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She grabbed my arm and stopped us in the middle of the hallway and squawked, “What??”
I told her about wandering the hotel and how I’d come to the staff wing sort of accidentally and then gotten trapped with Archie in the elevator. “He knows part of why I’m here is to write about the resort, and he was worried about what I’d write, so guess what?”
“What?” she asked with a grin.
“Our room is comped.”
“Are you serious?” Christine’s face lit up and she did a little bounce on her toes.
“I think so. I’m meeting him later to get some information for my story, so I’ll see if I can confirm it.”
“That’s amazing,” she said, and we began moving again toward the elevators. “So he agreed to be interviewed?”
“I think so,” I said, thinking about the way Archie had suggested a drink. “But there’s a tiny chance maybe it’s actually more like a date.”
Christine pulled us to a stop again. “A date.”
I nodded.
“So, this guy... is he hot? He’s obviously successful and wealthy.”
How much did I tell her? She didn’t know anything about my history with Archie Kasper. Not that Archie knew about that either. I decided to keep things simple. “He’s hot, yeah.”
Christine squealed. “Ooh, I’m excited for you!”
I was excited for me too.
Christine wasn’t wrong about the pace and content of the conference. It was as if every craft book and expert I’d contemplated studying was being simultaneously downloaded into my head, and by lunchtime, I was exhausted. I watched Christine head upstairs to recharge while I walked with a new friend toward the cafeteria, slightly envious but too hungry to eat a protein bar and call it lunch.
“What are you doing for the activity block tomorrow?” Payton asked me as we went through the lunch line.
The second day looked to be slightly less intense, with time off for breakouts and various activities. I hoped it might give me a chance to find out more about the Kaspers, the treasure hunt.
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “Part of me wants to take the hike, but I know I should probably stick around and do the plotting breakout or learn how to be a good critique partner.”
“That one does look good,” she agreed. “But I also think we need long breaks during this kind of info dumping to let our brains assimilate everything we’re learning. A hike isn’t the wrong answer.”
“Yeah. It’s just hard feeling like I’m missing important stuff.”
“Totally get it.” She lifted a hand in response to a group at a far table next to the window waving us over and I steeled myself for more introductions.
It was strange being among so many writers. They looked like the most regular people in the world, people you wouldn’t glance twice at in the grocery store or the gym. But then you got introduced and realized that this completely normal person was actually one of your biggest idols, someone you’d read and admired ferociously for years. It was humbling and reassuring at once.
The conference marched on after the meal, but the sessions were beginning to thin out just a bit, making seating and asking questions a little easier. It seemed that everyone’s tanks were emptying. By the time most of my new friends were heading outside for cocktails, I was relieved to duck into the wood-paneled bar near the front of the resort and secure a spot toward the end of the long wooden bar with a little spark of anticipation glowing inside me. The place had an old-school feel, and the walls were covered with images of movie stars, sports icons, musicians, and more. In each photo, there was also a white-haired man grinning, and I realized that must be Marvin Kasper, Archie’s uncle. As I settled, I let myself acknowledge that I wasboth nervous and excited. I’d been thinking of a certain set of deep blue eyes, a shock of dark auburn hair all day. I smiled at the bartender as I settled and then looked back around at the photos.
“He used to attract all the celebrities up here,” the bartender said, following my astonished gaze to the wall. “This was an escape for them back then, I guess. Hard enough to reach and just luxurious enough to be the perfect getaway if you were famous.”
I turned to look at the man speaking, who wore an easy smile beneath his shock of dark hair. “The photos are pretty incredible,” I agreed. “Do you still get a lot of celebrities up here?”
The man stood up straight and shook his head. “Not yet, but I’m guessing we will. Archie’s remaking this place the way his uncle would’ve wanted, and we’re still just enough off the beaten path to give people some privacy,” he said. “Though everything’s a little tougher in that department with the internet and speedy Wi-Fi.”
“Right,” I laughed.
“What can I get you?” he asked, sliding a coaster with the resort logo on it in front of me. “Another Half Cat?”
I met his friendly eyes, charmed that he remembered me despite the enormous crowd here right now.
“Thanks, no, I think something a little less serious. A draft beer, maybe?”
