“When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.”
-Harry Burns, When Harry Met Sally by Nora Ephron
Chapter One
Sue Ellen Jones
“Fuck this shit,” I mumble under my breath all the while throwing things around my desk. I’m annoyed, exhausted, and fed up with my brother and sisters. As the Guest Relations Manager for the Fall Mountain Resort, my job should be relatively easy. My family has owned the place for years. This is where I grew up. It’s more than a hotel, it’s home. My parents recently retired, leaving my older brother, Ford, in charge of the hotel as well as maintenance and all of the grounds, including the ski lifts and tube runs. My oldest sister, Sadie Mae, handles the spa and gym as the Guest Wellness Coordinator. She is a little less Bohemian than I am, but then again, I am a full-blown vegetarian hippie. My fraternal twin, Mille Kay, is the in-house party planner and event coordinator. We are polar opposites. She listens to old rock songs constantly. Whenever I can’t figure out a gift for her, my go-to is headphones. It doesn’t matter what style it is, she’s happy. I swear she has at least thirty sets. I, on the other hand, would prefer folksy, Celtic or mystical music blaring loud. My youngest sister, Pixie Jo, is the head chef. Despite having a twin, PJ and I are the closest as we work the weirdest hours and spend a lot of time together. Her baked goods keep me sane.
Typically, I work from five-thirty in the morning to three in the afternoon. But as of ten minutes ago, I’ve been on shift for twenty-six hours now. Twenty fucking six hours in the middle of a fucking blizzard. I tend to be foul-mouthed when I am pissed but throw in tired as hell and I might as well be a Gold Medal Olympian if swearing like a sailor was an event. There’s always a manager on duty and I drew the fucking short straw. I am ready to crawl into my bed and not move for the rest of the day. Our night manager, Tilly, had to have an emergency C-section yesterday. Her husband called about an hour after she was supposed to be here. Her maternity leave wasn’t going to start until next week, so our temporary hire hasn’t started yet. I am glad that mom and baby are both doing great, but I am beyond done. After he called earlier, I went ahead and decided for the temp to start tomorrow, but that was the soonest she could get here. I tried to get my siblings to come relieve me last night but not one of those bitches answered their phones.
At damn near eight the next morning, I’m still in the midst of my inner tantrum. I pause my fuming when I hear the little tinkling bell from the front desk indicating someone is there. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror as I walk out of my office. I look like death warmed over then died again. It’ll just have to do.
“Hi! Are you Sue Ellen?” A perfectly put together not to mention beautiful blonde woman asks me.
“I am. Welcome to Fall Mountain Resort. Are you Diane?”
“I am. Sorry, I am a little early.”
“No. Trust me early is fine. Ezra will get you acclimated,” I say indicating the front desk clerk.
“Perfect.” Ezra is in charge of new employee training. Diane will be working overnight starting tomorrow night. I just have to get through the next eighteen minutes and then Ford is taking over whether he likes it or not.
“It was so nice to meet you. Ezra will also show you the employee quarters. You’ll have private accommodations and all three meals are included each day you work and two meals on your off days. The season is brutal. We are at full capacity most of the time. Do you have any questions for me?”
“No. I am good for now.”
“Follow Ezra and he’ll take care of you.”
“Thank you. It was lovely to meet you.”
“You too.” She goes into the back with Ezra. I man the desk until Ford strolls in.
“You look like shit, sis,” he says following me to my office. I grab my bag, my phone, and my laptop.
“Gee thanks, asshat. I am out of here. I’ll come back after I get some sleep but the rest of you can figure out the day.”
“Fine. We got this. Take a shower too. Really, you look terrible,” he repeats. I am about one second from decking him when someone hits the bell impatiently. like forty-seven times. “You want me to take care of that?”
“No, I got it, then I’m gone,” I promise.