No Reservations (A Romantic Comedy)

Chapter 19

2016

One of the reasons I don't mind working the long hours Valentine's weekend entails is because, on Monday, the hotel is going to be closing for a few days. The communal areas are getting revamped and it has been decided it would be easier to do this without guests in the way. So, as soon as the guests check out Monday morning, I am free until Friday!

I don't see Ryan much after "the kitchen incident". If part of me had been hoping he might knock on my door after he was back from sorting the body paint/streaking couple crisis on Friday night, that part of me was to be sadly disappointed. About half an hour after he left with Angus, I heard his footsteps walk directly to his own room, without any hesitation.

It was probably for the best.

For the rest of the weekend, we work our different shifts and are rarely in the same place when our hours overlap. I'm pretty much always aware of where he is though. My Ryan radar is now fully enabled.

The staff have all scattered by midday on Monday. Angus has bunged his bike on the back of his car and is headed north east for a couple of days. He did invite me but I thought it was for the best to keep my distance, for obvious reasons. The few other members of staff who live onsite have also taken the opportunity to explore Scotland further, so it appears I'll be on my own.

Well, sort of.

Because Ryan is still around too.

"Are you going away anywhere this week?" He asks me, appearing just as I'm switching off the computer in reception and locking the paperwork away.  I'm not sure where he thinks I'll be going given I don't have a car but he's probably just being polite.

"Nah," I shake my head. "Just going to hang around my room and catch up on my sleep probably."

His gaze lingers on me slightly longer than necessary, and I'm appalled to feel my nipples hardening in response to the look in his eyes. Hazy memories of Friday night reflect back at me. "Good to know," he says quietly, before turning and walking away.

I resist the urge to follow him.

I'm meeting Alice for lunch on Tuesday. Despite the fact she hadn't actually been due to give birth until early February, she had went into labour on the morning of her first official day of maternity leave, and she's still raging about it. "I never got to enjoy it," she laments now as we find a seat in the pub. I've not been in here since the night Angus kissed me. It's a lot quieter during the day.

"How much would you have enjoyed it anyway?" I ask, picking up a menu. "You were absolutely miserable at the end. In fact, I'm pretty sure the last thing you said to me before finishing up was 'I want this devil child out of me already'."

"You're not wrong there," she sighs. "Will we get a bottle of wine?"

"Sounds good to me." We order food and wine and then Alice gets her phone out to show me photos of baby Eva. I'm pretty sure I'm missing the baby gene myself, but Eva is absolutely adorable with her curly wisps of dark hair and big blue eyes, and I'm officially in love. "You'll need to bring her next time," I say.

"Definitely, but this time I'm just glad to get a break for a few hours. Allan can deal with her on his own for a change." Alice pours our drinks and holds her glass up for a cheers. "Here's to some baby-free time!"

I gladly clink my glass against hers and take a sip of my wine. Refreshing.

"So are you ready to talk yet?" Alice asks once we've eaten our meals and are onto a second drink. "Are you seriously telling me you and Ryan were never together?"