Page 22 of Girls Will Be Girls
“You really don’t have to.” I protest, reaching for them.
He just nods his chin to the door. “Go on.”
We stumble the few steps to reception, the heat still clinging to the evening. I give Casey a grinning wave as we step through the door, and she replies with a chuckling “Hi.”
She’s checking someone else in, so we patiently wait our turn and silently read the tourist brochures on the wall. I make a note in my head that I hope sober me remembers to come check these out for any story ideas.
Suddenly, I hear Lou’s voice, but it’s not next to me where I thought he was.
“Evening. I have a booking under Duhl.” He smiles. “And hers is…” He trails off before turning to look at me. “What’s yours under?”
I step up to the desk. “Candie.”
“Great.” Casey taps away on the screen.
“Candie?” Lou whispers to me.
“You don’t like my name?Dullboy?” Not my greatest insult.
“I can’t find anything under Candie,” Casey says.
“Ah sorry, it might be under Michaels,” I say.
“That’s not suspicious at all.” Lou laughs.
I roll my eyes. “It’s the name I use for my writing. Sometimes they accidentally book my accommodation under that name.”
“Why don’t you use your own name?” He asks.
I act like I didn’t hear him and ignore his question.
“You didn’t want a room together?” Casey looks up and asks innocently.
“Uh…” I freeze, unable to think of any words to combat the awkward.
“Two rooms would be great,” Lou says before turning to me and winking subtly.
It’s like his wink is a blush button for me. I hate that he has such a noticeable effect on me. Tipsy me needs a talking down because I am dangerously close to just sayingfuck it. I need water and sleep.
“Okay, here you go.” Casey passes us both our keys and gives us directions to our lodges. She also pleads with us not to get in the lake on account of our tipsiness. She says she chose a hotel receptionist job for the summer over lifeguarding for a reason.
We bless her with a thousand compliments and head out the back door, following the lit-up trail down toward the lake. We meander through the trees, our feet kicking up dust on the dry path. There are rows of A-frame lodges all the way down, each with two front doors, and the rooms split down the middle of the house.
“What number are you?” Lou asks while squinting at the signs.
I wonder if he wears glasses. I bet he’d look sexy as all hell in a pair of reading glasses.
I try to concentrate on both reading the number on my key ring and on not jumping him.
“109.” I look around, trying to find my lodge. “You?”
He grins widely before stopping in front of an A-frame lodge. “Guess we’re neighbors.”
I stop in front of him, glaring at him with an irked smirk. I’m not sure if I’m actually annoyed or excited that we’ll only have a wall separating us. All I know right now is it’s dangerous.
“Someone’s playing a prank on us now, surely?” I say.
“I’d like to revisit the idea of fate.” He teases.
