by Kate Kelley
“I know, I’m sorry,” I breathed as my cheeks burned and thawed in the hearth’s heat. I’d walked today, though why I couldn’t fathom. It was cold as Arctic hell outside, and I only began feeling it when I was already halfway there. It was only a fifteen minute walk, but it felt like thirty in the December air. It was December first, and the day my wedding was supposed to happen. For that reason alone, it'd been a shitty day from the start. Now it'd be a shitty night.
I pulled my coat off and slung it behind the front desk chair, and set down my purse.
Frances pulled the cigarette out of her mouth for a moment. “A young couple took room thirteen. Heard it was haunted and wanted a thrill. Don’t be surprised if they want to switch their room tomorrow.” She replaced the cigarette and hightailed her bedazzled butt out the door, her bleach blonde split ends swaying as she practically jogged.
I sighed and sat down, pulling up the guest list on the computer, scrolling through to make sure Frances had entered all of the guests’ information.
It was my first day back after my leave of absence. The inn was one of kind, and had a cute, mom and pop vibe to it. I don’t know if a mom and pop actually owned it. In fact, I had no clue who owned it. I should probably know that, being an employee, but the owner didn’t show their face around here, and my fellow employees didn’t mention the person, nor did my boss, Row.
I leaned back in my chair and listened to the quiet sounds of the inn. The sun was well on it’s way down, only a sliver of pink on the horizon still lit the world. I wasn’t ready for an overnight shift, but I didn’t really have a choice. I’d specifically asked to not be scheduled for nights, but apparently Row didn’t care. Row was a jackass, anyway. Attractive, maybe, if you liked that Italian, manicured, pretty boy look, but still a jackass. He talked nonstop, and only about himself, unless it was to talk about some ugly or hot “broad” he’d met the night before. Anyway, he didn’t come around that often, so it was fine.
I leapt to my feet and began to tidy the desk area, wiping it down with a cloth underneath the counter. I could tell the night shift would be slow. For one, it was freezing. For two, it was night time. Not many people came through at night looking for a place to stay in the little town of Emerald, did they? I guess I would find out.
After wiping down the front desk, I vacuumed the front carpet, then crossed to the secluded sitting room to the side of the main sitting room. The employees used it as a break room. A marble bust in the corner of the room wobbled as I accidentally rammed the vacuum into it. I scrambled to right it, my heart beating out of my chest. I over-corrected it and it landed on the other side of the pedestal, smashing sharply into a million pieces on the floor.
I froze.
Shit.
I had no idea how much that had cost. Probably my job.
“Do you make it a habit of breaking expensive things on the job?”
The sharp voice frightened me out of my skin. I sighed and buried my face in my hands. “I’m sorry, Row. I’ll--just take it out of my paycheck.” I turned to grab a dustpan and a broom, too embarrassed to make eye contact with my boss.
I saw him melt into a tufted maroon chair to the left of the broken bust. Of course he would sit right by where I had to clean, just to make me feel even worse as he lorded over me.
I knelt onto the ornamental rug and began brushing the broken pieces into the dustpan, feeling Row’s stare like hot coals on my scalp the entire time. Finally done with my work, I stood and looked at him, my face flushed tomato red.
Row grinned, showing the squareness of his filed-down, perfect white teeth. A diamond earring glittered in one of his earlobes. I wanted to yank it out. I threw away the marble bust pieces, and put away the broom and dustpan. I was waiting for Row to speak, to reprimand me, fire me, anything, just to get it out of the way.
“Come sit with me, kid,” he finally said, the grin still in place. I resisted rolling my eyes at the word “kid”--I was twenty-six, and Row couldn’t have been more than thirty. I walked stiffly to the chair across from his and sat, my hands under my thighs so he wouldn’t see them shaking. I wasn’t scared. I was angry. I hated feeling vulnerable, and Row knew it.
My boss looked at the corner where the vacated marble bust used to stand and grimaced theatrically before turning back to face me. He wiped his forefinger and thumb over his cleanly-shaved chin. “Didn’t you break a vase on your first day too? Mr. Wolfram isn’t going to be happy about that. Did you know that that bust was here when his grandfather bought this mansion?”
My insides clenched threatening to implode. “Mr. Wolfram?”
Row sighed and crossed his ankles, his chinos riding up even more, revealing high socks decorated with the shape of a large-breasted woman in a barely-there, red bikini.
“The owner of The August Bed? Come on, Rai, really? Did you not do your homework at all before you came here?”
My throat squelched, refusing to let me speak. I was screwing this up. Where the fuck would I go? I needed to apply to another job tonight. I’d been living paycheck to paycheck and with the three-week leave of absence and no pay, I wouldn’t make another month’s rent if I was fired right now. I could call my dad...That thought did worse to my stomach than the talk I was having now with Row.
“I--Let me apologize.” I took a deep breath, willing myself to make eye contact with the professional douchebag. His brown eyes glittered with mirth. I wanted to strangle him with his useless chiffon scarf. “I have nothing else to say except that I am sorry. Is there a way to...I don’t know, purchase another one? Take it out of my paycheck? Or--”
Row raised his hands in mock defense. “Hey, kid, don’t take it up with me. I don’t give a flying fuck about that piece of stone. It was creepy as hell, anyway, with it’s white eyeballs. Talk to Mr. Wolfram tomorrow morning during the meeting. God knows I’m not going to break the news to him anyway. It’s not going to be on me, that’s what I know.”
My mouth went dry. “T--tomorrow morning, there’s a meeting?” Like the meeting I had the incident during. And the owner would be there, God have mercy.
Row stood abruptly and crossed to the bar that was situated on the other side of the sitting room. He pulled the wad of gum out of his mouth and threw it underneath in the small bin, then helped himself to a vodka, filling his glass two fingers full.
I wiggled my fingers. “Are you...working tonight?”
“Just for a few hours. I’ll be in room One going over paperwork. Don’t fall asleep.” He pointed at me with a finger he lifted off of his glass, and vacated the room. I heard him shuffle down the hallway, leaving me to sit with only sound of the crackling fire to fill the silence.
After cleaning every single vacant room and doing linen laundry, it was still only ten o’clock. No one had come in. The young couple from room thirteen came down to eat at eight thirty for a late supper. I heated up leftovers that the Cook, Rachelle, had kept in for emergencies. They hadn’t seemed to notice and I left them in peace to eat in the giant dining room.
I sat behind the front desk and drummed my fingers on the smooth marble of it. The cold wind howled against the front door and I wondered if I’d seen a flurry of snow against the window. I got up to peer out. It was hard to tell with the front lights on, so I flipped the switch down and waited for my eyes to adjust.
The night was surprisingly bright as the full moon glowed hazy blue over the small town. I watched black clouds move over the moon, my breath fogging up the chilled window.
“You need to stay behind your desk.”
I jumped, clutching my chest. “God,” I breathed. Row smiled tightly, a stack of papers in his hand. “I’m leaving. Lock the door behind me, and open it only for customers.”
“How will I know who is a customer and who's not?”
Row shrugged and moved past me and out of the door. “Don’t leave tomorrow until after the meeting.”
“What time--?” He was already walking past the shroud of the light, disappe
aring into darkness.
I grumbled under my breath as I bolted the door and drew the shades, then returned to the desk, since I shouldn’t have left it. I rolled my eyes at Row, now free to do so, while I rummaged inside my purse for my book, thankful I had had the foresight to pack it. I leaned back and placed my feet up on the chair, curling my legs underneath myself.
By midnight, I had finished the book. It was an okay ending, happy. The main character married the guy and she told him she was pregnant. I guess it was expected for a historical romance, but it came off as really cheesy. I think I’ll stick to my paranormal romance from now on.
I unbent my legs, stretching the stiffness out and crossed to the coffee maker in the sitting/break room. There was tepid coffee in it from a few hours ago. It would do. I splashed it into my used mug and chugged it straight black, setting it back down with a clack when the last drop passed onto my tongue.
I stifled a yawn and turned to leave when something cold passed over my neck. I stopped and a long shiver ran along my spine.
Turning around, I gazed at the curtains for signs of movement. Perhaps a window had been left open? There was no movement, but at that point, I just wanted to get out of there so further inspection would just have to wait until the morning. I flipped the light off and walked swiftly to my chair, imagining those swirly light ghosts stalking closely on my heels. Out of mind, Rai.
When I sank into my desk chair, it took a good while for me to relax. I sat stiff, my shoulders tense, my eyes flitting around the large expanse of the front foyer.
Finally, when the threat seemed to be gone, or imagined, I moved the mouse next to the computer screen. Why there was no internet in this place was beyond me. My own phone was a cheap flip phone, so boredom was inevitable. I scrolled through the programs until I found Solitaire. Aha! I could definitely waste a few hours playing this.
Watch me.
Chapter Three
My head pounded against my skull and something stuck to my face, searing my skin in a sharp, numbing pain. I bolted upright and looked around, the bright sunlight blinding me.
What the….
I wiped slobber off my chin and felt square-shaped bumps on my cheek. I squeezed my eyes shut and reopened them, pushing back from the desk, the wheels of my chair whooshing me backward until I ran into the bookshelf behind me. I stopped.
Shit.
I’d fallen asleep.
The pounding continued in my head. No, not my head. I whipped my head toward the door a second before leaping up, stumbling into the side of the desk as I careened around it on my way to it. I threw the curtain aside. Row’s red face stared back at me.
Double shit.
I unbolted the door and Row pushed it open, sending me stumbling back. I smoothed my hair as his glinting eyes trailed over my appearance.
“You fell asleep,” he said, bustling past me. He dropped his briefcase and removed his coat, slinging it into a chair.
“No, I was...cleaning. I didn’t hear you knock.”
Row rounded on me. “The door was locked. We unlock it for the day at five a.m. It’s now six-oh-two and Mr. Wolfram will be here any minute. Did you get any guests during the night?”
He moved past me and rounded the front desk, then began clicking through the computer. He raised an eyebrow at me. “Solitaire?”
My face flushed an awful shade of red, I was sure.
Row curled his glossed lips at me. “God, go to the bathroom and wipe the crusted slobber and smeared mascara off of your face. You look like a fucking zombie, and not the hot kind. And rub it with a cold towel to get the keyboard marks off your cheek.” He turned back to the computer, shaking his head.
A hot zombie? Row had more issues than I thought. I touched my face and my fingers met flaky grossness and the square bumps.
I bolted to the bathroom when I heard the bell tinkle as someone opened the door. I locked the bathroom door behind me, but relaxed when I heard the muffled whine of Frances’s voice. I turned and cringed at my reflection. My auburn, wavy hair was frizzed and tousled, and not in a good way. I scrubbed the slobber off and wiped the mascara from under my hazel eyes. I then took a corner of the washcloth and wiped down my teeth. If I’d known about this meeting, I would have brought a toothbrush. God, Row could have told me ahead of time.
I splashed my face with ice cold water even as it took my breath away. It seemed to help calm down the puffiness and redness. I combed my hair with my fingers and smoothed it behind my head. I should have brought a hair tie. My black long sleeved henley and dark jeans would have to do. Normally I would have dressed up more nicely, but it was an overnight shift. I didn’t think I’d need to be as presentable, thought I could be more comfortable. Boy, was I ever wrong.
When I returned to the foyer, there was a crowd of twelve people convened around the front desk, drinking coffee and chattering. I recognized most of my fellow colleagues . Three of the older ladies were maids exclusively, Rosa included. The rest were desk agents, like me. I watched as Frances crossed to the bar and poured a splash of whiskey into her coffee mug. She pierced me with a look as she turned back around. “Don’t look at me like that, princess, it’s too early for this shit and Mama don’t play.”
I’ve been called a zombie and a princess today. I speculated on what that could mean.
Row clapped his hands suddenly. “If I could get everyone to stop talking, that would be great.” Annoyance was slapped all over his chiseled face. He whipped his head back as if to push his perfectly coiffed hair out of his face, even though it wasn’t in his face at all. It didn’t move.
Frances cocked out a hip and shook her head as she blew on her coffee, glaring at her boss. She hated Row more than I did.
“I need everyone to convene into the meeting room now.” He glanced at his giant, sparkly watch. “You have four minutes until he gets here.”
The crowd mumbled as they dispersed, walking leisurely toward the end of the hallway, where we took a left turn. George, a middle-aged, balding man, opened a heavy door to the right of the corridor labeled “Meeting Room” with a gold plaque.
My hands turned clammy as I entered the room. This was the place I had the incident, and forgetting about it while in there was proving to be rather difficult. I numbly took a seat around the glossy mahogany table, and stared up at the vaulted, tiered ceiling, my eyes trailing over the peeling paint of the mural that adorned each of the three tiers. Cherubs, angry looking gods, angels, demons. Who the hell would want to eat dinner while chubby little buck-naked angels and red-eyed demons watched you from above?
Rosa sat next to me and I was grateful. She had a way of calming me down. Why, I didn’t know. I glanced at her and smiled and she winked at me and slid a cup of coffee and a cheese danish toward me.
“Oh, Rosa, you didn’t have to do that. Thank you.”
“You a nice girl. Don’t worry.” She kissed her cross necklace and then buried it under her shirt. I wondered if she knew my job was hanging in the balance. Perhaps Row had filled them in while I was in the bathroom. Row would do something like that.
The door opened and Row came in, his face brightly flushed. His look was like daggers, and I reared back before glancing at Rosa. Her brows came together and I shrugged and sipped the too-hot coffee, burning my tongue.
Row lit the fireplace hurriedly and then the candelabras in the corners, lighting the dark room in an orange and yellow glow. It was an inner room, no windows, so it was shrouded in shadow naturally. Combined with the creepy mural and the flickering candlelight, the room was weird at best. I took a giant bite out of cheese danish, and the cheese in the middle spilled over the edge, some of it dribbling on my black shirt. I wiped it up with my thumb and licked it off. My eyes trailed toward my colleagues when I realized the entire room had gone silent, then I followed the path of their gaze. And I froze, cheek full of Danish.
Two black eyes stared at me from behind thick lashes. I chewed quickly and swallowed, choking down the bi
te, tears stinging my eyes. I covered my mouth with my hand to hide the embarrassing mess I’d made.
The man with the black eyes was dressed in a gray suit, cut perfectly to accentuate his broad shoulders and lean waist. His black hair fell in a straight curtain to his shoulders.
It was the fire man. The man from two nights ago. The man who had rescued the kids, gone into the flaming apartment with nothing on but a white t-shirt and jeans, and then had proceeded to disappear out of thin air.
His stare continued to pierce mine, his expression giving nothing away. Finally he looked away and he addressed the table. “All of you know me already, but for our newest employee, I’d like to introduce myself.” He looked at me again and my stomach dropped. “Welcome. My name is August Wolfram. I own The August House.”
The fire man was my boss. What kind of twisted world was I living in? Perhaps I really did have something wrong with me. Maybe I was hallucinating this very meeting. After all, I hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. Two, maybe three hours?
He raised his eyebrows, a confused smile on his lips. “And you are?” He glanced at Row, who looked like he was having trouble reigning in his irritation.
“Rai. Sorry. My name is Rai...Peterson.” I mentally kicked myself at my bumbling answer.
He nodded curtly. “Miss Peterson, welcome.”
Again, he addressed the team, placing his hands on the table. “I was going to use this meeting for positive recognition, and in general, it is. You all do fine work, and our numbers are average for the season. But I must also address a few issues that have been called to my attention.” He picked up a clipboard and his eyes scanned the paper quickly. “Two items have been broken in the past month. A vase and...what was the other thing?” He looked to Row again.
Row pointed his laser eyes at me. I cringed, my voice stuck.
Eff it. Let’s just get it over with so I could move on to my next job.
