Page 10 of More than Fiction (Misty Springs #1)

Sophia

Cassie and I sat on two mismatched folding chairs in a small room behind the front desk of Elijah’s.

We had asked Julio, the hotel’s master chef, to make our favorite salad, a bed of crispy greens, roasted vegetables, grilled chicken, cheese, and nuts.

He also made a tangy vinaigrette dressing, blending the salad with savory, salty, and slightly sweet notes.

It was my second favorite food after the ribs at Boomer's.

Cassie was my oldest friend and the manager at Elijah’s. She offered me a job working the front desk after the tornadic destruction Landon left behind.

“What’s the theme for tonight?” I asked Cassie with a mouthful of salad.

“Jurassic Park.”

My eyebrows lifted in amusement. “Who came up with that one?”

“Elijah, of course. The drink is yellow Jell-O shots with little gummy bugs in the middle. You know, to look like the frozen bug thingy that scientist guy found.”

I snorted, almost sending salad flying out of my mouth. “Julio must be having a heyday with that one.”

Elijah, the namesake behind Misty Springs’ infamous hotel, was as eccentric as he was temperamental. He stayed away most of the time, only emailing Cassie to check in occasionally, or if he had an idea for a theme night he wanted to feature.

Every Friday and Saturday night, the hotel came alive with carefully crafted menus, specialty drinks, and desserts that matched the movie's theme .

Elijah wanted to create a place where residents and guests could connect, making Misty Springs feel more like a second home than just a place to pass through.

The theme nights were so popular that people traveled from miles around, bypassing chain hotels, just to spend a night in this quirky gem.

Julio, the chef, had a knack for crafting food and drinks that perfectly matched Elijah's theme, making the experience even more immersive. The flavors were always bold and intricate, with each dish showcasing his true talent.

We often commented that Julio’s culinary skills were wasted in a small town like Misty Springs, but Julio laughed it off. He’s a lifer here, always saying he wouldn’t dream of living elsewhere.

Another amazing person who helped make this town so damn charming.

Take that, Mister Judgmental Fancy Pants, Better-Than-Everyone 1B.

“You look pissed. What’s going on?” Cassie asked, interrupting my thoughts.

“Oh, it’s… nothing. I’m just tired. The flight home kind of wore me out.”

I wasn’t sure why I didn’t mention the gorgeous jerk from the plane. Maybe because I’d tried—and failed—to stop thinking about him all last night, and saying anything out loud would only make it worse.

“You still want to work out with me, right?”

I nodded as I pulled out my phone to check the workout for the day, thankful that the ancient device seemed to have survived the spilled coffee incident. The tiny envelope notification at the top reminded me I was just about to check my email in the coffee shop before I made a fool of myself.

The email preview’s subject line caught my attention—a job alert. Odd, considering the only alerts I’d signed up for were publishing jobs within ten miles of Misty Springs. And let's be real—nothing ever happened within ten miles of Misty Springs.

Two job postings appeared for Buescher-Jones Publishing, triggering something in my mind from earlier.

“Oh my gosh! I completely forgot! ”

“Whadja forget?” Cassie asked as she pressed her Diet Coke to her lips.

“I was handed a business card today from an extraordinarily dressed woman who I thought was a teenager. This was right after I spilled her coffee everywhere, and Lana had to make replacements for her.”

As I continued, I dug around my bag, looking for the card left behind by the mysterious and flashy woman.

“And while we waited for said new drinks, I may have brought up penises and vaginas, maybe even some clitorises slipped out. Wait, is that right? Clitori? Clitoras?”

“Clitorati,” Cassie stated matter-of-factly.

I barked a laugh. “No, it’s not that. Clitorati sounds like a secret society for female erotica.”

She shrugged. “So what’s the story here? After you ranted about genitalia to this teenager, I’m going to see you on To Catch a Predator ?”

“No, that’s not the story. The girl—who was not underage, by the way.” I pulled out the tiny white card and started reading from it. “Andi Young, Executive Assistant at, gasp!”

“Did you just say the word gasp ?”

“I did and I’m going to do it again because, gasp! She works at Buescher-Jones Publishing.”

“Buescher-who-what?” Cassie took another bite of salad. “And why does that name sound familiar?”

“Buescher-Jones Publishing is like… my dream company. They published my favorite authors! They published this!”

I held up my most recent Monica McKenzie book.

“And they just posted two job openings in Misty Springs!” I set down my phone and lifted my chin. “But they are in New York, not here. Are they here now?”

I’m not qualified to work there.

I didn’t finish school.

Surely, they’d toss me aside once they learn that factoid.

“Dizzy spell. Take a breath.” Cassie placed her hand on my shoulder and audibly breathed in and out a few times until my breathing steadied with hers. She dropped her hand and leaned back in her seat .

“I know this Andi person. She’s been staying here. Are you going to reach out to her?” Cassie asked.

“I don’t know.” I started nervously bouncing my knee. “I’m not qualified. I don’t even have a degree.”

“Yeah, but you took a million English courses and aced every one. You’re the most well-read person I know, and you already have an in with Andi. You have to go for it.”

“Cassie!” A breathless Pam rushed in on us. “Jamie called in again. I’m not even halfway through the rooms yet. Do you think you can help me out?”

Cassie was one of those people who rolled up her sleeves to help anyone with any job throughout the hotel.

She started working here during our freshman year of high school, cleaning rooms, and since then has held almost every position.

She was also one of the few people who could handle Elijah and his unpredictable behavior.

“Sure thing, Pam. I'm just finishing up,” Cassie said as she shoved a final forkful of salad into her mouth.

“You’re the best!” Pam backed out of the door and then flung it back open, poking her head in once more. “And hi, Sophia, you look tan.” She disappeared again before I had a chance to respond.

Cassie and I stood up, but before we left the break room, she grabbed both of my arms and locked eyes with me, her emerald green gaze intense.

“You are amazing, Sophia Jane Carlson, and you can do anything you put your mind to. You are too talented to be the front desk clerk at Elijah’s, and you need to pursue this. ”

I started to object, but she cut me off.

“Ah ah ah, nope. No more words. No more dizzy spells. That’s it. Those are the facts.” Cassie grabbed my empty salad bowl, stacking it in hers to return to the kitchen. “I’ll meet you at the front desk at three. We can’t be late this time, or the coach will make us do burpees.”

I gave her a silent salute since I was banned from talking. She hated it when I did that, but she smiled anyway, and together, we walked out of the breakroom.

I tried not to get my hopes up, but a tiny voice in the back of my mind was already doing backflips, whispering that this might be exactly what I needed to turn my upside-down life right-side up.