An Excerpt from Until it was Real
Chapter 1
Dakota – a woman who won’t let a little thing like women dressed as mermaids stop her
Dakota
I drive onto the bridge connecting the mainland to the island of Smuggler’s Hideaway and the engine makes knocking noise.
“Come on, Matilda. We’re almost there. No giving up now.”
Matilda’s engine continues to knock until we’re over the bridge. I blow out a breath in relief as soon as I’m on the island. I haven’t been here before but based on my research, it’s small enough that I could walk to the hotel from here.
Matila keeps going, though, and I follow the directions I memorized before starting the drive – Matilda doesn’t believe in GPS – and arrive at the Mermaid Motel five minutes later. The parking lot is packed. I drive around until I manage to find a place in the back of the lot.
I switch off the car but the engine knocks a few more times before giving up. I hope she’ll start on Monday. I don’t fancy the idea of walking to Buccaneer’s Whiskey & Distillery in my heels and work clothes. Especially since my one pair of nice shoes need to last as long as possible.
I climb out of the car and stretch my sore limbs. I’ve been sitting for entirely too long. The drive from Pennsylvania shouldn’t have been long except Matilda didn’t want to start at the last gas station I stopped at. Once I got a kind trucker to jump the car, I didn’t want to chance stopping again.
I grab my purse and shut the door. The hinges scream before the door stops. It’s not shut. I push it but it doesn’t budge.
“Matilda,” I mutter as I slam my hip against the door to shut it. The door clicks locked and I rub a hand over my hip. That door is heavy. Ouch.
I make my way through the parking lot toward the reception.
“Hi,” I greet the woman behind the desk. “I’m Dakota. I’m checking—"
“Thank the smugglers!” She shouts as she throws her arms in the air. “I tried to call you to make sure you were still arriving today but when you didn’t answer I panicked. Our night manager ran off with a mermaid, so I’m afraid you need to start working tonight instead of next week. I hope that’s okay.”
I blink. “Your night manager ran off with a mermaid?”
She groans. “It happens every year. I need to stop hiring men. They’re weak.”
Her response did not clear up my confusion one bit. “Did you say mermaid?”
She rolls her eyes. “They overtake the island this time of year.”
I scratch my neck. “Is mermaid code for another word?”
She startles before bursting into laughter. “I forgot you’re not from the island. The look on your face.”
I’m certain my face still appears confused since her laughter is not helping the situation. What have I done? Why am I here?
Flipping Adam. If my husband wasn’t already dead, I’d wring his neck for putting me in this position. I can’t believe how thoroughly and completely he fooled me.
She holds out her hand. “I’m Sadie. Welcome to Smuggler’s Hideaway.”
“Dakota,” I say as we shake.
“A quick rundown. Smugglers are sexy. Mermaids are real. And seals are wild animals that shouldn’t be touched.”
“O-o-o-kay?”
I must be dreaming. Smugglers, mermaids, seals?
Did I fall asleep driving? Or maybe Matilda is leaking carbon monoxide and I’m being poisoned. I hope I didn’t throw up in the car. I’ll never get the smell out.
“Shoot a smuggler,” Sadie mutters. “It was too much too fast, wasn’t it? My sisters are always saying how I need to explain myself better. Let me try again.” She straightens her shoulders. “Welcome to the island, Dakota. Mermaids are real.”
She motions to a group of women exiting the elevator. They’re dressed up as mermaids with seashell bras and shimmery dresses shaped like fins.
“Why are they…” I trail off they pass us chattering away.
“This is beyond exciting.”
“I can’t believe they dropped the kiss rule.”
“I love it. We can vote for whoever we want as the sexiest man on the island.”
“Vote for whoever you want. I’m winning the auction.”
The doors slam behind them and it’s quiet once again in the reception area. I return my attention to Sadie.
“I think I made a mistake.”
She shackles my wrist before I can go anywhere. “No, please, don’t leave. I can’t work another twenty-four hour shift. I need sleep. Sleep is my friend. Sleep is good.”
She has no reason to worry. I might have made a mistake but I’m not going anywhere. Because I have nowhere to go. I need money and, hopefully, between my salary from working here and the salary from my job at the whiskey distillery, I’ll be able to stay afloat.
But – despite evidence to the contrary – I’m not a pushover. And I can recognize an opportunity when it knocks on my door.
“Let’s talk terms.”
“I’ll raise the starting salary by 10 percent.” When I don’t respond, she rushes on. “And I’ll give you the honeymoon suite to stay in.”
“The honeymoon suite?”
I don’t want to know what the honeymoon suite looks like on an island where women dress up as mermaids and discuss kissing rules as if they’re normal.
“Okay. Fine. The owner’s suite.”
I tap my chin and feign considering her offer when in reality my heart is trying to beat its way out of my chest. I had resigned myself to living in a dingy hotel room for the rest of my life. The owner’s suite has got to be better. Plus, a ten percent raise. Eek!
I hold out my hand. “I’ll take it.”
“You had me worried there, Dakota.”
“Then, we’re even since I thought I was having a stroke with all this talk of mermaids.”
She giggles. “You’re going to love Smuggler’s Hideaway.”
She sets a ‘Be Right Back’ sign on the desk. “Come on. Let me show you to your room.”
I follow her out the door and to the left. The Mermaid Motel is set up so that all of the doors to the rooms face the parking lot. I’d prefer a hotel with a corridor but beggars can’t be choosers.
“The owners don’t live in the owner’s apartment?” I ask as we walk.
“The owners don’t live on the island. I’ve never met them in person,” Sadie says as she opens the door to the apartment. “Ta da!”
I glance around. There’s a small kitchen to the left side and straight ahead is a living room with a sofa and a television. The furniture is a bit dated but otherwise it seems fine. Better than what I expected.
“The microwave works but I wouldn’t use the oven. The last time I tried heating a pizza in there I set off the smoke alarm.” Sadie continues the tour. “The television works but if you want to watch anything besides the local channels, you’ll need to sign up for a streaming service.”
I doubt I’ll have any time for watching television considering I’ll be working two full-time jobs, but I don’t say anything. If she knows I have another job, she might find someone else to fill the night manager position.
She opens the door to the separate bedroom. “You don’t get housekeeping service but they’ll wash your linens and towels.”
The bedroom is small. The only furniture is a double bed and a dresser against the opposite wall. The bedspread is an ugly brown but I have my sheets and comforter in the car. Besides my clothes, the bedding is one of the few items I was able to save from my old life. No one wants to buy used bedding apparently.
“There’s a closet here and your bathroom is here.” Sadie points to the bathroom door. “I wouldn’t use the bathtub. The last time I used it, it leaked water everywhere.”
Between the bathtub and oven, I’m starting to wonder if the owner’s suite was such a good idea. Maybe I’d be better off with a regular hotel room. Although, I haven’t been in one of the hotel rooms yet.
“No bathtub. No oven. Got it.”
“Do you want me to help me with your luggage?” She asks when we return to the living room.
“No, thanks. I don’t have much.” I hold my breath. I don’t want Sadie to see how pathetic my car is.
After my previous car – I loved my little Fiat 500 – was repossessed, I had to scramble to buy a car. I didn’t have much cash and my credit score is scary bad after all the shenanigans Adam pulled.
Did he think I’d never find out? I nearly snort. He probably thought he’d live forever.
“Here are your keys.”
I shove them into my pocket and head toward the door.
“What?” I ask Sadie when she doesn’t follow.
“Um. I wasn’t kidding about our previous night manager running off with a mermaid. I know you’re not supposed to start until next week but if you could start tonight, you’d be a life saver.”
I have no desire to stay up all night working after driving for the past three days, but I need the money.
“It’s fine. I can start tonight. Once I’ve brought my things inside, I’ll join you at the desk and you can go through my tasks with me.”
“Woo-hoo!” She shouts. “Thank the smugglers!”
“Or you could just thank me.”
She throws an arm over my shoulders. “We’re going to be great friends, Dakota. I can tell.”
I hope she’s right. I could use a friend after the way my friends dumped me once the truth about Adam came out.
Maybe moving to Smuggler’s Hideaway won’t be so bad after all.
We exit the apartment and a woman dressed as a mermaid nearly runs into me. The man chasing her catches up to her and throws her over his shoulder. “You’ve been a bad mermaid. I need to punish you.”
She giggles as he carries her away.
I change my mind. Smuggler’s Hideaway is going to take some getting used to.