Page 24 of A Shore Fling
“At first it was a little rough, until they realized I know my shit, but now I’m just one of the guys.”
She gets treated like one of the guys? What a stark contrast our work environments are. Jonathon acts as though Moreau would’ve failed by now if not for the fact that the Moreau men have always been in charge. And my dad wants to use the fact that I was born with a vagina as some bargaining chip for the betterment of our lifestyle brand. If I had a penis, he wouldn’t be negotiating deals over it.
I flick an imaginary speck from my white linen pants. “You know, I’ve never been a ‘get my hands dirty’ kind of girl, and anything mechanical intimidates me. You are a badass.”
She waves her hand dismissively. “Thank you, but it’s no big deal. What do you do for work?”
“My family has a business, and I’m the CFO.”
Willow’s impressed gaze briefly lands on me. “Who’s the badass now?”
“It’s not as impressive or as rewarding as you might think.” Regardless of my familial gripes, I know I’m fortunate to come from a wealthy family. I’ve never had to worry about paying my bills or keeping a roof over my head. The everyday concerns many people have, I’ve never experienced.
“I think you’re being modest,” she says, her lips curving. Before I can reply, we pull into a parking lot.
“Why is this building up in the air?” I ask.
She laughs, slapping the steering wheel. “Fifteen years ago, there used to be a little market in this location.”
“What happened to it?”
“It floated away during a nor’easter.”
“What?”
“Yeah. It was crazy. One second it was there, and the next, it was in the middle of the road.”
“Did you see it happen?”
“Not live. But I saw it in the middle of the road. So, when they bought the land and built this place, they made sure it was on pilings to prevent future flood damage.”
“Smart thinking.”
“It’s part of the building code now,” she informs me, pulling into a space near the front of the restaurant. “Just so you know, finding parking is my super power.”
“How does that work?”
She turns off the Jeep. “I just know I’m going to find a spot no matter how busy it is.”
“Do you mean when you come here or in general?”
“It happens everywhere I go.”
“I’m glad I got to witness this strange phenomenon firsthand and on my second day in town, too.”
Her lips twitch. “Consider yourself lucky.”
We climb from the Jeep and head to the main entrance. “Is this place always this busy?”
“Once late afternoon hits, it is. The food is some of the best in town, and the restaurant is family-friendly with fair prices.”
“Last night I had them deliver my dinner. It was delicious.”
“See? It’s a great place.”
As soon as we step inside, the temperature drop is noticeable. I fight the urge to shiver, already regretting the brown halter top I chose to wear.
Willow gestures to our right. “The bar is this way.”
