. But that was me.

“You’re right,” Jessi said, looking at me with a stunned expression like it never occurred to her. “I don’t know why I’m letting this get me so badly. I am a professional, and this is my job! I can't keep letting my shit life interfere with my job.”

“That’s my girl,” I said with a wide grin, feeling happy that I’d made her feel better. I scooted closer for a hug that she returned readily. “I know things have been hectic for you since the Thompson boys started flocking home. And I’ve probably said this enough times for you, but seriously. If you want to talk about anything at all, I’m here for you.”

She stiffened a little before she pulled out of my arms. She had this guilty expression on her face. I smirked because I knew she was keeping something from me and ran my hands over her hair in a motherly fashion.

“We’ve been friends for a while, so I’m letting things slide for now. Just don’t stress yourself too much at work, all right? You might collapse in the end, and that would be bad. Stress is bad for your health.” I should know, after all. I was all about health for the past several years.

“I guess you’re right,” she conceded, making me smile.

“Right now, you should get home. Get something nice to eat, take a warm bath, and go to sleep. It’ll eat some of the stress of the day away, and I’m going to go home and do the same, okay?”