Page 42 of Be Our Ghost
Last night, she’d had mind-blowing sex. Knox had slept over. And now, her parents wanted to spend time with him.
Maybe—just maybe—the universe was finally on her side.
Seventeen
Charlie scrambledin to work a full fifteen minutes late, feeling like the frenetic White Rabbit fromAlice in Wonderland. While trying to open her office door, she dropped her car keys. A stack of file folders followed, sending papers scattering across the floor. She bent down to scoop up everything, only to freeze when an authoritative male voice addressed her.
“Good morning, Charlotte.”
Shit.Of all the days for her boss to arrive early. She bundled the wayward files into her arms and straightened up quickly. “Good morning, Mr. Hargreaves. Sorry I’m late. I…ran into some complications.”
“Nothing serious, I hope?”
“Nope, it’s all good.”I just couldn’t bear to get out of bed with Knox.“Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?”
“Laurel just showed me the fliers she mocked up for the Gilded Lily’s costume party. I understand you’re responsible for getting that event on the calendar.”
“Actually, Knox is the one who agreed to host the party. All I did was give him a nudge.”
“Either way, I’m impressed with your efforts. Not only for getting him on board, but also for helping us secure a spot onCanada’s Most Haunted. Rosie told me you did most of the research. You’ve really been going above and beyond.”
Her boss’s praise caught her so off guard she was momentarily tongue-tied. “Um…thank you, sir. I’ve enjoyed my deep dive into the hotel’s history. Today, I’m interviewing a woman who worked at the Duchess in the late 1950s and had an unpleasant experience in our haunted storage room. We’re hoping to use her testimony for the show.”
“Excellent. When I spoke with the hotel’s owners last Friday, they were delighted we finally have a ghost story worthy of including in the Historic Hauntings tour.”
“They didn’t mind that it was associated with a huge scandal? Back in the day, the hotel tried to cover it up.”
Preston chuckled. “It happened over a hundred years ago. These days, a little notoriety can be highly profitable, if marketed correctly. Anyway, keep up the good work.”
She watched him walk away, slightly stunned she’d earned his favor. And on a day when she’d shown up late, no less.
Thanks, universe.
After unlocking her office door, she shrugged off her jacket and set down her coffee. Rather than get started on her lengthy to-do list, she decided to pop in on Laurel. This was the kind of Monday that couldn’t be tackled head-on. She needed to ease into it, partly because she was still recovering from her incredible night with Knox. Everything about their date had exceeded her wildest expectations, including the sex.
Especiallythe sex.
She poked her head into Laurel’s office. “Good morning. Do you have a minute?”
“For you—always. Come on in.” Laurel motioned her inside.
Charlie plopped down on the chair across from her desk. “Preston mentioned you mocked up the fliers for our costume contest.”
“See what you think.” Laurel handed her a couple of fliers. “I made two different versions. The first one will be included in the hotel’s welcome packets, and the second will be posted at places around town. That way, we can draw in a mix of guests and locals.”
As usual, Laurel had done a masterful job. “These look great. We still have to work out the logistics, but I’m thinking we’ll give out cash prizes. Selena also said she’d get us a deal on a photo booth, like the one we used for last year’s Christmas activities.”
“Those are always so popular. Does Knox have any spooky drink ideas?”
Charlie passed the fliers back to her. “Preston’s already been on his case about the menu. Knowing Knox, he’ll come up with something creative.”
Laurel gave her a sly look. “Speaking of Knox…”
“Yes?” Try as she might, Charlie couldn’t play it cool. Already, a sappy grin was spreading across her face.
“How was your big date? It was last night, right?”
“It was. And it didn’t end until…this morning.” Charlie put her face in her hands. “Don’t judge me.”
