Keep it professional

You swipe Jaxson’s black credit card through the terminal with a smooth, practiced motion, deliberately keeping your focus on the screen to avoid giving his posturing any unneeded fuel. Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Paige struggling under the immense weight of the gear, her breath catching as a heavy aluminum case threatens to tip over onto the slate floor. Intervening directly right now would clearly fracture Jaxson’s fragile ego and cause a scene before they even get their cabin keys, something you want to avoid during check-in.

“We have high-speed mesh Wi-Fi extending across the entire property, including the trailheads,” you say, your voice calm and level as you hand the black card back to Jaxson. “You shouldn’t have any trouble managing your portfolio or uploading stories. Welcome to Whispering Pines.”

Before he can respond with another complaint about the mountain roads, you round the corner of the heavy wooden desk.

“Let me help you with those,” you say, directing your words entirely to Paige as you step into her space. You reach down and effortlessly lift the two massive rolling equipment cases, transferring the strain away from her raw, uncovered hands.

Paige blinks up at you, her large hazel eyes widening in a mixture of surprise and immense relief. A sudden, deep blush creeps up her neck and into her cheeks as she releases the heavy cases. “Oh... thank you. I had it, I just, ”

“Don’t worry about it,” you cut in gently, offering her a reassuring nod as you take the heavy tripod bag from her shoulder as well. “It’s a steep walk up to the guest cabin, and the spring rain makes the paths slick.”

Skylar doesn’t even look away from her phone screen, her manicured thumb scrolling past a notification as she steps deeper into the lodge toward the hearth. “Finally. Paige, get the camera ready as soon as he sets those down. The lighting by the fire is losing its vibe.”

Jax watches you handle the heavy gear with a tight, calculating squint, his jaw clenching slightly at the display of effortless strength before he quickly masks it with a dismissive shrug, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, whatever. Just show us where the rooms are, man.”