Page 90 of Deep Tide

Leyla’s phone chimed as she turned onto Driftwood Avenue. Sean again. She let it go to voicemail.

“You want me to grab that?” Siena asked from the passenger seat.

“He’ll leave a message.”

And Leyla knew what it would say. Sean had left a message earlier telling her that if she wasn’t working tonight, he’d love to meet her for a drink at the Windjammer.

It was his not-subtle way of finding out whether she’d taken the catering job at Luc Gagnon’s.

Well, she had. And she didn’t care to hear his opinion about it. It was her business, and she’d take whatever jobs she wanted—especially ones that paid big bucks for a few hours of work. She’d been shelling out a fortune on startup costs, including a website, kitchen supplies, serving equipment. She needed a delivery van, too, but as of this week, every dime she’d been saving for that had gone to pay for a new security system. Bottom line, she was strapped for cash and needed to take every job she could get for the foreseeable future.

Leyla rolled to a stop at the wrought iron gate, and a young man stepped out of the guardhouse. She flashed him a smile.

“Hi, I’m with Just In Thyme Catering, going to the Gagnon residence. It’s me and the Subaru behind me.”

The guard checked his clipboard. “Uh... Leyla Breda?”

“Yep.”

“I’ve just got the one name down.”

“Well, it’s me and my staff.”

“One sec.” He stepped into the guardhouse and made a phone call. A few moments later he nodded. “Okay, you’re good.”

The gate lifted and Leyla rolled through. Wade followed in the car behind her. They hung a left onto a palm-lined street with three- and four-story houses that faced the beach.

“Damn.” Siena gaped out the window. “These places are enormous.”

“Have you ever been back here before?”

“No. You?”

“I walked through a few sites when the subdivision was under construction. It’s been years, though.” She surveyed the manicured tropical landscaping and expensive cars in several of the driveways.

“Look how many places are empty.” Siena sighed. “What a waste. People spend a fortune and don’t even come down here.”

Leyla pulled up to a modern gray stucco with six garage doors. Gagnon’s assistant stood at the base of a grand staircase leading up to the double front door.

“Welcome,” Jillian said with a smile as Leyla got out and Wade pulled into the space beside her. “Any trouble finding us?”

“Not at all.”

Jillian wore flowy white pants and a jade green blouse that tied at the waist. Her blond hair was pulled back in an elaborate twist that somehow managed to look messy and perfect at the same time.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she said. “Everyone should be arriving any minute now.”

Leyla gasped. “I thought you said six?”

“They’re coming early.” Jillian rolled her eyes. “No worries, though. We’re pretty well set up already.”

Leyla’s head spun with logistics as Siena and Wade began unloading supplies.

“We’re eating poolside on level four,” Jillian told her. “You can use the elevator to unload. The kitchen’s on two and there’s an interior staircase, plus one outside connecting the decks. What else? If you need extra fridge space, there’s one in the utility room off the kitchen.” She smiled broadly. “Let me know if I can help with anything.”

“Thanks! We got it.”

Leyla hurried to help unpack. They had four foil trays and three plastic tubs filled with preprepped food and supplies. They squeezed most of it into the elevator and left Wade behind with a giant cooler.

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