“I know, I know.” I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “It didn’t go at all like I’d planned. But you should have seen him, Lace. All smug, then serious, acting like he had me over a barrel.”
“Didn’t he, though?” Lacey asked gently. “I mean, we do need those certifications for the wedding.”
I lowered my hands, meeting her gaze. The excitement in her eyes had dimmed, replaced by a mixture of concern and disappointment that made my chest ache. I’d known Lacey since moving here seven years ago. She’d been there through every up and down, always my steadfast cheerleader. And now, when she needed me the most, I was letting my own hang-ups get in the way. “Why can’t we just get certified by someone else? There are loads of dive shops around!”
Lacey’s face clouded. “Honestly? Because even though Eli comes across as a goofy slacker sometimes, I trust him. I’ve known him since I was a little kid. I’m not sure I’m going to be real great at this scuba thing, Jules. And I want to learn from someone I know, not a stranger.”
That tugged on my heartstrings. “You’ll do great at this, though the person you just described doesn’t sound anything at all like the Eli Coleridge I know.”
She tilted her head to one side and regarded me seriously. “Maybe that’s because you don’t really know him. Jules, please talk to him again. It’s not like he’s asking for complete new sets of scuba gear.”
“Yeah, I guess it could be worse,” I admitted, then reached over to squeeze her hand. “You’ll have your underwater wedding. I’ll figure something out in the budget, Lace. I promise.”
Lacey beamed at me. “I know you will. You always do.”
I managed a weak smile, even as my mind raced with the implications. How was I going to justify this expense? Especially when other repairs were needed too?
And more importantly, how was I going to face Eli again and agree to his demands without throttling him?
“So”—Lacey’s voice pulled me back, a mischievous glint in her eye as she held out her empty glass—“tell memore about how charming you suddenly find Eli. I’ve known him for a long time, you know. He’s not such a bad-looking guy.”
“Don’t even start with that.” I groaned, reaching for the wine bottle. It was going to be a long night.
The next afternoon,I sat in my office at Sunset Siesta, staring at the quarterly budget. I’d been crunching numbers all morning, trying to find a way to justify the expense of new dive computers without completely derailing our budget. Dammit, delaying my new desktop was not an option. I’d waited too long for it. After combing through several resort departments, I found a way to depreciate some assets and move some debits forward. I blew a big sigh of relief.
Raised voices from Harper’s office next door jolted me out of my financial fugue state.
“Mom, we can’t keep putting this off!” Harper’s exasperated tone carried clearly through the thin walls.
“I know that, so let’s grade the parking lot. But where do you suggest we get the money for these renovations you want?” Helen’s voice was sharp.
I winced, shrinking lower in my chair. This was exactly the kind of argument I’d been dreading.
“Maybe if we actually invested in some upgrades, we’d attract more guests,” Harper shot back. “We can’t keep relying on nostalgia forever.”
“I understand that. But we have to find balance with what we decide to repair.”
I closed my eyes. The Coleridges’ argument felt like a perfect metaphor for the war raging inside my own head. Tradition versus progress. Safety versus risk. The irritatingdevil I knew versus the very talented dive instructor I kept hearing about but had never seen a glimpse of.
“Lupe came to me this afternoon with the name of the housekeeper I’d requested,” Harper said in a quieter voice. “After last month’s numbers, I had to do something. So we’ll cut Annie’s hours and housekeeping will just have to stretch.”
I buried my head in my hands. Annie was a sweet young woman who loved her job. She was a bright ray of sunshine, shining on everyone she came in contact with. Even me. I stared at my old monitor, the keyboard with its lettering rubbed off on the home row. And there was no contest. Annie had a young child to support. I opened the budget projection spreadsheet again to rework the figures. My new computer could wait.
“Oh, Harper,” Helen said gently. “I know this is the worst part of the job. I’ve done it myself. But you don’t have to talk to Annie tonight.”
Harper’s voice softened. “No, you’re right. It’s the end of the day. Let’s put work aside and make dinner together.”
“That’s my girl. You take too much on, sweetie. Let’s collect Finn and we can make fish and chips. He loves that.”
As their voices faded down the hallway, I slumped forward, resting my forehead on my folded arms. How was I supposed to justify Eli’s expensive toys when we couldn’t even afford basic maintenance? When we were cutting staff hours?
“This isn’t about me and Eli,” I murmured to myself as I lifted myself upright again. I stared at my ancient monitor, resignation settling within me. “It’s about taking care of others. Like Annie and like Lacey. I’m helping a friend out. That’s all. This old computer will limp along anotherfew quarters, and I can put up with Eli for a couple of weeks.”
But I couldn’t quite silence the traitorous little voice in the back of my mind whispering that this felt very personal indeed. Hearing the two women leave provided an unwelcome reminder that the day was drawing to a close. I had been avoiding the conversation with Eli all day, but now I was out of excuses. With a resigned sigh, I pushed my chair back.
“Guess it’s time to face the firing squad.”
The walk to the pier felt interminable, giving me plenty of time to repeat to myself that I wasn’t going to let Eli affect me or get me riled up. As I passed the two hotel room blocks, their cinderblock walls painted a cheerful seafoam green, I couldn’t appreciate the tropical vibe. Vines of bougainvillea cascaded over railings, splashes of magenta contrasting with the soft greens of palm fronds swaying gently overhead.
