watching him fold them casually and tuck them back into his hip pocket. She resisted the urge to pull them back out and straighten the creases.
He dug into his front pocket and pulled out a key ring. “Keys,” he told her. “The outside door and your front door are keyed differently, but this is a master that will get you into both. Also, there’s a storage area you can use if you need to, the smaller key fits the padlock on that.”
She blinked at the keys in her hand. “This is a Hooters keychain.”
“Yeah. The locksmith gave it to me for free.”
“You’re giving me my keys on a Hooters keychain.”
His mouth began to curve into a grin. “I’ve got a Betty Paige one, if you’d prefer.”
“I would, as a matter of fact,” she muttered. “But I’ll just put them on my plain old silver key chain.”
The grin got bigger. “Whatever works, honey.” He watched her slide the keys off the loop, accepting the offending keychain when she held it out.
“So.” She cleared her throat, suddenly at a loss for conversation. “Moving in Wednesday is okay?”
Nate gave the keychain a little toss. “Wednesday’s fine. Are you moving yourself?”
“Hmm? Oh. No,” she said. “My friend’s going to help me. Charles. You met him the other day.”
“Right, I remember. What kind of car do you drive?”
Lily blinked. “Huh?”
“Charles has the VW Bug, right? He’s the one who drove when you came by to see the apartment, so I just assumed.”
“Yeah, the Bug is his,” she said, confused.
“So what kind of a car do you drive?”
“Why?” she asked, still confused.
She couldn’t say why, but she got the impression he wanted to roll his eyes.
“You’re not going to get a lot of furniture in the Bug, so I just wondered if you drove a truck or something. For moving your furniture.”
“Ohhhh.” She gritted her teeth, feeling inane. “I drive a Civic, actually. Not much more room than the Bug. We’re going to rent a truck.”
“Oh. That’s good.” He jingled the change in his pocket and suddenly looked as uncomfortable as she felt. “Well, I guess I’ll see you Wednesday then.”
“You’ll be there?” she asked before she could stop herself.
“I live there,” he reminded her, and she gritted her teeth again.
“I meant to ask if you’d be there during the day. I assumed you’d have to work or something.”
“I pretty much make my own hours,” he told her. “I’ll be around all day.”
“Oh. Okay then, I guess I’ll see you Wednesday.”
“Wednesday,” he repeated, and with a wink turned to the door.
She held on to her stiff smile until he’d walked out the door. As soon as he was out of sight, her knees went limp as noodles and she let herself drop to a crouch behind the reception desk, covering her face with her hands.
“Oh my God,” she muttered. “I am such a dork.”
“Ms. Michaels?”
She looked up to find Jason hovering over her, looking poised to call for an ambulance. “Hi, Jason.”
“You all right, Ms. Michaels?”
“I’m fine, Jason.” She gave him a sickly smile. “I’m just contemplating my life.”
“Oh.” Jason looked as though he didn’t quite know what to do with that information and shifted uncomfortably. “Is there anything I can do?”
She sighed and pushed herself to her feet. “No, but thanks. I’m going to work in the office for a while. Call me if you need help with the debs.”
“Okay,” he said, looking uncertain, and she escaped into the office before he could ask any more questions.
Lily sat down at the desk with the serious intention of finishing the schedule. But the lines kept blurring, and when she realized she’d scheduled the housekeeping supervisor for a shift in the kitchen, she gave up and simply laid her head on the desk.
When the phone rang, she dragged the receiver over. “Pavillion Hotel, Lily speaking.”
“Lil, hi!” Bridget’s voice rang out, bright and cheerful.
Lily sighed with
He dug into his front pocket and pulled out a key ring. “Keys,” he told her. “The outside door and your front door are keyed differently, but this is a master that will get you into both. Also, there’s a storage area you can use if you need to, the smaller key fits the padlock on that.”
She blinked at the keys in her hand. “This is a Hooters keychain.”
“Yeah. The locksmith gave it to me for free.”
“You’re giving me my keys on a Hooters keychain.”
His mouth began to curve into a grin. “I’ve got a Betty Paige one, if you’d prefer.”
“I would, as a matter of fact,” she muttered. “But I’ll just put them on my plain old silver key chain.”
The grin got bigger. “Whatever works, honey.” He watched her slide the keys off the loop, accepting the offending keychain when she held it out.
“So.” She cleared her throat, suddenly at a loss for conversation. “Moving in Wednesday is okay?”
Nate gave the keychain a little toss. “Wednesday’s fine. Are you moving yourself?”
“Hmm? Oh. No,” she said. “My friend’s going to help me. Charles. You met him the other day.”
“Right, I remember. What kind of car do you drive?”
Lily blinked. “Huh?”
“Charles has the VW Bug, right? He’s the one who drove when you came by to see the apartment, so I just assumed.”
“Yeah, the Bug is his,” she said, confused.
“So what kind of a car do you drive?”
“Why?” she asked, still confused.
She couldn’t say why, but she got the impression he wanted to roll his eyes.
“You’re not going to get a lot of furniture in the Bug, so I just wondered if you drove a truck or something. For moving your furniture.”
“Ohhhh.” She gritted her teeth, feeling inane. “I drive a Civic, actually. Not much more room than the Bug. We’re going to rent a truck.”
“Oh. That’s good.” He jingled the change in his pocket and suddenly looked as uncomfortable as she felt. “Well, I guess I’ll see you Wednesday then.”
“You’ll be there?” she asked before she could stop herself.
“I live there,” he reminded her, and she gritted her teeth again.
“I meant to ask if you’d be there during the day. I assumed you’d have to work or something.”
“I pretty much make my own hours,” he told her. “I’ll be around all day.”
“Oh. Okay then, I guess I’ll see you Wednesday.”
“Wednesday,” he repeated, and with a wink turned to the door.
She held on to her stiff smile until he’d walked out the door. As soon as he was out of sight, her knees went limp as noodles and she let herself drop to a crouch behind the reception desk, covering her face with her hands.
“Oh my God,” she muttered. “I am such a dork.”
“Ms. Michaels?”
She looked up to find Jason hovering over her, looking poised to call for an ambulance. “Hi, Jason.”
“You all right, Ms. Michaels?”
“I’m fine, Jason.” She gave him a sickly smile. “I’m just contemplating my life.”
“Oh.” Jason looked as though he didn’t quite know what to do with that information and shifted uncomfortably. “Is there anything I can do?”
She sighed and pushed herself to her feet. “No, but thanks. I’m going to work in the office for a while. Call me if you need help with the debs.”
“Okay,” he said, looking uncertain, and she escaped into the office before he could ask any more questions.
Lily sat down at the desk with the serious intention of finishing the schedule. But the lines kept blurring, and when she realized she’d scheduled the housekeeping supervisor for a shift in the kitchen, she gave up and simply laid her head on the desk.
When the phone rang, she dragged the receiver over. “Pavillion Hotel, Lily speaking.”
“Lil, hi!” Bridget’s voice rang out, bright and cheerful.
Lily sighed with
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