Chapter 3
3
PETER
“ O nce again, Mr. Jacobs, thank you so much for all of your help,” my new employee, Jeremy, praises as we wrap up our morning meeting.
“Oh, I haven’t really done anything yet. Besides, it’s my job now, and I don’t plan on half-assing it,” I reply with a grin. “By this time next year, Magnolia Point Resort and Club is going to double its members.”
Jeremy smiles brightly and tears shine in his eyes. For such a big guy, standing a few inches taller with an easy fifty pounds on me, he seems like a huge teddy bear.
“Also,” I add, pushing up from the conference table, “Just call me Peter . No need for any of the mister nonsense. It makes me feel old.”
A conflicted look flickers across Jeremy’s face, which I suppose is fair enough. The kid appears as though he’s just graduated college, and I’m sure, compared to him, I am old—despite only being thirty-three.
“But you’re my boss . I can’t just call you by your first name,” he argues in a hushed tone, as if he’s afraid someone will overhear.
I scoff. “That’s an antiquated way of working. Businesses get the best results when everyone is on an even playing field.” His stress level seems to intensify and I sigh. “Think about it this way,” I try again. “You need to listen to your boss, right? Well, I’m your boss now and I’m telling you to just call me Peter, or Pete, or P-man. Wait, no, not that last one.” I laugh. “That one sounds gross. But you get the point, right?”
“Right, okay, P-peter,” he agrees, pushing past his southern manners, which I’m sure his mother is proud of.
I reward him by clapping a hand on his shoulder, a feat I can only do because the guy’s still sitting. “That’s the spirit.” I glance at the clock on the wall. “Alright, Jerms, I have another meeting I need to get to. We’ll catch up later to discuss how we can start implementing phase one of our game plan, yeah?”
“Sounds good, sir.” I lift one eyebrow at him, and he quickly corrects himself, “ Peter. ”
I’m almost out the door when I turn back to him. “Hey, I forgot to ask. Have you been to the Riverside Cafe?”
Jeremy looks at me like he can’t believe I just asked that question. “Of course, I’ve been there. It’s like a landmark in this town. That place has been around for decades.”
“Really?” That’s new information to me. “What do you know about the girl who works there? With the black hair and freckles?”
“Who? Elle?” His face lights up with a bright smile. “She’s the best! Probably the coolest girl in Magnolia Point. Everyone loves her.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Everyone? Seriously?” Seems kind of odd after her… interesting behavior yesterday.
“Yeah.” Jeremy nods, then tilts his head. “Why’re you asking about her, anyway?”
“Oh, no reason,” I lie with a casual shrug. “By the way, I’ll be stepping out for lunch today, so I won’t be back onsite until a little after one.”
He rises from his seat and strides in my direction to leave the conference room. “Where are you headed?”
“To get Elle’s phone number.” I grin. I’m halfway down the hall before Jeremy can snap out of his surprised sputters.
The cafe is far busier than it was yesterday, but I guess that makes sense since it’s time for the lunch rush.
I take my spot at the end of the impressive line and rock back and forth on my toes, attempting to spot Elle behind the counter. But the only people back there are an older man and woman, probably in their early fifties. I try to hide my disappointment as I take the time to finally look at the menu since I barely glanced at it yesterday. I’m pleasantly surprised by the variety, especially since this place appears to be a mom-and-pop shop run by, well, a mom and pop. Plus Elle, of course.
Eventually it’s my turn to order, and I can’t help but crane my neck to catch a peek into the backroom for a flash of black hair and luscious curves.
“What can I get you, sir?” the woman asks me in a kind voice with a hint of a southern drawl. A glance at her name tag tells me her name is Susan.
“Hi, Susan.” I give her a warm smile and some of the tension leaves her shoulders. People do say I have a refreshing quality about me. “Can I get the Fowl Play on a sub roll, please?”
“With all the fixin’s?” Based on the menu, the sandwich looks perfect as is, so I don’t request any modifications.
“Absolutely,” I respond cheerfully. “The fixin’s are the best part.”
“Now here’s a man who knows what he’s talking about.” The older man— Tim, according to his name tag—comes over to stand by his wife.
Turns out I’m the last customer for the lunch rush, so the pair refocuses their attention on me. “Yes, sir,” I tell him. “I’m very serious about my sandwiches.”
“Ha!” He claps his hands. “And here I thought us sandwich enthusiasts were few and far between.”
“Our numbers may be small, but we’re a rowdy bunch, especially about our toppings.”
Both Tim and Susan are laughing now. “Well, aren’t you a character? We haven’t seen you ?round here before. What’s your name, son?”
Son. Feels good to be called that. I haven’t heard anyone call me son since my parents passed away several years ago.
“Oh, Timmy,” Susan scolds fondly as she cuts the bread. “Leave the poor boy alone and let him get his lunch.”
“No, it’s alright,” I assure her. “My name’s Peter. I actually just moved to town a few weeks ago.”
“No kidding? You just moved here? That’s a shame you moved in right as the weather’s getting colder.” Tim shivers as if to further emphasize his point.
I shrug. “I moved from New York so this is actually still warm to me.”
They both peer up at me with wide eyes. “You lived in New York? In the city? Why’d you move down here?” Susan asks, expertly piling on the sandwich meat while keeping her attention focused on me.
“I’m the new Marketing and PR Director at the Magnolia Point Resort and Club.”
“We love the resort!” Susan exclaims. “We never stay at the actual hotel, but their restaurant is fantastic. And Spencer has been trying to teach this old man to play golf for years with no luck.” She playfully bumps her husband with her hip.
“Really? You don’t see the restaurant as a competing business?”
“Of course not.” Tim laughs. “We were here long before the resort was built, and we’ll be here afterward. But we’re also the type of close-knit town to recommend each other’s businesses to all the tourists. We want all visitors to be happy, so they return each season and recommend our little beach town to their friends. There’s enough business for everyone.”
You definitely don’t hear people say that in New York.
Susan chimes in. “And we’ve been deemed a Magnolia Point Historical Landmark. Isn’t that exciting?” Actually, it is, in my opinion. “The resort doesn’t hold that status, now does it?” she teases.
“No, ma’am, it doesn’t.”
She rings me up while an idea pops into my head.
“You know what?” I start, pulling my wallet from my back pocket. “I think we should highlight important local landmarks of the town for the resort as a part of a new marketing initiative. Show tourists all the cool places to visit while they’re here. Would it be alright if I included your cafe?”
“Oh, that would be wonderful!” She claps her hands together. “What other places are you thinking of including?”
“I’m not actually sure yet. Since I’m still not familiar with a lot of places in town, maybe someone local will help me out.”
Susan gasps and slaps Tim’s arm, giving him a pointed glare. They stare at each other for a few seconds, having some sort of silent conversation, before he nods and disappears into the backroom. Then, she turns back to me with an excited smile. “If you don’t mind waiting a second, I think we know the perfect person to help you out.”
Before I can respond, I hear a familiar voice get louder and louder as the speaker approaches, until I can make out what’s being said.
“What’s the big rush? I was in the middle of inventory,” Elle says as she’s ushered through the swinging half-doors with an employees only sign at the top .
My heart skips a beat at the sight of her. It’s only been a day, but seeing her again is like drinking an ice-cold glass of water after a scorching day at the beach. It’s like my body didn’t know it was parched until she walks into the room and my dick twitches at the sight of her. I know she’s not trying, but she still looks beautiful with her hair pulled into a high, wavy ponytail and her pretty face clear of any makeup. Even in her fitted black t-shirt, dark jeans, and an apron, she still looks radiant.
When she spots me at the counter, she narrows her gaze at me. “ You! What’re you doing back here? I thought I banned you.” She tries to sneer but only manages a cute pout.
“Ella Kate!” Susan gasps while raising a hand to clasp an imaginary pearl necklace.
I laugh, giving Susan a grin to let her know everything’s fine before looking back at Elle. She has her nose turned up and her face pinched with her toned arms crossed over her ample chest. “I don’t remember you saying I was banned.”
“Well, I did,” she insists. “In my head.”
Now, I really laugh. “I don’t think that counts, honey.”
“Yes, it does.” She digs her heels in.
Stubborn girl .
I press my lips together, trying to keep a straight and serious face when I glance at Susan. “Can I be unbanned, please?” I silently plead.
“You are not banned, Peter,” Susan huffs as she rolls her eyes. “I swear…”
“Mom!” Elle hisses. “He’s that rude guy from yesterday,” she explains while barely moving her lips.
“Oh, sweetie, I’m sure the two of you just got off on the wrong foot.” Susan lovingly pats her daughter’s hand. “Besides, Peter here was just telling us how he needs some help with a project he’s working on.”
“Help? What kind of help?” Elle asks suspiciously.
“He needs a local to help him learn more about the cafe and the town and all the unique local landmarks we have! Isn’t that exciting?”
“O-kay… but what does that have to do with me?” Her green eyes slide back in my direction as she grows more confused.
I, however, completely understand where Susan is going with this and can’t stop a satisfied grin from spreading on my face. Elle’s cheeks turn a slight shade of pink and she looks away from me again, pouting ever-so-slightly.
“Your father and I think you’d be perfect for the job.”
Elle’s mouth drops in shock. “What? No way! I’m too busy for that. There’s plenty of other people who’d be way better at that kind of thing. Like, you guys, for instance.”
“Come on, Ella Kate,” Tim encourages. “You’ve lived here your whole life and you know the town like the back of your hand, much better than your mom and I do.”
“I-I guess, but…” she relents, her eyes moving back and forth, clearly trying to come up with another reason as to why this is a terrible idea. “But I need to help out with the cafe, right? I don’t have time to be working on some side project with a stranger .”
“This would be helping the cafe.” Susan taps Elle’s nose as a smile spreads across the older woman’s face. “Peter’s going to include it in his list of local attractions. It’ll be promoted with all the guests at the resort.”
“But, but…” Elle scrambles to think of another excuse, but she’s clearly lost the argument since Susan is gently pushing her out from behind the counter.
“Why don’t you take a break from inventory and talk to Peter for a minute so the two of you can figure out what you want to do first?”
Elle resigns herself to her fate, but she certainly doesn’t look happy about it.
When I try to pay for my food, Susan just waves me off. “Now, you put your wallet away. It’s on the house,” she says with a wink. I thank her and her husband before stepping over to join Elle at one of the colorful tables.
She’s quiet until I sit down. Then she looks up at me sharply and asks, “Why’d you come back here?”
I shrug. “Well, considering I wasn’t actually banned, I figured I’d come back to purchase food, consume said food, turn that food into energy, use that energy for?—”
She groans and leans back in her chair dramatically. “How are you so annoying? Seriously, how are you actually the most annoying person in the world?”
I chuckle. “We’ve barely had two conversations. How do you know I’m annoying?”
She stares at me, her gaze so intense and all-consuming that goose bumps appear on my arms. Then she coolly glances away with a shrug of her own. “You just have that vibe about you.”
I hum and my lip curls up in a half-smile. “My brother would certainly agree with you about that.”
Surprisingly, that gets her attention on me again. “You have a brother?”
My smile turns into a smirk as I lean my forearms on the table. “Why do you want to know? Are you curious about me?”
She rolls her eyes and huffs. “Never mind. I don’t wanna know.”
“Aw, admit it. You wanna know more about the mysterious hot guy who just moved to town?” I tease.
Her green eyes flash and she stands. “I knew this was a bad idea. I can’t go two seconds without wanting to punch you in the face. Goodbye, Peter.”
I reach out to catch her wrist as she walks past me. “Wait, come on, Elle. I’m sorry.”
I keep my grip on her loose but secure. And when I gently drag my thumb over the soft skin of her inner wrist, I catch the slight shiver she tries to suppress. Too bad her puckered nipples beneath her tight black shirt give her away. But I need to rein it in before I blow it.
“I really would appreciate your help, Ella Kate. Getting more exposure for the town would be good for everyone here, not just the resort and the cafe.”
She’s quiet for a bit, and just when I think I fucked up beyond repair, she turns toward me with my hand still clasped around her wrist. “Just Elle,” she corrects.
“Huh?” I blink at her.
“Only my parents call me Ella Kate. For everyone else, it’s just Elle.”
I shoot her a wide grin. “Okay, just Elle .” She rolls her eyes at me again but lets me continue. “Does that mean you’ll help me?”
“I’m not helping you ,” she clarifies. “I’m helping the cafe .”
“Sure, yeah, of course,” I nod like an eager puppy, excited at the idea of spending time with her. I’ve got several years on the girl, but somehow, she makes me feel things I’ve never experienced before and I like it. I want more of it.
Elle looks like she’s debating something pretty intensely in her head when she sighs and pulls her wrist from my grasp. I miss the feeling of her skin against my palm, but I perk up when she takes out her phone and says, “Here, put your number in. My next day off is Thursday. I’ll text you the night before to give you the details of where we should meet, alright?”
I scramble to grab her phone before she decides to take it back. Then I enter my number in her contacts, take out my own phone, and hand it to her.
She shakes her head. “You don’t need my number,” she insists. “I already told you I’ll text you on Wednesday.”
“But what if I need to talk to you before then?”
“You won’t.”
“But what if I have a sandwich emergency?”
“There’s no such thing,” she deadpans.
“But what if I take a wrong turn and get lost and need someone to guide me back to civilization?”
“Your phone literally has a GPS in it. Use it.”
“But what if?—”
“Oh my God! Fine!” She rips the phone out of my hand and forcefully taps the screen. “Here,” she says when she’s done, practically throwing it back at me.
I catch it and smile up at her, feeling victorious as I see her struggling to suppress her own smile.
“I’m serious, Peter,” she warns while wagging a finger in my face. “You do not need to contact me. I will be the one to message you . Is that clear?”
“Crystal,” I confirm.
She gives me a curt nod. “Good.” Then she hesitates for a second before continuing. “Well, then, I guess I’ll see you on Thursday. Goodbye, Peter.” She pivots on her heel to get back to work. But she pauses midstride and mumbles over her shoulder, “It wasn’t totally horrible seeing you again.”
And because I’m just a golden retriever in a man’s body, I jump up and call out loudly, “See you soon, Elle! I’m looking forward to Thursday!”
She spares me one last glare, tempered by a pretty pink blush on her cheeks, before she disappears through the employees only door.
I smile at Susan and Tim, who have tucked themselves into the back corner of the cafe, where they seem to be sharing secret glances. “Thank you again for lunch, and for helping me find my own personal tour guide. You guys are lifesavers.”
“It’s our pleasure, dear,” Susan responds with a giggle. The two of them wave me goodbye and I head back to work.
Feeling like I’ve just won the lottery, I unwrap my sandwich as I walk and take a generous bite. Of course, it’s delicious, and I let myself get lost in the flavors of oven-roasted turkey, garden-fresh tomato, green leaf lettuce, and aged Swiss cheese. And while the sandwich is great, having Elle’s number is even better. With my free hand, I pull my phone out of my pocket.
Counting down the days until Thursday!
Even though I’ve already left the cafe, I can practically hear her groaning when she sees my message pop up. I don’t expect her to text back, so I slide my phone into my pocket again and continue to make my way back to the resort.
Oh yeah, moving here was definitely a good idea.