Page 35 of The Main Event

“I’ll look at the schedule,” I said. “If we can get a few more parties in over the next three months, I’ll do my best to land big packages.”

“You read people well,” he said as he stood. “Follow your instincts. Getting the gold package was smart when the alternative was the silver or no package.”

“So, basically you’re saying I’m a valuable employee,” I teased.

His gaze was heavy as it roamed my face. “You’re … something.”

“Valuable.”

“You’re a diligent employee.” He moved away from the table. “Keep at it.”

My thoughts were heavy as I watched him go, as was my angst. I don’t know how long I stared in his wake, but I was only jarred out of my reverie when Levi plunked down an iced tea in front of me.

“Nice butt got your tongue?” he drawled.

I jerked my eyes to him and glared. “What did you just say?”

“You heard me.” He was clearly amused. “Our new boss has a nice butt.”

“How would you know? He’s always wearing suits.” I wasn’t saying the man didn’t have a nice butt, but there was no way to really tell given his usual mode of dress.

“He’s been working out at the hotel gym,” Levi replied. “He wears loose shorts, but you can tell when he bends over to lift the weights.”

“I didn’t know you used the hotel gym.”

“Why wouldn’t I? It’s part of our employment package. That saves me a couple of hundred bucks a year.”

“Huh.” I took the opportunity to scan Levi from his shoulders to his calves. “Now that you mention it, you do seem a little buffer.”

“You should see me with my shirt off.” Levi was not the sort of person to suffer from low self-esteem. He flexed for good measure.

“Are you working out for somebody specific?” I was suddenly curious. Levi always told me about his dates. It had been at least a month since he told me about a bad one, though. Those were the ones he liked to talk up the most.

“I work out to be healthier. It’s for me. What about you? Is there somebody you want to work out for?” His eyes were sharp as they studied my face.

Thankfully, I was good at keeping my emotions in check when Levi started digging, which wasn’t often, because I wasn’t much of a dater. “I’m worried about keeping this hotel operational,” I countered. “George loved this place. I have to figure out a way for Jax to want to keep it.”

“Why?” Levi’s nose wrinkled. “If he doesn’t want it, then somebody else will come in and scoop it up. The hotel is too important to Salem for it to just close.”

“I get that. The thing is, if one of those huge hotel corporations comes in and buys it, they’ll renovate and take away all the little things that make the hotel great.” I’d researched the big hotel chains a great deal. I knew what would happen if the wrong person bought the hotel. “They’ll come inand fire everybody and then offer to hire them back at a lower wage. And, because they know people are fearful, it will work.

“Worse than that, though, they’ll turn everything into a widget,” I continued. “Nothing that makes the Hunter unique will survive. George wouldn’t have wanted that. I don’t want it either. I love this place.”

Levi’s expression softened. “Give it time. I think Jax is going to end up keeping the hotel. He seems eager to learn about the day-to-day operations. I mean … he sat down with you to learn about parties, which seems like a small miracle because he looked as if he was ready to jump off a cliff when he was in charge of the last one.”

“He doesn’t know what he wants,” I countered. “He doesn’t understand Salem. He has a business degree, but he doesn’t love this place. We need him to love this place.”

The way Levi’s expression shifted told me he disagreed. “Or we need him to love someone who loves this place,” he mused.

Now it was my turn to be confused. “What do you mean?”

“It’s nothing,” he replied quickly, shaking his head. “I was just thinking out loud. Oh, look, it’s Tammy.” He inclined his chin to draw my attention toward Jax’s assistant. She’d buzzed into the bar with a great deal of energy … and a pastel peach pantsuit that made me want to close my eyes and forget that I’d ever seen it.

“That’s quite the outfit,” I muttered. “Where did that come from?”

“My guess would be 1978. She found a time machine and used her good fortune to shop, like a total ninny.”

“Or she raided her grandmother’s closet,” I said. “Didn’t her grandmother die a few months ago?”

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