“Hey, Zeke, are you going to join us?” Cherry asks as she dips her feet into the pool to test the water. At her side, Kara works her hair into a neat bun atop her head before joining Cherry in the pool.

“Mmm,” Zeke leans his head back as he pretends to mull this question over. From the weathered patio chair he sits on, he responds back, “nah. You two have fun though.”

“Pooey,” Cherry pouts.

“You’re so lame,” Kara spits.

Zeke just shrugs, and as he sips at the pineapple seltzer in his hand, he eyes the two women as they cautiously step deeper into the water. Cherry hoists up the straps of her red one-piece bathing suit as she says, “do you want to at least dip your feet in the water? The pool feels sooo good. We did a really good job cleaning it out this week.”

Zeke ultimately decides to hop up from his chair, “alright, okay,” he mumbles. As he sits on the pool’s ledge, he takes his phone out from his oversized basketball shorts’ pocket. Instinctually, he checks his lockscreen: it’s 7:15, and the party officially started at 7:00pm sharp.

Becka showed up first, and she brought plenty of alcohol. As she set up her sound system, Cherry, Kara, and Zeke were setting up some string lights that the two women had from their Christmas decor box. Next, Lauren showed up. He brought a big platter of devilled eggs, as well as a fold out table for beer pong.

Closer to seven, after everything was set up, several of Lauren’s friends carpooled together, and a few of Becka’s friends showed up too. From his seat by the pool, Zeke watches through the windows as Rosa steps out of the elevator with a guest; both of them carry tote bags that appear to be full of party supplies. Zeke sighs and puts his screen down. He takes off his sneakers, and then his socks, and dips his feet into the comfortably warm pool water.

Where the hell is Lewis?

“Feels good, right?” Cherry smiles from the pool below him.

“For sure,” Zeke says.

“The string lights are sooo cute,” she sighs, looking up at the lights they strung to the Hotel’s exterior walls. They’re on, but hardly visible as the sun bathes the whole patio in a deep orange glow.

“Yeah, super cute idea,” Kara nods. She waves her hands in the water as her deep silver eyes trace the pattern of the lights.

Cherry peers over towards her roommate, “hey, do we know where those glow sticks went?”

“Ummm,” Kara tilts her head to the side, “I think I put them in that tote bag we brought the lights in. I totally forgot to pull them out.”

“It’s cool. We still have some time before we’ll need them,” Cherry responds, peering out towards their view of the deep purple, warm magenta, burnt orange, and vibrant yellow sunset.

It’s quiet for a moment as they all bask in the party around them. Becka and her friends sit in pool tubes as they chat; she’s the DJ tonight, and currently she’s playing some reggae mixed with yacht rock. Nearby, some of Lauren’s friends are doing underwater handstands. At the far side of the pool, Rosa and her guest make their way to some patio furniture to set up shop. Seriously, everyone is here.

Why isn’t Lewis?

From her spot in the pool, Cherry hums, “hey, Zeke?”

“What’s up?”

She hesitates before she asks, “is everything okay?”

“Uh,” Zeke pauses, “yeah.”

“Liar,” Kara crosses her arms over her black cut-out bikini, “dude, you have got to get over him.”

“Huh?” Zeke grins with confusion.

“Clearly Lewis isn’t showing up tonight,” she responds.

“Well, we don’t know that,” Cherry adds, “is it seven yet?”

Zeke nods his head to the side, “7:20.”

“Oh,” Cherry pouts. She gives Kara a look, and then says, “maybe he just got a flat tire or something.”

“No way,” Kara scoffs, “that guy has never been late to anything in his life. Always the first to show up. Total loser.”

“Be nice,” Zeke warns, but Kara just rolls her eyes.

Cherry puts her arms on the pool’s ledge and looks up at Zeke as she says, “well, regardless of whether Lewis shows up tonight or not, let’s just try to have fun, okay?”

“Right,” Zeke hums, “totally.”

“That’a boy,” Kara grins, “so… You’re totally going to go swimming now, right?”

Zeke smiles back, “not a chance. Sorry.”

“Boo,” Kara plays, “party pooper.”

“Hey, uh, Zeke,” Cherry smiles, “would you maybe go grab drinks for me and Kara?”

“Sure. Be back in a sec,” Zeke hums as he hops up from his seat. He leaves his shoes and socks behind, but as he traverses the poolside, he feels as though maybe he should have put them back on. He makes his way inside the ground level of the Hotel and shivers in the air conditioning. Thank god he’s wearing Lewis’ jacket right now.

At the main bar, everybody’s set up their home-made appetizers and store-bought snacks. A few half-drunk liters of soda sit atop the bar’s marble counter top, and a stack of red solo cups defines this as a party. At the side of the bar, in front of the elevators, there’s a big red cooler that stores an abundance of canned and bottled alcohol alike. As he pops the lid open to investigate the choices this evening, he hears Lauren’s voice say, “well, hey, bud!”

“Oh, hey, man,” Zeke glances towards the direction of his voice and sees Lauren gleefully jaunting down the rotunda steps. Tonight, he wears an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt, standard swim trunks, a ratty pair of sandals, and what appears to be a shark tooth necklace.

“Have you tried those devilled eggs yet?” Lauren asks.

“Hah,” Zeke laughs, “nah, not yet. Here, lemme give ‘em a shot,” he states as he closes the cooler and reaches for that platter Lauren bought. As he bites into it, his brows shoot up, “woah, okay. Wow. What did you add to these?”

“My secret?” Lauren beams as he  leans over a barstool, “it’s just a dash of pickle juice.”

“Aaah. Okay, yeah, I taste it now. Killer job, man.”

“Thanks,” the dirty-blonde grins. He then looks around them, almost as if he’s looking for something, “hey, has Lewis shown up yet? I have a gift that I want to give him.”

“Oh,” Zeke hums, “uh, no, not yet.”

Lauren peers back over to the brunette, “is he okay?”

“Um. I think so? I dunno. I haven’t heard from him.”

“Well, you should reach out and see. Maybe he needs a little push to be here,” Lauren smiles.

“Yeah. Maybe.”

“Hey,” Lauren hums. He then leans in to ask, “you want a little wisdom, Zeke?”

This piques Zeke’s interest, so he says, “yeah. Sure.”

Lauren’s voice gets low as he says, “Cupid’s got an interesting way of doing things. He opens doors, and he closes doors, and it’s all part of this master plan he has for each and every one of us. Don’t lose hope just yet. Okay?” Zeke smirks a bit, because this man’s deep brown eyes are oh-so serious, even though he’s talking about some bizarre local legend. Before the teenager can respond, Lauren adds, “can I ask you something, bud?”

“Sure,” he says, because he wants to see where this is going.

“Did you find what you were looking for when you first showed up to Heart Hollow?”

Zeke tilts his head to the side, “Lewis asked me something like that when I first showed up here. What am I looking for, or whatever.”

“What’d you tell him?”

“Uhhh. I think I just told him that I was looking for some place to rest for a bit. Somewhere to get comfortable.”

“And did you find that?”

Zeke smirks, “I mean,” he thinks about his very homey suite at the end of that hall behind him, “yeah.”

Lauren smiles, “well then, maybe this is where the story truly ends. But, hey, be available to any doors that Cupid opens for you. He likes to keep us all on our toes.”

“Right,” Zeke hums slowly. For some reason, he finds himself compelled to ask, “were you looking for something too? When you first showed up to the Hotel.”

Lauren smiles real big, and his fists find their way onto his hips, “well, you don’t just stumble all the way up this mountainside by accident,” he grins, “everybody is searching for something when they show up to this old place.”

Zeke laughs, “yeah, good point. So what were you looking for?”

“Me? I was looking for guidance.”

“Guidance? Were you lost or something?”

“Not lost in the typical sense… You see, I found myself at a total rock bottom. Emotionally, mentally, physically. I had no idea how to get myself out of it. All I knew is that I felt this undeniable pull up the mountainside, and I was so desperate that I followed it. As soon as I stepped foot on this land, I knew,” he nods his head seriously, “I knew that this is exactly where I was supposed to be.”

“Huh,” Zeke hums as he thinks on this. He decides to say, “good for you for getting your shit together, man.”

“Thanks, bud,” Lauren smiles honestly, “it’s the path Cupid had laid out for me. I just had to let him take the wheel.”

“Right,” Zeke smiles skeptically.

Lauren grabs a cupcake from the bar as he says, “just keep an open mind as to what comes next. You’ll land on your feet.”

“Thanks, Lauren.”

“Sure thing, bud,” he boasts a big smile as he adds, “gonna go see what my crew is up to. Hey, I was thinking about some beer pong once the sun goes down?”

“Yeah, sounds great,” Zeke responds as he reaches into the cooler to grab those two drinks for Cherry and Kara.

“Awesome. Catch ya later!”

“See ya,” he says, watching as Lauren exits onto the patio. Zeke sifts through the selection in the cooler and decides on two strawberry seltzers for them. With two unopened cans in one arm, and his pineapple seltzer in the other, he treks back out onto the patio to rejoin his friends. As he approaches, he says, “I wasn’t sure what flavors you guys wanted, so I just got strawberry.”

“A classic,” Kara hums.

“Oh, yay! Strawberry is my favorite,” Cherry smiles.

“Really? I thought it’d be cherry,” Zeke grins as he sits back down beside the pool. He dips his legs into the water and hands the two women their drinks.

“Goofball,” she giggles, “that’s Kara’s favorite.”

Kara smirks, “what can I say? Cherry is pretty great.”

“Awww. That’s so sweet. What the heck,” Cherry grins and brings her friend in for a side hug.

“Rare moment for Kara. Being nice,” Zeke plays.

“Shut up. I was obviously talking about the drink flavor,” Kara retorts, but both of them know that she’s bluffing.

The two women crack into their drinks, and all three of them take a swig. There’s a lull in the conversation, so Zeke feels compelled to ask, “hey, this might come out of left field, but were you guys, like, looking for something when you first showed up at the Hotel?”

The two women laugh at varying degrees, and Kara says, “oh, so that’s what Lauren was talking to you about in there.”

Zeke grins; they must have seen them chatting through the windows. He says, “yeah. He talked a lot about how Cupid has a plan or whatever. Told me to be open minded about what comes next.”

“Aw, well that’s nice,” Cherry smiles.

“Yeah. I dunno. All this stuff about Cupid kinda weirds me out. Like, is it really that serious to people here?”

Kara firmly nods, “seeing him is, like, super big news.”

“It’s like having your first kiss,” Cherry says, “or an engagement announcement or something. It’s huge.”

Then, Kara adds, “dude, you’re lucky we haven’t told anyone about you and Lewis’ encounter. The town would go apeshit for that.”

Zeke’s eyebrows furrow a bit, because he’s not so sure that he completely believes her when she says that she hasn’t told anyone. She loves drama, and so does this town. Regardless, there’s a chance that Lewis could have told someone too. So, Zeke just says, “right.”

Cherry must have noticed his attitude change, so she says, “Zeke, you were asking about what we were looking for when we first came here, right?”

“Oh, right, yeah,” he hums, “just curious.”

Kara decides she wants to go first, “at the beginning, I just wanted to get away to somewhere quiet and secluded.”

Zeke says, “yeah, I guess a dead Hotel would be pretty quiet.”

“Um, you’d think that,” she grins sarcastically, “lots of juicy shit happened here before Mr. Wright hired Lewis. Sometimes the Truehearts would come and try to speak with Andrei privately. Of course, that grumpy old fart always insisted that he wasn’t interested. Dude, Mayor Heartwood used to rent out rooms in secret. Like, what the hell was he doing here, ya know?”

Cherry waves her free hand with excitement, “wait, Kara, didn’t you tell me that he had a bag of coke or something?”

“Oh my god, yes,” Kara lights up, “Rosa found a little baggie in the same suite that Mayor Heartwood had stayed in the night prior. So obviously we called the police, and Sheriff Stoneheart shows up alone. I freak out, ya know, being the receptionist, and he just asks to speak with Mr. Wright. So, yeah, I offered to guide him to Andrei’s office, but he insisted on going in alone. I dunno what they talked about, but they were in there for a really long time. Stupid cop never even took the coke bag as evidence.”

“Woah,” Zeke’s brows shoot up, “he covered that shit up?”

“Yeah,” Kara nods her head, “crazy, right?”

“Huh. Okay,” Zeke takes a big swig of his drink, “if you were looking for somewhere quiet, why’d you decide to stay working here then? If there was all that secret drama still going on.”

“Okay, so here’s the thing,” she adjusts how she stands, “I thought I wanted someplace quiet, but really? I started hating this job when it actually got quiet. It’s so boring around here now.”

“So… If you hate it now, why do you stay?”

“Well, that doesn’t even matter, cuz this place is going to the Trueheart’s,” she stumbles out. A sympathetic smirk finds its way onto Zeke’s face; her face is going red, and she’s usually much more snappy. She must be feeling that drink already.

Zeke just says, “so you found what you were looking for, and you ended up hating it. Got it,” ne nods towards the other woman, “Cherry? What were you looking for?”

“Um,” Cherry smiles, but before she can answer, Lauren gets up on top of the diving board and shouts, “who wants to do a chicken fight tournament?”

A few of Lauren’s friends hoot and holler, and Zeke feels like adding to it, even though he won’t be playing. Kara grins wickedly, “Cherry, let me get on your shoulders. Let’s demolish these fools.”

“Oh my gosh. Okay, yeah, let’s do it,” Cherry hands her drink up to Zeke with a smile,  “here, you can have the rest.”

“Oh. Okay,” Zeke grins, accepting the half drunk drink. Kara decides to down the rest of hers, and once she’s done, she hands the empty can up to the teenager for him to dispose of it.

Zeke just says, “of course. You’re welcome,” as he takes the empty can from her. He watches as the two women wade over to the small group of participants that’s forming within the pool. As the teams form, and as Lauren hosts the event, Zeke sips at the last of his pineapple seltzer. Everybody’s off doing something fun and entertaining, and those who aren’t playing are sitting beside the pool with a friend or partner. Zeke’s all by himself, and this is usually when Lewis steps in. He takes his phone out of his pocket and checks his lockscreen… It’s 7:35, and he’s heard nothing from the guy.

“Well, hiya, baby,” he hears a bright voice to his right. He darts his attention up to see, of all people, Ms. Amy Trueheart. Her dark wavy hair is down, which shows its long length. She wears a modest boho bikini, complete with optional skirt. One hand is on her hip, while                                                                                                               the other is holding a plastic tumbler that’s nearly filled to the brim with red wine. She asks, “mind if I join ‘ya?”

“Hey, Amy. Yeah, let’s chat,” Zeke smiles honestly as he puts his phone away, “I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”

“Look, honey,” she starts as she hoists herself down onto the pool’s ledge, “I may not be young and fun anymore, but I figured… I’m single. I can do whatever the hell I want!” She busts out into laughter.

Zeke grins, “well, you look stunning.”

“Ohhh,” she smiles widely, “you’re a sweetheart, aren’t you?”

Zeke just shrugs lightheartedly before he asks, “are you friends with one of the employees here, then?”

“Why’d’ya ask?”

“Well, you must have got the invite somehow,” he smiles.

“Oh, right,” she smiles, but she hesitates before responding, “um, Linda told me. Lewis’ mom.”

“Ahhh,” Zeke hums. Somehow, that doesn’t feel like the honest answer. On second thought, though, who else would have told her? Instead of voicing any of that, he says, “cool. I haven’t met Linda yet. What’s she like?”

“Oh, she’s a beautiful soul, Zeke. Just as sweet as can be. She’s an incredibly loving and compassionate woman. She fits right in with the Lockhearts,” she smiles warmly.

Zeke chuckles, “she sounds lovely,” he says as he looks down towards the half-full strawberry seltzer that was gifted to him by Cherry. He says, “I met Lewis’ dad earlier this week - Lawrence? He was…” He laughs, “he’s a goof. It’s too bad I didn’t get to meet Linda.”

“Oh? Are you going somewhere?”

“Yup. Hitching a bus out of here tomorrow.”

“Well I’m sad to hear that. Why’re you leaving?”

Zeke shrugs, “my housing fell through. I don’t have a job.”

“Well, if you need a place to stay, I’ve got a pull-out couch in my apartment. And it’s not much, but we’re actually looking for a busboy at Trueheart’s right now,” she grins and nudges his shoulder, “I bet I pay better than Andrei.”

“Hah,” Zeke smiles down at his drink. He can’t help but try to imagine downtown Heart Hollow covered in snow from the warm, sheltered interior of Amy’s restaurant. That sounds pretty nice.

She just says, “just think about it, okay? You’ve got time.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Amy,” he hums, and then he gets the idea to ask, “hey, what do you think about the Hotel going to the Truehearts?”

“Honestly, baby, I’m just worried that they won’t be able to sell it. Big chains like that won’t come here: the demand for tourism is low these days. The Wrights would have stepped in by now if they wanted it. The Stonehearts and the Lockhearts don’t have those resources. As for the Heartwoods… Well, Mayor Heartwood could use it as a political move. Not sure how, but he’s crafty. Now, if the Truehearts were dumb enough, they’d try to run the Hotel by themselves,” she laughs, and shakes her head slowly, “which? They might just be that dumb.”

Zeke laughs, because it seems like they’re universally hated. He decides to ask, “what happens if it doesn’t sell?”

“Well, then that’d be the end of Heart Hollow Honeymoon Hotel & Resort. The smart move would be demolishing the building and doing something with the land. Again, I’m not sure how likely they are to do the smart thing.”

“You make the Truehearts sound like bad business people, or something,” Zeke says with a curious grin.

“Oh, trust me, I ran that restaurant with my ex-husband, and he was the worst to work with. I’m the one that knows how to run it, so it’s no wonder I’m the one that kept it. Oh, I’d tell you so many stories, but I’ll save those for when you come and stay with me,” she teases.

Zeke laughs, “yeah, yeah, of course. Well, thanks for the insight, Amy.”

“Of course, lovebug,” she smiles. As she sips wine through the lid on her tumbler, her eyes dance across the patio. She then asks, “speaking of lovebugs… Where’d Lewis shy away to?”

“Uh. He actually hasn’t shown up.”

Amy’s face quickly reads as utter shock, “really? Is he okay?”

“Yeah. Um. I think so? I dunno. He hasn’t texted me.”

“Awww,” her whole face drops, “oh, baby,” she wraps an arm around him and gently squeezes him close. At first, Zeke’s a little reluctant… But it’s been a really long time since he’s had a good hug like this. Real softly, she says, “it’s not you, Zeke.”

He’s not sure how to respond, because it’s not like he’s getting stood up on a date or anything. It’s… This is his boss. It’s the guy that built his schedule. Lewis was simply a coworker, and that’s that. Nothing more, nothing less. His boss, and a nice friend. Amy lets go of the teenager’s shoulder and smiles, “let me tell you a little story, Zeke. Promise not to tell anyone?”

Zeke chuckles skeptically, “you have my word.”

She smiles wildly, and there’s this twinkle in her big brown eyes that displays her trust. In a low voice, she says, “so, I didn’t have kids of my own. Completely infertile. So when these little Heart kids were born, I was very invested in their lives. Oh, I love all those little rugrats like my own. Linda would share all these stories with me while the kids were growing up. Oh, Lizzie ran outside of the house in nothing but a diaper, or Lucy got herself a secret admirer card on Valentine’s Day. That sort of thing,” she says, and her smile grows at Zeke’s piqued interest, “well, Lewis was probably in the… Oh, I don’t know. Seventh or eighth grade?”

“Rough years,” Zeke laughs.

“Oh, I know,” she sympathizes, “he got asked to the school’s Valentine’s Day dance that year by… Oh, what’s her name? Scott and Miranda’s daughter. Um… Oh, Katie. Yes, he got asked to the dance by Katie Lane. Linda and I got him all dressed up. Oh, Zeke, he was so handsome in that little tux.”

He grins, “you don’t happen to have any pictures, do you?”

“Ahah! No, unfortunately. Not on me,” she says, and then takes the opportunity to sip at her wine. After a moment, she continues, “okay, so, it’s time to pick the kids up from the dance, and Miranda - that’s Katie’s mom - she calls Linda, and she starts raging at her. My daughter spent the whole night crying, and it’s all your son’s fault!”

“Oh my god,” Zeke chuckles at the drama.

“Right? So after all this bashing, Linda eventually gets her to say what happened. Apparently, little Lewis spent the entire dance tucked away in some dark corner behind the stage.”

“Aw,” Zeke hums, because his heart tugs for the guy.

Amy nods her head seriously, “look, moral of the story, Zeke… That poor kid has always struggled with anxiety. I know that’s what’s holding him tonight. It’s not you.”

The teenager nods his head seriously, because he’s not sure how to respond. He can’t help but wonder if Lewis is sitting at home, warding off an overflow of emotions all alone. Zeke brushes that thought away and says, “thanks for telling me that, Amy.”

“Of course, sweetheart,” she hums back.

Zeke watches as the water splashes against his legs from the rowdy party-goers. In his peripherals, Amy takes a swig of her wine. He takes a deep breath… Look, he gets why Lewis might not want to be here, but is Zeke stingy for still wishing that the guy would have shown up? He hears Kara’s voice in his head: why does he care so much?

He lets out a long, exhausted sigh.

Okay, fine. He can’t keep denying this anymore.

Yes. Yes. He has a thing for Lewis Lockheart. Yes, it’s because he’s well mannered and tidy. Yes, it’s because he’s responsible and organized, yet less of a stick in the mud than people think. He’s gentle and compassionate, and his light ginger hair and baby green eyes make him look like a cherub. And, yes, goddamnit, he gawks a little at Lewis’ physique when he’s not looking. What? The guy knows how to dress himself, and he’s built like some Grecian marble statue.

He shakes the thought off and takes the last few sips of that strawberry seltzer in his hand. He meets Amy’s curious gaze and says, “Amy? It’s been absolutely lovely. But I’m probably gonna go stretch my legs now. I’ll catch you later tonight?”
She smiles warmly, “I’m sure you will. Take care.”

“See ya,” he says as he stands up. He makes sure to take the empty cans and his discarded footwear. He treks across the patio, and he’s starting to feel a little lighter with each step. He swings the glass door open and walks inside. The warm fluorescent lights shine within the Hotel, and it’s as quiet as it always is. As he dumps the empty cans in the trash, he eyes the cooler. He pops it open, surveys his options, and decides on a tangerine seltzer. He cracks the tab and takes a sip.

Next, he decides to take a seat at the always-empty seating area nearby. He sets his tangerine drink down on a wobbly table and slides his footwear back on. As he sits, he goes to check his phone, but his hands graze the box of cigarettes in his pocket…

Ohhh yeah. It’s time for some tipsy nicotine.

Zeke makes his way onto the patio once again, and he eyes the tournament taking place in the pool. He grins, because Cherry and Kara root for Lauren and a friend against some of Becka’s buddies. He makes it to the very edge of the patio; he takes out a cigarette, leans over the railing, and lights the thing. He takes a deep inhale, and he lets out a very satisfied exhale. From here, he can see the lights from the heart of Heart Hollow shimmering through the foliage.

“Hey,” he hears a cool voice beside him.

He glances to his right and sees Becka; her sandy blonde hair is drenched, but she’s got a cheap beach towel around her shoulders. She wears a sporty bikini top with small tennis shorts. In her hand, she holds a purple vape. Zeke grins, “hey, Becka. What’s up?”

She shrugs and leans against the railing a few feet away from him, “just lost to Lauren and his himbo. Had to come hit my vape.”

Zeke laughs at that, “I hear ‘ya,” he holds up his cigarette.

She takes a deep inhale, and on her exhale, Zeke’s tobacco smoke is overcome with a rich grape vapor. She looks over towards him, “where’s Lewis at?”

The brunette shakes his head, “not here. It’s whatever though.”

She studies him with her cool blue eyes, “is it?”

Zeke chuckles at that, “uhhh. Yeah. It’s whatever. Regardless, it’s been a good night,” he says, trying to change the subject. He sips on his seltzer and finds himself asking, “hey, mind if I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.”

He takes a draw off his cigarette before he asks, “were you looking for something when you first showed up to the Hotel?”

She smiles at the corners of her mouth, “weren’t we all?”

“Right. I guess: what were you looking for?”

“Honestly, dude? A boss that wasn’t going to do a background check on me,” Becka says, blowing vapor out as she talks, “and Andrei Wright is the sketchiest guy in town.”

This piques Zeke’s interest, “are you a criminal, or something?”

She side-eyes him and responds with a question, “c’mon, man. Why do you think I got this teardrop tatted on my cheek?”

“Wait. Woah, were you in a gang?”

This gets an honest laugh out of her, “no, dude,” she leans in, “took a man’s life. It really didn’t have to come to that… Really. But it did. I served some time, and now I’m here.”

“Wow,” Zeke says, because he’s not sure what else to say. She doesn’t seem like the kind of woman to do that sort of thing, but he sees the remorse in her eyes as she reflects on it. So, he says, “well, we’re all glad you’re here. I know that.”

“Thanks, man,” Becka smiles, and then her gaze directs back towards the forest around them, “glad you poked around town for a bit. Hope you got something from it.”

He smirks lightly, “ah, yeah. Thanks, Becka. It’s been nice here. Quiet. Well, I don’t know about quiet,” he says, retracting that statement, because everything’s gone upside down since he saw that buck with Lewis. Instead of mentioning that, he says, “shit’s been a little crazy since Andrei’s arrest, I guess.”

“Damn right about that,” she grins as she picks herself up from the handrail. Her cool eyes trace the string lights; it’s pretty much dark now, and they’re really beginning to shine. Around them, the Hotel’s exterior lights have flicked on, which bathe the deck in a dim saffron glow due to the age of the lightbulbs. Becka meets his gaze and nods towards him, “alright, dude. It’s time to go liven this party up with some generational anthems. Be ready for tonight, Zeke. People know how to party around here.”

“Hah,” he laughs, “okay, noted. See ya, Becka.”

She offers a fist to Zeke, to which he reciprocates with his own. She heads over to her makeshift soundbooth, and Zeke takes a few more drags off his cigarette. He flicks the butt off into the woods below him and turns to view the pool. It looks like the tournament has dismantled itself; some people are still playing the game, but other people are using pool tubes to create crashing waves. He grins to himself, because Cherry and Kara bob around in the waves helplessly.

In his pocket, his phone vibrates, and he immediately pulls it out. His screen lights up, but it’s just some useless advertisement on two-for-one pizzas at his favorite chain. He sighs, because that’s not what he was hoping for. As he views the clock reading 7:50, he hears very wet footsteps coming his way; he darts his attention up and sees Cherry and Kara excitedly bouncing towards him. He slides his phone back into his pocket nonchalantly and smiles, “hey, guys.”

Cherry beams, “hi, Zeke!”

“Sup, loser,” Kara grins unabashedly.

Zeke sips at his drink, “so, who won?”

“Uhhh,” Kara looks over towards Cherry, “Lauren and one of his friends, I think? That beefy guy over there,” she gestures towards the pool. Zeke’s eyes wander, and he takes note of the tall, well-built brunette on the diving board. He’s hairy, but in a tidy and groomed way. Zeke grins as he peers back over towards his friends; it’s probably the alcohol talking, but maybe Zeke should go introduce himself. It’s not like things with Lewis are going anywhere.

“Oh, hey,” Cherry lights up as she peers over her shoulder, “it looks like Lauren is setting up beer pong over there.”

A wide grin forms on Zeke’s face, because he could use the distraction, “we’re totally on a team together. All three of us.”

Kara claps her hands together, “oh my god, let’s go,” and leads the little group over towards the white fold-out table that Lauren sets up. Kara lines up the cups, Cherry pours the beer, and Zeke tears into the packaging that the ping-pong balls are encased in. The music that was once reggae has now been transformed into a mix of nostalgic upbeat songs that Zeke hasn’t heard in ages. 

After only a few moments, their game is set up, and the teams form. The people that Zeke, Cherry, and Kara play against consist of Lauren and two guests that he invited tonight. There’s Ruby, a twenty-something-year-old with colored hair to match her name. The third player is that well-built brunette that Zeke was checking out earlier; turns out his name is Brodie. From the way he acts, he seems like a bit of an airhead.

The game begins: ping-pong balls get tossed, drinks splash, and beer is drunk. Everybody cheers and laughs as each participant takes their turn. Zeke’s not the best, but Cherry and Kara still pat his back as he downs shallow cups of alcohol. He dislikes the flavor, although he’s never been a fan of the bitter taste that beer has. Nonetheless, he plays, and laughs, and the ground under him starts to feel a little far away.

It’s without doubt that Kara carries the team, and it’s thanks to her skill that their team barely wins. As the ping-pong ball lands in the very last cup on Lauren’s side of the table, everybody playing and everybody watching erupts into astonished cheering. Zeke and Cherry grab Kara’s hands and raise them up high, high into the heavens to celebrate her win. On the contrary, Lauren drinks the contents of that last cup standing in defeat.

There’s some talk about another round, but Zeke thinks he’s done for now. Cherry and Kara decide to keep playing, and Becka tags in for the brunette’s absence. As Zeke wanders towards the entrance of the Hotel, his peripherals see someone waving on the sidelines of the patio. Zeke peers over to see Rosa and her guest sitting atop some raggedy lounge chairs. She waves him over, and he happily obliges.

As he approaches, he gives them both a little wave. Tonight, Rosa is wearing a bikini top with small black shorts. Her wavy brunette hair is up in a messy ponytail. She smiles, “hey, mijo. You look like you’re having fun tonight.”

He laughs tiresomely, “yeah, wow. I’ve never played beer pong before. That was fun. Beer’s gross.”

“Mmhm,” she hums, offering him a water bottle from the beach bag at her side, “make sure you counteract all that booze with some food and water, kay?”

“You got it,” he says, accepting the gift. He breaks the seal and chugs about a quarter of it.

“Oh, Zeke, this is my boo-thing Denver,” Rosa says, peering over towards her guest, “I’ve been dying for you two to meet.”

“How are ya?” Zeke asks.

“Nice to finally put a face to a name,” Denver hums in a voice that is low, but not in a ruggedly manly sort of way. Despite this, they appear to be very masculine. Their bulky frame wears a Steelers jersey and black swim trunks. Their eyes, somehow, are even darker than their cut short hair. They’ve got gauges in their warm, tanned earlobes. Their arms sport various tattoos in the American Traditionalist style. In their inkjet stained hands, they hold a bottle of beer.

Zeke tries to get an idea of how to address them other than their name, so he finds himself asking, “what do you do for work?”

“I’m a mechanic at a shop down on Whiskey Street.”

“Cool, man,” Zeke says, but he’s not sure if it’s appropriate to call Denver man, even if the teenager means it casually. Regardless, he asks them both, “you two have a kid together, yeah?”

Rosa smirks, “my kid’s name is Danielle. And, yeah, Denver’s not her legal guardian, but he does an outstanding job as co-parent.”

Zeke cannot help the small, familial smile that forms on his face. He meets Denver’s dark brown eyes and says, “hey, it’s cool that you stepped up like that.”

“Thanks, dude,” Denver cheers his beer up towards the teen.

Zeke finds himself curious and asks, “how’d you guys meet?” 

Rosa grins and sits a little bit more upright in her plastic reclining chair, “well, we always kind of knew each other in school, but things between us really kickstarted here, at the Resort.”

The teenager laughs skeptically at this, “really?”

She nods her head, and Zeke peers over to see Denver laughing quietly off to the side. He says, “babe, this story? Again?”

“Whaaat?” She darts her hazel eyes over to her embarrassed partner, “Zeke hasn’t heard this one yet.”

He just waves his hand at her and nods, allowing her to carry on. Zeke chuckles at their rather adoring banter as Rosa continues, “thank you, sheesh. Where was I?”

“You and Denver hit it off at the Resort?” Zeke grins.

“Right, right. Mmhm, yeah, so, Denver and I have always kind of known each other since we’re the same age. We were even on the same wrestling team in high school. Different weight class, but same locker room,” Rosa grins.

“Oh my god,” Denver laughs, and so does Zeke.

She continues after a sip from her beer, “it was in our junior year that the gymnasium had some… I dunno. Emergency repairs.”

“A pipe bust,” Denver adds, “it was from that deep freeze we had the week prior.”

“See?” Rosa peers up at Zeke with nothing but adoration in her eyes, “this is why I love him. He’s got the memory of an elephant. Yes, the pipe burst in the gymnasium right before we had our Winter tournament. So, instead, the school held the tournament at Active Hearts Gymnasium. That was the first time I had ever been up to the Resort,” she laughs, “little did I know that I would end up getting a job here in the future.”

She continues, “so, last minute, someone pulled out of the tourney, and suddenly I was paired up against Denver. Look, we’d gone to mat a couple times, and it always left me feeling hot and bothered.”

“Oh my god,” Zeke laughs, not at all expecting this amount of honesty from her. Denver seems pretty embarrassed about it as he puts his hand over his mouth.

Rosa continues, “so, Denver and I met on the mat that night, and, I have no idea what it was, but it felt like there were flames, Zeke. It was like the crowd was incinerated. All that was left was the mat, our spandex, and the sweaty bodies that were underneath.”

“Rosa, c’mon,” Denver cackles, “tone it down, would you? Didn’t you say Zeke’s a teenager?”

“Fine, sheesh. Look, we both put on a good fight, but I, somehow, came out on top,” she grins with pride.

“Congrats,” Zeke says with an amused grin.

“Thank you, thank you,” Rosa boasts before continuing, “after the fight, Denver and I didn’t say a word to each other in the locker room. It was just us in there, and that fire was still burning. I had to take matters into my own hands, because I didn’t want things to end there. I was not going to let things leave off on a cliffhanger. So, after the showers started, the clothes came off. We made eye contact, and - "

Denver cuts her off, “babe, I think he gets the idea.”

She just shrugs up towards the teen, “the rest is history. We were on and off for a bit during and after school, hence my daughter, and now we’re here again.”

Zeke then decides to ask, “so, do you think all of this was part of Cupid’s plan?”

Rosa shrugs, “maybe. Maybe not. Look, Zeke, I’m not super spiritual, but I do know that Denver and I have undeniable chemistry.”

Zeke’s face softens, “yeah. You guys seem good for each other.”

“Thanks, mijo. We really are. Hey, wait,” she sits up with urgency, “I haven’t seen Lewis all night. Where’s he at?”

“Um,” Zeke shifts back a half-step, “he’s not here.”

“Oh,” Rosa’s thin brows furrow, “how come?”

Zeke shrugs, “I dunno, actually. I haven’t heard from him.”

“And you’ve tried calling him?”

He hesitates before saying, “no, I haven’t.”

Rosa extends a hand out towards Zeke, “see? What was I just talking about? If you don’t want things to leave off there, you have to take matters into your own hands.”

He nods his head and darts his gaze down to the drink in his hand as he contemplates that. Eventually, he says, “yeah, good point.”

“Give him a nudge in the right direction,” she smiles, “let him know that we’re all here waiting for him to show up.”

Zeke huffs out a small chuckle, because it’s true: every single person he’s talked to today has asked about Lewis. Everybody wants him at this party; it’s not just Zeke. He nods and says, “thanks, Rosa. Yeah, I’ll think about it. Uh… I’m sure I’ll catch you two later tonight. Denver, it was lovely meeting you.”

“Likewise,” Denver says, cheering him off with his beer.

“See ya, mijo. Good luck on that phone,” Rosa says as she reclines back into her plastic seat. Zeke waves them off and heads towards the entrance back to the interior of the Hotel. Instinctually, he pulls his phone out: the time’s 8:15, and there’s not a word from Lewis.

He walks as he checks his other notifications, and as he approaches the doors to enter the Hotel, he nearly bumps into somebody as they exit. Zeke glances up from his phone, “shit, sorry.”

Quickly, he recognizes the apologetic looking person to be Angeline. She pleads, “sorry, Zeke. I didn’t see you.”

Tonight, she chose to wear regular day clothes instead of swimwear. She’s in a light blue form-fitting cropped tee that depicts a white graphic of a halo with a pair of simple, cartoony wings below it. She’s got on black jean shorts, and her neck and wrists are accented with a mix of jewelry.

“You’re good,” he responds as he stores his phone away. He catches himself smiling, “I, uh. I didn’t expect to see you here tonight.”

“Yeeeah,” she half-heartedly laughs, “um. I’m here tonight to talk with Lewis. Do you know where he is?”

Zeke sighs, “uh, nah. He’s not here, actually.”

“Oh,” she nervously rubs at her bare arms, “dang, that sucks,” she says, and she genuinely seems distraught over it. Her light brown eyes peer up towards the teen, “well, I - I guess I should apologize to you too.”

This piques Zeke’s interest. He shifts his weight as he asks, “what do you have to apologize about?”

“Just, um,” Angeline stutters, “I guess I just feel guilty, and it’s been weighing me down. I just feel like I need to explain that - that I did not mean for the defense to turn on you two like that.”

Zeke’s brows furrow, “wait, why do you feel like it’s your fault?”

She hesitates and tries to verbalize the words for a moment. Eventually, given the time, she chokes out, “I was the one that gave Andrei’s budgeting book to the police. I had to.”

“Woah,” he takes a step back, because that’s not at all what he was preparing to hear from her, “yeah, they said it was anonymous, huh? Why’d you do it?”

Angeline shakes her head and pouts her lip, “this place was making Andrei so miserable, Zeke. And he took that pain out on everyone around him. I tried to talk to him, I did. But he’s stubborn,” her words break with a heartbroken pity deep within her chest, “I tried to help, but he just didn’t want it.”

“So… You went to the police?”

Angeline nods her head, and she then wipes at her eyes carefully so as to not smudge her light makeup. As she inspects her fingers for any teary eyeliner, she says, “truthfully, I really didn’t know what the police were going to do with it. I mean, the criminal in question is a Wright, and the police department is run by Sheriff Stoneheart. I just felt like I was out of options; Andrei didn’t want to go to AA, or try therapy, or go to rehab. His health is up to me, you know? I’m the only one he has left.”

Zeke feels his chest tighten a bit. He doesn’t care much for Andrei, but clearly Angeline can see the good in him. He decides to pry, “why doesn’t his family want to help him?”

“Right, um,” Angeline’s eyes dart to the floor, “I guess Andrei’s always been the black sheep in his family. The Wrights are very… Um. Straight-laced people. They’re very businesslike, and Andrei’s not like that. They wanted him to be a certain way, and they made it very evident when he wasn’t. His parents deemed him unfit to take over Wright Liquors when he was only six years old, and that’s when they had Monica.”

“Wait - is that Mr. Wright’s sister?”

“Yeah, and Andrei kind of resented her, you know? Six years younger, a perfect example of what their parents wanted, and she’s a woman,” Angeline half-heartedly laughs. This makes Zeke huff a laugh out of his nose too. She continues, “so, yeah. While Monica was training to take over the family business, Andrei was spending all his time at the Hotel with Wallace Heartwood and his staff. Partying, making connections, doing drugs,” she sighs.

Thinking about Mr. Wright in his younger years sparks up the memory of those photographs that he and Lewis had come across in the Club of Hearts a month or two back. From those pictures of Andrei and Wallace shaking hands and cheering drinks, he figures that those two must have been close friends. Zeke asks, “how’d he end up taking over the Resort?”

“Oh, well, Wallace went missing,” Angeline says as if it were so matter-of-fact, “and then the Heartwoods decided to put the Resort up for auction. I guess the Wrights were the highest bidders, and they decided to finally give Andrei a shot; he was already working at the Hotel, after all. Okay, well, he was only a bellboy, but still. He knew the business, ya know?”

“So he went from bellboy to owner? Talk about nepotism.”

Angeline laughs, “yeah, he did. He always talks about how good those years were; after his promotion, but before his family pulled their business partnership,” she lets out a long sigh, “they really just used him for profit when it was convenient for them. It’s sad.”

“I mean, the Wrights hired some designer to make the place look like that,” Zeke says, gesturing towards the clear glass windows that shine light onto the sultry interior, “just to suit their alcohol market. Yeah, they used Andrei and this property for profit alright.”

This gets an honest laugh out of Angeline, “spoken like a true Heart Hollow native, Zeke. I’m impressed.”

The teenager chuckles and directs his gaze to the floor, because he supposes that she’s right. He’s definitely been studying up on this old town, and it helps that he’s spent so much time around Lewis the history buff. He lets out a sigh, and in her sweet, calm voice, Angeline asks, “hey, do you think Lewis will show up tonight?”

Zeke peers up at her in gentle surprise, because it’s almost as if she had read his mind. He just says, “I dunno. I was thinking about calling him and trying to persuade him to come.”

A light smile creeps onto the corners of her mouth, “would you maybe give me his number? I was really hoping to talk to him before I go back for Fall semester.”

“Yeah, sure,” Zeke hums and takes his phone out from his pocket. It’s 8:20, and he can’t help but feel devastated to see the empty lockscreen. Nonetheless, he pulls up Lewis’ contact, and then shows her the screen so that she can copy it into her phone.

As she types it in, she idly talks, “thank you. I just… I really need him to know how sorry I am for the way the trial turned out. It was so unfair. Lewis has his own struggles, he doesn’t need to carry around Andrei’s too, ya know?”

“Yeah,” Zeke hums, shutting his phone off and putting it into his pocket once she’s finished, “but it’s not your fault that the defense played so dirty.”

“I know,” she sighs, “but I saw how Andrei talked to him. I sat by it, I saw the mistreatment, and I didn’t do anything.”

“But you did, Angeline. It sounds like you tried to get Andrei some help. The thing is? You can’t help someone that doesn’t wanna be helped,” the teenager says, studying the woman’s troubled expression.

“Right,” she nods her head, her gaze falling towards the wooden slats underfoot. She hesitates, but eventually she says, “he cares about Lewis. He does. He was just never given the tools to learn how to properly express that. And that’s the sad part to me.”

Zeke’s not sure what to say. Mr. Wright’s upbringing didn’t sound great, but is that an excuse for his shitty behavior? Angeline clearly loves the man in some capacity, and she seems to be having some internal battles over it. All Zeke can do is ask, “can I offer a hug?”

She smiles, but her brows are knitted, and she nods her head. The hug is quick, as is with acquaintances, but just the act alone is enough to give a bit more shine to Angeline’s eyes. As they let go of each other, she says, “thank you, Zeke.”

“Sure. Uh, hey, I think it’s great that you’re going out of your way to talk to Lewis about this. He, uh… I think it could really do him some good to hear what you have to say.”

“Yeah,” she sniffles, “yeah, I’ll shoot him a text.”

“He prefers calls, actually.”

She smiles earnestly, “got it. Thank you. Um. I think I’ll head back home then, since he’s not here. I’m glad I ran into you tonight.”

“Likewise,” Zeke hums and then says, “hey, good luck at your next semester, by the way."

“Oh, thank you, Zeke! I hope you have a great night,” she says as she makes her way through those glass doors. He watches her trail up the rotunda steps, and he releases a long, pent-up breath that was holding itself in his chest. His eyes dance across the patio, and the majority of people are still over at the far side of the deck playing beer pong. Alone, again, and he fights the urge to check his phone, even though he just saw that there’s nothing new on it. He redirects his attention back towards the interior of the Hotel, and his eyes lock with the plastic cooler at the end of the bar. This makes him suddenly very conscious of how light his can is right now… Screw it.

He throws the rest of the drink back, and a shiver goes down his spine as the alcohol hits the back of his throat. He shakes it out and then decides to go inside. First, he pops a devilled egg into his mouth. Next, he disposes of his empty can. Lastly, he decides to dive into the cooler for a mango seltzer.

As he cracks the tab and takes a sip, he makes eye contact with his reflection in the Hotel’s windows. His brows furrow, because he sees this stupid gray football hoodie hanging off his body, and suddenly he feels very dumb for having put it on tonight. Zeke immediately drops his gaze and decides that he’s going to go take it off. He treks down the long hallway and lets himself into his suite. As the lights are flicked on, his eyes rest on all his scattered clothes and miscellaneous belongings that haven’t been packed yet.

He sighs and sets his drink down amidst some empty cup noodles on the counters in his suite’s mini-kitchen. He stumbles over a pair of discarded jeans as he makes his way over towards the big round bed at the side of the room. He peels the hoodie off, and after it’s been lifted over his head, he picks up a hint of that sweet scent that’s still trapped within the fibers from its previous owner. Zeke’s alone, and he seemingly can’t stop himself from bunching the soft gray fabric up around his nose and taking a deep inhale…

Warm vanilla, dewy wildflowers, fresh pine.

Without even thinking about it, Zeke’s body feels light as he collapses onto the plush purple comforter of the bed. With the garment still coddling his face, he takes a few deep breaths. That sickeningly soothing scent, as quickly as it graced his nervous system, has faded. He uncovers his flush face back into the world, and he peers up at the wood paneled ceiling above him.

Now that he’s lying down, he can feel his head spin. He’s only tipsy right now, but he thinks this will be his last seltzer for the night. He’s been way more drunk before, but he does his best not to think about that right now. Instead, he pulls his phone out from his pocket and illuminates the screen over his head. It hasn’t even been ten minutes since the last time he checked, and he’s not sure why he’s still disappointed to see nothing.

The teenager sighs and tosses his phone over his head onto the soft comforter below because he can’t get himself psyched up enough to just call the guy. Zeke wants to ask why he’s not here, he wants to give him a nudge to show up… But Lewis not showing up in the first place is a clear answer to everybody’s burning question about where his and Zeke’s relationship stands. It’s simple: he’s not interested.

Zeke grabs the hoodie that rests at his side and inspects the thinning fabric. He studies the splotchy graphic that barely clings onto the thread below. He examines the frayed drawstrings and the scuffed cuffs. The garment is worn and well-loved, and it’s baffling to think that Lewis doesn’t want this thing back.

Zeke lets the garment fall onto his chest, and he turns his head to the side restlessly. He never thought he’d get so invested in these people’s lives, yet here he is. Initially, he thought that Lewis was just this stick in the mud, but he’s learned that there’s so much more underneath the surface. As Zeke contemplates what he’d say to the guy over the phone, there’s a knock on the oak door to his suite. His body jolts up, and he freezes in place. He’s dead silent as he holds his breath, because that’s gotta be Wallace again, right?

But then he really thinks about it: that knock was much lighter than the one he heard last week… Also, the Hotel hosts well over a dozen guests tonight, so it’s gotta be someone looking for him. However, regardless of his reasoning, he checks the door’s peephole after creeping over. Outside, Cherry checks the manicure she gave herself last night, and Zeke lets out a relieved breath. He pops the door open, and his face reads somewhere between pleasant surprise and distress, “hey, Cher. What’s up?”

“Hi, Zeke,” Cherry smiles, but her sweet eyes read heavily with concern. She looks into the mess of his suite and asks, “um… I’m just checking up on you. Are you doing okay?”

“Uhhh. Yeah,” he lies so casually.

Cherry looks completely unconvinced, “I dunno if that’s true.”

Zeke shrugs, because he’s not so sure that he likes being seen through like that. He just says, “yeah, uh. I guess I’m a little bummed that Lewis didn’t show up.”

She nods her head in understanding and asks, “why don’t I come inside and we can talk about it?”

Zeke darts his attention up to meet hers; he’s not really sure he needs to talk about it, but from the desperation in her eyes, he can tell it might be a good idea. He looks down the hallway as he asks, “where’s Kara right now?”

“She’s grabbing those glowsticks,” Cherry says with a soft, understanding smile, “it’s just you and me for a little while, okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s cool,” he says, and he’s secretly relieved, because Kara is not the type of friend he’d want to talk feelings with. He steps into the room to signal for her to follow. As Cherry enters, her eyes scan his scattered belongings, “Zeke, are you, like, super sure that you wanna leave tomorrow?”

Zeke shrugs his shoulders as he sits at the foot of the bed, “not really. But, like, I don’t want to get an apartment here or a new job or anything. I’m just - I was happy with how it was, ya know? My suite. My job at the Hotel. My coworkers.”

“I get that,” she sighs as she sits down on the suite’s loveseat, “would you go back to how things were? With Andrei, and everything?”

“Maybe,” Zeke’s eyes dart down to his hands. He fiddles with the thumbstick of that fidget cube, but he offers it to Cherry, seeing as it’s hers to begin with.

“No, you can have that, Zeke,” she smiles, “I’ve got, like, a hundred of those things laying around.”
“Oh,” he hums, looking at the small pink cube in his hand, “cool. Thank you so much.”

“Sure,” she smiles as she crosses her legs and smoothes out her red gingham cover-up with her hands. There’s a lull in the conversation, to which she eventually says, “so… Lewis isn’t here.”

“Yeah,” Zeke sighs hollowly, “everybody thinks I should call him, but I dunno.”

Cherry asks, “you don’t want to?”

“Not really,” he shrugs, “like, he kinda already said what he needed to say by not showing up. Amy said that it’s probably some anxiety, but like… Dude, if he wanted to be here, he’d be here.”

She nods her head lightly and thinks on this before saying, “I think that’s a pretty valid point, Zeke. Have you heard from him?”

“No,” he grunts and feels the urge to check his phone, but decides against it, “that’s what I’m saying. He could have texted me or called me if something came up.”

“Yeah. His silence speaks pretty loudly.”

Zeke sighs as he slouches in on himself, “plus, like. It’s literally my last day in Heart Hollow. He doesn’t want to say bye? At all?”

Cherry plays with the edge of her coverup, and she contemplates before she says, “he didn’t say bye to any of us. I get the feeling that he doesn’t want to show his face after what happened at the trial. He carries a lot of shame with him, you know.”

Zeke stays silent after hearing that. Lewis did confess that he feels guilt for his crime, and the defense’s strategy only rubbed dirt in his open wound. The brunette sighs, and he falls back against the bed. He stares up at the ceiling as he says, “he has no idea that everybody wants him here tonight. Literally everybody’s asked where he’s at.”

“Do you think it would be beneficial to tell him that?”

Zeke shrugs, “maybe. Rosa thinks I should give him a nudge in the right direction.”

“Maybe that’s what he needs.”

The teenager rolls his head away and stares at the other side of the room as he contemplates the entire evening. Lauren talked about Cupid’s grand plan, Kara talked about finding somewhere to hide, Amy talked about Lewis’ history with anxiety, Becka talked about doing what needed to be done, Rosa talked about taking matters into her own hands, and Angeline talked about helping someone that needed help. Zeke sighs, and he just says, “why am I here, Cherry?”

“What’dya mean?”

“Why the hell am I in Pennsylvania right now? What the hell brought me here? I’m several hundred miles away from home, and I have no idea why. Am I here because of Cupid, or am I just lost?”

“Oh, Zeke,” Cherry hums, and she’s got pity in her eyes, “well, I can’t say for certain. I don’t really know why you washed up into town, but you’re here, and we’re grateful that you stayed with us for a bit.”

The brunette purses his lips. He doesn’t say anything, because he’s too busy fighting the familiar lump at the back of his throat. Cherry gives him plenty of space to add something, but eventually she fills the silence, “hey, you had asked me earlier about what I was looking for when I first showed up to the Hotel. Can I give you my answer?”

“Please,” he squeaks out.

“Well, before I worked at the Hotel, I was a barista at the Shady Pine location on Mayfield,” she says as if Zeke had been there before, “so, it’s about mid afternoon, and this woman comes in complaining about her job. I ask her where she works, and she tells me that she’s the head housekeeper at Heart Hollow Honeymoon Hotel & Resort.”

Zeke butts in, “Rosa?”

“Yup,” she smiles honestly, “gosh, I asked her so many questions about that old place. I guess it’s always been a quiet presence in my life, but I never really got to hear about it in depth. Anyways, after a million questions, she tells me that she’s late to pick her daughter up from school, so we exchange numbers. Well, all out of the blue one day, she texts me and tells me that there’s a part-time housekeeping position open at the Hotel; she said I was the first person she thought of.”

“So you took the job? Just like that?”

“Pretty much,” she giggles.

“How come? Did your barista job suck?”

“It was alright,” she shrugs, “maybe I just wanted to see what the Hotel looked like up close? I dunno. It honestly just seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I took it.”

Zeke huffs a laugh out of his nose, and he lets a small smile come to his face,  “so… You weren’t looking for something then?”

“Nope. A lot of folks in town are caught up on fate and destiny and stuff. When, like… It doesn’t always have to be that deep, ya know?”

“Huh,” he lets out, his eyes fixated on the amazing friend that sits on his couch. He lets out another amused huff as he sits up, “yeah, thank you, Cherry. I needed to hear that.”

“Of course,” she tilts her head sweetly, “sooo… What are you thinking? Are you gonna call Lewis?”

Zeke lets out a long sigh, “honestly? No. I kinda just wanna crack into some glowsticks with everybody. Is that cool?”

“Yes, absolutely. Let’s go have some fun tonight,” she clasps her hands together as she gets up off the couch. Zeke bounces up off the bed eagerly, yet he still makes sure to grab his phone. He holds the door for Cherry and locks it behind them. As they trek down the hallway, Zeke finds a little bit more pep in his step from earlier.

He doesn’t need to have some greater cosmic reason for being here. He doesn’t need to be worried about fate, even if the townspeople are convinced about it. It’s just a stupid local folktale, he thinks, but he remembers the phantom pain he felt in his chest while locking eyes with that buck. He shakes it off, because he’s going to be leaving town tomorrow, so he might as well enjoy his last night in Heart Hollow.

They join the rest of the partygoers on the patio, and Zeke can’t help the grin that forms as Kara excitedly hands him two unactivated glowsticks. He snaps the small plastic inner tubes, and the luminescent fluid immediately begins to glow: one’s green, and one’s orange. He fights to put them around his own wrist, but Cherry quickly helps him.

At some point, Lauren jaunts through the gathering of people and hands out sparklers. Kara makes a comment about him one-upping her, but she still takes a few anyway. Cherry asks for a flame, and Zeke beams, immediately digging into his pockets for his trusty lighter. First, he lights up Cherry and Kara’s sparklers, and then several people crowd around him to get a flame. Gladly, Zeke assists.

After everyone’s got sparkling sticks in their hands, Zeke lights his own; his face softens as his eyes fixate on the dashing lights. Slowly creeping its way down, the flame ignites the stick with dazzling, popping bursts of light. He waves it in the air, first in a figure eight, and then in large swooping motions around himself.

Around and around he spins: slow at first, and then faster, faster, faster. Waving the sparkler up high and down low, he finds himself hypnotized by the blinding white streaks of light that blur against the warm string lights above. With the stomping of his feet, the pounding of the bass, and the adrenaline in his head, he hardly notices when Kara gasps loudly, “Zeke, you dumbass!”

As soon as the brunette registers that she’s trying to get his attention, his sparkler goes out, his feet slow down to face her, and he sees that she’s gesturing behind him angrily. Well, that’s fine, because his head still spins, and his body stumbles the other way as he tries to recalibrate himself; his heart stops, because he locks eyes with a very timid looking Lewis. Zeke hardly has time to even register that the guy’s standing ten feet away from him, because his knees give out from underneath him.

Goddamnit. He shouldn’t have had all that alcohol.

Down he goes, and he hardly even hears everybody gasp as he narrowly misses the hard wood floor. Zeke’s pulled back up onto his feet, and he stares dumbfounded at Lewis, who looks pretty surprised himself. His freckled hands let go of the teenager, and the whole world fades away when the ginger just says, “hi, Zeke.”

“Hey,” he says, trying to hide the fact that he’s gasping for air.

Lewis’ soft green eyes plead, “sorry I’m late.”

Zeke catches his breath for a moment, but eventually he says, “c’mon, man. We’ve been through this. You coulda’ texted a guy.”

“Ah… Yes. Yes, I should have. I’m sorry.”

Zeke’s shoulders soften, because Lewis is always so humble, even on the small stuff. The brunette shrugs, and his voice lowers, “sorry I didn’t check up on you.”

Lewis looks up at him, and there’s a light unnerve to his expression, “ah, no, really. That’s fine. You - you don’t have to do that.”

“Yeah, I know I don’t. But, ya know… Are you okay?”

“Ah… I’m okay. It’s - it’s funny. It was time for me to leave, and I just - I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t leave my apartment,” he chortles hopelessly, “so I did a few stretches, made myself a bagel and a cup of coffee, and now I’m here. Late, but here.”

“Everybody’s been asking about you, you know.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, dude,” Zeke grins as his brown eyes finally dart away from everything that is Lewis, because he suddenly remembers that there’s a world beyond them. It’s just like it was at Trueheart’s: people glance their way, while some people just flat out stare. Zeke adds, “c’mon, you wanna go do some rounds? Say hi to some folks?”

Lewis nods his head, “that’d be nice.”

Before Zeke leads them off, he points to the glowsticks on his wrist, “hey, what color do you want?”

“Oh, ah,” Lewis stutters, “I’ll take orange.”

“You got it,” the brunette hums, popping the piece of plastic off his wrist. Carefully, he wraps the neon orange glowstick around Lewis’ freckled wrist and snaps it into place. At his side, Kara makes a retching sound, so he rolls his eyes over towards her and jokes, “oh, what? Are you too good for sharing?”

“Oh, no, I just get really grossed out by PDA,” she snaps back, but she’s too tipsy to let her stone-cold bitch facade stay long. She rolls her eyes towards Cherry, “c’mon. I want a devilled egg.”

“Okay,” Cherry smiles, and as they pass by Zeke and Lewis, she says, “I’ll catch you guys later. Lewis, I’m so glad you’re here!”

“Thank you,” he lets out a relieved sigh, “I am too.”

Off the two ladies go, and Zeke nods for Lewis to follow him. Around the pool they walk, and they run into Becka first. She gives Lewis a pat on the back and offers a small word of encouragement before she begins another game of beer pong with her friends.

They stroll by Rosa and Denver’s setup, and it looks like they’re accompanied by Amy right now. Rosa makes a comment about Lewis’ quick reflexes in saving Zeke from that fall, and Amy stumbles out of her lounge chair to give the tall ginger a hug. She boasts about him loudly: oh, Prince Charming over here saved the day, she says.

Lauren comes jogging up to them with a medium sized box wrapped with newspaper. He hands it to Lewis excitedly and urges him to open it right now. Inside, there’s a hand-whittled buck with heart shaped antlers; Lewis stumbles out words of appreciation. After a big bear hug, Lauren ushers them over to meet his friends. That meathead Brodie shakes Lewis’ hand: nice to meet’cha. Love the bod, bro, he says with a wink. Zeke stifles a laugh as he watches Lewis’ face go beet red. 

Next, they make their way into the Hotel so Lewis can freshen up in the bathroom. Of course, Zeke knows this just means that the guy needs a minute to breathe. Cherry and Kara greet them from the sitting area beside the bar, and Zeke decides to join them for a moment while Lewis departs up the stairs.

The teenager collapses into one of the empty seats, “hey, guys.”

“Hey, Zeke,” Cherry smiles.

“Hi, twerp,” Kara says as she offers a wobbly seltzer over towards him. As he accepts a few sips from her drink, she asks, “so, how’s it going with Lockheart?”

“Uhhh. Good,” Zeke hums as he hands the drink back to its rightful owner, “we’ve just said hi to everybody. Lauren’s himbo told Lewis that he loves his bod. It was hilarious.”

“Oh, like you disagree or something?” Kara asks while Cherry busts out laughing.

Zeke shrugs, “I mean. I never said that.”

“Ew,” she grins, “so are you tapping that tonight, or what?”

“Oh my god,” Zeke looks over his shoulder to double check that Lewis is definitely out of the room, “I dunno. Maybe,” he says, doing an awful job of hiding the playful grin forming on his flush face as he contemplates actually doing that.

“You totally want to,” Kara nudges, “like, ew, have you seen the way you look at him?”

“What? How do I look at him?”

“Like this,” Kara says, adjusting herself to face Cherry as she performs her demonstration. Her thin brows arch, her blackened eyelids lower, and a devious, yet amused grin forms on her face. Then, her dark gray eyes dance over Cherry’s body several times as if she were checking her out.

“No,” Zeke laughs, “no, I don’t. You’re messing with me,” he protests and looks over towards Cherry for confirmation.

She just laughs and shrugs her shoulders, “you kinda do.”

“No way,” he shakes his head, crosses his arms, and sinks deeper into his seat. He holds back laughter as he says, “ain’t no way.”

Kara is about to poke a bit more fun at him, but then Cherry pipes up, “hey, wait, Zeke,” she says, and then lowers her voice, “does he still think you’re aromantic?”

Zeke bites his teeth, because he keeps forgetting about that stupid little lie, “yeah, he does. Should I tell him the truth?”

“It’s probably best just to be honest,” Cherry smiles.

“Zeke, if you tell him that, you might actually have a shot with him tonight,” Kara says, but it’s less jovial, and more cautionary.

The teenager peers between his two friends as he weighs his options. Yes, he should be honest. After all, that little lie has been eating away at him since he started actually forming a bond with Lewis. It’s just a flat out fabrication that Lewis believes to be true about his friend. But Kara’s right: what other doors would it open?

Damn.

How drunk is he if he’s actually weighing the option of having a one night stand with his former boss? He’d be burning all his bridges in Heart Hollow if he did something like that before skipping town. Lewis really doesn’t deserve to be left high and dry like that, even if it would scratch every itch that’s been building in the brunette’s body. But then again, he’s not even sure if Lewis would go for someone like him, consider Zeke’s…

“Wait, Zeke,” Kara interrupts his train of thought. She gestures to the t-shirt he wears, “did you give him his hoodie back?”

“Oh shit. No, I guess I should do that.”

“Aw,” Cherry coos, “you kinda wanted to keep it, didn’t you?”

Zeke lets out an exhausted laugh, “guilty. But it’s his, and I know that,” he says as he lazily stands up from his seat, “guess I should go give it back to him before I change my mind.”

“Let us know how it goes,” Kara sips at her drink.

“Yeah, will do,” he smiles, “catch you guys later,” he says, waving them off as he jaunts down the hallway towards his suite. He lets himself into the room and notices the gray garment that still rests on his bed. He picks it up, and he can’t help himself: he takes one more sniff and tries his best to commit the smell to memory. Sweet, like freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies. Dewey, like a bundle of spring wildflowers. Sharp, like aromatic pine needles on the forest floor…

Oh goddamnit.

He might do something really stupid tonight.

Zeke drops the hoodie from his face, and he immediately makes eye contact with the mango seltzer that he abandoned earlier. He hardly even weighs the consequences as he goes for one or two more swigs. Once he’s got what he needs, he exits his suite and walks down this rather repetitive hallway. He enters the ground level’s lobby and expects to see Cherry and Kara, but it looks like they’ve departed from the seating area.

He pokes out onto the patio and scans the partygoers for a tall, curly haired ginger. His brows furrow when he can’t find him: he didn’t go home already, did he? Zeke heads back inside, and as he contemplates where he might find Lewis, the very obvious answer hits him. Up the stairs he goes, and a sweet smile rests on his face as he views the party from a story up. From the time he got here, the Hotel has never looked so lively.

He takes a left, and as he walks down the hall, he stares down at the pink carpet underfoot. It’s worn here in the middle where Zeke walks; matted and neglected from decades of people trekking down these same halls. This particular trip, however, stings bittersweetly to the teenager. For the last time ever, he enters the employees-only area and ducks into the door frame of Lewis’ tiny little closet-office.

Of course, there he is, with his red head dipped towards the surface of his desk. In his freckled hands, he gently holds the photo album that they had found in the Club of Hearts all those weeks ago. The page is turned toward that picture of Wallace Heartwood and the young woman that used to manage the Hotel for both him and Andrei.

Zeke leans against the door frame, “you keeping that?”

Lewis, clearly startled, peers up from the book. However, his face quickly softens, and his eyes dart down towards the item in question, “ah, well. I just think that it should go to someone that will look after it. That’s all.”

“Very honorable of you,” Zeke says, which makes Lewis peer back up at him with gentle appreciation in his eyes. The brunette extends the arm that holds the oversized gray football hoodie, “I thought you might want this back.”

Lewis is hesitant to respond as his attention lingers on the garment. However, when he does finally respond, he’s confident as he says, “I want you to have it.”

Zeke’s shoulders drop, because that’s not at all what he was expecting to hear. A small, confused smile creeps onto his face, “I thought that this is, like, your favorite jacket.”

Lewis smiles managerially, “and it’s yours now.”

The teenager slinks into the little room, “really?”

“Yeah. Ah,” Lewis hums, and his hands find themselves intertwined over his desk, “I guess it’s something to remember us by.”

Zeke nods his head cooly, although he can’t help but feel like Lewis meant me instead of us. He slides into the seat across the desk from Lewis and meets his kind gaze, “thank you, Lewis. Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m sure,” his light, nasally voice barely grazes the air. Then, he says, “look, can we… Can I be honest about something?”

Zeke cocks his head to the side curiously, “sure.”

“I, ah,” Lewis glances down to his hands nervously, “frankly, I feel… Ah, remorse that my charge is going to be the last thing you hear about me before you leave town.”

Zeke isn’t sure what to say, so Lewis fills the air with anxious rambling, “it’s not something I’m proud of. I - well, I regret it everyday, truly. But, you know. When you’re being pushed to your limit, you do some dumb things,” he laughs pitifully, and Zeke notices that he aimlessly rubs at the scars across his knuckles.

“Look, I’m not gonna hold it against you. I’ve gotten into a fight or two,” Zeke says to empathize with Lewis’ situation.

“Really?”

“Yeah, dude. I mean, how do you think I got this wicked scar?” Zeke gestures to the thick pink slash across his right brow.

Lewis hums, “I’ve been wondering about that since I met you.”

“Yeah. Nasty fight with some asshole,” he says, completely undermining his relation to the previous aggressor, “dude shoved my head against the countertop in my kitchen. I grabbed my mom’s favorite steak knife and told him, touch me again and I’ll cut your balls off.”

Lewis’ brows shoot up across his forehead, and by the look in his eyes, Zeke realizes that maybe that was a little too much to share with the person that used to manage his timesheets. Nonetheless, Zeke laughs and says, “see? That’s totally not me. But sometimes a douche is asking for it. Gotta set em straight on occasion.”

Lewis stifles a smile and struggles to say anything, so Zeke pries, “so… This guy that you beat up: did he deserve it?”

“Ah… He - well, you know,” Lewis stutters on his words, “he put me in a really bad spot to make himself look better. He really leaned into the fact that half the town already thought that I was cursed… So.”

Zeke leans back in his chair, and he mulls this over in his head before deciding to say, “this town seems so divided. Like, you’re either blessed or cursed. You’re either a Heart or a Wright. Good or bad. It’s so rare to just be one thing.”

Lewis’ green eyes beg for more information, so Zeke tries to explain further, “like, I think that I’m really good at helping and following directions. Do I sometimes slack off and show up late? Absolutely. Did that make me a bad employee?”

Lewis hums, “not at all.”

“Exactly. So what I’m saying is that you’re not some cursed, pitiful guy that brings bad fortune wherever he goes, but you’re also not that blessed, patron saint that you so badly want to be. And that’s okay. Perfect, actually. It only showcases that human heart of yours.”

Lewis’ expression is hard to read; his eyes look happy, but he wears a gentle frown on his face. When he speaks, he says, “it’s hard to accept that when people want you to be one thing or the other.”

“Oh, trust me, I get it,” Zeke hums as he crosses his arms over his chest casually, “there are always going to be those assholes that only see the bad in you. There’s also gonna be those suck-ups that only see the good in you. What you want are the people that see you for all of it and accept you regardless. Those are your real friends.”

A small smile paints on Lewis’ face, and after some thought, he says, “thank you for saying that. I - well. I guess… Thank you for being a real friend, Zeke.”

“Sure, man,” Zeke hums as he sits back in his seat, and in the lull of the conversation, he can’t help himself as his eyes graze over Lewis’ person. Today, he’s wearing a dual-toned baseball tee that’s just a little too snug around his shoulders. When Zeke’s eyes finally dart back up, there’s this desperate, hopelessly patient look slathered across Lewis’ pretty, freckled face. His hands massage themselves atop the ajar photo album, and his fair eyelashes flutter as if he’s expecting something. Zeke takes a deep breath before guessing at what the guy might be anticipating, “can I be honest with you about something too?”

“Always,” Lewis responds.

He hesitates before continuing, “back when I first got hired, I may have made a teeny, tiny little lie. It’s kinda been eating at me lately, because it feels wrong to let you keep believing this about me. So… Yeah. I just wanna set the record straight before I go.”

Lewis’ head tilts just slightly to the left, “go ahead.”

The brunette catches his breath before he says, “um. Okay, here it is: I’m not really aromantic. Or ace. I lied about that.”

Zeke anticipates for Lewis to raise his brow, or tilt his head, or react in some way… Except the guy doesn’t move a muscle. His green eyes are pinned on Zeke, and something primal inside the brunette’s body makes him completely freeze too. When Lewis does finally react, he breaks their eye contact as he takes a long breath in, and after an even longer exhale, he asks, “why’d you lie about that?”

“Um,” Zeke hums, and he feels relieved that the guy isn’t angry. He tries his best to explain, “I guess I came to this Hotel to lay low. Make a quick buck or two and enjoy a roof over my head. I didn’t want to get invested in anything. Meanwhile, here’s this guy that’s supposed to be my boss, and he’s trying to set me up with someone,” he laughs hopelessly as he runs a hand through his curtain bangs, “anyways, Cherry said that Kara got left alone around here because she’s aromantic. So… That’s what I said.”

Lewis nods his head lightly, and his eyes shift down to the album under his hands, “truthfully, Zeke, as stupid as it sounds, the match-making is sort of an old tradition with management here. Before you had brought it to my attention, I hadn’t considered that the exercise might be… Inappropriate. I am sorry about that.”

“Ew, was Andrei match-making people?”

Lewis lets out an honest laugh, “no. Well, not while I’ve been employed here, at least. It’s actually something that I had learned while reading this Standard Operations manual that Mr. Wright had given me back in the early days of my promotion.”

Zeke's eyes must have been pressing for details, because Lewis reaches into his desk and pulls out a weathered binder bound in leather. Lewis gently hands it to him, and Zeke immediately opens it to read the first page out loud, “The Standard Operation Procedure Guide to Management at Heart Hollow Honeymoon Hotel & Resort. So official.”

“Yes, it was quite the operation back then,” Lewis hums, and he leans a little farther over the desk to take a gander at it too. There’s a table of contents at the beginning that Zeke glances over. It covers things like de-escalation, dress code, time sheets, write-ups, and all the boring things that a manager needs to learn to succeed. As Zeke flips to the section for New-Hire Orientation, Lewis decides to add, “Ms. Hana Yang wrote this. You know, the woman that ran this Hotel for nearly twenty years? It may be silly, but I take her advice rather seriously.”

Sure enough, Zeke finds the section that he’s looking for, and it’s titled: Playing Cupid. There’s a preface that goes over the benefits of an ice-breaker like this and how it better acquaints new team members. Zeke lets out a chuckle, because he recognizes some of the questions. Lewis must see this, because he nervously says, “I suppose some of it hasn’t aged that gracefully.”

Zeke just shakes his head with a smile, closes the binder, and hands it back. He then says, “Lewis, can I ask you something?”

“You can ask me anything.”

Zeke tries to ignore the fluttering in his stomach at Lewis’ response. He keeps cool as he says, “initially, why did you take the job here? Were you looking for something too?”

“Ahhh, yes,” Lewis nods. He hesitates before he says, “I suppose that I needed to find something that I could devote myself to,” he says, and then, in a smaller voice, he adds, “something that wasn’t another person.”

“Mm,” Zeke hums as he thinks on this. He decides to say, “were you just getting over a breakup or something?”

“Something like that.”

“Look, I get it. I’m no stranger to the shitty breakup story. To be honest, that’s - uh. Kinda part of the reason I left home.”

“A breakup?”

“Um… Something like that. I - yeah. I guess that’s partially why I didn’t want to be match-made here,” Zeke chuckles hopelessly, “I just wasn’t ready to date around again, ya know?”

“I understand,” Lewis hums and then says, “it’s been a few months since then. Do you think that you’re ready again?”

Zeke lulls this over before saying, “I’m thinking about it.”

The ginger’s eyes briefly dart to his hands, and his fingers rub at themselves restlessly. There’s something on Lewis’ mind, and Zeke just silently begs for him to share whatever it is. He begs for him to drop that managerial facade just this once; please, be open and honest without all that red tape. After some time deliberating, Lewis does his best to speak his mind, “listen, Zeke… I know you’re leaving Heart Hollow tomorrow and everything. So - so I’m not sure if you’d be interested in it, but I think it’d be really nice to - "

“Knock, knock,” a woman’s voice says from the hall. Lewis quickly leans back in his seat and shoots his attention upwards while Zeke looks over his shoulder. In the door frame, there’s a short woman who draws out her enunciated words, “sorry to interrupt… I don’t want anybody saying anything that they might regret.”

Quickly, Lewis switches into manager mode, “can I help you?”

“Yes, you can,” she smiles wildly, “I’ve been looking for a Mr. Lewis Lockheart, but I think I’ve found him.”

Zeke watches the gears churn in Lewis’ head. At the same time, Zeke struggles to recall where he’s seen this woman before. She wears a black blouse with matching wide-leg slacks. On her round lips, she wears a shade of lipstick that compliments her professional attire. Her large cat-eyed glasses highlight her impossibly dark brown eyes.

Lewis says, “I’m sorry, ma’am, have we met before?”

“Not officially, no,” she responds, and there’s a cunning glint in her aging eyes, “but it is an honor to speak with you.”

As Zeke looks at her olive skin and that straight black bob, it clicks. He says, “wait a minute. I spoke to you on Monday. At Mr. Wright’s trial during recess. Right?”

“Well done, Zeke. Quite the clever one,” she winks his way before turning to the ginger, “Mr. Lockheart, I was hoping to have a discussion regarding your business at this Hotel.”

Zeke shoots his attention to Lewis, “need me to leave?”

Before he can respond, the woman states, “nonsense. I believe you’ll want to hear what I have to say too.”

“Ah,” Lewis stutters, and his green eyes dart between the brunette in his seat and the woman in his doorway. His freckled hands find themselves folded over that old photo album professionally, “yes. Sure. How can I help you?”

Despite the small room already feeling pretty tight, the woman steps inside and stands next to Zeke’s side. She presses her palms together, and her jangly bracelets clink together as she says, “first of all, I’d like to say how thrilled I am that you’re both here tonight. This is quite the party! Who am I to give kudos to for their brilliant work?”

At Lewis’ quiet confusion, Zeke says, “well, it was Kara’s idea, but everybody pitched in.”

“Ah, yes. Ms. Kara Min,” she hums, “well, the Hotel has always been the spot to host parties and celebrations. You all have done an excellent job, what with the horrendous shape that this building is in.”

Zeke huffs out a laugh, and he darts his attention over to Lewis, who is seemingly getting more and more unnerved by the moment. The ginger asks, “I’m sorry, are we considered to be trespassing right now?”

“No, no. By all means, throw your gala. If I had wanted to stop you all, I would have called up my good friend Sheriff Stoneheart by now. Actually, the vivacity is quite a breath of fresh air. It shows that these staff members hold this place in high regard… And it shows that this old Hotel has the capacity to be lively once again.”

Zeke and Lewis’ eyes press for details, so she continues with a smile, “this may be coming out of left field for you boys, but there have been some things in the works behind the scenes.”

“Yeah,” Zeke says, “isn’t the Hotel being put up for auction?”

“Actually,” she smiles as she corrects him, “I decided to go straight to the Trueheart’s, and I cut them a deal that they couldn’t refuse. As of midnight tonight, Heart Hollow Honeymoon Hotel & Resort will be transferred from Trueheart Property Management Company to my private LLC.”

Zeke’s brows arch up his forehead in shock while Lewis quickly clarifies, “you purchased the Hotel & Resort?”

“I did. No need to go through the mess of an auction.”

Zeke asks, “and what exactly are you gonna do with it?”

There’s an undeniable spark of motivation in her brown eyes as she says, “a revitalization project, of course. I want to breathe new life into this old place. These Resort grounds used to be the most popular destination in the Poconos, and we have the potential to usher it into a new era of prosperity.”

A small smile begins to creep on Lewis’ face, “a new era?”

“Yes,” she beams, “and Mr. Lockheart, if you’ll take it, I’d love to have you leading our team as the Hotel’s new general manager.”

Lewis’ thin brows shoot up his forehead, and Zeke swears that he’s going even paler than he usually is. He’s clearly at a loss for words, but he’s able to stutter out his thoughts, “me? General manager? I - yes. Yes, I’d love nothing more,” he says as he stumbles out of his chair to shake her hand.

“Please, the pleasure is all mine,” she says sincerely as she gladly takes his hand, “you’ve earned it.”

“I - I don’t know what to say. Thank you,” he says, and Zeke’s never seen such a real, honest smile on the man’s pink face. Then, Lewis’ smile falters for a split second, “ah, I’m so sorry, ma’am. I don’t think that I caught your name.”

“Oh! Where are my manners,” she laughs as a hand falls over her heart, “Mr. Lewis Lockheart. Zeke Valencia. It’s a pleasure to officially meet you two. I’m Ms. Hana Yang.”

“Oh. Oh my goodness,” Lewis grins, and he really does grin as he gasps out, “Ms. Yang, what an honor. I - wow, I didn’t know you were back in town.”

“Word will get out soon enough,” she hums, “sometimes it’s best to work in silence in this town.”

“No way,” Zeke hums as he immediately swipes the photo album that lays atop the new general manager’s desk. She’s gotten older with time, but sure enough, that’s the very same woman that’s nestled under Wallace Heartwood’s arm in this photograph.

Ms. Yang turns to eye the brunette that still sits in his seat, and her eyes briefly pause at the aged photograph in his hand. Nonetheless, she says, “Zeke, I hope that this means you’ll stay with us?”

“Uh,” he hums with wide eyes. He watches as Lewis takes his seat again, and he watches as the man’s giddiness shifts into quiet, unadulterated hopefulness. Zeke looks up at Ms. Yang with a small, goofy smile, “um. Yeah. Sure. Fuck it, right? I want to see what happens to this place.”

“That’s the spirit,” she boasts, “welcome aboard, Zeke.”

“What, ah,” Lewis chimes in, “what about the rest of the staff?”

Ms. Yang responds, “I’ll be offering the rest of the staff their positions back. Actually, Zeke, I have quite a bit of I’s and T’s to dot and cross before the finalization of the sale. Would you mind letting everybody know: if they want to help bring life back to Heart Hollow Hotel, then they should show up here at nine AM on Monday morning.”

“Yeah, I can do that for you,” Zeke smiles, because he’s honestly very eager to get back into his role of assisting.

“Excellent,” she presses her palms together with excitement, “please let them know that everybody is required to bring in two forms of identification.”

“Uh,” Zeke pauses, “like what?”

“Oh, a driver’s license, birth certificate, or social security card works just fine,” she says, waving her hands as she speaks.

“Ah,” Lewis smiles, “you’re taking this seriously.”

“Of course I am. I won’t be cutting corners like Andrei did.”

Lewis’ eyes shine with excitement, but now Zeke’s feeling unsure about this. Nonetheless, the brunette says, “cool. Yeah, I’ll pass that on to the rest of the staff.”

“Thank you very much, Zeke. As for you, Mr. Lockheart… Please feel free to start migrating your things to the large office at the end of the hall,” she says. Then, her eyes wander to the decorated walls of the closet-office, “this is no place to foster growth.”

“Ah,” Lewis tries his best to suppress the gratitude on his face as to remain professional, “thank you, Ms. Yang. Thank you so much.”

“Oh, be good to your people, and they’ll be good back to you. It’s always worked for me, at least,” she smiles honestly, “anywho, I appreciate your time, boys. Any questions for me?”

Lewis stammers with a hopeless smile, and at this point, all of the words have already left Zeke’s brain. His chest is heavy, but not with anything that he could add to this conversation. So, Ms. Yang smiles warmly at them as she hugs the door frame, “how about you two compile your questions for me, and we’ll talk Monday.”

“Ah, okay, okay. Yes, wonderful. Thank you so much, Ms. Yang,” Lewis beams, “I’ll be seeing you Monday morning then.”

“Lovely,” she hums as she exits the room, “you two have an amazing rest of your night,” she calls from the hallway.

Just like that, it’s Zeke and Lewis; alone, again, but now the ginger is beaming instead of sulking, and Zeke isn’t sure what he just signed up for. He’s relieved he doesn’t have to leave tomorrow, he’s relieved that he gets to stay in Heart Hollow a little longer, but…

“Wow, um,” Lewis chuckles, and any sense of professionalism is gone, “Ms. Hana Yang: my boss? Me: the general manager? I - oh my goodness, Zeke. I’m so glad that you’re staying.”

Lewis’ smile must be contagious, because Zeke feels a little lighter as he responds, “this is gonna be interesting, that’s for sure.”

“Yes, wow. Okay, I guess I better get started moving my things,” he says with his hands clasped together gleefully.

Zeke laughs, “ew, you don’t wanna deep clean in there first?”

“Ah. Excellent idea, Zeke. Oh, I suppose I can’t do that without moving Andrei’s things first… Where should I put it all? I can’t imagine that his family wants his belongings. Ah,” he pauses from indecision, and then he immediately begins to clear his desk. Putting his trusty pink clipboard in front of him, he says, “I need to make a to-do list.”

Now this really makes Zeke laugh. He shakes his head, gets up from his seat, and says, “alright, well. While you do that, I’m going to go spread the news.”

“Yes, of course,” he looks up to the teenager that stands in his door frame. Zeke’s heart softens at the pure, childlike joy on Lewis’ face as the man adds, “you know where to find me.”

Zeke’s eyes glance down to the clipboard, “enjoy the party.”

“I will,” Lewis says honestly.

“Cool,” Zeke says, but as he’s about to leave, he says, “hey, weren’t you going to say something? Before Ms. Yang came in.”

“Oh,” Lewis’ face drops just a tad, “was I?”

“Yeah. Something about… If I was gonna stay in town?”

“Right,” the ginger hesitates for a moment too long, “I was just going to say that it would be a pleasure to work with you again.”

“Mm,” Zeke just leans his head against the door frame, because he’s starting to read through Lewis’ farce. It’s subtle, but he has a tell: every time he puts the managerial red tape on something, his face is rather serious, but the corners of his lips tilt upwards ever so slightly. Lewis stares up at him with those soft green eyes, and Zeke just stares back through half-lidded brown. Eventually, the brunette adds, “well, your wish came true, Mr. Lockheart.”

“Oh,” Lewis’ eyelashes flutter, “you don’t need to call me that.”

“Yeah, I know. I just like messin’ with ya,” Zeke grins his tooth-gapped grin, “I’ll see you later then.”

“I’ll see you Monday, Zeke,” Lewis clarifies nicely, which makes Zeke raise a brow a bit, because he supposes that means that they won’t be seeing each other again tonight.

“Alright then. See ya Monday,” the brunette sighs. Look, if Lewis wants to just be his boss, then so be it… But he can’t take back the sentimental jacket in Zeke’s hand.

As he enters the main hallway of the Hotel, Zeke isn’t sure exactly what he’s feeling. Relief, because he won’t have to move back home tomorrow and face his old life. Joy, because he’ll get to keep seeing his new friends. Disappointment, because he definitely got his hopes up romantically. Oh, and excitement, because he’ll get to see what’s next for this old place.

However, the one that stings the most is fear. He's going to have to present Ms. Yang with his governmental documents, and he specifically came to Heart Hollow Honeymoon Hotel & Resort because of its shifty, ask-no-questions atmosphere. All it takes is one person to spill a secret, so how can he be certain that he can trust the Resort’s new owner? She said it herself, after all: people in this town would do anything for drama, theatrics, and gossip. So… How long can he keep hiding that, legally, his name is Elena?