Page 137 of Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal
“I’m not really sure, but what if...?” She pauses and places the scoop back into the feed. “What if it was something like the cottage that I’m in? But a ton of those? All throughout the woods. The cottage is really nice, and Uncle Dwight had it set up very quickly. There could be a main lodge with a general store, almost like a KOA campsite, but instead of camping, it can be individual cottages.”
“That’s a brilliant idea,” I say.
“But would you hate to have a campsite next to you?” she asks.
“Trust me when I say there’s enough room between the properties that I don’t think it would be a big deal. Also, you have a lot of acreage, so you could have the cottages on the other side, which would give more room in between. And you can have it so they’re more like two-person cabins—like an adults-only setup, because the Roasting Chestnut is geared toward families. A lot of family suites.”
“Oh really?” she asks.
I nod. “Yeah, you can focus on the adults-only experience. Hot tubs, spas, a bar... things like that.”
“That’s really smart.” A large smile crosses her face. “Oh my God, did we just come up with an idea together?”
“Nah.” I wink. “You did. I just offered some support.”
Betty
Curled up on a chair, Post-it notes and a pen in hand, I continue to write down idea after idea while Atlas prepares us a delectable lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
The power hasn’t come back on yet, but Atlas thinks it should be coming back soon. He says it’s not usually out that long, which has made me realize if Uncle Dwight and I were to open up adults-only cottages, we’d need a solution for the power outages, because that’s a guaranteed way to a one-star review.
Which of course got me thinking, I know nothing about hotel management, and sure they’re not hotels, but they’re similar, just individual cottages. There’s so much that goes into it that I’m unaware of. And I’ve made a ton of notes on things that I need to look into when the power is back and I have internet again.
“Why is it so smoky in here?” Atlas asks as he walks in with two plates.
“What do you mean?” I say, looking back at the fire.
“Oh, it’s just your mind working overtime.”
“Oh my God.”
He laughs and sets the plates down on the coffee table, which he brought closer to the couch after we moved the air mattress to the side. “Too cheesy?”
“A little,” I answer and then set my Post-it notes and pen down. When we got back from the farm, I asked if Atlas had anything I could write on, and that’s what he gave me. I thought it was cute, so I used them, even though I was looking for something more along the lines of a notepad.
I take a seat on the couch next to him, and he hands me a plate. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I hope you like?—”
The lights flicker, and then the room is illuminated, the Christmas tree in the corner lighting up in a multitude of colors.
Atlas glances around. “Well, looks like the power is back. Maybe I should have waited a second to make lunch. I could have made something a little more appealing.”
I chuckle. “Why, I love peanut butter and jelly. This is great. Thank you.”
The sound of the furnace kicks on, and the entire house seems like it’s in reboot mode as it tries to catch up with the time it has lost being out of power.
“So...” he says, chewing on his sandwich. “Do you want some mood music?”
“What kind of mood are you trying to set?” I ask with a raise of my brow.
“A Christmas one.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket and presses a few buttons, then from a speaker in the living roomsomewhere, “White Christmas” by the Drifters starts playing. “How’s that?”
“Perfect.” I turn toward him and cross my legs on the couch. “I know I’ve said it a million times, but thank you for bringing me over here.”
“You’re welcome.”
I nudge him with my foot because I can see that his demeanor changed the moment the lights came back on. “What’s wrong?”
