Chapter 1 #2
“What about Mrs. Perry?” she asked.
“She’s going to keep the boutique. For now. Just not go in as often. I have the feeling that Dr. P will want to travel some, along with your parents. Mrs. Perry will need to hire a full-time manager for Coastal Charm.”
“Hmm. Who knows? If I’m good at this managing thing, maybe I can run the boutique for Mrs. Perry.”
Layne’s phone chimed. She glanced at her cell. “Keaton has us checked in and is waiting in the lobby, ready to take us to dinner.”
“Great. I’m starving. I usually am after a performance.”
They met him in the lobby, and he asked where they might want to go for dinner.
“Do you mind if it’s somewhere quiet?” Piper asked. “I’m hungry, but I’m also coming down from an adrenaline high. Any particular food you like, Keaton?”
“He’s a great cook,” Layne said. “He probably likes what he cooks himself the most. But we’re open to anything.”
“There’s a great Italian place about four blocks from the hotel,” she told them. “It’s a little pricey, though.”
“I’m buying,” Keaton said. “To celebrate your last performance.”
“I appreciate that. Let’s walk. It’s not worth driving such a short distance.
Plus, I don’t think we’ll run into anyone from the touring company there.
At the end of a run, a lot of people go back to the hotel and crash.
Order takeout. Or they actually fly out tonight, ready to begin their next job. ”
Layne slipped an arm around Piper. “I’m glad you’re taking a break and coming back to the Bay to decompress.”
“It’s not just a break,” Piper told her friend. “I don’t think I’ll ever go back to musical theater. It’s so transient. Don’t laugh—but I’m ready to sink my roots back into the Bay. You and Mila have already done so.”
Her friend squeezed Piper. “I’m so glad you’re coming home.”
They arrived at the restaurant, and Keaton eagerly scoured the menu.
The two women told him to order appetizers for the table, and soon they were dining on toasted ravioli and fried calamari, with garlic cheese bread reserved for their entrees.
Piper got an Italian potato dumpling pasta with vodka sauce, and she took her time savoring it.
Usually, meals were rushed affairs, so it was nice to slow down and truly enjoy her food.
Keaton insisted they have dessert, so she ordered an Italian risotto cheesecake topped with baby strawberries. They lingered over their desserts, sipping coffee, as Layne and Keaton caught her up on various individuals in the Bay.
As they strolled back to their hotel, Keaton said, “I’m not rushing you, but you might want to explore some of the job opportunities that will be available once Tidewater opens.”
“Oh, the new resort?”
“The new resort for the über rich,” Layne said. “It’s going to draw a wealthy crowd who will want to be catered to. They’re still a ways from hiring staff, but there will be a ton of jobs available. We can ask Sullivan about it.”
“Sullivan?” Piper asked.
“He’s a friend of mine,” Keaton said. “The architect of Tidewater. Works for Wagner Enterprises, which builds luxury resorts around the world. He’ll have the inside track on the kinds of jobs available. When recruitment and interviews will start.”
“You’ll like him, Piper,” Layne said. “Sullivan is smart and funny and a really nice guy.” She paused. “Maybe we could set the two of you up.”
“No,” she protested. “No setups. Just let me move back to the Bay and start figuring out my life. Once I know what I want to pursue, then I might think about stirring a guy into the mix. Besides, I’m finally ready to go long-term in a relationship.
I’m sure Sullivan will simply move on from the resort once Tidewater is completed. ”
“Well, you’ll wind up meeting him anyway,” Layne said. “We see a lot of him, Mila, and Carson. In fact, we can have everyone over for dinner this next week.”
“Aren’t you planning your wedding?” she asked.
“There’s not much to plan. We’re keeping it super-simple. Besides I’ve got your mom and Mila’s organizing everything. We’ll have time to have people over for dinner.”
“I am looking forward to seeing your house. I remember riding my bike past it and thinking how cool it would be to live there, right on the water. And I’m definitely eager to see the B&B and all you’ve done to it.”
“You’ll recognize it. We tried to retain its charm while updating it,” Layne said. “I’m really proud of how it turned out. And reservations are already pouring in.”
“Good. I’m going to like keeping busy. Even if you are insisting I take cooking lessons.”
“Cooking’s actually fun,” her friend said. “Especially if you have a great teacher like Keaton.”
They entered the hotel and made plans to meet downstairs at six. Keaton had suggested getting on the road early in order to avoid Kansas City’s morning rush, then they would stop somewhere after an hour or so to have breakfast. The drive would be long, but they planned to make it in one day.
“See you in the morning,” Piper said, giving both a hug. She was already comfortable with Keaton. It helped that he had joined in some of their FaceTime chats and she had already begun to know him, but in person, he was really a terrific guy.
Piper returned to her hotel room for the final night of sleep. She lay awake a long time, wondering what her thirties would bring. Her twenties had been professionally fulfilling and full of adventure, but she was ready for a slower pace and more personal satisfaction.
Hopefully, she would decide on new dreams—and find them in Driftwood Bay.