Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 103050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103050 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
“You want me to take a look?” I ask feeling a little protective.
She shrugs and grabs a bunch of papers off her desk and hands them to me.
“What are you looking for?”
“You mean other than you?” she asks.
I laugh. It’s incredibly flattering to be so well regarded by Avril and Poppy, but I’m also invested in whoever takes over from me. I want them to be good enough. This hotel is a special place, and they need someone who will appreciate that.
“The problem you have is that you don’t just want someone with a lot of experience. You want someone who…will care about the place.” That’s not easy to find in any job.
“Exactly,” Avril says.
“And they need to be able to come in and work as a team and not just assert their authority.”
“I know,” Avril replies.
“And you don’t want someone who’s going to change things, just to put their stamp on it. That kind of move is disruptive. The staff will see it, and it could cause a morale problem.” It’s such a great team here, I’d hate for it to fracture because of a new general manager who didn’t care about the place the way Avril and Poppy do—the way I do.
“You get it completely,” Avril says.
“But you can’t tell any of that from a résumé or an interview.”
Avril groans. “It’s an impossible task. Tell me you’ve changed your mind and you want to take the job. You fit in. You’re like part of the family. And that’s what we’re building—a family-run hotel. Is there anything we can do to get you to stay?”
I pause. Since breaking up with Deacon, all I’ve done is count down the days until I can go back home. I’ve not really thought beyond that. What happens when I get back to England? It seems clear I’ll be able to go back to The Rookery. So I’ll slot back into my old life. The problem is, when I think about living that old life, it doesn’t feel right. I’m not sure it ever felt right.
Being here in New York has been a roller coaster compared to life back in Chilternshire. It’s not all been positive, but it’s been real. And I’ve been center stage. It’s my life I’ve been living, rather than standing on the sidelines of someone else’s.
Do I really want to go backwards?
And I love this place. I love the fact that it’s an independent family-run business, not some soulless chain. I love the people and the way we’re right in the heart of the city—a city I don’t know well…yet.
I pause and press my lips together, before I blurt, “Is that still a possibility?” I never usually act without a lot of thought and consideration. It’s stopped me taking action—moving, changing jobs, making choices. But the thought of someone standing in my shoes, experiencing all the things that I’m going to miss out on makes me feel panicked. I’m sick of feeling like I’m missing out, and if I go back to Chilternshire, I will only have myself to blame—there’s an opportunity for me right here. Okay, so things didn’t work out with Deacon, but I’m going to be heartbroken in Chilternshire, just the same as I am here. Except there will be less distraction—fewer opportunities for something exciting to happen. Why would I just give up and go home now?
Avril jumps to her feet. “Are you serious?” she asks. “You want the job?”
I know I don’t want to go back to The Rookery and my cold little cottage and the same existence as I had before. New York hasn’t been perfect, but it’s been more than I had…and I don’t want to leave when I think there’s still more for me here.
Why had I made the decision to ditch New York and go back home so quickly? Because Deacon broke things off with me—I was making a decision based on his choice. It’s time I made a decision for myself. Not because it fits in with Deacon or Darcy or even Scarlett and Avril. I need to decide what I want. And even though it might look like a sudden change of mind, it isn’t at all. I’ve known all along. As the song goes, I’ll take Manhattan.
“I really think I do,” I say, almost surprising myself with how much relief I feel as I say the words.
“You think you do?” she asks. “Is that British for I absolutely do?”
I laugh. “Yeah, that’s British for I’d really like to be general manager of Hotel on Ninth Street if you haven’t found anyone else.”
“This is fantastic news! Fuck the coffee, we need champagne to celebrate,” Avril says, just as Poppy walks through the door carrying two coffee cups.
“You’re sure you haven’t found anyone yet?” I ask.
Avril just laughs. “We’re celebrating,” she says to her sister. “Aurora is going to stay.”