Page 18 of Love is a Game

“Good.”

There was a pause, and she wondered if that was all he had called to say or if he was just taking a bite of his lunch. Either way, she decided to take advantage of the break in conversation. She took a deep breath and asked, “Any word on the brand-director position?” She tried to keep her voice light, but her stomach fluttered as she waited for his answer.

“Nothing’s been decided yet,” he told her. “I’ll let you know when I hear something.”

Her shoulders drooped. Why was it taking so long? It felt like a bad sign, like they hadn’t been interested in anyone so they were interviewing more candidates. She hated waiting for news.

Archer spoke up again. “I got your email about the Cypress Hotel.”

“What do you think?” she asked, sitting up straighter in her seat.

“Seems like a good location, and it could really fit with what we’re trying to do out there. This isn’t the way we usually do things, but if you can put together a good pitch, I’ll set up a meeting with the acquisitions committee.“

“Really?”

“Yeah. It has to be solid, though, Sadie,” he warned. “If we’re going to take over an already existing building, it has to be exactly what we’re looking for. I would really play up the historical angle; that’s a great selling point.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Sadie said. “It could really draw people to the area.”

“I can send you a list of the kind of information you’ll need for the presentation. You said you hadn’t contacted the owner yet, so I tracked him down and gave him a call. He seemed very open to the idea of selling. Says you can have access to whatever records you need.”

“Wow, that’s great. I’m glad you were able to find his number.” She hadn’t had any luck finding it on her own. Robby had left Briar Cove so long ago, and it seemed he’d severed all connections when he did.

“Hey, that’s what my assistant is for, right? Anyway, he gave me the name of the guy who has all the documentation you’ll need, said you should get in touch with him. Andrew something. Hang on, I know I’ve got it written down somewhere.”

Sadie’s breath caught. This couldn’t be happening. She rubbed a hand over her face and asked in a squeak, “Price?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

Sadie held the phone away from her ear and whimpered. She was sure going to Robby directly would eliminate Andrew from the process, not lead her right back to him.

“Why, do you know him?” Archer asked.

“Yeah, I know him,” she said, wincing.

“Wow, small town, eh? Well, that’s great. If you’ve already got an in with him, then things should go pretty smoothly.”

Sadie gritted her teeth. “For sure.”

“I’ll set up that meeting for the end of next month. Do you think you could have everything ready by then?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll be ready.”

“Great.”

The call disconnected and she dropped her hand into her lap. All the tension that had left her shoulders during their golf game was back. She hadn’t expected pitching the Cypress to her superiors to be easy, but this was a challenge she wasn’t sure she could face.

She turned toward the window to hide her distress. Mossy tree trunks raced by as they sped along the highway, there and gone in a second. Between them, ferns and blackberry bushes competed for space. Everywhere she looked, great leafy plants burst forth with life. As far as cities go, Seattle was incredibly lush and overgrown, but it was nothing compared to the peninsula. She hadn’t realized how much she missed it. If it weren’t for this mess with Andrew, she might actually enjoy being back home.

“Everything all right?” Bob asked, startling her out of her thoughts.

“Yeah,” she lied. “Sounds like they’re willing to consider purchasing the Cypress.”

“Well, that’s great. Did I hear him say something about Andrew?”

“Oh, yes. Looks like I might need to ask him for help.” She tried to sound nonchalant but by the look on her dad’s face, she didn’t think he bought it.

He gave her a sly grin and turned back to the road. “I know you and Andrew didn’t get along back in school—”