She unpacked her suitcases and hung up her clothes, then moved on to putting her toiletries in the spacious bathroom. Then she moved on to the kitchen, unloading the groceries and supplies. She sank onto a chair at the wooden table, so very tired, and looked around the place with a mixture of fatigue and satisfaction. This was all hers.
Hunger nagged at her, but she had little motivation to cook. But she had to eat something. She shoved off the chair and grabbed a pack of microwave popcorn. That would do. She poured herself a glass of wine while her dinner cheerily popped in the microwave. Simple feast in hand, she nestled into a chair by the window, propping up her feet and enjoying the solitude.
She took a sip of her wine, and Gavin popped into her mind. He’d annoyed her so much when he showed up today, like he ruled her schedule. But then he surprised her by helping with the windows. Teetering back to annoyance, she remembered he’d initially come to give her a list of suggestions. His interference was a constant aggravation. She could only hope that after he saw she was doing a good job, he’d back off.
Leaning back in the chair, she pushed all thoughts of Gavin, of any aggravation, far from her mind. As she ate her popcorn, a dark orange slash of color conveyed the end of the sunset. She sat there watching the sky darken and the stars come out, enjoying the quiet. Enjoying the view. Just… enjoying this life she was creating here on Magnolia Key.
Chapter12
Tori got up early the next morning and grabbed a cup of coffee while she got ready, her new routine beginning to feel familiar. As she glanced in the mirror, she realized she was getting used to her new look, too.
Her normally pale skin had tanned slightly from being outside so often walking around town. Her hair that she used to spend so much time using expensive products on and curling—just right—hung loosely at shoulder length. She was beginning to feel less anxious that someone would recognize her. Victoria Duran was slowly fading away.
So much had changed in her life in the last few months. She’d first felt lost and alone when her world had been upended, but now she was beginning to feel like this was where she was meant to be. And she could feel fulfilled and happy with this life. If she’d let herself…
She tidied the bathroom, set the coffee mug in the kitchen, and headed out to the theater. Walking, of course. She wished she had time to go to Beverly’s and chat with her, but she wanted to make sure she was at the theater before Gavin showed up.
She hurried down the sidewalk, then laughed at herself as she slowed down to enjoy the walk. The sleepy town was waking up. People smiled at her when they passed instead of ducking their heads to avoid eye contact, which happened so often in New York. Everyone busy with their own thoughts, own problems, and rushing past. The warm sun slipped from behind a fluffy white cloud, and sunlight danced through the palm branches. The day was shaping up to be a wonderful one. Full of promise.
She walked up to the front door, unlocked it, and stepped inside, once again overwhelmed with the responsibility of the job she’d taken on. And just as sure that she’d made the right decision. The lobby was already more inviting now that the windows were cleaned of years of grime. She went over to the concession counter where she’d set her notebook.
“I see you’re here early today.”
Startled, she dropped her pen and turned around at the sound of Gavin’s voice, trying to mask her surprise. “Ah… good morning.” She didn’t know if he meant it as a compliment or still a chastisement over her late arrival yesterday. Luckily, she didn’t have to muse on it long because the contractor she’d hired stepped inside and joined them.
“Morning, Miss Duran.”
“Please, call me Tori.” The less the name Duran was thrown around, the better. “Let’s get started.”
Soon more workers arrived, and the sounds of saws and hammers rang through the building. Gavin stood beside her, looking over her shoulder, annoying her, as she turned the pages of her notebook, making sure she hadn’t forgotten anything.
“I know you don’t like to be told what to do… but I do have something I thought I should mention.”
“Of course you do. So much for not interfering and telling me what to do.”
“I just thought we needed to check out the machines at the concession stand. I don’t think that was on your list.”
Annoyingly, it wasn’t. She grabbed her notebook. She’d check out the popcorn machine and soda dispensers. The candy counter was still in good shape, though.
“And I had another thought…” He stood back, eyeing her, waiting.
She let out a sigh. “Go ahead.”
“Some theaters have gone to serving wine. If we got a license, then people who rented the space for events would have the opportunity to serve wine if they wanted.”
She grudgingly admitted he had a good idea. She scribbled more notes, only slightly less annoyed at him for his ideas. They were good ones.
“I’m going to go grab a hammer and work on the ticket counter outside. I’m pretty handy with stuff like that.” He turned and walked out the door. She hoped his skills were as good as he claimed.
She couldn’t believe that she walked right past this concession stand at the side of the lobby every time she’d been here but hadn’t thought to check out the machines. She thought she’d been so thorough.
Maybe it wasn’t so bad to have a second set of eyes on her plans. And of course, Gavin would speak up if he thought she was missing anything. She laughed. She was almost getting used to his interference. Almost.
The weeks passed in a blur. Each day was a blend of working at the theater and coming home to crash in her apartment. Gavin became a constant figure at the theater, showing up almost every day for some amount of time. She questioned him, asking if he didn’t need to be at his bike shop, but he said he had it covered. She got the impression he was actually enjoying working on the theater. She’d grown accustomed to his presence… mostly.
They’d begun talking a lot as they worked side by side. He was an interesting guy, she had to admit. And boy, did he have opinions about everything. Some of them were even right.
She grinned as she worked on cleaning out one of the dressing rooms. A musty smell permeated the room. She went over and struggled to open a window, managing to slide it up enough to let in some fresh air.
