White Magic Christmas

Chapter 7: December 2

Ivy contemplated skipping breakfast in the morning, just to avoid having to talk to Geri, but ultimately decided that would be childish, and possibly cause Geri additional trouble if she tried to save her a plate again and Ivy never turned up.

"It's about people," she reminded herself. "People and how they're connected to their places. I will respect the people and they will realize I'm only trying to help."

"Nice pep talk," Jeffrey said. Ivy stuck her tongue out at him as she headed out the door.

The table was absolutely packed when she arrived at 7:30. She hadn't thought about how many rooms the inn contained, but judging from the fourteen people piling eggs onto their plates, it had to be more than she thought. Most were retirees, here to check "Mysterious ice sculptures of Slate Hollow" off their bucket lists. Ivy demurred when asked about her own reason for wanting to see the ice, making vague references to a research project. Geri, when she appeared occasionally to refill juice glasses or remove dirty dishes, paid Ivy no mind at all other than the "good morning" required by some secret Innkeeper's Script.

Ivy was happy to listen to what everyone else had to say about the ice, but didn't learn anything she hadn't already heard. Nevertheless, she stayed until the last of the other diners scraped back their chairs and disappeared to do whatever it was they would all do until the weather turned.

She picked up her plate and mug and started toward the kitchen, meaning to at least prove herself a polite guest. A sign in dark capital letters beside the door read, "STAFF ONLY," however, so she hesitated. Invading Geri's private spaces might prove that she was intrusive, rather than helpful.

Instead, she stacked up all the remaining dishes and cups, brushing crumbs from the tablecloth and emptying the mugs into the little sink next to the sideboard. She had just stood back to contemplate what more she could do when Geri came out of the kitchen.

"You don't need to do that," Geri said. She picked up as many mugs as could be safely carried, then piled on a few more.

"Didn't need to," Ivy agreed, "but my mama taught me to always try and leave a place tidier than I found it."

"Wish there were more mamas like yours," Geri said. She hadn't yet met Ivy's eyes.

"Will you let me carry the plates into the kitchen?" Ivy asked.

"Really, it's fine," Geri said. She sounded impatient, or frustrated. "Just let me do my job please?"

"The thing is, I think you're doing your job and the job of at least two others," Ivy said. "Laurel isn't here. Brynn must be in school. You have anyone back there scrubbing your pans?" The heavy breath Geri took was answer enough.

"Let me at least be as helpful as I'd be if a friend had served me such a lovely breakfast," Ivy said. In truth, the food had been passable at best, but Ivy wouldn't have said so for the world.

Geri finally nodded and Ivy followed behind her into the kitchen. Where the rest of the inn was paneled in wood and draped with heavy curtains, the kitchen was nothing but white walls, stainless steel surfaces, and bright sunshine. If felt like a gulp of fresh air.

Ivy made two more laps to collect the last of the dishes and the breakfast accessories, then without a word began rinsing off the plates and restacking them where Geri could reach them to put them in the dishwasher, or sanitizer, or whatever the beast of a machine was. That finished, she grabbed a clean cloth and wiped off the water that had splashed around the sink.

"Thank you," Geri finally said. She looked up and finally looked right at Ivy. "Really. I shouldn't have been so short with you yesterday," she said. "You caught me by surprise. I know you're just doing your job, and your job isn't to drive five hundred people out of their homes, it's just to write a report and send it on to the next bureaucrat. You seem like a decent enough person, aside from poor taste in employers."