“Mitch, I’m going to be here and New Hampshire working for months. Would you be interested in being hired to work just for me for, let’s say, six months?” I rubbed my hands together. “I’ll double your pay.”
“I’m all yours. I’ll just let the agency know.” Mitch slowly moved us through the parking lot. “I can handle other things for you as well. Just say the word.”
“My first word is that you need to not drive home tonight so I took the liberty of booking you a room, too.” I double-checked my seatbelt. “I hope we don’t have far to go in this.”
“Only a few miles, but I’m taking side roads to avoid traffic,” Mitch assured me.
After twenty minutes of trekking through the snow, we finally reached the hotel. I paid the valet extra to keep the Hummer at the front. My assistant had already checked me in, so I grabbed the key and went to my room.
“Mitch, be sure to order anything you want from room service.” We walked to the elevator together. “I see you have a bag there. Do you always carry it?”
“I do. You never know when a customer needs you to stay,” Mitch nodded. “I believe in being ready.”
“I like that. You have a good night. I’ll message you in the morning.” I stopped at my door. “It won’t be before nine. Better to let them get the roads salted first, so sleep in.”
“I’ll be available anytime, sir,” Mitch said, then went down the hall.
My pilot was used to being stranded somewhere, anywhere, working for me. Entering my suite, I wasn’t surprised at all to find my luggage already in my room. I’ve always been a bit of a drifter and a decide-as-I-go guy. It’s been a “where is the next party” kind of life for me and I’ve loved it, but with my partner in crime getting married, things were changing for me. Now I wanted to do more, be more. I kicked off my shoes and stretched out on the bed before grabbing the phone to place a food order.
My cell rang just as I hung up the room phone. “Hey man, what’s up?” I asked Sawyer.
“Ash, where are you? I’m at your penthouse with blueprints,” Sawyer said. “Let me guess, you’re on a date or at a club?”
“Neither, smart guy. I’m in a hotel room in smalltownsville,” I yawned. “The storm was too bad to fly home.”
“I guess I thought you would have gotten home before the storm got too bad,” Sawyer prodded. “Do I hear you yawning at eight o’clock at night? Because normally at eight you’d just be leaving to go out clubbing.”
“Whereas that’s not far from the truth, I have to disappoint you.” I clicked the tv on. “This working stuff is exhausting.”
“Now that sounds like you,” Sawyer continued talking. “I heard from Johnny that you had some new design ideas. If this storm clears up, I’d love to come see what you’re doing before going to the manor tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. Let me know when you get in. I’ll send my driver for you,” I mumbled.
“Ash, are you seriously falling asleep in the middle of talking to me?” Sawyer yelled. “I’ll see ya tomorrow, late morning.”
“I’m not sleeping. Gotta run, room service is at my door. Later, man.”
Room service had brought my order just in time. Sawyer had been right. I was falling asleep while we were talking. I thanked them and rolled the table over to the bed. Tonight, I was going to have dinner in bed. I was surprised that I didn’t need to be out partying. I sent Sawyer a text.
“Did you ever hear anything about my cell?”
“Nothing, but then I haven’t tried very hard.”Sawyer responded.
“I keep forgetting to ask the elf.”
“You haven’t remembered to ask the pretty elf?”
“I’ve been busy.”
“But you haven’t gone out of your way to talk to a pretty elf?”
“Knock it off. You make me sound like a crazy girl-chaser.”
“And!? Am I wrong?”
“Yes, fine. No.”
“How are you getting to the manor tomorrow night?”