Page 7 of Square Deal

I snooped through her top desk drawer and found—who would have guessed—nothing but a myriad of color-coordinated office supplies. There's had to be something more salacious than paperclips and rubber bands around here.

I pulled one of the file drawers open. Rows of cream-colored folders with client names and dates were lined up like soldiers. Boring.

I yanked open the other drawer and grinned as I reached in.

Let the games begin.

3

HANNAH JANE

Ishifted my weight back and forth as I watched the vendors pack up and head out. When the ballroom emptied and the last of my staff clocked out, I slipped my heels off and did the final walk-through barefoot.

The cool marble floor felt like heaven against my sore feet. I should have changed into flats after the send-off. Instead, I got sidetracked by handing out cash tips to all the vendors. Now my blisters had blisters.

Thank God I had peroxide in my office to remove the bloodstains from the lining of my shoes.

I cut the ballroom lights off and strolled down the quiet hallway toward my office. I usually unwound after a wedding with champagne at my desk, but my body ached for a warm bath. Alcohol still sounded nice, though. It would be coming with me.

What better place to get buzzed than a giant vat of bubbles?

Maddie tried to convince me to let an associate planner handle the event coordination, but there was no way I was going to trust anyone else with my best friend's big day.

Besides, being the maid-of-honor without a date would havebeen torture. Especially since everyone I knew was madly in love. That would have just been downright sadistic.

Maddie and Luca were a match made in heaven.

Steve and Erica were obsessed with each other.

Bridget and Kyle were settling into the cohabitation stage of their relationship. Kyle would probably pop the question within a year, if I had to guess.

Kristin was single, but she had enough on her plate as it was.

Melissa still had a broken heart to mend. She took in stride when Steve didn't reciprocate the feelings that she had harbored for years, but I knew it still killed her inside. She'd bounce back, though.

And Chase? Well, Chase was another story. He'd never admit it, but it seemed as if he had finally accepted that Bee and Kyle were together for the long haul.

He lived a few doors down from me. A few nights back, I spotted him sitting on his porch with a woman I'd never seen before.

About time he stopped pining after Bridget…

Being the dictator on Maddie's wedding day gave me a purpose. As a bonus, no one thought twice when I didn't show up with a date.

Sure, Chase pulled me out on the dance floor, but that’s just what he always did. We were close friends and neighbors, but not each other’s type. It kept life uncomplicated. He came over for dinner occasionally, or I'd walk to his place to hang out on boring nights.

I gave the girl behind the front desk a tired wave as I walked by with my heels in hand. I swiped my key card, unlocking the administrative hallway. Few people saw this part of the inn. There were only a handful of rooms back here—my office, the general manager’s office, and the staff break room. It was a ghost town at this time of night—well—morning.

I pulled my earpiece out and let it hang over my shoulder. It was how I communicated with my staff when we spread throughout the inn. I nudged my office door handle down with my elbow as I grabbed the battery pack clipped to my bra strap.

“Hell yes,ma’am,” a chuckling voice said from inside my office.

I shrieked and jumped backward, flinging my shoes and the battery pack across the floor.

The door slammed shut between me and that trespassing asshole.Isaac Lawson.

I took a second to compose myself and slip my heels back on. Then, I yanked the door open wide and gave him a wider than necessary berth. “Out.”

Isaac was lounging in my chair, feet up on my desk, and an empty champagne flute beside my computer mouse. I could still see the rim of fizz left on the glass.

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