Page 191 of Lost in the Dark

But she just shook her head, her face giving nothing away as she walked away. "Headache," she mumbled.

I turned to face Gemma with an eyebrow raised.

"What's going on there?"

Gemma shrugged. "You know how she is sometimes. Overwhelm. It was a lot on the bus. You're lucky you got to miss out on that."

Food arrived in an organized wave, and in a blink, our table was full.

"I'll be lucky if I can still sit down after Tom is finished telling me off for being a force of chaos in the morning." I groaned, but the prospect of a dressing down couldn't dampen my hunger when the scent of barbeque hit my nose. I reached for a chicken leg, biting into it. "Oh, yum!" The flesh was perfectly cooked, mouth wateringly seasoned. If we got to eat like this for every meal, I would be a very happy camper.

"God, this is good," Gemma said.

"Do you think they're trying to fatten us up for the bears in the woods?" I winked, and Gemma rolled her eyes.

"No bears, no drama. This is going to be a wonderful week, and you're going to finally make some better connections and get Tom off your back. Show him youarea team player." Gemma gave me a pointed look, and I sighed before nodding.

She was right, and she knew best, because she was the leader of a different team at the office. She and Tom no doubt had little chats about their problematic staff, and I was pretty sure my name was on that list.

"I'm going to try. I promise." I put my hand on my heart and hoped that she knew I wasn't bullshitting. Ever since splitting with Karl, I'd been trying to reclaim a position on Tom's good book. In the months before the breakup, there had been too many 'sick' days, when I couldn't cover up the bruises or black eyes that the asshole had inflicted on me. I hadn't known how to tell Tom the truth… and I still didn't believe he'd care. But the benefits were good, and the salary was enough to live on my own—and that's what mattered.

Gemma reached over and squeezed my hand. I'd come clean to her after I'd finally escaped, so she knew that it had been bad. Knew I had a reason for my 'poor work ethic.'

"And you will. I trust you. Now eat, before it gets cold and the others devour everything in sight."

My belly was way too full when we left the outdoor area. I'm not too proud to admit that I slipped behind a large planter in order to avoid an awkward conversation with Tom, but that meant that when everyone else had made their way to their rooms or inside the building, I was still standing on the banquet deck with no idea where to go.

Why was I always such a fuckup?

"Do you need something, Miss?" A young woman approached me, dressed in the same uniform the other staff had been wearing.

"Um, yeah," I admitted, scrunching up my face. "I missed the bus and ended up getting here late, so I'm not sure how to find my room."

"No problem. Why don't you come with me? I can help." She tilted her head towards the welcoming interior of the building. I thought my boss might be inside, but there was no way around it. I needed keys and directions, and then I could hide for the rest of the night.

"Thanks," I said.

Couldn't fault the staff here. They had so far been very helpful. The door slid open as we approached, the warmth from inside hitting my face and making my body melt. It was that perfect temperature, not too hot, but blissfully comforting. Everything, from the location to the food to the climate settings was perfect. No wonder this place was popular.

I followed the woman through another restaurant and the bar area before we got to the reception desk. It was solid wood, curving with what I could only assume had been the shape of the massive branch it had come from. She slipped behind the desk, and I moved to the customer side, resting my elbows on the polished surface.

"What was your name?" she asked, clicking keys on the keyboard.

"Keziah Banks, with the Greer Group."

"Naturally," she said with a soft smile. "Right, I can see where you need to be. It's a little off the main path, so why don't we grab your bags and I'll escort you there."

Off the main path. Was this my punishment for being late with my registration?

I noticed her name was Clarissa, and I tried to note it in my mind so I could put a good word in for her when I left.

We stepped back outside to find that it had started raining. She deftly stepped back inside and grabbed a large umbrella from the stand by the door, sheltering me as we headed to my car. I was thankful I only had one small case.

"Tomorrow, we'll have breakfast in the main restaurant." Clarissa manned the umbrella while I dragged my luggage. "Hopefully, the rain has cleared up a little so that you can all enjoy your activities."

"I'm sure we'll have to do them regardless of the weather," I said with a wry smile.

"Some, but not all. We can't use the rope courses in the rain. Safety."