39. Mia
39
MIA
Theo pushes through the door first, and I wait, peering through the screen door. I don’t see anything unusual, except… Is that glass on the back porch? I was just here fifteen minutes ago, and the place was pristine.
“Mia, you can come out, but don’t come any further than the mat.”
I don’t know what that means, but I push the screen door open.
The sound of shattering glass still echoes in my ears as I stand on the back patio. The wind must have blown out the glass on the fire-pit, leaving shards scattered everywhere. I kneel and begin picking up the pieces.
The fire-pit looks smaller without the glass shield around the edge of it.
Is this an omen? I wonder, my mind racing with anxiety. What if this is a sign of what's to come? What if everything I've worked so hard for falls apart before it even begins?
Theo begins putting the broom he grabbed to use, sweeping the glass into a pile, even sweeping areas that look completely clean.
His voice is reassuring as he says, "It's just glass, Mia. We can clean this up and get a new cover for the fire-pit. It's not the end of the world."
I nod, grateful for his calm demeanor, but my heart still feels heavy. "I know. It's just... It feels like a bad sign, you know? Like maybe this is a preview of what's going to happen with the bed and breakfast. I mean, what if someone had been sitting out here when it happened? A guest, I mean. I could be sued. Any number of things could go wrong.”
He looks at me, his blue eyes filled with understanding. "I get it. But think about everything you've accomplished. You've put so much love and effort into this place. A little wind and some broken glass can't take that away. I hate to tell you this but the hard thing about owning a place is that you’re always fixing something."
His words start to sink in, and I feel a flicker of hope. "You're right. I can't let a bit of bad luck overshadow everything. This is still going to be a great place. People are going to love it.”
We work together in silence, picking up the shards and placing them in a bucket. Then, Theo sweeps again before going over the porch with a wet rag. The task is slow and meticulous, but having Theo by my side makes it bearable.
“You didn’t think you’d be doing this today when I asked you for help did you?” I ask. The wind is still blowing pretty hard, and I tie my hair back into a ponytail so I can see without it stinging my eyes.
“I think I made it pretty clear what I thought when I arrived. But you weren’t interested in my thoughts.”
I reach out and swat at Theo. “You know, you’re a lot more focused on sex than you were when we were teenagers.”
“Well, first, it wasn’t that I didn’t think about it back then, but I wasn’t sure how to talk to you. You were the most beautiful girl in the school and?—”
“Stop it! Don’t exaggerate!”
“You were!”
I roll my eyes at him. “Anyway.”
“And I was still a virgin then, so I thought I knew what sex was, but I didn’t really know what it was if you know what I mean.”
“Well, I was a virgin, too.”
“You were ? I mean, I thought so, but it’s not something I could ask you back then.”
“You can ask me anything now.”
“Anything?” Theo stops moving the wet rag across the porch and looks directly at me.
“Yes, I mean, I’m not so young that I’m embarrassed to even think the word ‘sex’ in my brain.”
Theo laughs. “Okay, I’ll just keep that in mind then, and when I have a question pop up, I’ll ask you.”
I think about the things Theo hasn’t asked me or talked to me about. I don’t want him to go back to that. “Even if you think it will hurt my feelings, I want to know.”
Theo leans toward me and gives me a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll remember that.”
Once we’ve finished, and I can’t see any sign of the glass that was covering the porch just a little while ago, Theo takes the trash bag and dumps it in my big trash can. When he stomps back through the grass, the wind nearly blows him up onto the porch. I laugh as he stumbles.
“Had too much to drink already?”
“No, actually, you haven’t even offered me a glass of water, and I’m parched.”
I tug him up onto the porch, and he pulls me into his arms. We stand like that for a moment, the wind still whipping around us. “I like spending time with you,” Theo whispers near my ear.
I snuggle deeper into his chest because I love spending time with him, too. Neither one of us speaks for a long moment.
"Now, let's talk about setting a date for the grand opening. You've got everything ready. It's time to make it official,” Theo suggests.
I lead him back inside, away from the vicious wind.
We sit down at the kitchen table, and I pull out my planner. The pages are filled with notes and reminders, proving just how hard I’ve prepared for everything. We go over the calendar, discussing potential dates.
"How about two weeks from now?" Theo suggests. "That gives us enough time to make sure everything is perfect and get the word out. You can offer a special discount to anyone who books for your first weekend open."
“But what if I get all the rooms booked up with guests and something goes wrong? Then, there are a lot of people to witness it. I was kind of hoping that my first weekend might just be one or two guests.”
“But people come to bed and breakfasts for the atmosphere. You don’t get that same atmosphere with only a few guests.”
I nod, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. "You’re right. Two weeks sounds good. What if I do a soft opening for friends and family first, then open it up to the public? That way, I can guarantee myself some good reviews, and the people who stay won’t be as critical."
Theo grins. "Sounds like a plan. I’ll help you with the invitations and the marketing. We’ll make sure everyone knows about it. And with the website you’ve set up—” Theo leans toward my laptop to examine the website, but then, he doesn’t finish what he’s saying.
“Theo? Everything okay?”
He’s staring at the screen, and I get a feeling of dread in my stomach. I slowly push myself out of the chair and round the corner so that I can see the screen, too.
I squint at the screen, and my heart skips a beat. It’s a booking request—a real, actual booking request for the bed and breakfast.
"Theo, do you see that?”
“That’s what I can’t believe,” he says, pointing at the screen with his finger. “I mean, I don’t run this side of things, but it looks like–”
“A booking request. Let me handle it.”
I push Theo gently out of his seat, and he slides into the next one while I open up the inquiry about four weekends from now.
He leans over to see the screen as I type out a response to a potential guest, a proud smile spreading across his face. "That’s amazing, Mia! Who is it? When are they coming?"
I give him the main details from their message. "It’s a couple from out of town. They’re looking to stay for two nights, a Thursday and Friday. They mentioned they found us because my place is listed on a website for new places to stay in the coastal area. How did my information even get on a website like that? I’ve only had the old photos up, and…"
Theo’s smile widens. "Don’t question it. Someone found you and talked about you. That’s how you’ll get most of your guests. People are already hearing about how great this place is. This is just the beginning."
I can’t help but feel a rush of excitement. This booking is a tangible sign that my dream is becoming a reality. "I need to respond and confirm the booking. I’ve got my first guests! And I’ll have time to prepare for them once I’ve done the soft opening."
Theo stands up and pulls me into a tight hug, lifting me off my feet and spinning me around. "Congratulations, Mia! I’m so proud of you."
I squeeze Theo’s neck tightly. “Okay, Theo, now we can celebrate how you’ve been wanting to celebrate since you showed up this morning.”
Theo kisses me soundly, and I let myself relax, my worries about the bed and breakfast’s success or failure sliding away as Theo’s hands begin caressing my body.