Chapter 43 – Claire
FORTY-THREE
CLAIRE
When I walk into work on Monday, nerves eat at me. Even though I texted Helen on Sunday morning, hungover and happier than I'd been in years, to ask what she wanted to talk about, she told me to enjoy my weekend and that she'd talk to me on Monday, which gave me a full day to stress.
Miles continued to tell me it was probably nothing, but I couldn't help but think there was a problem. Maybe she wasn't a fan of the way I tipped the scales of the beach games even though she was in on the planning, or maybe because we're nearing the end of the season, she's going to let me go early. But most of those fears melt away when I walk in and see Helen smiling wide at me.
"Claire, my girl, how are you?" She stands from her desk and pulls me into a big hug. When she pulls back, she takes one look at my face and lets out a loud laugh. "You stressed about this all day yesterday, didn't you?"
I give her a small smile and nod. "I don't do well with vague warnings."
She shakes her head, then sits at her desk and gestures for me to sit in the chair she pulled next to hers. Once I do, I look at her.
"Are you going to put me out of my misery yet?" I ask, my stomach still turning.
"I'm cutting back," she says finally, and my stomach drops. I thought I had at least another two weeks at this job, but it seems… "This is my last summer working full time as the Director of Recreation.”
My jaw drops. I knew that Helen was past retirement age, but from what I’d heard, she just loves this job so much, she’s stuck around.
Except now, she’s not.
“And I want you to take over.”
The world spins, and my head goes light. I make an attempt to speak, but my mouth simply opens and closes, nothing of real substance coming out.
Helen lets out a loud laugh at my shock. “What?” She reaches over, grabs my hand, and smiles at me warmly.
“Starting after the summer season, I want to promote you to Assistant Director of Recreation. I’ll work alongside you for the next year and retire for good next fall once you have a full year under your belt.”
So many things run through my mind, from screaming yes at the offer I haven’t even really been given yet, to crying, to looking around for the camera crew pranking me.
"Aren't there people who would rather have this job?" I say instead.
Helen looks at me, confused. "Do you not want it?"
I shake my head vehemently, confusing her more before speaking.
"No, no, no, I do. I so very much do. But…shouldn’t I work up to it? Should I…I don't know. Work for the department for a while? Learn the ropes?"
She nods. "You'd spend the next year working as the assistant director before you get to be the director, but that would just be semantics for the most part. You'd be the one in charge. I'm cutting my hours way back. You'd just be working by my side to learn the ropes."
The air leaves my lungs as she stares at me kindly and patiently.
"I feel…I'm completely unqualified for this, Helen."
She tips her head to the side. "You've been managing the lifeguards all summer, scheduling them, filling in when needed, dealing with their drama, even hiring another mid-season when Tanya quit."
I shake my head, not because I didn’t do all of that but because… "That was my job, though."
"You helped Jonah out, boosted that boy’s confidence more than I could ever tell you. You got two dozen volunteers for the block party." I shrug, still not feeling like any of that matters. "Did I tell you we funded everything through March?"
My head snaps back. “What?”
"All of the programs are funded. Fall and winter recreational sports will require no enrollment fees. We covered it, based only on your fundraising. " My heart skips a beat as a mix of joy and pride washes through me.
“It wasn’t?—”
"My goodness, do you always cut yourself so short?" I don't answer because I think she knows the answer. "You are good for this town. I had a dozen people come up to me at the block party, tell me how great it was. The mayor himself told me I should do whatever I could in my power to keep you on the payroll for as long as I can."
My spine straightens at that. "He probably meant it in general."
Helen rolls her eyes and heaves out an annoyed sigh.
"My god, girl, take a compliment! You are so hell-bent on everyone else having fun and enjoying life and getting what they want, but let yourself have it too." I sit there in stunned silence. "You are qualified, Claire. You might not have decades in this town or in recreation, but you did more for this town than most people. You'll be my assistant for a year, and I'll hold your hand. But you won’t need that because I know you've got this. Hell, half this job is arguing with people, which we both know you're more than great at."
I smile at that, and then she hands me a stack of papers, which is when I realize her decision wasn’t made on a whim. This is not something she just came up with, because there is a multi-page proposal in my hands with a cover letter and everything.
"I wrote this up the day after the block party. Brought it to the town council, pled my case, and they agreed. You should know, I told them you'd probably have some big fundraising plans for the Apple Fest, but from what I know of you, you do."
I bite my lips to hide a smile.
"I have been kicking around a few ideas I thought I might want to share with you?—"
"I figured you would." Her face changes again before she leans in, taking my hand. Hers is soft and warm and reassuring. "You're good for this town, Claire."
My eyes water at her compliment. June, Lainey, and Miles can all tell me that until they're blue in the face, but there's something about having what feels like the matriarch of Seaside Point telling me I'm good for this place that finally lets it sink in.
"I think it's good for me, too," I whisper, and I do. This place helped me feel like I finally had some purpose, helped me find some meaning, helped me find Miles.
"So you'll take the job?" Helen asks, always one to get what she wants.
I smile wide at her, and then, because I can't imagine doing anything else for the rest of my life, I nod.
"Under a few conditions. If it takes away from the budget as a whole, I'll volunteer until you retire, then step in." She rolls her eyes. "That's a sticking point, Helen."
"We already worked in an assistant at the end of the last budget cycle, one I never used and instead funneled into a head lifeguard position." She gives me a knowing look, and my heart jumps. "I knew someone who couldn't handle a summer of wrangling teens couldn't handle this full time, so we were treating that as a bit of a trial run."
I nod, then give her my second sticking point.
"And two, I can't deal with Brad Baker at Surf. Too much bad blood, and I don't want to catch an assault charge."
She lets out a loud, boisterous laugh and shakes her head. "I don't think that will be a problem."
"No?" She shakes her head.
"After the scene he made on Saturday? I think Daddy called him back to the office. Caught him loading his things up into his fancy-ass car Sunday morning. Not sure what's going to happen there or who will take over, but he won't be your problem."
I nod because yesterday I spent a good amount of time watching videos, memes, and spoofs of Brad Baker’s meltdown, laughing the whole time.
Finally, I look to Helen, then to her mess of a desk, then out the surrounding windows to the ocean as a sense of peace washes over me.
"Okay then. Yeah. I'll take the job." I don’t ask about the pay or the hours or the expectations or insurance or anything I should care about because the rest will fall into place. I just know it.
She stands then, pulling me up and into her arms, hugging me tight and swaying from side to side as she does.
"Grateful you found your way to our little slice of heaven, my girl," she whispers into my ear, and when I pull back, we're both smiling, both staring at each other with watering eyes. "Now go. Go tell that boy of yours I convinced you to stay here for good."
I tip my head and shake it. “I have a shift?—”
"No, you don't," she says. "You're off for the day. Go celebrate. I'll see you tomorrow."
I think about arguing but then decide against it, smiling at her and nodding.
“You sure?”
"If you don't, I'm taking back the job offer."
I smile and roll my eyes but nod all the same because I really do want to go find Miles and tell him the good news.
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow. And Helen?" I say as she turns back to her desk, taking in the view before her. She turns her head to me, and when I have her attention, I say, "Thank you."
She knows I don’t just mean for the job.
"Of course, my girl. Us wandering girls need to stick together, you know?"
I smile at that, wondering if Helen and I are the same, before I head out to find my man.
* * *
I've been here a few times over the past few years, mostly when my car was making a weird noise, only for Miles to tell me something like I was so far past an oil change that he was surprised my car didn't explode.
When I pull up, the garage doors are open wide, and he's on a creeper underneath a car that's lifted up on jacks. He doesn't hear me as I approach, but I wave to John, one of the guys who works with him, who smiles and winks at me.
"Hey, hot stuff, think I can get you to look at my undercarriage?" I ask when I stand above him. The tool he's holding falls to the ground with a clang, followed by a thump, and guilt eats at me as I hear him curse, clearly having hit his head before his booted feet move him smoothly out from under the car.
"Claire? What are you doing here?" he asks, looking confused and worried.
"Think you can take a break?"
"Is everything okay?" he asks, stripping off the gloves he's wearing and tossing them to the ground without a second look. He quickly stands up and moves toward me.
"Everything is great," I say, reaching for him, but he steps back like he just realized something.
“I’m greasy, babe.”
"I don't care," I whisper, stepping closer and putting my arms around his neck.
He bends as if on instinct and presses a quick kiss to my lips.
"Is everything okay? Why aren't you at work?"
"I got a job offer," I whisper. His body goes tight, and he looks over my face like he isn't sure how to take that news. I smile again. "From Helen."
His body loosens a bit, and a smile starts to pick at the edges of his lips. "Assistant Director of Recreation until she retires next year." That smile spreads into a wide grin, and his arms tighten on my waist. "Helen says to tell you you have to thank her for convincing me to stay here forever." I whisper those last words against his lips.
“You’re staying?”
"I was already going to stay. But now I have a job so I—" I can't finish my sentence because Miles is lifting me, spinning me round and round, his smile now a full beaming grin as I let out a giggle.
When he sets me down, he presses his lips to mine, dipping me back like some old movie. "Now you're stuck in this tourist trap forever," he whispers against my lips once he lifts me back up.
"Happily," I whisper back.