Page 57 of First Date: Divorce
“Ah, Mr.and Mrs.Larkin.Eric and K.D., how wonderful to meet you in person.”
The cheerful voice came from the vicinity of the reception desk.After reminding herself that it wasn’t suspicious that someone from Marriage-Save recognized them, since they’d emailed photos, K.D.stepped forward.
Eric got there first.He looked over his shoulder at her, quirking an eyebrow that seemed to say this was his duty.
She turned away in an apparent huff for a double benefit — backing their charade and giving her a chance to look around.
Security cameras over the front door.One focused on the entry, the other on the desk.
None on the staircase, possibly exempt because of historic status.Where else—?
“Mrs.Larkin?”
“K.D., this young lady needs your signature.”
Eric’s voice turned her around, belatedly realizing the woman had called her Mrs.Larkin, and she hadn’t responded.She needed to watch that.
“What a lovely room this is,” she said as she signed.That gave her an excuse for her inattention and a more overt look around from this new angle.More cameras in the hallway that disappeared under the staircase.
“It is lovely, isn’t it?”agreed the young woman.“It’s amazing no one’s ruined the wonderful period feel.Much of the rest of the building has been renovated, modern amenities, of course, but this area remains as it was when people came through on the railroad.I think that’s why I like working up front so much.That and getting to meet such nice people.”
She gave a brilliant smile, perfectly divided between them.Not even the most jealous wife could complain about it, not even the most philandering husband could build hopes around it.
“Oh, look, Orion, first-timers.”
From behind oversized sunglasses, a woman with her white hair swept across her forehead then turned under at her nape beamed at them while a man of the same vintage and a bit shorter than her followed.
“Welcome to Marriage-Save.We’re Orion and Izzy Rettaford.”He had a white beard trimmed to half an inch, with his hair a bit longer.You here for the weeklong program, the weekend, or the hybrid?”
“The hybrid.That’s all they had.”Eric gave it a nice twist, intimating their problems needed more time, yet he didn’t look forward to staying even that long.
“You’ll love it here.”Mobile lines in the man’s forehead emphasized his words.
“Thanks for the endorsement.”The receptionist smiled even wider as she tapped away at the screen in front of her.
“Wouldn’t say it if it weren’t true.We’re repeat customers.Happy to show you the ropes and fill you in if you need.”
“That’s nice of you, but—”
“Good, it’s settled,” Orion said.
“We’ll get you signed in,” said the bubbly receptionist, “then they can show you around.You’ll be working with Melody as your counselor, starting with a session tonight with both of you.She’ll fill you in on the rest of your schedule with her and recommended activities.”
“Recommended?But not mandatory,” K.D.said.A full schedule of activities would put a crimp in her investigating time.
“Oh, you’ll enjoy them,” Izzy said.“If there’s something you truly don’t want to do — one woman was deathly afraid of horses, so riding was out — you can ask your counselor to swap out something else.”
“That’s right.”The receptionist’s smile slipped.“I’m afraid your room isn’t quite ready.If you’d like to relax here in the lounge, I can get you coffee or tea or—”
“We can do better than that,” Orion said.“We’ll get a drink on the patio while we’re showing them around until the room’s ready.C’mon.”
*
The swimming pool and sun deck certainly weren’t from the original period of the building, but they’d used rocks and timbers and beds of native plants to blend them in.
Izzy and Orion proved efficient and informative tour guides, giving them the lay of the land, then returning to the pool with soft drinks all around.
“…and they call them counselors to make it seem more like camp.They’re therapists with all the right degrees.Not bad, either, considering what they have to work with most times.When you’ve been around as long as we have, you can spot which couples will make it and which ones won’t,” Orion said.
