Page 30 of Clued in to Love
One of the administrative assistants from the front office stood holding an oversized bouquet of winter flowers. White lilies, sprigs of cranberries, merlot-colored roses, and leafy evergreen boughs were arranged in a silver vase.
“Darby, special delivery for you.”
“For me?” she asked. No one had sent her flowers since Jim, well, aside from bereavement bouquets.
“For you.” The staff member nodded and approached her desk.
Darby took the flowers and read the note attached aloud. “To catching up. So glad we bumped into each other last night. I’m looking forward to doing it again soon. Love, Samesh.”
EIGHTEEN
HILARY
Hilary hadn’t slept more than thirty minutes all night. The accusation of cheating in the game had been like a gut punch. It had to be a misunderstanding.
Her meeting with the mayor hadn’t gone well. He was convinced that the scavenger hunt was rigged from the start. “There’s big corporate money riding on this, Hilary, and I can’t have this kind of a financial scandal on my watch.” He had paced around her office, wagging a finger in her face and demanding that the hunt be shut down immediately.
She had begged him for some time. They couldn’t just shut down the entire event without more information and proof.
He had reluctantly agreed to give her until morning.
She reviewed the status of every individual player and team. The crux of the issue was that the first two teams had logged the ice clue within twenty minutes of the kickoff. The mayor and his staff were convinced that the teams were getting “inside help.” They were operating under the theory that it would be nearly impossible for not one but two teams to have deciphered the clue, driven to the Old Mill District, found the secret writing in the ice sculpture, and logged it in twenty minutes.
The mayor was also accusing Hillary or one of her staff of enabling the cheating.
He wanted to know who had access to the clues and solutions.
Instead of picking up takeout and trying to make amends with Ben, she had slept in her office, poring over each of the teams to see if she could make any connections with team members and her staff, as well as staff from the parks department. Their legal department had written strict guidelines that spelled out that no city employees or their families could win the prize money. There were pages and pages of legalese that Hilary had practically memorized.
Hilary hadn’t found a single connection.
The mayor was overreacting or intentionally trying to undermine her power. The more likely scenario was that the two top teams were quick. It wasn’t as if the clues for the scavenger hunt required code-cracking abilities or a Ph.D. After all, this was a family event where teams were searching for fun challenges marked by candy canes. It was absolutely bonkers that the mayor would suggest any cheating was going on.
When she and her team came up with the clues and activities, they tried to create a range of difficulties. There was only one ice sculpture in Bend. It wasn’t that hard to put it together. Plus, the entire goal of Passport to the Holidays was to get people out and about in Bend’s many shopping districts, restaurants, pubs, and coffee houses. The entire event was a promotion—a city promotion. Tourists who came to participate were exposed to new spots, where they hopefully spent their holiday dollars and poured more money into the local economy.
She glanced at the clock.
Crap.
She was due at the mayor’s office in thirty minutes and felt like she’d been at an all-night frat party. She stood and walked over to a small mirror hanging opposite her desk.
Oh, this is bad.
She was still wearing the same clothes from last night, and the puffy bags under her eyes were a dead giveaway that her only sleep was a brief nap when she’d dozed off at her desk.
She walked down the hallway to the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. Thankfully, she kept a toiletries kit on her desk. She often did press appearances and liked to have lip gloss and a brush nearby in case she needed to be on camera on short notice.
Hilary re-tied her braids and pinched her cheeks to give them more color. Had her jawline always looked so sucked in? Was her skin always this dull? She stared at her reflection. Looking back at her, the woman was a shell of who she’d been. She looked tired, and not just from one sleepless night.
She sighed, applied lip gloss, and attempted to smooth out the wrinkles on her shirt.
The mayor’s office was in City Hall, which was only a couple of blocks away, but Hilary wanted—no, needed—a coffee before the meeting. She gathered her things, zipped up her parka, and stepped outside.
Arctic air assaulted her cheeks, jolting her awake. It must have snowed more overnight. There was a new layer on the sidewalks. It was as if the entire city was blanketed in holiday magic. Pure, untouched snow formed a seamless carpet covering the sidewalks, buildings, and rooftops. Icicles dangled from the eaves, and colorful holiday lights reflected on the bright snow. Shops and boutiques were adorned with festive wreaths and garlands. There was no denying that Bend was a holiday wonderland. The innate beauty and charm of her hometown made her job that much easier. Now she just needed to reassurethe mayor everything was on the up and up with Passport to the Holidays.
She was glad to have her boots as she navigated the walkway. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and warm pastries at the coffee shop beckoned her inside. She ordered a large black coffee, hot, and an egg bagel. Then she took her breakfast to a corner table and checked her phone. There were messages from her staff, who had also been up late trying to prove or disprove the mayor’s cheating theory. There were also texts and phone calls from Ben.
Ben, shit. Ben.
