Chapter 4
Chapter Four
JULES
The evening sun illuminated the open-plan living area of my townhouse in hues of amber and gold.
I smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle from my soft-gray linen sofa, my gaze sweeping over the organized bookshelves and the tasteful beach accents that adorned the walls.
Everything in its place, just as I liked it.
The residential district of Dove Key was in the northwestern section of the island, which made for an easy commute to work, even if I couldn’t afford an oceanview home.
A rapid series of knocks at the door broke my moment of quiet contemplation.
“Jules! Open up!” Lacey’s muffled voice called from the other side.
I barely had time to turn the handle before she burst in, a whirlwind of blonde hair and infectious enthusiasm. “Oh my God, I can’t believe we’re doing this! How did it go with Eli? When do the lessons start? I need to know everything!”
I forced a smile, trying to match her excitement. “Hello to you too, Lacey. Why don’t we sit down first with a glass of wine?”
She bounced on her toes, following me to the kitchen. “Sorry, I’m just so pumped! This is going to be amazing.”
“Glad one of us thinks so,” I muttered under my breath, reaching for a bottle of Pinot Grigio.
As I poured two generous glasses, a twinge of guilt pinched at my conscience.
Two drinking sessions in one week? Not a regular occurrence for me, and something else I could lay right at the door of Eli Coleridge.
“What was that?” Lacey asked, accepting her glass.
I shook my head. “Nothing. Let’s head out to the patio.”
We settled into the wicker chairs on my covered rear patio, the salt-tinged breeze ruffling the potted palms that lined the space. Lacey took a sip of wine, her eyes dancing with anticipation. “So spill! When do we start?”
I swirled the wine in my glass, buying time. “About that… there might be a slight hiccup.”
Lacey’s face fell. “What? Why? Jules, you know how important this is for the wedding!”
“I know, I know.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “It’s just, uh, I may have had a bit of a disagreement with our esteemed dive instructor.”
“Disagreement?” Lacey’s eyebrows shot up. “What happened?”
I took a long sip of wine before answering. “We got into a fight. He agreed to do the class only if I approve his requisition for new dive computers. Expensive ones.”
At first, she just stared at me, then she bit the side of her cheek. I narrowed my eyes at her, but she finally couldn’t keep her laugh inside. “Really? That sounds like Eli.”
“It’s not funny!”
She chewed on her lip. “It kind of is.”
“He was dead serious when he gave me his ultimatum. Not amused in the slightest.”
“Well, new computers don’t sound so bad,” Lacey said, becoming serious again. “Don’t we need those for diving anyway?”
I set my glass down with more force than necessary. “That’s not the point. It’s the way he went about it. He’s trying to manipulate me, Lacey. Hell, he’s blackmailing me! Using you and your wedding as leverage.”
“Yeah, you two have always been oil and water. But, Jules,” Lacey leaned forward, her voice taking on a pleading tone, “if he needs them for safety—”
“I know the equipment is justified,” I cut her off, my frustration climbing to the surface. “But the resort’s finances are already stretched thin. We can’t just throw money around because some charming dive bum bats his eyelashes.”
Lacey’s lips twitched. “Charming, huh?”
Heat crept up my neck. “That’s not… I didn’t mean—”
“Uh-huh.” Lacey grinned, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “So what exactly happened with this charming dive bum?”
I sighed, slumping back in my chair. “I stormed out on him.”
Lacey’s eyes widened. “Jules!”
“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 me more 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 irritating devil 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 another few 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.”