Page 16 of Best Mistake Ever
I ignore it though, and the sinking feeling of apprehension. I can’t worry about that right now.
Hopefully, Dee will keep well out of his way this week and I won’t come back to find them at each other’s throats.
The last thing I need is my sister and my best friend falling out with each other.
Things are complicated enough as it is.
6
JONAH
I’m pacing the floor of my office the next morning when Dee’s car pulls into the car park with ten minutes to spare before her contracted start time.
I watch her hurry towards the hotel, her bobbed hair blowing in the gentle breeze.
At least she’s not wearing that bloody wig again today.
But I still have a few choice words for her after the phone call I’ve just had to field.
As soon as she walks in through the door, the smile drops from her face when she sees me there waiting for her with my arms folded again. I beckon for her to follow me into my office and wait till she’s sat down in the chair opposite me before launching into my rant.
‘I’ve just had a really pissy call from a prospective customer who queried us about hiring the hotel for their wedding venue this summer over two weeks ago. Why the hell haven’t you replied yet? We can’t leave emails unanswered for that long. It makes us look like chumps who don’t know what the hell they’re doing!’
Her face seems to pale. ‘I’m sorry, it must have got knocked off my email list by mistake.’
‘That’s not good enough! It’s not like we’re fully booked or anything. We need to get that kind of business in.’
She nods slowly, her eyes wide and worried.
I fight back a sting of discomfort at the thought that I’m being unnecessarily aggressive. But it’s been one thing after another going wrong and my patience is wearing very thin now.
‘You’re absolutely right. I’ll get onto them right away and offer my sincere apologies.’
I let out an exasperated sigh and stare up at the ceiling, trying to get my annoyance under control. I’m seriously on the cusp of firing her on the spot, but then what will I do? I really don’t want to have to go through the time-consuming process of hiring for her role again.
‘Don’t worry, I’ll fix it. And it won’t happen again,’ she says confidently now, looking me dead in the eye when our gazes lock again.
Can I let myself believe she really means that? It certainly seems like she does from the serious expression on her face.
Not that I have a lot of choice right now.
‘Fine. Make sure you do.’
She nods and goes to stand up.
‘And Dee?’
‘Yes?’
‘No more mistakes.’
She just nods again before turning and walking away.
A couple of hours later, I’m making myself a coffee in the kitchen when Dee strides over to me with a purposeful expression on her face.
‘Okay, I called the prospective customer and apologised and gave them a couple of ideas about how we could best use the grounds and facilities here to stage their wedding. Apparently,the female partner is a big Agatha Christie fan, so I said we could orchestrate a 1920s-style reception with croquet and cocktails on the lawn and a pianist playing Cole Porter songs while they take photos by the gazebo, or maybe in front of the lake.’
A shiver of horror runs through me when I think of that place and the humiliation it’s brought me.
