She crawled under the covers, with a romance novel she’d picked up at the airport and read for a bit. The bed was so soft and comfortable, and her eyes quickly grew heavy as she slipped into a dreamless sleep. Her last thought before she drifted off was that she couldn’t wait to go exploring the next day, as a normal person. It had been so long since she’d been able to do that.

Chapter 5

“You’re a Whitley and the general manager at your family’s resort, the top hotel on Nantucket. Why would you consider leaving?” The interview had been going so well, until the inevitable question.

Andrea was in Boston at the Lennon Hotel, a luxurious boutique hotel in the Back Bay. It seemed like an ideal fit for her background. She had flown in the night before and stayed at the hotel. Elaine Humphrey, the hotel industry headhunter her grandfather had used for years, set up the meeting.

Andrea walked down Boylston Street the night before and had a delicious dinner and a glass of really good red wine at Abe and Louie’s, her favorite Boston steakhouse. She’d gone to bed feeling full and relaxed and excited about the interview today. But now, she had a sudden, sinking feeling that it could easily slip away if she didn’t answer this well. She took a deep breath.

“It’s been a wonderful experience working there. But, as you said, it is a family business and sometimes family dynamics can be, well, challenging. I thought it might be a good idea to spread my wings and broaden my experience by working at another property. And I’ve always loved Boston.”

The interviewer, who was also the owner of the hotel, was an older gentleman about her grandfather’s age. He smiled. “That’s understandable. Everything about your background seems to line up very well with what we are looking for. We have a few other candidates we are considering, but we will have a decision this week. I’ll be in touch with Elaine as soon as we have an update.”

Andrea flew home after the interview and spent the rest of the week anxiously waiting for word. Elaine had also set up two other interviews at Boston hotels but they’d both been canceled abruptly. She said they’d both moved forward hiring other candidates so didn’t need to see Andrea, but it made her wonder. They’d both been presented to her as being at the very early stages and then suddenly, both opportunities disappeared.