Page 66 of Troubles in Paradise
“Yeah.” He clears his throat. “Any chance you want to take over the lease on Pure Joy?”
“Damn straight I do,” she says. He may be bluffing but she’s dead serious. Pure Joy is a one-bedroom with incredible views across Great Cruz Bay over to St. Thomas, views that are best enjoyed sitting at the cute bar counter on the front porch. Ayers is sure her parents will help her with the rent.
“I thought you might move in with Banker and his kid. Play house, happy family, and all that.”
“No plans to,” Ayers says. “I definitely want your place.”
“Cool,” Mick says. “I want to leave as soon as I can. I’ve been offered a position as food and beverage director at Tucker’s Point in Bermuda.”
Ayers hoots. “Will you wear knee socks?”
“I think I might have to,” Mick says. “The resort is five-star, so the job has more responsibility. The only downside is the shorts-and-knee-socks look. My legs are so stubby.”
“So you’re doing this?”
“Yes,” he says.
Things move fast, so fast! The next day, Ayers meets Mick at the real estate office to sign paperwork for the lease. Mick is leaving this weekend; Ayers can move in as soon as he’s out.
“What are you doing with your place?” Mick asks.
“Cash is taking it,” Ayers says. This whole thing is almost too easy; Cash can move off his brother’s couch right into Ayers’s studio apartment across the street. He and Winnie will be reunited. Ayers isn’t sure how Baker feels about her leaving Fish Bay, but it’s not like she’s leaving for St. Thomas or even Coral Bay. She’ll be on Great Cruz Bay Road, halfway between the Happy Hibiscus and the Westin time-share office. And it’s only for a year.
It will be a big, scary year, but Ayers isn’t going to let that stop her. She loved the cottage when Mick showed it to her. Now it’s hers!
On Saturday when Mick is scheduled to leave, Ayers drives down to the car barge to say goodbye. She can’t quite figure out why she wants to do this. She supposes that part of it is to witness the milestone—the moment her boyfriend of nine years moves on. Part of it is to make sure he actually goes. And part of it is to kiss Gordon one last time.
The car barge is, as always, a whirl of activity with a snaking line of cars and Jeeps and pickups and huge Mack trucks waiting to board and a notoriously unflappable West Indian woman named Sheila overseeing who goes where. More than once, Ayers has witnessed Sheila letting her friends and sweethearts jump the line, which isn’t fair—but nobody ever questions Sheila.
Sheila is a cousin of Rosie’s on her father’s side and because of this, Sheila likes Ayers. “You getting on, doll?” she asks.
“Saying goodbye to someone,” Ayers says.
“And good riddance?” Sheila asks.
“Kind of, yeah,” Ayers says and Sheila chuckles.
Ayers almost doesn’t recognize Mick’s blue Jeep because it has the top on. Has she ever seen his Jeep with the top on? She doesn’t think so. She and Mick got caught in rain showers in that thing probably a hundred times. The seats held a damp smell and Mick eventually pulled up the rugs so that water emptied through the holes in the floorboards. Ayers parks her truck over by Sheila’s guardhouse. As she strides toward Mick’s Jeep, she hears Gordon barking. Automatically, she tears up. She promised herself she wouldn’t become emotional, but that dog was like her first child and she’s going to miss him.
They’re loading the boat; she has to hurry. She runs up behind the Jeep and goes to the driver’s side, where Gordon is hanging his head out the window.
“Who’s a good boy?” she says.
“Hey!” Mick says. “What are you doing here?”
“Came to say goodbye to my pup—” Ayers is at the window, her hands cradling Gordon’s bucket head, when she realizes there’s someone in the passenger seat of the Jeep.
It’s Brigid.
“Hey, Ayers,” Brigid says. “Thanks for seeing us off. Good luck with yourbaby.” She says the word like it’s something imaginary and she holds up two fingers in a peace sign.
Ayers is…she’s…she looks at Mick. “Brigid’s going with you to Bermuda?”
He nods. “Yeah.”
Ayers kisses Gordon between the eyes, then leans in past Mick. “Goodbye, Brigid,” she says. She returns the peace sign—ironically, but Brigid will never know this.
Sheila whistles, windmilling her arm; it’s time for Mick to go.
