Page 35 of Forty, Flirty & Fall Inn

And tonight, for once, everything feels like it might—might—actually be okay.

I tap refresh on my laptop screen and grin so hard my cheeks hurt.

Three new bookings.In one day.

"That's twelve total for next weekend," I tell the snoring goat at my feet.“That’s twelve total for next weekend.Twelve, you adorable little chaos goblin.That’s almost half capacity.”

In response, she snorts, kicking the air like she’s chasing dream-carrots.

Taking another sip of cider from my mug, I glance out the window at the string-lit inn sign swaying gently in the breeze.

The whole town feels quiet, none of the tell-tale signs of the nearby Seattle here.

Not the honking.Or the sirens.Or hum of tires.

Just the faint murmur of a distant waterfall, the rustle of leaves in the dark.

And the soft sound of chewing.

Blinking, I snap out of my reverie to look down, only to find that Buttercup has awakened.

And not only that.

The little havoc-demon’s chewing on something that looks like a phone charger.Or worse.

I lunge for the mystery cable, but she's already got it between her teeth like a very expensive piece of licorice.

"No, that's—Buttercup, what the hell are you?—“

The words die on my mouth as the lights flicker.

Once.Twice.

Then the entire inn plunges into darkness.

"Oh, come on!"I fumble for my phone, its screen providing the only light in the suddenly cave-like lobby."Not now.Not when things are finally?—"

A mechanical shriek pierces the darkness, followed by what sounds like R2-D2 having a nervous breakdown.

Red emergency lights begin flashing from every corner, bathing everything in an apocalyptic glow.

"SECURITY BREACH.SECURITY BREACH.PLEASE EVACUATE IN AN ORDERLY FASHION."

The voice is robotic, feminine, and approximately loud enough to wake the dead.

Or at least the Hendersons in Room 3, who definitely didn't sign up for a midnight rave.

"No, no, no!"I scramble for the SafeStay control panel that Luke's team installed behind the desk.The screen is a cascade of error messages, each more alarming than the last.

FIREWALL COMPROMISED

UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS DETECTED

SYSTEM MELTDOWN IMMINENT

"System meltdown?"I stab at buttons randomly."What does that even mean?"

"THIRTY SECONDS TO FULL LOCKDOWN," the robot voice announces.