9. Drew: Duke, The Matchmaker

Chapter nine

Drew – Duke, The Matchmaker

By the third day of my stay, I'm starting to lose hope of finding the mystery woman—but to my surprise, she finds me instead. As I start to explore the inside of the hotel, she spots me poking around the hotel gift shop. I almost don't recognize her in her work attire of a light blue polo and khakis.

She's not a guest, but an employee. (I'm starting to understand Prince Charming's dilemma in Cinderella a little more now.) But what remains the same are those unmistakable blue eyes and the golden waves of hair that dance across her shoulders as she moves.

"Drew?" she asks, peeking her head around a rack of t-shirts.

Crap, does she already know who I really am?

"Yes," I say with a nod, clearing my throat. "Can I help you?"

"I heard you've been asking about finding a woman with a large dog at the hotel," she sighs. "I don't actually own them. I just walk them," she corrects me.

"Do you run the dog program here too?" I ask, pointing to her uniform. "I've never seen a hotel that welcomes so many animals, especially large ones like…" "Duke," I say.

"He's a sweet boy. And he really likes the beach," she says, her face lighting up at the thought of her furry companion. "Do you have pets?"

"No, I would love one but I travel a lot so it wouldn't really be fair," I admit, careful not to give too much away. "When I was a kid, my family used to have a black lab named Lucy. She was the best."

She smiles again. "Labs are one of my favorites, next to golden retrievers." Getting this woman to smile makes me feel like I've won the lottery or something.

"My brother thinks I should get a cat because they're lower maintenance, but I'm still partial to dogs."

"Cats are kinda grumpy most of the time," she chuckles. "I swear, they always have a reason to act aloof but we never get to know exactly why."

"Exactly," I nod. "Listen, I'm sorry for—"

"No, it was my fault," she quickly cuts me off. "That's actually why I came to find you. I should have had a better hold on him."

"I should be apologizing for not helping you up sooner, as you said before. To be honest, I think I was a bit more distracted than I'm used to being."

"Distracted how?" She asks.

"Not to sound cheesy but I think you have gorgeous eyes," I say. "I think that's why it took so long for me to realize I should have helped you up. I promise, I usually act a lot quicker in those situations."

"Wow. Well, thank you," she smiles softly, tucking a strand of golden hair behind her ear.

"And to be fair, Duke was doing a good job of dragging you, so maybe he should shoulder some blame too," I chuckle, catching a hint of a smirk on her face.

"Well again, that's the reason I came to find you. I just wanted to make sure that there were no hard feelings about it," she explains.

"No, of course not," I assure her. "Accidents happen. No harm done." I can see her shoulders drop in relief before she nods.

"Good, great," she says. "Well, I should get back to work. Enjoy your stay."

"Wait," I say, gently catching her arm. She shoots me a surprised glance that prompts me to let go. "This might sound a little out of left field, but you should let me take you out to lunch."

"Oh, you don't have to," she waves me off.

"It's not a pity meal," I assure her. "I'd like to get to know you if you'll let me."

I catch a moment of hesitation in her before she looks up at me and nods her head.

"I'd like that," she says. "And if you want, I can show you the beach later when the sun is setting. It's really something to see."

I'm usually so quick to reject the thought of being anywhere near sand, but knowing she will be right there with me makes me easily reconsider.

I don't think the sunset is the only thing I'd like to see on that beach. "Sounds like a plan," I say. "Why don't we meet in the lobby at noon? That is if you can get off work. Do you like the pub just down the street?"

"Bobby's Place? It's the best spot to get a burger," she says. "Today I'm off at 11, so I'll see you then."

"Wait, you haven't told me your name yet."

"I'm Meg." She holds out her hand. It's so tiny in mine as I gently shake it.

"Drew." I nod. "But of course, you knew that. I'll see you at noon, Meg."

She smiles before turning back to the lobby and disappearing behind the desk and into the back office. I can't hold back the smile plastered on my face.

Holy crap, what am I thinking? Well, I think I could really get to like this girl, that's for sure. And technically, I'm not her boss…yet. Two adults talking over lunch and a walk on the beach is harmless. Really, it seems perfectly fine to me.