Chapter 16
Sixteen
Ali
It didn’t take long for Ali to have her Jeep packed again. She was ready to make her home for a day at the Sea Turtle Resort.
Didi greeted her and directed her to park her Jeep around a little corner. “This way, the palm trees will shade your car a bit! And our guests can park.”
Ali smiled and wondered what the older woman meant by guests, as she still hadn’t seen any.
“Oh, yeah, the cottages are empty, but I do have three at the Inn.” Didi pointed to the structure next to the pool.
The pool looked gross to Ali. A sign with a turtle and a cartoon bubble announced that it was closed.
Thank goodness , Ali thought. It did not look safe.
“Jorge needs to call our guy, Silvio,” Didi told her. “He’s been so stubborn about doing it all himself.” She added that Jorge was taking a little nap. “You know he had a hip replacement, which is not supposed to take this long to recover from, but then there was a problem with the oil in the joint of the thing they put in. Anyway, THAT had to be fixed, and he battled an infection. I was really scared there for a bit. But anyway, that was at the end of the season last year. We thought he’d be ready to go for this season, but well, he’s not quite back to normal yet.”
Ali knew what it was like to deal with an aging man, one used to doing it all on his own. “Ha, I get it, my dad was like that the last few years. Not that it’s the last few years for your husband, but I’ll tell you, it’s hard to get a man like that to release control of the things they’re used to doing.”
“Amen, you understand!”
Ali smiled at Didi. “So, can you give me the lay of the land, if that’s okay?”
“Yes, yes, do you want to go to the hotel first?”
“Okay.”
They walked the path around the pool and into the hotel section of the Sea Turtle. There was a charm to the building, and at only two stories, it was tiny compared to what she’d seen up and down the Gulf.
“Only six rooms?”
“And the penthouse.”
“Gotcha.”
An open-air walkway connected the rooms, each of which appeared to have its own little balcony.
“We struggle sometimes because the big places have kitchens and laundry inside, and on and on. Our units have a bedroom, a mini fridge, and a bathroom. We’ve got doubles and singles, so a family could stay, but, well. Maybe bigger is better for some?”
“Bigger is more expensive,” Ali commented. Maybe that was the problem. They couldn’t charge much if they didn’t offer much.
“Here, this room is a good example of Sea Turtle Inn’s offerings.”
Didi used an old-fashioned key and opened the door to the room. It was odd, these days, to check in and have a key instead of a card. Ali hadn’t seen a hotel room key in years, she realized.
The room was warm, too warm.
“Oh darn it all.” Didi walked over to the wall where an ancient-looking air conditioner sat quietly.
Didi clicked the knob on and off and on. Then she hit the side with a surprisingly strong whack. The unit responded with a humming noise and a squeak that sounded as if the thing was powered by a hamster running on a wheel inside the panel.
“Why don’t I open the window?” Ali walked to the end of the room and opened the drapes, which were yellowed and out of style by at least fifteen years.
She pushed them open, and the gorgeous view took her breath away.
“Wow, just wow.”
The sun was high; the sky, pure blue, with not a cloud in sight. And the beach stretched out as far as she could see. There was a little balcony, enough for maybe two chairs and a coffee table, but there was nothing on it at the moment.
Ali stepped out and took the view in.
“It’s the money shot! All of the rooms have this view, which makes us unique. For some reason Jorge says I should not call it the money shot, something inappropriate. Anyway, it is the money shot.” Didi laughed at herself, and Ali couldn’t help chuckling, too.
“You’re not wrong, it’s impressive.”
It was hard to believe that the place wasn’t completely booked all the time when you took into consideration that all six rooms were ocean view.
Ali scanned the outside of the building from this new angle. Was the roof in need of repair? She saw some water damage on the exterior of the building. She bounced a little on the balcony, all of a sudden wondering if the thing was safe. It didn’t give, not even a tiny bit. That made her feel a little better. There were things in disrepair, neglect even, but Jorge’s long convalescence explained a lot of it.
“I’m sure we could use some sprucing up.” Didi looked a little sheepish, but Ali felt an impulse to defend her. To bolster her.
“Nonsense, this place is charming! You’re doing a wonderful job.”
Ali had realized that now, technically, she was the boss. She didn’t want the elderly couple to feel bad about their work. Especially seeing as they’d had some challenges lately.
Didi smiled back at her and reached out to squeeze her hand. “You’re a glass half full gal, I like that. Me too.”
They finished the tour, and Ali saw the appeal, over and over, of the little hotel. But she also could hear someone like Ted complaining about modern amenities, as he often did when they took family vacations.
“Now, I love the hotel section, don’t get me wrong,” Didi gushed, “but the Sea Turtle Beach Cottages? Oh, they’re my favorite.”
Didi continued to list the attributes of the Sea Turtle Resort, and Ali listened. She peppered the older woman with a question now and then, but mostly, she let Didi regale her with stories.
“There’s a story that Frank Sinatra stayed in the penthouse once. And someone has a picture of it. But, of course, that’s just a fun story.”
“Wow. Okay.” Ali could almost see the place back in the ‘50s or ‘60s. Too bad it was shellacked over with the ‘80s. The rooms were simple but all you needed. The vacation was outside, not in.
Didi continued. “One year, when Hurricane Hamish came through, this was a little lake. But don’t worry, we, guests included, baled and baled, and within the week, we were back in business! That’s the thing, people who stay here come back. It’s their oasis away from home. Or, well, it was.”
Ali felt sad for the older woman; she loved this place, and the glory days it had were clearly in the rearview.
The resort property was half the hotel and half this almost village or cul-de-sac of cottages. They walked there now. The six little shacks were arranged so that each had direct beach view and access, though two were clearly the “best” and seemed just plopped down on the sandy shore.
A little courtyard featured a fire pit and palm trees. There was a grill, a shuffleboard court, and quirky faded cartoon turtles at different points instructing guests which way to the laundry or beach or hotel.
“We used to have a play area, the Hatchling Hutch. It had a swing set. But that was a while ago.” Didi waved over to the side, next to the roped-off pool. “All in all, Sea Turtle Resort is two acres along the beach and half an acre deep! Big, really, despite how cozy we are.”
Ali’s jaw dropped again. Over two acres? On the Gulf of Mexico? It hadn’t really dawned on her before how much that really was.
Ali was no real estate expert, but she knew that this wasn’t what people rented these days for vacation. They wanted cartoon characters and superheroes and WiFi and continental breakfasts.
But resale…this had to be worth something. The acreage alone. Was this life-changing money for her and her sisters if they could unload it?
Of course, Ali didn’t mention unloading it to Didi. Tough conversations were ahead, and she’d had too many tough conversations in her recent past. She just enjoyed the tour, and the stories lovingly conveyed by a native Floridian. Ali wasn’t sure if she’d ever met someone from Florida, only people who’d moved to Florida.
The six cottages were in various states, from dilapidated to almost good. Each was a different color of peeling paint. There was the Lemon Love Shack, the Strawberry Hideaway, the Pink Lady, the Blueberry Bungalow, the Mango Mansion, and the Key Lime.
After a walking tour of the cottage section, Didi and Ali arrived at the lime green clapboard structure. It had a weathered porch and a faded wooden sign to indicate that this was the Key Lime Cottage—in case the lime paint hadn’t already given it away.
Each cottage had a wooden deck, and each deck was in some level of distress. Ali wondered when the last time major repairs or restorations had happened. She really needed to see the books and find out. The Key Lime looked to be the freshest of the cottages. The wood deck was newer, and the deck rail was straight, with all the slats intact. The decks were small, but Ali noted they could accommodate a couple of chairs and maybe a little bistro table.
She had to stop. She wasn’t here to decorate. She was here to unload!
“Here, this is your cottage, the Key Lime. I’ve stocked you with some water in the kitchen and fresh towels, sheets, all that!”
They walked in and the word cute wasn’t big enough to describe what Ali saw. The entry door was to the side, and two large windows faced out to the ocean view.
Ali stepped into the space and did a 360-degree turn. A couch, two comfy chairs, and a kitchen table for four made it cozy but not cluttered. The small kitchen appeared to have all one would need, from a stove, oven, fridge, and sink. In the center of the far wall, a hallway split with a bathroom and a bedroom beyond the doors.
“You’re smiling. You sure have a gorgeous smile, young lady!”
Ali hadn’t realized she’d busted into a smile. It had just happened when she’d stepped into the Key Lime.
“I’m, uh, thank you. Haven’t had a lot of reasons to smile lately.”
“Well, the Key Lime has that effect on me too.”
Ali realized, though, that this big stupid smile wasn’t getting her mission accomplished, her mission of finding out the management company contact information, of getting this place appraised, of finding a reputable commercial real estate agent. She wasn’t down here for vacation! Yet, the sound of the ocean, the salty fresh air in this little space, and the sweet older couple who welcomed her had distracted her from the job at hand. The job she came to do.
“Did you have a chance to get that contact information, the management firm?”
“Oh, goodness, we’ve been so busy. I haven’t yet, and we’ve got the Grand Finale yet. I’ll put it on your tray for breakfast. Does that work?”
Ali didn’t want to put Didi out any more than she had. There was clearly a lot on the woman’s plate, and she’d been kind and patient as they toured the grounds.
“Sure, sure, of course.”
“Now, I need you to get into your way more casual beach togs, dip your toes in the ocean, nap, whatever you need. And a little after six, join us for the Grand Finale.”
“I don’t really have, uh, beach togs.”
“I figured as much. There are a few things in the closet. I had them brought over—they’re from when I was more your size, than mine. If you don’t mind vintage, they will work.”
“Oh, you didn’t need to do that. You’re very sweet.”
“See you at the Grand Finale. We’ll be out there with a glass of wine and a lounge with your name on it.”
Didi left Ali on her own in the Key Lime.
She decided Didi’s advice was best followed. Something made the woman happy, peaceful, and easy to be around.
Maybe it was the kaftan!
She walked over a distressed wood floor, trying not to imagine refinishing them, and to the bedroom closet. She found several brightly colored flowy gowns neatly hung in a row.
“Wow! Mrs. Roper should be so lucky.”
She reached out at touched the fabric. She decided the coral with blue and teal looked about right. Ali got rid of her khaki pants, too-stiff white blouse, and loafers. She put on her bathing suit first and then reached for the kaftan.
She read the label: Emilio Pucci .
It gave her an idea. Maybe Didi would be able to help her value their late mother’s garments. She clearly also had an eye for designers, though looking at her today, she was all about the t-shirt and shorts.
Ali slipped into the kaftan, and another bit of the Midwest winter back home fluttered away.
She was starting to see what lured the migration of the snowbirds. Ali had time for a little rest before Didi and Jorge expected her outside.
Ali added Haven Beach to her weather app and then scanned the seven-day forecast:
Sunny, warm, sunny, warm, sunny, warm, sunny.