Page 4 of Temptation for the Mountain Man
Millie looks up with a smile. "Hiya, Callie."
"Hi. Any overtime today?" Housekeeping hours are 8 am to 4 pm, but I usually pick up additional hours cleaning the main spaces or covering for anybody who’s called in sick.
My job atThe Palmer Resort & Spais like a dream come true. Not only do they stick to the scheduled hours, but they also provide lodging and a huge employee discount in the cafeteria for all meals. Right now, I'm in a shared cabin, but if I stay for six months, I can apply for a tiny house on the back of the property—the ones my mountain man is working on.
My heart drops when Millie grimaces and plants her palms on the desk. "I can't give you any more overtime for a while, I'm afraid. In fact, I have to send you home at noon today." She holds up a hand when she sees my face. "Callie, you worked seventy hours last week. You’re the hardest worker I've ever had, and I want you to stay here for as long as possible. I can give you five to ten hours extra a week, but that will be the cap going forward."
"Okay." I nod, grateful to still have my job and some overtime. "Thank you. I appreciate anything you can do."
Millie eyes me with a kindness that has me swallowing a lump in my throat. "You should check with Celeste Blazewood. Have you met her yet?"
I nod. "Yeah, briefly. She's the assistant manager of the resort?"
Millie nods. "But don't let the title intimidate you. She's a doll. The Blazewood family is the backbone of Festival Valley, so she might have some leads on extra work for you outside of the resort."
Relief washes over me. "Okay, thank you." I smile in gratitude at Millie and turn to head out of her office.
"But Callie." Millie's soft voice stops me, and I pause. "You need to give yourself time to rest too. All work and no play..." She trails off.
...means Erin gets to do the internship, I finish silently.
But my financial responsibilities are not Millie's concern, so I simply nod and smile. "Right. Thank you, Millie."
After my shift is over at noon, I find Celeste at the front desk.
"Hi, Callie!" she greets me brightly. "Millie said you might stop by."
I clear my throat awkwardly, feeling extremely underdressed wearing my t-shirt and jeans in the elegant lobby. "Yes, um, I'm looking for extra work."
"I have just the job for you, and today would be perfect, if you have the time?"
"Yes, great!" I say enthusiastically.
"My Uncle Blaze's birthday is tomorrow, and I have him this year." She laughs when I furrow my brow in confusion. "We have a huge family, so on New Year's Eve, everybody puts their names in a pot and we all get one person to buy for that year. It's the Birthday Draw. Kind of like Secret Santa, but for birthdays."
"That's great," I say sincerely. What a fun family that must be. Erin and I have never spent birthdays or holidays apart, but we'll see how this year goes. Hopefully, she'll be too busy saving turtles in a tropical location, assuming I can save enough money.
"Anyway, I've been racking my brain about what to get him, so when Millie said you've been picking up extra cleaning gigs, voila! Win-win." Celeste smiles brightly. "Is thirty-five dollars an hour acceptable?" She eyes me expectantly, so I nod quickly. That's almost double what I make here.
"All right, Carl has to run up to the storage facility, and Blaze's place is on the way, so he can drop you off. Uncle Blaze won't be home until at least 5 pm, maybe later if he stops byRandy's Barwith the guys." Celeste talks a mile a minute, but my brain is still trying to process the money she just offered me. Maybe I should consider doing this as a second job. I have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off each week, and I could take on afternoon and evening jobs too.
"How long do you think a two-bedroom, two-bathroom cabin will take?" Celeste asks, cutting into my preoccupied thoughts.
"Um, it depends. I'd say two to three hours, depending on square footage. Up to six or seven if you want a deep clean, since it's just me. Does he have cleaning supplies?"
Celeste nods. "Yes, in the front closet by the door. Let's do a regular cleaning for this one. And here's my cell. Call me thirty minutes before you finish, and I'll find a ride back for you. There is always someone I know passing through that way."
"Okay, I'm ready when Carl is."
"Perfect, and if you want more side-hustle work, let me know. I can put the word out." She grins at me like she's a regular person and not my fairy godmother put on this earth to make life better for me.
My heart soars with hope for the first time in a long time.
Hand me the feather duster. I'm ready to make some money.
Chapter 3
Blaze
