Chapter Eleven
JULES
I blinked hard,trying to refocus as the lines on my screen swam out of focus. Staring at my empty coffee cup, I contemplated a refill. Even though it was afternoon. This was ridiculous. Budgets were my bread and butter. Fiscal responsibility was practically my middle name. And yet here I sat in the same old office, staring at my temperamental computer screen, yet my mind was a million miles away from quarterly projections. My brain was fixated on one thing and one thing only.
Eli Coleridge.
The man who’d rubbed me the wrong way since the moment we met. The man who had walked me home Friday night and who I’d opened up to. The man who had almost kissed me.
I dropped my head into my hands. What was wrong with me? I hadn’t seen or spoken to him since Friday night, but I couldn’t get him out of my head. This was exactly why workplace romances were forbidden atSunset Siesta. They led to nothing but distraction and disaster.
A soft ping sounded from my computer. New email. Probably another tedious request from the PR company asking for approval for their bloated ad budget. I glanced at the sender and my heart skipped a beat.
From: Eli Coleridge
Subject: Need to meet ASAP
Jules,
Can you swing by the dive shop when you get a chance? Something I need to discuss with you.
Thanks,
Eli
I rereadthe terse message twice, my curiosity piqued. Eli rarely emailed and had never asked to see me like this. What could be so urgent? And why did the thought of seeing him again send slow tendrils reaching through my abdomen?
Before I could think, I was on my feet and striding out my door. I stepped out of the resort’s main building, my mind so preoccupied I barely registered the dreary weather. The rain pattered against my face and dampened my blouse as I rushed down the path toward the pier. Dammit. My raincoat hung forgotten on its hook by my office door. At least the storm had lessened this afternoon. It had been pouring buckets when I drove to work.
My heels clacked a staccato rhythm on the damp woodas I hurried along the pier, my thoughts a whirlwind. What could Eli need to discuss that couldn’t wait? And why did the thought of seeing him again make my heart race like I’d just sprinted a 5K?
I reached the dive shop, pausing for a moment to catch my breath and smooth my rain-soaked hair into some semblance of order. As I stepped inside, I glanced around for Eli. But Andrea looked up from behind the counter, her usual cheerful smile tight-lipped.
“Afternoon, Andrea. Where’s Eli?”
“Hey, Julianne,” she said, her voice strained. “He’s in the classroom. But, uh… heads-up. We had a rough one out there this morning.”
My footsteps paused as I headed toward the hallway. “What do you mean, rough?”
Andrea shook her head, glancing toward the classroom. “You’d better hear it from him. Let’s just say it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.”
A knot of apprehension formed in my stomach as I nodded and continued. I stepped into the classroom, my eyes immediately drawn to Eli. He stood in front of a computer terminal, his usually relaxed demeanor replaced by a tense, almost rigid posture. His sun-bleached hair was a chaotic mess as if he’d been running his fingers through it. When he looked up at me, his eyes were stormy with frustration.
“Jules. Thanks for coming.”
I stopped before his teaching table. “Sure. What’s going on? Andrea mentioned something about a rough morning.”
He exhaled sharply and rubbed his tired-looking eyes. “Yeah, you could say that. We had an accident during the dive. Everyone’s okay, but…” He paused, jaw clenching. “A diver panicked at the surface, and we lost a full scuba kit. It’s at the bottom of the ocean now. We have to replace it.”
My heart sank. “Oh, no. Is the diver okay?”
He nodded distractedly.
“Are you okay, Eli?”
A fleeting smile cracked his face. “I’m fine. He just lost his head, and I had to rescue him and tow him back to the boat.”
“I’m glad you’re both all right.” The situation was another reminder that there was much more to Eli Coleridge than I’d ever given him credit for. But it didn’t change the current facts. “This is terrible timing, especially after the dive computer expenses. How much are we looking at to replace it?” I chewed my lip, mental calculations already running through my head.
