Page 143 of Tasty Cherry

When the space is mostly empty, we approach Brooklyn to help break down the archways. Havannah appears, free of children for the moment. “Let’s get some help for you,” she says. “Always schedule extra workers at the end of an event.” She gets on her phone.

Brooklyn grimaces. She hates it when she gets criticism, especially right before the big announcement.

Havannah waves us through the back doors. “You’ve all done enough. Let the staff handle the cleanup. I’ll see you in the staff room shortly.”

“Oh, gosh, it’s time,” Brooklyn says. She takes Owen’s hand, then mine. “No matter what happens, I love both of you.”

I squeeze her fingers. When we enter the staff room, most of the professional employees are there. Jessie, Suze, Olive, Chef Monique, Chef Filo, Hank. I spot Sebastian by the food table. He’s talking to Maverick.

Ilsa sits alone at the end of the front row. None of us have gotten to know her, but I decide to plunk down on a chair beside her. “How did your foodie event go?”

“Flawless,” she says. “I had a net profit of fourteen thousand dollars.”

Dang. The rest of us spent our budgets. “That’s fantastic.”

“If I’m not named event manager, it will be because this place doesn’t care about the bottom line.”

“I see.” I glance over at the food table, where Owen and Brooklyn are watching. Brooklyn hides a laugh behind a cup.

Owen saves me. “Mila, Ilsa, come get refreshments. The punch is good. I think it’s spiked.”

“Okay!” I jump out of my seat.

Sasha dashes inside from the front desk. She opted to stay there as lead, which is how we got Olive for assistant manager, but she’s dying to know where the rest of us are going.

Our CFO Everett strides in, tall and imposing in his business suit. His eyes dart to Ilsa, then away, but I don’t miss how she sits taller.

Interesting. I wonder what’s going on there. Everett is another elusive figure at the hotel, always holed up in his office with the accounting team.

He approaches Sebastian and they shake hands.

Havannah breezes in with a flutter of scarves. “Okay, everyone, I have exactly twenty minutes before Serenity will insist on a feeding, so let’s get to it!”

We all settle in the chairs. I sit by Ilsa again, and Owen and Brooklyn finish the row. Maverick stands by the door, shoving food in his mouth and ogling all the women.

Some things never change.

Havannah clasps her hands together. “This is an after party for our spring event, which went so fantastically. I couldn’t be more proud, especially since I didn’t have to plan one minute of it!”

Everyone laughs.

“Let’s give it up for our four interns who made this day so spectacular.”

Brooklyn and I squeeze hands as the rest of the staff applauds.

Havannah walks closer to us. “I want to tell you how proud I am. It’s been beautiful to watch you all grow from new college graduates into important partners in running this hotel.” She turns to the door where Maverick stands. “That includes you, Maverick! What a delight to bring Tinsel and her baby out to the children. You won’t even believe the social media attention the hotel got today.”

Maverick lifts his cup in acknowledgment.

“The professional staff has all given their input on where to place each of you. No matter where you end up, I hope you love your new role at the Castle Hotel.”

She returns to the front of the room, where Sebastian passes her a set of cards.

Ohhhh, so he has known all this time!

I send him a look of HEY! and he shrugs.

But of course, I get it. This was a professional secret.

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