Page 20 of An Island Summer
Meghan sank down beside her. Tess was right, except for that last statement. “As perfect as the job feels, and I’m so appreciative of it, something is still missing for me,” she said. “I just don’t feel settled.”
“Would you rather be cooking?” Tess asked.
“I don’t know,” Meghan replied. “Truthfully, I’m not sure anymore if that’s what was meant for me. I just feel a little lost.” Then, she sucked in a breath of air and let it out slowly to settle her nerves over the whole thing. “But enough of this! We got jobs—great ones! I should be happy and enjoy this moment.”
Tess swung her legs over the end of the sofa and sat up. “Yes. Live in the moment. And in this moment, we have lots of tip money and no rent. What should we do with it all?”
“Save it,” Meghan said.
Tess frowned. “I’d thought I’d blow it all on beachy cocktails and new bikinis.”
Meghan shook her head, amused. “I think I’ll just enjoy having a good job and spending time with Rupert. Every now and again, he looks at me like Pappy used to. As if he sees so much more in me than I see in myself.” Pappy’s instruction on finding the right man to marry came back to her and made her smile.
“That’s so sweet,” Tess said. She pulled the DVD off the table and peered down at the box. “What was that movie he told you not to do?”
“Cupid’s Goddess.”
Tess pulled her phone from her pocket and typed in the title. “Let’s see if it’s a real movie,” she said, scrolling. She clicked a link and read. “Ah ha! Look at this.” She handed Meghan her phone.
The 1953Cupid’s Goddessstarring unknown actress Sasha Ford flopped its opening weekend, despite the top billing it was expected to receive. Rumors swirled that front-runner Hester Quinn had turned down the role last minute, sending the production company scrambling for a suitable lead, resulting in the film’s demise. In an interview withHollywood Magazine,Quinn said that her management Artists’ Alliance had advised her against it, a claim that they denied.
“Maybe Rupert thinks he’s her manager now,” Tess said.
Meghan handed the phone back to her friend. “It looks like it.” She twisted toward Tess. “You know, I’m already looking forward to playing the part for him again,” she admitted.
Tess slipped her phone back into her pocket. “You’ve always loved the glitzy side of things.”
“It makes me feel like I’m different from who I really am.”
“Do you want to bedifferent?”
Not sure of the answer, Meghan responded with another question. “Why do you like waitressing so much?”
Tess pursed her lips. “I’m good with people,” she answered. “It comes easily to me. They feel like friends for that moment and, because of that, they tip well. I can make a good living doing something that I find simple and enjoyable.”
Meghan thought about it. She didn’t want to downplay Tess’s career choice because it seemed to fit her friend perfectly, but she viewed the job differently. There was a circular monotony to waiting on people, putting on a smile when she didn’t really feel she was in the right place, and getting them through their meal, only to start again with the next table. She’d always wanted to be on the other side of those dishes, in the kitchen, showing off her creativity and trying new things. There was something brewing in Meghan’s heart that told her she wanted to do more with her life. She suddenly needed that calm that Pappy was so good at finding.
“Want to go down to the beach?” she asked, peering out at the pink sky as the sun began its descent.
Charlie popped up to attention and then ran to get his ball.
“It might feel good to sink our feet in the cool water,” Tess said.
Meghan opened the door to the cottage and Charlie bounded out in front of them, loping across the seagrass and onto the boardwalk leading down to the water. “He loves it here,” she said. “I know just how he feels.”
While Meghan slipped into her pajamas for the night, there was a clang in the closet as something fell. Charlie darted out of it, running over to Meghan for cover.
“What happened?” she asked, stroking his head. “Did something fall?”
Charlie panted, inching closer to Meghan, on high alert.
Meghan picked up the small metal box that had been the cause of Charlie’s fright. “What did you find?” she asked, fiddling with the latch. It was locked, and then she knew. She held it to her ear and shook it, the contents rattling inside. “You just found the box we were looking for,” she said, lowering it so the dog could give it a tentative sniff. “Where was it?”
“What’s that?” Tess asked at the door.
“I think it’s the box Pappy had mentioned.” She could almost hear Pappy’s voice:You found it.“It fell on Charlie,” she said, peering into the closet for anything else that might be out of place, but she was met with only the line of Pappy’s clothes and the same items on the shelves at the back. “I guess Charlie nudged something and knocked it down.”
“I’ll get the key,” Tess said.
