Page 101 of Resting Beach Face
We went out to my boat and worked together to untie it and start the engine. I sat down in the captain’s seat, steering us toward the resort.
“What did you want to talk about?” Cash called over the wind.
“Us,” I said. “The future, I mean. After we sell the B&B.”
“Oh.” He looked away, expression pensive. “We can?—”
My phone rang, cutting him short. I pulled it out to check the caller ID, heart thumping when I saw it was the Mallory Investment Group. I’d put out a few feelers for other job opportunities after Nathan freaked out on me.
“I need to take this,” I said. “Do you mind taking over for me?”
Cash and I switched places, and I answered the call. “Hello, this is Declan.”
“Declan, this is Leland Marsden. I heard you’re in the market for some investment work.”
“Yeah, as an analyst,” I said. “I’ve got a resume I can send. You’re based in Chicago, but have offices in New York and LA as well, right?”
“That’s right.”
That boded well. With a business not anchored to one spot, he might be more open to an employee who wasn’t in the same building.
“But where are you?” Leland asked. “Do I hear a boat?”
“Yeah.” I laughed. “Sorry. I live in a lake town, but we’re nearly to dock.”
Cash throttled down the boat, as if on cue. His attention was focused on the docks ahead, so I couldn’t tell if he’d followed any of my conversation over the boat and wind noise.
“Well, now I’m jealous,” Leland said. “That must be a nice life. I don’t know why you’d want to leave it.”
“I don’t,” I said.
“Ah. Remote work?”
“If it’s an option.”
“I’ll have to think about that. Things move quickly. We need someone available when decisions need to be made.”
“I understand, and I can be available when you need me.”
Cash cut the motor. “We’re here.”
Leland was talking in my ear about projects they had in the works, upcoming deadlines, and how soon they’d need to make a hiring decision. I managed to get him to pause long enough to say to Cash, “Can we have dinner tonight? I want us to talk.”
He cast a wary glance at the phone, then gave me a tight smile. “Sure.”
Leland was back to talking, and I interjected cursory listening sounds while we docked the boat.
I got up to help Cash, but he waved me back into my seat, tying up the boat on his own. By the time Leland gave me an opening to end the call, Cash was gone.
His wallet, though, was lying on the floor in front of the co-captain’s seat. It must have fallen out of his pocket when we switched places.
I grabbed it and headed for the staff entrance closest to the dock. A long hallway ran past the kitchen and eventually exited into the lobby.
Cash was there, texting on his phone. Brooks was beside him, making Cash laugh about something and shake his head.
As I approached, I opened my mouth to call a greeting, but their words reached me before I could.
“…surprised you haven’t gone on a date with Danny before now.”
