Page 56 of A New Year In The Presidential Suite

When she reached the doorway, Lori stopped in surprise as Griff rose to greet her.

“Hi. I didn’t expect to see you here until tomorrow,” she said, smiling at him. She wondered how long it would take for either Kayla or him to spill the truth about their so-called relationship and decided she’d say or do nothing about it.

Grandad patted the chair next to him. “Come sit by me. I want to know all about your day,” he said, as if they hadn’t spoken to one another earlier.

Smiling at the subtle wink he gave her, Lori sat down as Griff asked, “Would you like another red wine tonight? I thought since you worked in the pinot noir section, you might like to try one of ours.”

“Thanks. That sounds perfect,” said Lori. “Where’s Kayla?”

“She’ll be along soon. She and Rosie Torres have been looking over a display in the winery reception room,” said Sarita.

“That’s something I thought you should see tomorrow,” said Griff. “If you’re interested, that is. I do a lot of the sales and marketing and naturally think others might be interested, too.”

“I studied to be a teacher, but my parents insisted I learn other practical things to supplement my income if needed. So, my minor in college was marketing. I love to see how others utilize those skills. Especially in the new online arena where there’s a lot of money to be made. I’m a virtual assistant to two authors and three small businesses, handling all kinds of things, including marketing for them.”

Both Sam and Griff studied her.

Lori laughed. “I know. It’s a surprise to many. Especially because I’ve chosen to work with young children.”

“Okay. Tomorrow morning, I’m going to have you stop doing fieldwork and help me think about new ideas for the reception areas. Rosie is willing to work there for as long as we want her, but we need a professional to look at it with a fresh eye.”

Lori held up a hand. “I’m not a professional, but I can certainly help with ideas.”

Kayla entered the room. “What ideas?” she asked as a young woman with long dark hair and startling green eyes followed her inside.

“Hi,” said Griff. “We were just talking about marketing ideas for the reception area. Lori minored in marketing and is willing to assess what we’re doing.”

He stood and gave Kayla a brief hug.

Lori saw the way Sam almost rolled his eyes and quickly looked away before she burst into laughter.

Kayla introduced Rosie to Lori, and Lori knew from the way her voice softened that Rosie must be Kayla’s girlfriend.

“It would be helpful to have some opinions about what I think should be done,” said Rosie.

“I’m not here to judge anyone,” Lori said. “But I do love seeing marketing opportunities. Especially with an online presence.”

“Very impressive,” Sam said to her, bringing a blush to her cheeks. “You sure you don’t want a job here?” He shot Griff a devilish look.

“I assume nothing’s changed about your desire to remain in Ellenton,” said Griff.

Unsure how to answer, Lori said, “All my family is there.” She glanced at Sam and realized he was just teasing Griff, waiting for him to be open about his true relationship to Kayla.

Pete joined them, bringing a young woman with him, who was introduced as Estelle Youngstrom.

It was clear that Sarita didn’t like the woman, though she was meticulous about being pleasant to her.

At the appropriate time, Sarita left them to check on their meal.

She quickly reappeared to announce that dinner was ready.

Dinner this evening consisted of a Mexican beef stew served with rice and tortillas, accompanied by pickled jalapenos on the side.

“This is delicious,” Lori exclaimed, digging in. After all her physical labor, she was not ashamed to enjoy every bite.

“Hard work demands comforting food,” said Sarita. “It’s my mother’s recipe and a favorite of the family. It’s rewarding to see people enjoying it.” She cast a disapproving glance at Estelle, who’d hardly eaten.

For dessert, lemon sherbet and Mexican wedding cookies were served. Lori noted the pleasure on Sam’s face when he ate them and realized how carefully Sarita took care of both him and her husband. Carlos was already helping himself to more cookies.