Craig was not surprised. “We can do both.” He moved to the trunk and retrieved their bags just as the bell-boy arrived at the vehicle.
“Welcome to Heritage Inn and Resort, sir. I will bring your bags inside. Registration is in the main foyer just inside those doors.”
“Thank you,” Craig said, as Selene nudged him while patting the wallet in his rear pocket. He pulled it out and gave the man a bill, and then looked at the woman by his side with annoyance. Did she think he knew nothing about tipping?
As they approached the entrance he took in the grandeur of this historical colonial building. The bright splashes of trim colors and the gardens in full bloom, helped to dispel the foul mood that was settling into his being. He opened the huge door and the inside equally captured his interest. Old architecture was his secret passion and every detail of this resort oozed with it.
Again, Selene nudged him. “There is the registration desk,” she pointed. “I hope all this wood doesn’t set off my allergies. I prefer marble; its much more elegant. You’d have thought the real Mrs. Claus would have known that and sent us somewhere exotic. I’m beginning to think this gift was from Steven just to get rid of me.”
“I thought work was a forbidden subject this week,” Craig reminded her.
“Whatever,” she groaned. “Just find out where we’re staying. I want to soak in the tub for at last an hour. Airplane seats are so cramped.”
Within a few minutes, they headed upstairs. A stately-looking couple were heading down at the same time and Craig watched as the man’s face turned a ghostly white. He bounded up the four steps and took his arm to steady him. “Are you okay, sir?”
The man, probably in his mid forties, appeared to recover as the gorgeous woman at his side fussed.
“Yes, just a bit light-headed. Thank you, young man for your concern.”
He reached out his hand in greeting. “The name’s Craig Landers. And this is my girlfriend, Selene. Just checking in for the week.”
The woman took over the conversation as the man seemed to be at a loss for words again. “My name is Barbie, and Trace, my newlywed husband, who undoubtedly has had a bit too much sun on our honeymoon.”
“Congratulations. You chose a wonderful place to spend your honeymoon,” Craig said. Selene poked mercilessly at his back and flashed her pearly white smile to the couple facing them. Craig got the message. “We need to get unpacked so we can start exploring. Have a nice day.” He turned to Selene. “Ready?”
He heard her mumble under her breath but could not make out the words. Probably best. When they reached their suite on the second floor, Craig slid the key-card that admitted them inside.
“Coming, sir,” said the bus-boy from up the hallway while wheeling a cart with their luggage. Craig left the door open while Selene disappeared behind another across the room. The two men unloaded the bags and placed them just inside the door. “This is the dual room – the largest we have at the Inn. Two bathrooms, two bedrooms and the common area here in the middle. We trust it is to your specifications sir?”
Craig arched his brow. He had no idea what he’d be getting into, the one-room reservation throwing him off. He didn’t think Mrs. Claus was into rooming unwed couples together, but of course, if Steven was the originator of the gift vacation, any arrangement would satisfy his purpose to be rid of Selene so as to get his feet secured into the upstairs office. But the red heart ornament was the touch that separated the two possibilities. Steven did not appear to be the type to include such a unique gift to the competition he’d left in his dust. Whereas, Mrs. Claus, she might be supplying the trip for a totally different reason.
“Two rooms?” Craig stammered and then quickly added, “Of course, just as we arranged. Thank you.”
When Craig shut the door, he looked to the right, knowing Selene had disappeared to the left. He grew to like this deal better by the minute for he enjoyed his privacy and did not want to share a bathroom with someone who took an hour-long soak in the tub.
He resolved to have fun on this vacation. Craig was tired too. The contract that had brought him to work in Atlanta was demanding, and he couldn’t wait for the job to be over so he could return to the quietness of small-town life. He wondered what that would mean for his new relationship with Selene as he tossed his bag on the bed and went to the French doors to let the fresh air inside. Unlike his room-mate, he preferred the natural heat of the day to the constant blowing from air-conditioners, and felt grateful for this separate space to rule as his own.
Donning shorts and a button shirt, sandals and sunglasses, he left the room ten minutes later. Selene’s luggage still sat by the entrance, and when he heard water running on the other side of her private domain, he dragged her bags closer and dropped them just outside the door where she could grab them easier after finishing her bath. A notepad sat on the table and he scribbled a note. Be back soon. Gone to investigate. Craig XO. He’d gotten into the habit of signing off the many notes he left for his absentee-girlfriend with a kiss and hug and wondered if that spoke of his depth of intimacy with the woman who merely squeezed him into her schedule like yesterday’s leftovers.
This was becoming a habit for him lately – picking women who didn’t want him for anything more than an escort, someone they could flaunt to the world that they were loved and unavailable,
