Page 30 of Pity Play

Even though I’m off today, I decide to go into the lodge and give my notice in person. I feel bad about deserting them, but it appears I have no choice. Hurrying upstairs, I change into something more presentable before tossing my Mickey Mouse sweater into the garbage can. Not only doesn’t it fit, but I suppose it’s high time I lighten my load as well.

Getting into my car, I sit and let it warm up while I stare at the front of my family home. I love this house. It’s a classic two-story colonial with dove-grey siding and black shutters. The dormerson the second story windows give it an obvious charm. It will make some family a great summer house. I just wonder what they’ll do with it when they’re not there. That’s when a thought hits me. Maybe they’ll let me be their caretaker.

Even as I consider this, I know that’s not an option. I could never live here with someone else’s things. Without fully understanding why, I know that would ruin my memories.

By the time I pull into the lodge’s parking lot, a trail of tears is making its way down my face. I don’t know how to stop it, so I simply park my car and get out. The air is freezing cold—which strangely I didn’t notice when I left my house. The shock of the windchill halts my tears and effectively keeps any new ones from falling. Today is an emotional rollercoaster I did not expect.

I experience my normal feeling of joy when I walk into the lodge. I really do love this place. Striding around the front desk, I wave to clerks on duty and keep going until I’m standing in front of my boss’s door.

I give it a quick knock. When I hear Trina say, “Come in!” I follow instructions.

Trina used to host a television show calledThe Midwestern Matchmaker, which is why she came to Elk Lake in the first place. They filmed their last season here. When that ended, she rented a cottage on the lake for the summer. That’s where she met her fiancé, billionaire Heath Fox. They opened the lodge together.

Trina smiles when she sees me. “What are you doing here, Lorelai?” She indicates a chair for me to sit on.

Once I’m situated, I tell her, “I have some bad news.”

The look of concern on her face causes my eyes to once again fill. “No one died or anything,” I say. “I just need to give my notice.”

“No!” She sounds as devastated as I am, and honestly that gives me a boost. It’s nice that someone sees me as valuable.

“My parents are selling their house.”

“And?”

“I’m going to oversee all of the renovations for them to get itready to sell,” I tell her. “I live there so I’m really the obvious choice.”

“I didn’t realize you still lived at home.”Is that judgment in her voice?

“My folks are in Florida most of the time, so I’m kind of their caretaker.”

She nods her head. “Well, if they aren’t here much, I suppose it makes sense to sell their house.”

I feel a weight on my chest. It physically hurts when I tell her, “I don’t know how much notice you need, but I’m here to give it.”

Trina turns on the computer in front of her and clicks around for a bit before saying, “Josie just asked for more hours. I told her I wouldn’t have them until the summer, but now I can give her your shifts. You can leave now if you want to.” Now she looks like she’s going to cry.

“I’ve really loved working here,” I tell her while standing up.

She jumps up from her desk and wraps her arms around me. “We’ve loved having you!”

“Thank you. I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

“I hope you’ll consider coming back,” Trina says. “You know, once your parents’ house sells.”

“Maybe,” I tell her, although unless she’s going to give me an insane raise, I don’t see it happening.

Trina reluctantly releases me and walks back around her desk. Opening her top drawer, she hands me a plastic card. “Please take this with our gratitude. You’ve been a wonderful employee.”

I look down and see that she’s given me a gift card for the lodge’s restaurant for two hundred dollars. I don’t know how I’m ever going to use it because I’d feel so sad being here and not working here. “Thank you,” I tell her. “That’s very generous of you.”

“It’s nothing,” she says. Then she opens her drawer again and pulls out another card. Handing it to me, she says, “This one will get you a complimentary weekend in one of our suites along with meals and a massage.”

“Wow! That’s really generous, Trina.”

“We take care of our own,” she tells me. “And you will always be part of the Elk Lake lodge family, even if you aren’t working here.”

I wonder if Trina would call my parents and brother and tell them what she just said. Seriously, this is the kind of appreciation I need. “Thank you for everything, Trina.”

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