CHAPTER NINETEEN
I worked with Abbie and Tina fixing a simple meal in the kitchen. My earlier conversation with Abbie prickled in my mind. My childhood had been lonely, but I’d made friends in college and during my marriage. But nothing could match the friendships I’d formed here in Sabal. Having Rhonda and other friends in the neighborhood and on the same charity committees that I served on, was even more precious because of my upbringing.
I remembered the first time I met Rhonda and how rocked I’d been by her language and her bluntness. Now, it was a part of her I loved.
Not wanting Rhonda to miss out on our unexpected party, I’d called her. She and Will and their two children were on their way to join us. Willow at almost nine and Drew at seven were thrilled to play board or computer games with Robbie. He seemed to thrive on being their leader. While we adults were going to have steak and salad, he’d already convinced me to order pizza for the kids.
Rhonda walked through the door carrying a cake. “Thought you’d like to have dessert. Rita’s lemon cakes are the best.” Rita had worked for Rhonda since Willow was born and was a warm woman who served as a grandmother as well as a housekeeper.
Will followed with the children. I studied him and noticed how tired he looked. I reminded myself to speak to Rhonda about taking the vacation they’d missed because of Everly staying at the hotel.
“Hi, Auntie Ann,” cried Willow, running into my open arms. She looked a lot like Will with light brown hair and hazel eyes. But instead of his easy-going manner, she had Rhonda’s energy and a bit of her bossiness, too. I loved her. She was special to me because she’d been born on my kitchen floor, a story we talked about often.
Andrew, or Drew as we called him, stood aside, used to Willow taking over. He had dark hair, big brown eyes, and an adorable dimpled smile. Happy to follow Willow’s instructions to a point, he could demonstrate a fiery temper when pushed too far. I swept him into my arms and kissed him on the cheek while he nestled against me.
The children left to go to Robbie’s room. Cindy followed, her short Dachshund legs moving fast to keep up with their running.
I poured Rhonda a glass of red wine while Vaughn took care of getting a beer for Will.
“Thanks for inviting us,” said Rhonda. She turned and lifted her glass to the other two women. “My mother used to say, ‘It’s moments like these that make life precious.’ So, what’s cookin’?”
Tina launched into a story about her trip to Sabal with Lily Dorio. “I don’t care for Lily after what she did to Ann and Vaughn. I didn’t ever expect our paths would cross. But getting the role opposite her new husband, I’ve seen more of her than I’ve ever wanted.”
“How did she finally land a husband?” Rhonda asked.
Tina sighed and shook her head. “Lily is attractive and has a way of making people believe she’s sincere when she talks to them. Sinclair Smith is a nice guy who loves being married even though he has a reputation for wandering. Lily is his third wife. People in the business are placing bets as to how long this marriage will last. Lily is using her relationship with him to try to get new clients for her agency.”
“How’s that going?” I asked.
“Not too well, though she does get people to sign up. The problem is she’s not known for being honest with them. After a while, people drop her and move on to someone else.”
We made our way to the lanai while the men congregated down by the dock with Vaughn, giving us women a chance to talk.
Tina turned to Rhonda. “Will looks tired. What’s going on with him?”
Rhonda told the story of Will wanting to compete with Reggie’s father, Arthur. “Working with your son-in-law can be difficult anyway, but this is a lot of extra pressure for both Will and Reggie.”
Tina said, “Why don’t you two take a little break together? You’re welcome to come stay with me in California.”
Rhonda glanced at me before answering. “Thanks, but I’ve already made tentative reservations at the nearby Palm Island Club. It’s close by, so I hope I can get Will to relax there by knowing he could get back to his office for an emergency.”
“Reggie is a talented young man who has no interest in competing with his father. It’s one reason he went into business with Will to begin with,” I explained.
“Will is getting close enough to retirement that I think he wants to prove he’s still capable,” Rhonda said. “Believe me, he hasn’t slowed down in other areas.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
“TMI,” I said, laughing with the others.
“Nicholas is happiest at home,” Tina said. “It’s a relief for me because he works with beautiful young actors who sometimes see him as a rich older man who could provide them with access to better roles and an easy life.”
“Vaughn feels the same,” I said. Looking at Abbie, I continued. “That’s something I like about Darryl. He hasn’t been interested in being seen with young, flashy starlets. And won’t be, with you here.”
Abbie’s cheeks grew pink, and I thought she looked darling.
Vaughn returned. “We need more beers, and I’m about to start the grill for the steaks. Is everything else set?”
I stood. “It will be. I’m putting together a green salad and Tina brought some grilled vegetables from Andre’s restaurant.”
“I’ll help,” said Tina. She followed me into the kitchen. “What can I do?”
“Let’s eat in the dining room. You can set the table.” I picked out placemats and napkins and showed her where the silverware and water glasses were.
Tina picked them up and faced me with a worried look. “Don’t trust Lily. I have a feeling she’s going to try to use Vaughn to get more business. She told me she was best friends with the bride, but I don’t believe it. I think she pressured the groom into inviting her.”
“That sounds about right,” I murmured, determined not to let that woman get to me.
###
Later, sitting at the dining room table, glancing at the people gathered there, my heart filled with love. Having friends was important to me. I watched Darryl tell a joke and even while I was laughing, I was hoping he and Abbie would become part of my hotel family.
At the end of the meal, Vaughn said, “Let’s go out to the lanai for nightcaps.”
Rhonda and I exchanged glances. We’d have to get up in the morning to greet wedding guests, but nightcaps sounded perfect.
###
It was late by the time Abbie and I finished putting the last of the dishes in the dishwasher, but I was glad for the time with her. We’d learned that she came from a humble background where sports were emphasized as a way for the family to do better financially. One of her brothers played professional baseball for a few years. Two others played football but never made it to the NFL. The brother closest in age to her had become an orthopedic doctor. Abbie’s career choice seemed natural. She had the same hardworking, pleasant nature as my daughter, Liz.
“Guess I’m off to bed,” said Abbie. “Thanks for a nice evening.”
“My pleasure. Rhonda and I have a wedding in the hotel, so I’ll be coming and going from here this weekend. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No problem. I’ll be busy with Darryl. I thought we’d go on a day trip to Sarasota to the Siesta Key beach there. It’s supposed to be one of the best.”
“It’s gorgeous. And you’ll be able to work there without Brock Goodwin or Lily Dorio around to interfere,” I said.
“Yes, we need to spend a large part of the day running on the beach and doing other exercises to work off the food from these last few days.”
“Remember, you can always order food from the hotel,” I said, giving her a quick hug goodnight.
I tiptoed into my bedroom and gazed at Vaughn stretched out atop the sheet asleep. I came closer and studied him. He kept himself in great shape. There were more gray hairs at his temple, but it made him look more distinguished, not older. His eyes fluttered open. He took hold of my hand and pulled me down next to him.
I loved the feel of being close. But it wasn’t enough.
Climbing out of bed, I stripped off my clothes, turned out the light, and lay beside him, smiling as he reached for me again.
###
The next morning, after making sure everyone was set for the day, I left for the hotel. Weddings were an important part of the hotel’s business. Not only for the wedding itself but because the attendees spread a positive word about the food and elegant setting. But Rhonda and I believed our presence and the service from the staff is what made a well-executed wedding even better, and when guests realized, it was the success we strived for.
The staff was quietly bustling about in the hotel when I arrived. I went to Lorraine’s office. She wasn’t there, but her assistant Laura was on the phone talking to the florist.
“I’m sorry the lilies you ordered for us didn’t arrive in the shipment, but we’ll need to add something to the arrangements to replace them. Something at no extra cost to us.” She listened. “Okay, that will be fine.”
“Nice job,” I said to Laura. “How is everything else going?”
“Hi, Ann. Things seem to be going well. No complaints so far except from the party in The Presidential Suite. That woman was trying to make sure she was placed at the head table for the wedding dinner. I told her to confer with the family.”
“Ah, I know who that is. If you have any further trouble with her, please let me know.”
I left her to go to my office, stopping for my usual cup of coffee in the hotel kitchen.
Consuela greeted me with a smile. “’ Morning.”
I gave her a quick hug. “How’s breakfast going?”
“It’s a fun-loving crowd. While the women are shopping and getting ready for the afternoon wedding, the men are going golfing. The young men are full of teasing and seem to be very hungry. They’ve had a lot of sweet rolls.”
I grinned. “I like it when our guests are enjoying them.”
I took my coffee into the office.
Rhonda was already there. She looked up at me and shook her head. “Lily Dorio is making a fuss. She wants someone to fix her hair for the wedding. I told her that the wedding party is using our usual person on call but that she’s welcome to find someone on her own. She didn’t like that and started to tell me off. I reminded her that I was one of the owners of the hotel. I have a feeling she’s going to call you next.”
“She’s already been a problem for Laura, wanting to be seated at the head table at the wedding dinner.”
The phone rang. I picked it up. “Hello, this is Ann Sanders. How may I help you?”
“Ah, Ann, just the person I was looking for. This is Lily Dorio. Your partner is very abrupt. I couldn’t deal with her. I need to talk to you about finding someone to do my hair. I have some interviews coming up and need someone to help me in a hurry.
“We have a wedding at the hotel and our usual sources are all busy with the bridal party. But I’ve heard that Henri’s has good stylists. You might try there.” I clicked off the call.
The phone rang again. Groaning, I picked it up.
“Hi, Ann. It’s me, Lily. You didn’t give me a chance to ask you to have Vaughn give me a call. I may have a lead on a big role coming up. I want to talk to him. He won’t answer my calls.”
“I’ll give him the message you talked to me,” I said. “Excuse me, but I’m in the middle of other things right now.”
“It’s a really good opportunity for him,” said Lily. “Tell him not to miss out.”
I ended the call and sat in my seat with a sigh. The woman irritated me no end. After what she’d done to Vaughn, I never wanted to deal with her again.
“What does she want now?” asked Rhonda.
I filled her in. “You know how you got a bad feeling about Everly? That’s how I’m feeling about Lily.”
“Oh my God! Do you think she’s going to die at the hotel?” said Rhonda looking aghast.
“What? No. Though I bet a lot of people would be glad to have her gone. Tina warned me not to let Lily get close. As if I would!”
“The Sabal Book Club is having their big luncheon here today. Let’s hope Lily doesn’t want to introduce herself to them for business purposes,” said Rhonda. “I’m going to talk to Bernie about it. Want to come?”
I shook my head. “No, thanks. I need to work on the financials for that event and the wedding to make sure everything is taken care of. Besides, I want to check with Lorraine to follow up on Lily’s request.”
Rhonda left, and I tried to focus on numbers. Instead, images of Lily interfering with the wedding plagued me. I finally got up and went to talk to Lorraine.
As I crossed the lobby to get to Lorraine’s office, I heard someone call my name and turned to see Lily rushing toward me.
“Wait right there. I need to get a photo of you for my website. It will be publicity for the hotel,” said Lily coming up to me.
Lily was a woman in her forties who looked as if the sun and alcohol, or maybe something worse, had taken a toll on her skin. She wasn’t a pleasant person. The way her lips curled with distaste even as she tried to smile at me made me hesitate.
I held up my hand to stop her. “Hello, Lily. I’m sorry but I’m busy.”
I turned to walk away.
She grabbed me by the shoulder and turned me around. “I know you didn’t like the little game the producer and I were playing, but it wasn’t meant to hurt you. I can help Vaughn, and you can help me.”
“Vaughn can handle himself,” I said. “I told you I’m busy, and I am.” I looked up to see Bernie closing in on us.
“Go along, Ann. I can take care of this,” he said, and I hurried away, thankful for his presence. I didn’t want to make a scene in front of our guests, but I was NOT going to allow Lily to pull me into her net, like a spider capturing a morsel in its web.
I entered Lorraine’s office and let out a long sigh.
“Everything alright, Ann?” Lorraine asked, giving me a look of concern.
“It’s just one of our guests, Lily Dorio. She’s the one I wanted to talk to you about. Did she by any chance get her seat at the head table at dinner?”
A look of distaste crossed Lorraine’s face. “No, she didn’t. The groom didn’t like it when she asked. He’s an older man who’s recently been divorced and he’s marrying the young woman he was seeing before his marriage ended. One reason he came to the hotel is because we’re known for being discreet and he wants to keep the news of his wedding quiet. He doesn’t even know Lily.”
“Did you speak to Lily yourself and make that clear?” I asked her.
She nodded. “I must say, she’s a very aggressive person. She’s trying to turn this wedding into something about her. Even the bride is disgusted with her.”
“Please talk to Annette about the situation, so she’s aware,” I said. “I’m very grateful to you, Laura, and Annette for handling these details. Rhonda and I are welcoming guests to the hotel for the bulk of people arriving this morning, but we’ll leave it to you pros to handle the dinner tonight and brunch tomorrow. As usual, Rhonda and I will observe the wedding.”
“We’ll do what?” Rhonda said, joining us.
“I mentioned that you and I will, as usual, observe the wedding,” I said.
“Oh, yes,” said Rhonda. “It’s very important that everything goes well, and weddings are usually so touching. We’ve had all kinds of weddings here. Each one is special.”
“For good and bad reasons,” I said, remembering a few terrible situations. “But, like Rhonda, I love weddings.”
We left Lorraine and went to the front desk to check on arrivals. Several people on the bride’s side were arriving in a group from New Jersey. At the sign of the two limos arriving with them, Rhonda and I stepped outside to the top of the stairs.
“How many times would you guess we’ve stood here like this?” said Rhonda.
“More than I can count. But I find it exciting to discover who’s arriving next. Standing here, I sometimes still can’t believe the hotel is ours.”
Rhonda flung an arm across my shoulders. “Well, it is. Too late to back out now.”
I laughed. “C’mon. Let’s go say hello.”
A group of twelve people emerged from the two limousines laughing and talking. I grinned at Rhonda. It looked like this was going to be a good crowd.
Rhonda and I separated to walk to each group.
“Welcome to The Beach House Hotel,” I said. “It’s a lovely day for a wedding.”
A chorus of “Yes!” responded.
I answered their questions and saw that their luggage was being taken care of. Then, I went back inside to make sure the new arrivals weren’t waiting long to be checked in. Preregistration of groups shortened that timing.
Rhonda said, “As long as things look okay here, I’m going home. I promised the kids we’d do something special this afternoon. I’m thinking of taking them to a movie.”
“Have fun,” I said. Satisfied that things were going well, I decided to visit Tina. We hadn’t had much of a chance to talk privately last night.