Page 19 of An Island Summer
“He thought I’d flown in from somewhere again,” she replied. “And he advised me not to take some movie calledCupid’s Goddess. I’ve never heard of it.”
“Me neither,” Tess said, getting distracted by something. “Hey, is that Toby Meyers?” She pointed out the large window overlooking the Atlantic.
Meghan peered around her friend to see Toby shaking hands with two men in summer suits out on the patio. One of them was striking, with jet-black hair, olive skin and a wide smile; the other was shorter and had a more serious expression. She allowed herself the moment to take in Toby’s relaxed stance and the concentration on his face as he listened to whatever the shorter man was saying.
“Wonder what they’re talking about out there,” Meghan said.
“I don’t know, but you sure do look interested,” Tess replied.
Then, suddenly, as if he could feel he was being watched, Toby’s gaze found hers through the window, questions in his eyes, his surprise at seeing her obvious. Meghan’s heart hammered for being caught spying on him, and she gave him an awkward smile. He waved discreetly while the other two men were engaged in conversation. When he turned back to them, she looked away.
When she finally got the nerve to peek out at them again, Toby was heading down the stairs leading to the path that went around to the front of the inn.
Meghan straightened up and tore her eyes from the last glimpse of him, her gaze fluttering back to the empty path against her will.
“Maybe he’s coming around the front to the hostess stand to get his table.” Tess playfully elbowed Meghan. “Maybehe’ll sit in your section.”
Her pulse raced at the thought. Meghan twisted around and craned her neck to see if she could spot him coming in the front, but she was met with unfamiliar faces as the guests lined up for brunch.
The two men Toby had spoken with came in through the glass door at the back and made their way to the hostess stand. Tabitha was there to greet them. With a perma-smile and her shoulders back, she showed them to one of Meghan’s tables for two, handing them a menu. So that settled it; Toby must not be dining with them today. Why had he come but not stayed to eat?
“Well, Toby almost sat in your section,” Tess said. “It looks like he ditched his friends.”
Guests began to trickle in and before they knew it, their tables were filling up.
“Off we go!” Meghan said, grabbing a pitcher of water and heading to the table with the men in suits.
When she neared the table, Meghan slowed her pace to catch a bit of their conversation.
“Plot seventy-five is still available, but I don’t know how he’ll get his hands on it,” the shorter of the two men said.
The other man shook his head. “It’s a million and change. But ol’ Gramps is good for it.” His use of the term “ol’ Gramps” took her back to the conversation when Tess had used it, and she couldn’t help but feel that they were talking about Rupert. The two men laughed before they settled down as Meghan approached their table.
She tried to straighten out any confusion that might have been showing on her face. “Good morning,” she said, filling their water glasses. “Will you be having the buffet today, or would you like something off the menu?”
They both ordered the buffet.
As the tables began to fill up and more people had gathered outside the dining area, Meghan found herself so busy that any questions she’d had about the conversation the two men were having had left her in a hurry.
Those busy workdays she’d gotten so good at were beginning again. While it wasn’t her dream job, it was a pretty good one for now, and she was thankful for it. Maybe this time of her life was meant to be spent on the beach,afterwork. Maybe she’d find some truth to who she was there.
“I made two hundred dollars in tips today,” Tess said as she plopped down onto the sofa back at the cottage, after changing into her shorts and a T-shirt. The sun still blazed in a bright orange sky, defiant of the approaching evening.
Meghan set down the bottle of window spray she’d been using to clean all the interior glass and scooped up a cup of dog food.
“Did Toby ever come to brunch?” Tess asked. “I was so busy; I didn’t even see whether he showed up or not.”
“No,” she said, dropping the food into Charlie’s bowl as the dog waited excitedly for it, his paws tapping on the hardwood floor. “It sounded like those guys were talking about some land. They said it would cost ‘a million and change.’ I wonder what Toby has to do with them.”
“Maybe he’s buying it! Easy on the eyes and possibly rich?” Tess’s eyebrows bobbed up and down. “He has all the makings of a Prince Charming. You should definitely give him a chance.”
Meghan squinted at her friend, shaking her head and making a face. “Except he’s nearly impossible to talk to and doesn’t seem to want me around. Could be tricky…”
“Well, at least we have wine to entertain us.”
“Yes,” Meghan said with a laugh. “And we get a view of the ocean all day at work,” she added. “People were so nice… I don’t feel nearly as tired at the end of today as I did in the city.”
“Everyone’s friendly and generous because they’re on vacation, that’s why.” Tess propped her feet up on the edge of the sofa. “I know it’s day one, so I’d better keep my mouth shut, but I’m going out on a limb to say it’s the perfect job—great staff, wonderful amenities, and high-paying customers. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
