that.” The
words sounded harsh and she smiled at him to soften their effect. “You know
what I mean.”
“I think I do, yes. I had a buddy in
high school and when he suddenly started to hang out with a girl I didn’t know
what to do with myself for a while.”
She pushed away her empty soup bowl.
“What happened?”
“He married her a few years later and I
was his best man.” He smiled at the memory. “We’re still friends.”
Dale gazed into her coffee cup. “Morgan
and I have been friends for a long time.” She nodded to herself. “I’m sure it
hasn’t always been easy, having me for a friend, but she’s nothing if not
loyal.” She gave a deep sigh. “Did you have a normal upbringing?”
Chance shrugged. “If you call growing up
with two older sisters normal, then yes. They taught me just how strong a woman
can be.”
Her eyes flashed. “Are you being
condescending?”
They glared at each other for a moment
and then his demeanor softened. “You know I’m not being condescending.” The
dimple appeared in his cheek. “Did we just have our first fight?”
She looked away. He was getting to know
her too well already. “No,” she said, finally making eye contact. “But I’d
better get back to work.”
He moved his chair so she could get out.
She moved past him and he touched her lightly on the arm. “See you later. Maybe
we can talk about going skiing.”
“We can do that.” She’d thought about it
several times since last night. “See you later.”
* * *
“Hi!”
Morgan looked up from the desk. Adrian
was with Klaus and they appeared to be studying a manual. She looked around,
puzzled.
“It’s me!” The small voice was coming
from the other side of the desk. “Brandon.”
She stretched over the desk and looked
down. “Well hello there, Brandon.” The child appeared to be alone. “How did you
get down here? I didn’t see you come out of the elevator.”
“The stairs.” He looked pleased with
himself. “My Mom’s out skiing and Jacinta is watching television.” He looked at
her hopefully. “Do you have any toys?”
“I’m afraid not.” She looked up to see
Adrian crossing the lobby.
Adrian dropped down until he was at eye
level with the child. “Hello there. What’s your name?”
“I’m Brandon. Do you have any toys?”
Adrian looked at Morgan, then back to
the child. “Sorry, I don’t.”
The young boy sighed dramatically, and
Morgan hid a smile. “My nanny forgot to bring my toys.”
Morgan spoke up. “Young Mr. Glasser is
staying in 326/328 with his family. And his nanny,” she added, raising her
eyebrows slightly.
“Glasser?” He stood up. “Is that Peter
Glasser?” He leaned on the counter while Morgan checked.
“Yes, but he hasn’t arrived yet.”
Adrian looked down at the child. “The
Glassers are regular customers, but I haven’t met this young man before.” He
held out a hand “Well, Brandon. I’m sure your nanny is going to be looking for
you. Shall I take you back to your room?”
The boy hid his hand behind his back.
“Don’t want to go back,” he said.
Morgan motioned to Adrian.
“Wait here,” he said to the child. “I’ll
be right back.”
“I was about to take a short break,” she
said quickly. “I could take him with me and get him some ice cream or
something. We could call the nanny and see if it’s okay.”
He hesitated, but only for a moment.
“Okay.” He picked up the phone. “I’ll do it.”
* * *
“Really? I can have ice cream?” Brandon
was wide-eyed as Morgan settled him at the staff table in the restaurant.
“Just a small dish.” She couldn’t help
but smile at his enthusiasm. “We don’t want to ruin your dinner.”
Morgan ordered coffee for herself and a
small sundae for the child. He chattered away as he dug in. She was looking
outside, wondering if she’d spot Rob, when his words registered.
“What was that you said?” she asked.
“About the towels?”
He looked guilty.
words sounded harsh and she smiled at him to soften their effect. “You know
what I mean.”
“I think I do, yes. I had a buddy in
high school and when he suddenly started to hang out with a girl I didn’t know
what to do with myself for a while.”
She pushed away her empty soup bowl.
“What happened?”
“He married her a few years later and I
was his best man.” He smiled at the memory. “We’re still friends.”
Dale gazed into her coffee cup. “Morgan
and I have been friends for a long time.” She nodded to herself. “I’m sure it
hasn’t always been easy, having me for a friend, but she’s nothing if not
loyal.” She gave a deep sigh. “Did you have a normal upbringing?”
Chance shrugged. “If you call growing up
with two older sisters normal, then yes. They taught me just how strong a woman
can be.”
Her eyes flashed. “Are you being
condescending?”
They glared at each other for a moment
and then his demeanor softened. “You know I’m not being condescending.” The
dimple appeared in his cheek. “Did we just have our first fight?”
She looked away. He was getting to know
her too well already. “No,” she said, finally making eye contact. “But I’d
better get back to work.”
He moved his chair so she could get out.
She moved past him and he touched her lightly on the arm. “See you later. Maybe
we can talk about going skiing.”
“We can do that.” She’d thought about it
several times since last night. “See you later.”
* * *
“Hi!”
Morgan looked up from the desk. Adrian
was with Klaus and they appeared to be studying a manual. She looked around,
puzzled.
“It’s me!” The small voice was coming
from the other side of the desk. “Brandon.”
She stretched over the desk and looked
down. “Well hello there, Brandon.” The child appeared to be alone. “How did you
get down here? I didn’t see you come out of the elevator.”
“The stairs.” He looked pleased with
himself. “My Mom’s out skiing and Jacinta is watching television.” He looked at
her hopefully. “Do you have any toys?”
“I’m afraid not.” She looked up to see
Adrian crossing the lobby.
Adrian dropped down until he was at eye
level with the child. “Hello there. What’s your name?”
“I’m Brandon. Do you have any toys?”
Adrian looked at Morgan, then back to
the child. “Sorry, I don’t.”
The young boy sighed dramatically, and
Morgan hid a smile. “My nanny forgot to bring my toys.”
Morgan spoke up. “Young Mr. Glasser is
staying in 326/328 with his family. And his nanny,” she added, raising her
eyebrows slightly.
“Glasser?” He stood up. “Is that Peter
Glasser?” He leaned on the counter while Morgan checked.
“Yes, but he hasn’t arrived yet.”
Adrian looked down at the child. “The
Glassers are regular customers, but I haven’t met this young man before.” He
held out a hand “Well, Brandon. I’m sure your nanny is going to be looking for
you. Shall I take you back to your room?”
The boy hid his hand behind his back.
“Don’t want to go back,” he said.
Morgan motioned to Adrian.
“Wait here,” he said to the child. “I’ll
be right back.”
“I was about to take a short break,” she
said quickly. “I could take him with me and get him some ice cream or
something. We could call the nanny and see if it’s okay.”
He hesitated, but only for a moment.
“Okay.” He picked up the phone. “I’ll do it.”
* * *
“Really? I can have ice cream?” Brandon
was wide-eyed as Morgan settled him at the staff table in the restaurant.
“Just a small dish.” She couldn’t help
but smile at his enthusiasm. “We don’t want to ruin your dinner.”
Morgan ordered coffee for herself and a
small sundae for the child. He chattered away as he dug in. She was looking
outside, wondering if she’d spot Rob, when his words registered.
“What was that you said?” she asked.
“About the towels?”
He looked guilty.
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