Page 53 of Love is a Game
Work for Genevieve? Sadie couldn’t believe it. The offer was far beyond what she could have expected. If she were involved with the coastal collection that would mean no more out-of-state travel. She would have more opportunities to visit her family, which didn’t feel like quite the burden it used to. And when Genevieve went back to headquarters, who knew what kind of strings she could pull on Sadie’s behalf? Her heart raced at the very idea.
She nodded, trying to shake out some of her nervous energy. “I certainly will.”
“Good. I can’t promise anything though. Like I said, a lot is dependent on whether Maddox actually acquires the property.”
“Of course, I understand.”
“Wonderful. I’m glad we had a chance to talk.” Genevieve stood and Sadie followed her to the door, where she paused. “Oh, one other thing. I know you mentioned all of the benefits of historic landmark status, but in reality it just makes for extra hoops we’ll have to jump through. We’ve discussed it, and everyone feels it would make things easier if that didn’t happen.”
“Oh.” Sadie swallowed. “Are you sure? The financial incentives—”
“Are not worth the red tape. It just leaves us with unnecessary constraints on what we could do out there.”
“I see,” she said in a weak voice. Her mind was searching frantically for a way to change Genevieve’s mind, but the woman probably knew far more about this than she did. “I should warn you though,” she began. “I think the process has already started. There might not be anything we can do.”
“Yes, I heard about that.” Genevieve inspected her long, dark fingernails. “Archer says you’re familiar with the gentleman leading the efforts. Is that correct?”
“Yes.” She shoved her clammy hands into her pockets.
Genevieve gave her a meaningful look and said, “Well then, I suggest you put a stop to it.”
Sadie’s heart dropped. Even as the color drained from her face, she felt herself nod.
Genevieve smiled. “Very good. I’ll be in touch.”
Sadie stumbled back to her desk and sat down hard, dropping her face into her hands. Archer had told her to play up the hotel’s history. It hadn’t ever occurred to her that being a landmark would be a drawback. She’d given Andrew so many assurances, but what choice did she have? After two years of trying to move up in the company, this was her best chance to make it happen. If Genevieve made her part of the coastal collection team, she might have some say in what happened to the property. She could protect it from within the company.
How would Andrew take it when she told him she couldn’t help with the application? She considered not saying anything, simply putting him off and delaying the process until Maddox had a chance to make an offer, but that could take months. She knew she couldn’t lie to him anyway. The very thought made her sick to her stomach.
She stared at her cell phone. All the butterflies she’d felt earlier about his dinner invitation were gone, replaced with absolute dread. She wanted to call him and cancel, to hide in Port Angeles for the next month in order to avoid him altogether. At the very least, she could stay in Seattle a few more days. Except that she and Julie had plans for Wednesday morning. She knew, too, that putting off the inevitable would just prolong her discomfort. It would be better to get it over with. She would make him understand.
Chapter Eighteen
The ocean breeze carried the smell of saltwater up the hill to Ridgeview Park where Andrew was setting out a blanket to set their dinner on. He’d been hoping the overcast skies would clear in time to watch the sunset, but at least it hadn’t started raining. It was the reality of life on the peninsula; often April showers only brought May showers, and sometimes June showers as well.
What really mattered, aside from not getting rained on, was that there was no fog. From where he stood, he could see the whole cove, and right in the middle of his view stood the Cypress Hotel in its place by the west side of the beach. It seemed fitting that the hotel should be a part of the night he had planned.
He glanced at his phone anxiously. Sadie had said she would text him when she parked so he could meet her. He didn’t think a lot of people knew about the secret spot he’d brought dates to back in high school. Ridgeview Park was at the top of a hill and the northern edge descended steeply down to a road. For the safety of the children who played there, the parks department had put up a short fence, hidden by a row of thick bushes. The parking lot led to the end of the fence, and there was enough room to walk along the outside of it without too much trouble. Halfway across the park, the space behind the fence flattened just enough to spread a small blanket.
As he laid the utensils and napkins beside the bags of takeout, his phone buzzed. Sadie had arrived. He took one last appraising look at his setup. He’d thought about bringing candles, but he knew it would be too much. He didn’t want to make his feelings too obvious in case he’d misread things between them.
Satisfied with the way things looked, he hurried along the bushes to meet Sadie. She stood beside her car, watching a small flock of finches eating crumbs nearby. His breath caught at the sight of her. It had only been three days, but he really had missed her. She looked beautiful, even in the gray light of the cloudy evening. Her hair was pulled back into her signature ponytail, but all he could think about when he saw it was the way she had looked when she took it down the other night. It felt like a secret she had shared with him.
“Hey,” she called when she caught sight of him.
He tried to look relaxed as he approached her car. “Hi.”
A surprised smile brightened her face and she pointed to the top of his head. “You got a haircut.”
“Oh . . .” He ran a hand over his newly styled hair. “Yeah.”
Over the last week he’d started dressing more professionally for work. At first, it was just to impress her, but he soon realized he liked the way it made him feel. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right; he did take his job more seriously when he was dressed well. His patrons treated him differently too. He no longer looked like some guy hanging out at the local library; he stood out as someone who was supposed to be there. Someone in charge. The only problem was that the nicer clothes made his mangy hair look even worse, so he’d gone to the barber to clean it up.
Sadie gave him a once-over and said, “The hair, the button-ups—you’re starting to look like high school Andrew again.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Oh yeah, high school Andrew dressed to impress. Just don’t start acting like him,” she teased.