“We met in the elevator,” Elias says. Daniel stares him down, and then, as if just remembering the true source of his irritation, my brother pulls out his phone in search of a signal. While he’s distracted, Elias leans in to me.
“I thought it best to leave out the part where you asked to see me without my suit,” he says casually. I push his shoulder, making him stagger a step, and he laughs quietly.
Daniel turns his attention back at us. “I’m going to check out the pool before I grab my stuff. Meet me there?”
“In a little bit,” I say. “I’m on a tour.” To be honest, I just don’t want to spend the day watching Daniel sunbathe.
“Fine,” my brother says suspiciously. “But you better meet me later or I’m coming to your room.” He starts to pass us, then pauses to look back. “And you’d better be in there alone, Audrey.”
“Gross. Good-bye.” I wave him off, letting him know he’s laying it on a little thick. Elias presses his lips together like he’s trying not to smile at my brother’s threat, and we watch as Daniel walks out toward the garden.
“Is he always so protective?” Elias asks.
“Mostly, but you seem to especially piss him off.”
“I sometimes have that effect. But then again”—he smiles, brushing back a wet strand of my hair that’s fallen from the bun—“you do look . . . disheveled. I can see why he assumed I was a bad influence.”
I swat his hand away playfully, but his touch has already spiked my desire. “Whatever,” I say, pretending he’s not driving me crazy. “I’m still waiting to hear why exactly you’re the Ruby’s most eligible bachelor. Your entire existence is suspicious.”
Elias laughs, offering me his arm in a natural movement. His politeness is striking in my otherwise uncivilized world. “I live here,” he replies. “And before you jump to conclusions, let me finish showing you around. Maybe you’ll understand why.”
“Why you live in a hotel?” I ask. “Doubtful. I’d tell you how bizarre that is, but I’m on my way to live in my grandmother’s attic. So I’m not sure I’m in a position to make that statement.”
Elias looks at me, my admission catching us both off guard. I hate the heaviness that’s seeping in, and I bump my shoulder into his. “Let’s hurry before I change my mind and go to the pool with my brother.”
“We should run, then,” Elias says, pulling me ahead quickly. We laugh and then stop in front of the elevator. He presses the down arrow and glances over, his eyebrows pulled together. I can tell the comment about my grandmother’s attic is weighing on his mind.
“It’s not a big deal,” I say quietly, facing the doors. With so many other things to talk about, my future in Elko, Nevada, is not high on the list of things I feel like discussing. Why did I mention it at all?
“Fair enough,” he says. “But don’t you want to know the next stop on the tour?”
“Is it your hotel room?” I ask, looking sideways. I’m not serious, but I love the blush rising on his cheeks. I kind of love the idea of seeing his room, too.
Elias chuckles. “That’s later. No, I was thinking we should go to the heart of the Ruby herself. And . . .” He pauses. “Well, after your suggestion this is going to sound boring. I was hoping to take you down to housekeeping.”
The Ruby has a basement. It’s not creepy or haunted, although it does feel dull and cramped after the grandeur of the lobby. The walls are pale blue; the floors are gray with black scuff marks. A girl rushes by in uniform, smiling shyly at Elias as she passes. I turn to watch her and then nudge Elias.
“Do they all know you here?”
“Yep. Take a left.” He points down a hallway that’s thick with the smell of laundry detergent and dryer sheets. It’s a comforting scent—one that reminds me of home. Of my mother.
“How many times have you given this tour?” I ask. My question is harsher than I intend it, but I’m trying to divert my thoughts from my mother. Elias side-eyes me like he’s offended.
“First time,” he says shortly. “But thanks for assuming this means nothing. Another left.” We turn, and the hallway narrows where cabinets line either side of the walls. Elias stops halfway down and reaches over my head to open one. I step aside, afraid I’ve hurt his feelings.
“I’m sorry,” I say. Elias pulls down a tiny chocolate mint and holds it out. He rests his shoulder against the cabinet door, looking down at me. I slowly unwrap the candy and bite off the corner. Like the toothpaste earlier, it has an old, chalky flavor. I rewrap it and slip it into my pocket. “I didn’t mean to imply you’re a dick,” I say quietly to Elias. “I just figured—”
“Figured I was untrustworthy?”
I smile a little. “No. I figured you live in a hotel with a constant stream of strangers. Women. And of course there’s the fact that you’re . . .” I should stop talking now.
“I’m what?” Elias asks curiously, leaning closer.
“Cute.”
“Cute?” he asks thoughtfully. “You think I’m cute?”
My face feels like it’s caught fire, but every second I’m with Elias, the more comfortable I am with my attraction to him. Still, I try to play it cool; shrugging like my admission is no big deal.
“I’ve always thought of myself as handsome,” he says. “Thank you. And since we’re sharing—I find you intoxicating. Wholly addicting.”
Our locked gazes linger, and then I laugh. “Stop flirting with me, Elias,” I say to lighten the moment. “Let’s talk about something else. Like why you live in a hotel in the middle of nowhere.”
“You don’t like the Ruby?” He seems almost hurt, but then he looks past me and straightens. His entire face lights up. “Lourdes,” he says. “You’re back.”
I turn and find a young housekeeper, maybe just a little older than us, walking up. “Yesterday,” she says. “Seems we have some new guests.” She smiles warmly at me, and then fixes her gaze on Elias. The housekeeper folds her arms over her chest like she’s waiting for an explanation. I realize then how small the space Elias and I are crammed into is. A tiny nook that could really only be for linens or secret kisses.
Elias puts his hands on my shoulders and ushers me forward. “This is Audrey Casella,” he says. “I was just giving her a tour.”
“Of the basement?” Lourdes asks. Her eyebrows are perfectly drawn on, hitched high in a silent-movie-star sort of way. Her hair is short and dark, her skin a deep olive color. “You’re not supposed to be down here, Eli,” she says, although her voice has softened. “I’ll take her back to the lobby.”
“Lourdes . . . ,” he starts to say, but she shakes her head.
“You’ll get me in trouble.”
Elias quiets, watching her apologetically. His disposition has changed entirely, like he hates the thought of hurting her. “You’re right,” he says, and then turns to me. “Besides,” he continues with a smile, “I don’t think your brother would be very fond of me had I finished the tour.” I lean against the cabinet, a little breathless.
“Yes, Eli,” Lourdes announces, “you’re very sexy. Now move along.”
Elias chuckles and touches my arm before he slides past me. He walks to Lourdes, towering over her small frame. “We’ve missed you,” he says.
Lourdes lifts her gaze to meet his. “I know.” There’s a sudden glimpse of loss between them, and then Lourdes pushes Elias to the side. “Now run along,” she says lightly. “And don’t come back down here unless you plan to fold towels.”
“Any time.” They say good-bye, and Elias waves once to me and disappears down the corridor. When he’s gone, Lourdes lets out a deep exhale.
“Sorry to break that up,” she says. Her voice is smoky, and now that Elias is gone, she seems much happier to see me. “It’s not a good idea to sneak around with him,” she says. “He rarely thinks beyond the moment.” My stomach sinks with disappointment, but Lourdes quickly holds up her hands. “I’m not saying Eli’s bad. He’s not.” She smiles reassuringly. “He’s not t
he one you need to worry about.”
“Then who is?”
Lourdes presses her lips together, as if telling me she’s already said too much. She closes the cabinet with the chocolates and starts back down the hallway, motioning for me to follow. I’m struck with the smell of home once again, but this time the nostalgia isn’t as painful.
“My mother used this kind of detergent,” I blurt out. Lourdes turns to look back at me, at first confused, but then her expression softens.
“Mine, too,” she says, sadness dripping from her voice. “What . . .” She pauses. “What does it smell like to you?”
It’s a weird question, but at the same time I don’t mind having a memory of my mother that isn’t seeped in tragedy. “Tide,” I say with a smile. “But I could never figure out what she added to it. All these months I could never get the same scent. I haven’t smelled it until now.”
“I smell bleach,” Lourdes replies. She turns back around and continues down the hall. I search for the hint of bleach but don’t find it. “Come on,” Lourdes calls. “The concierge doesn’t want guests in housekeeping.” She glances back again. “Have you seen the pool? It’s spectacular.”
“Not yet. My brother’s going there now. I guess I’ll meet up with him.”
“You should.” Lourdes stops at the elevator and presses the button. “And I’m sure I’ll see you around. What room are you? I’ll send some extra chocolates.”
“Thirteen oh three.”
Lourdes’s smile drops from her lips. She tries to recover, but I can’t unsee it. She presses the button again, trying to hurry the elevator. “Does Elias know where you’re staying?” she asks casually.
“Uh . . . no, I don’t think so. He hasn’t been to my room, if that’s what you’re asking. Wait, why?” I ask, feeling uneasy. “Is my room haunted or something?”
Lourdes laughs, clapping me on the shoulder just as the doors open. “Not at all,” she says. “Not at all.”
A shadow falls over my magazine as I’m lounging next to the pool in a deck chair. I squint at the gathering clouds and then find Daniel’s blond head bobbing in the water. Up until this sudden change in weather, it has been beautiful. Perfect.
There are a few other guests, but they all seem to be wrapped up in their own conversations. A young couple has laid their towels in the grass, resting on their folded arms as they whisper to each other. An old man reads the paper at the table with an umbrella top. None of them even glance in my direction, which is just as well. I’m probably still blushing from my run-in with Elias.
“Audrey,” Daniel calls, pulling himself up on the blue-tiled sidewall. “Come in before it rains. I want to show you my dive.”
“I can watch you dive from here. You don’t need a fan club, Daniel. Sometimes you can just do awesome things for your own enjoyment.”
My brother’s expression falters, and he drops back into the water with a splash. I hurt his feelings, even though I didn’t mean to. Daniel is all heart; he loves me to pieces. But with that love comes his constant need for validation.
On the other side of the pool Daniel climbs up the ladder and then positions himself on the edge. There are three girls on the deck chairs behind him, and they angle to get a better look. Daniel doesn’t notice, though—he’s hyperfocused on his impending dive. Hoping to get it just right. I sigh and drop the magazine on the chair before going to stand across the pool from him.
“You’d better nail it,” I call. The corner of his mouth lifts, and then he brings his arms forward and leaps into the pool. As I expected, he hits a perfect vertical entry and loops back up to break through the rippling surface. He shakes the water off of his face and finds me.
“How was it?” he asks.
My chest aches because I don’t react the way Mom would. She would clap and hoot and pump his ego. I only smile. “It was great,” I say. “It was really great, Daniel.”
He beams and then swims over to the side to do it again. I take up residence where I can watch him, dangling my feet in the water. Some of the guests leave, shooting skyward glances at the thick clouds. On Daniel’s third try I tell him we should head in before he gets struck by lightning. He’s posing for his next dive when I notice Lourdes, from housekeeping, walking over.
She’s no longer in uniform. Instead she wears black shorts and a pale pink blouse, her eyes brightened by thick mascara. She holds up her hand in a wave when I notice her, and I go over to my lounge chair, wondering if she’s here to see me.
“Hi,” she says, seeming nervous to approach me. “Elias said you’d be here. Do you mind if I hang out for a bit?”
“Not at all,” I respond, motioning to the chair next to me. “Although it looks like it might rain.”
“It never rains.” Lourdes sits, and we both turn toward the pool when Daniel splashes in. He pops out of the water, and notices us. He nods his chin to Lourdes, and she smiles in return.
“Is that your brother?” she asks me as Daniel starts swimming toward the shallow end. I can see Lourdes checking him out, and I want to tell her not to bother. Knowing Daniel, I’m sure he’s already plotting how to meet up with Catherine again, especially since their encounter sounded bizarre. He’s predictable like that.
“That’s Daniel,” I tell Lourdes. “We’re here with my dad.”
“Oh?” She looks genuinely surprised, which is odd. Did she think we’d just come here on our own? Is that what the other guests do? “I hadn’t realized,” Lourdes says. A shadow of doubt crosses her features.
I lean forward on the chair, noticing the change. Before I can ask her about it, cold drops of water hit my bare feet and I see Daniel standing over me, wiping his hair with a towel.
“Hey,” he says to Lourdes. He’s charismatic, and I watch as Lourdes practically melts under his attention. “I’m Daniel.”
“Nice to meet you.” Lourdes stares at him a second and then turns back to me without introducing herself to him. “So, Audrey,” she starts, “a bunch of us are going to the roof tonight to celebrate my return.” She rolls her eyes, looking embarrassed that she’s the center of attention. “You should come too. Meet everybody.”
“Oh.” It takes me a minute to realize that I’m the one she’s inviting and not my brother. “Sure,” I say. “But there’s a party in the ballroom. You don’t go to that?”
“The staff’s not invited,” she answers quickly. “Which is okay with me, since I hate most of the guests here.” She laughs. “Believe me, the roof is better. We go at sundown. You’ll be there?”
I don’t really have to give it much thought—I’m not invited to the fancy party either. “Count me in. Sounds fun.”
Lourdes smiles broadly, standing from the chair. “See you tonight,” she tells me. She runs a long gaze over Daniel and then waves before turning to walk back across the lawn.
“She doesn’t like me.” Daniel pulls his face into an exaggerated How is that possible? expression. “I thought everyone liked me.”
“They do,” I say. “Except for me, right now, because you’re being obnoxious.”
Daniel laughs and whips me with his towel. “Oh, stop. I’m joking. Mostly.” He shrugs. “She liked me.”
“I’m going inside,” I say, rolling up my magazine and tying my towel around my waist. Daniel joins me on the walk back, and just when we get to the patio doors, the sky starts to clear. “It’s going to be a beautiful night,” I say, looking up. “Are you coming to the roof with me?”
“Don’t think I was invited,” Daniel says, not sounding terribly upset by it. The air of the Ruby is chilly on my skin, and Daniel shivers and brings his towel around his shoulders. “I’m going to explore other options.” He pauses and points ahead. “Such as . . .”
Across the lobby Catherine waves, pageant-princess style, and starts toward us. She’s no longer in a gown, but she’s still too fancy for midafternoon. A bright white blouse with layers of necklaces glittering in the window-filtered sunlight. Short cigare
tte pants with spiked black heels, ornate silver bracelets. I sigh and swing my head toward my brother.
“Are you kidding me?” I ask him. She’s over the top, even for his taste. He laughs, fully aware.
“Dan,” Catherine says, out of breath when she reaches us. She places her palm on my brother’s cheek, dramatic and entirely too affectionate. “I was so worried,” she murmurs, letting her hand fall away. “I thought you’d left.”
“No,” he tells her. “Just found out we’re staying until Friday. Isn’t that awesome?” She casts an annoyed glance in my direction, speculating what part of “we” I fit into. “Oh, Cathy,” Daniel says quickly. “This is my sister, Audrey.”
She smiles politely. “Nice to see you,” she says disingenuously, and immediately turns back to Daniel.
“Likewise,” I say closemouthed.
Catherine runs her gaze over Daniel and then touches the towel at his neck. “The pool is gorgeous,” she says. “Were you swimming?” I resist the urge to answer, “Duh.”
“Yeah,” Daniel responds, a little prideful. “I was practicing my dives, but my sister was entirely unimpressed.” He knocks his elbow into my side, and I groan and take a step away. I’d rather be spared their idea of small talk.
“I can’t even swim,” Catherine says. “I would have been impressed.”
“I’ll teach you,” Daniel says, puffed up and self-important. When Catherine excitedly tells him she’d like nothing more, he pulls her into a playful hug, pinning her under his arm in a way that might suit a campus girl but is out of place in high society.
Catherine turns up her face and they both smile, and I know exactly what my brother sees in her: Adoration. Attention. Catherine’s feeding his inner boy, giving him the validation he craves. The idea that he’s still so desperate for attention sends me into another guilt spiral, proving once again that I’m not living up to what my family needs. It makes me hate Catherine a tiny bit more . . . although I already summed up how terrible she was within two minutes of meeting her.