Page 18 of An Island Summer
EIGHT
The next morning, the sun shone down in beams of early light, as the seagulls squawked for their breakfast, diving into the sea behind Rosewood Manor. Meghan arrived and checked in with ease. “Do you know when Toby Meyers will be by to see him?” she asked the receptionist, hoping not to run into him.
“He usually comes in the evenings unless there’s an emergency.”
“Oh, all right,” she said, playing off the fact that she was thrilled she’d have her mornings with Rupert.
She went into his room to find the old man sitting up in his bed with a blanket and food tray across his legs. He picked at his scrambled eggs until her entrance disturbed him, and he nearly knocked it all over when he attempted to greet her.
“No, no,” she said, hurrying over. “Enjoy your breakfast. I’ll sit beside you while you eat.” Meghan grabbed a napkin and sopped up a little spill of his orange juice.
He settled back down then, picking up his fork, but his dancing eyes were on her.
“How was your flight?” he asked.
“Good,” she replied, stepping into his fantasy easily. She tossed the napkin into the small trashcan by his bed and took a seat in the cushioned chair.
“I hope you went back to Los Angeles to turn down that awful role,” he said, lifting his juice to his lips as if the two of them were sitting at a bistro table in a café somewhere. “You’re better than that movie.”
“Which movie was it again?” she asked carefully, snapping her fingers as if it were on the tip of her tongue.
He laughed. “How could you forget?Cupid’s Goddess,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I’m thrilled you’ve moved on—you can’t even remember the name of it, thank God.” He scooped up a forkful of eggs and spread them on a triangular slice of toast. “What about the other one? Does that one have any promise?” He took a bite of the toast.
This was proving more difficult than she’d expected. “Let’s not talk about movies,” she said gently, skirting around the question. “Let’s talk about you. How have you been?”
“Heartbroken,” he said, taking her by surprise, an honesty that she couldn’t deny in his gaze.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said, as she leaned forward and touched his hand. “Why?”
He stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “You know why.”
“I want to hear it in your words,” she said, trying to piece together some semblance of a conversation.
He pulled his hand from hers, tears surfacing. “I don’t want to spend our time talking about this.”
“Okay, what would you like to talk about?” she asked him.
“There’s nothing to say,” he said, his voice breaking. “I just want to sit beside my best friend and delight in the fact that she’s here, all the way from California.”
“I can do that,” Meghan said with a smile, relieved to have a moment of silence. She’d have to figure out how to navigate this if she were going to come every day. But as she looked at him—the lines between his distant eyes, the small pout on his lips—she questioned her decision to come. Her presence today definitely wasn’t lighting him up as much as it had. Maybe it was just an off day…
The two of them sat quietly until Rupert drifted off, his tray of food still sitting barely eaten. After a few minutes had gone by and he seemed to be comfortably sleeping, Meghan looked at her watch. It was almost time to meet Tess at the Mariner’s Inn for their first day. Rupert seemed so peaceful lying there. She hoped his restless mind had gotten a break. Gently, she kissed her fingers and placed them on his forehead. “Back tomorrow,” she whispered.
The inn’s dining area bustled with waitstaff activity when Meghan and Tess arrived. As the sun rose higher above the tranquil water outside, two servers were lifting lids off of silver trays that lined a long table in front of the stone fireplace. Others were stacking glasses and porcelain mugs by a large selection of drinks. The whole place smelled of sage and cinnamon. Dressed in their new uniforms, Meghan and Tess walked up to their manager Tabitha. She directed them behind the hostess’s podium.
“This is where you’ll look each morning to find your sections,” Tabitha explained. “We have them marked here.” She tapped the small laminated map of the dining area. “Brunch starts in about ten minutes. It’s a buffet, so you’ll want to seat them, get their drinks orders, and direct them to the bar.” She walked them over to the kitchen. “Come with me. I’ll show you around.”
After, they headed back out to the main dining room. “Now, you stand at that back wall and keep an eye on your section,” she told them with a smile. “Any questions so far?”
“Not yet,” Meghan answered.
Tess shook her head.
Tabitha offered a warm smile. “Brunch is pretty straightforward. Dinner picks up the pace a bit more.”
When she’d left them, Meghan and Tess settled in to their spots. With brunch not opening for a few more minutes, they had a little downtime before a busy day. Tess gave her friend a knowing look of contentment, Meghan understanding without her saying a thing. With its large staff and efficient kitchen, this was a cake job compared to Zagos, and Meghan could speak for her friend that both were incredibly thankful to be there.
“So, what did Rupert say when you showed up this morning?” Tess asked.
