CHAPTER ONE – ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER NICKEL

The morning sun filtered through the venetian blinds of The Keppler Heritage's lobby, casting linear shadows across the polished marble floor. Mara Aniston straightened her crisp white blouse as she settled into her chair behind her office desk. The familiar scent of furniture polish and fresh flowers filled the air, a comforting constant in her daily routine. As Mara booted up her computer, she heard the telltale click-clack of high heels approaching. She didn't need to look up to know it was Lisa, her coworker, arriving for her shift. "Morning, Lisa," Mara called out, her eyes still fixed on the screen. Lisa huffed, dropping her oversized purse onto the counter with a thud. "Can you believe this traffic? I swear, it gets worse every day. They really need to do something about that intersection on 5th and Main." Mara nodded sympathetically, having heard this particular complaint at least three times in the past week. "Yeah, it can be pretty bad. Did you try taking the back route I suggested?" "Oh, please," Lisa scoffed, rolling her eyes. "That would add at least ten minutes to my drive. I don't have time for that." Mara bit back a sigh, reminding herself that engaging further would only encourage Lisa's negativity. Instead, she focused on sorting through the stack of messages left by the night staff. "Oh, great," Lisa muttered, peering over Mara's shoulder. "Mrs. Hawthorne called again about the air conditioning in her room. Doesn't she know we can't control the weather?" Mara couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm pretty sure she thinks we can. I'll give maintenance a heads up." As the morning wore on, Mara found herself caught in a steady stream of check-ins, check-outs, and guest inquiries. She effortlessly fielded questions about local attractions, restaurant recommendations, and the hotel's amenities, all while maintaining a warm smile and professional demeanor. Around noon, Lisa tapped Mara on the shoulder. "I'm heading to lunch. Try not to let this place fall apart while I'm gone," she said with a wink that didn't quite hide her condescension. Mara rolled her eyes good-naturedly as Lisa sashayed away. She was about to return to her work when she spotted a familiar face approaching the desk. "Jenna!" Mara exclaimed, her face lighting up at the sight of her friend and colleague from the hotel's event planning department. "I didn't know you were working today." Jenna grinned, her curly hair bouncing as she leaned against the counter. "Last-minute shift change. But hey, it means I get to have lunch with my favorite bride-to-be! You free?" Mara glanced at the clock and nodded. "Yeah, my break starts in five minutes. Let me just finish up here." As they settled into a corner table in the hotel's café, Jenna leaned forward eagerly. "So, spill! How are the wedding plans coming along?" Mara couldn't help but smile at her friend's enthusiasm. "Slowly but surely. We finally nailed down the venue yesterday. Remember that cute little vineyard I showed you pictures of?" "The one with the fairy lights and the rustic barn? Oh my god, Mara, that's perfect!" "I know, right? Andy wasn't totally sold on it at first, but he came around when he saw how excited I was." Jenna's eyebrows rose slightly. "He wasn't sold? But it's gorgeous!" Mara shrugged, toying with her salad. "You know Andy. He's more about practicality than aesthetics. But he agrees it'll make for beautiful photos." "Speaking of photos," Jenna said, pulling out her phone, "have you decided on a photographer yet? Because I found this amazing one on Instagram..." Their lunch break flew by in a flurry of wedding talk and laughter. As they were about to head back to work, Mara's phone buzzed with an incoming call. "Oh, it's Andy," she said, a smile spreading across her face. "Hey, you," she answered, her voice softening. "Hey, babe," Andy's voice crackled through the speaker, sounding slightly distracted. "Listen, I can't talk long. Things are crazy at the office. But we're still on for dinner tonight, right?" Mara's brow furrowed slightly at his rushed tone. "Yeah, of course. Everything okay?" "Yeah, yeah, just swamped. I'll tell you all about it tonight. Gotta run. Love you!" The call ended abruptly, leaving Mara staring at her phone with a mixture of confusion and concern. Jenna raised an eyebrow. "Everything alright?" Mara forced a smile. "Yeah, just work stuff. You know how it gets." As they made their way back to their respective posts, Mara couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was off. But she pushed it aside, focusing instead on the pile of work waiting for her at the reception desk. The afternoon passed in a blur of guest requests and administrative tasks. Before she knew it, it was time to clock out and meet Andy for dinner. The restaurant was bustling when Mara arrived, the warm glow of candlelight and the soft murmur of conversation creating an intimate atmosphere. She spotted Andy at a corner table, his head bent over his phone. "Hey, you," she said softly, sliding into the seat across from him. Andy looked up, a smile spreading across his face as he quickly pocketed his phone. "Hey, beautiful. Sorry about earlier. It's been a day." Mara reached across the table, squeezing his hand. "No worries. Want to talk about it?" Andy shook his head, lifting her hand to his lips for a quick kiss. "Nah, let's focus on something more pleasant. Like our wedding. How's the planning going?" As Mara launched into an excited recap of her lunch conversation with Jenna, she couldn't help but notice Andy's eyes occasionally drifting to his pocket, where his phone lay hidden. She faltered mid-sentence, causing Andy to look up. "You okay?" he asked, concern etched on his face. Mara hesitated, then smiled. "Yeah, just lost my train of thought. Anyway, as I was saying about the flowers..." Throughout dinner, Andy seemed to oscillate between attentive fiancé and distracted professional. Each time his phone buzzed, Mara saw a flicker of something – anxiety? excitement? – cross his face before he schooled his features back into neutral interest. As they finished their dessert, Andy reached across the table, taking Mara's hand in his. "I'm sorry if I've been a bit off tonight. Work's just been... intense lately." Mara squeezed his hand, pushing down the knot of unease in her stomach. "I understand. Just... you'd tell me if something was really wrong, right?" Andy's eyes softened as he leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. "Of course, babe. You're the most important thing in my life. Never doubt that." As they walked hand in hand to their cars, Mara felt the tension in her shoulders ease. Whatever was going on with Andy, they'd face it together. That's what partners did, after all. With a final goodnight kiss that left her slightly breathless, Andy headed to his car. Mara watched him drive away, a mix of love and lingering concern swirling in her chest. Tomorrow was another day, she reminded herself. Everything would be clearer in the morning.