Page 47 of A Line in the Sand
“Unless you’d rather we decline the prize money, since you’re so unhappy with our grand-prize–winning design?” Opal blinked innocently at Max.
She wasn’t fooling him for a second. There was nothing innocent about these women.
But right then, Max couldn’t have cared less. “Wewon?”
“Sure did.” Mavis gave Opal’s knee a tender pat. “Thanks to Opal.”
“And your abdominal muscles,” Ethel said.
“You missed the judging. It was right after the pancake breakfast. Where have you been, anyway?” Mavis asked.
He’d been all over town looking for them, sure they’d been trying to avoid him. Max should have known they’d have no shame.
“Never mind. It’s not important. I’m sorry I missed the announcement.” He handed the thermos to Ethel.
“We told you that we had everything under control.” Opal shrugged a slender shoulder. “Although honestly, Max. You worry too much about the aquarium’s finances. Everything is going to be fine.”
Max’s throat grew thick. He couldn’t believe it. They’dwon. Between the ten-thousand-dollar prize and today’s ticket sales, the aquarium would be in decent shape for the next few months. He could spend his days coming up with a long-term plan instead of putting out fires. It wasn’t a permanent solution, but for now…
This changed everything. Maybe Opal was right. Maybe everything really would be okay.
“I don’t…” Max shook his head. He felt like a tight band had just been removed from his chest and he could take his first full inhale in days. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say cheers.” Ethel lined up four small paper cups in her walker basket and poured a round from the thermos.
Max took one of them. “Cheers!”
He downed the whiskey in a single glorious swallow.
“Andsay that you’ll give Molly her job back.” Opal sipped delicately from her cup. “Starting first thing tomorrow.”
“Ursula too.” Ethel poured another three fingers’ worth of liquor into his cup.
Max arched an eyebrow. “Are you three trying to get me drunk so I’ll agree to rehire a mermaid and her four-legged sidekick?”
They were likeThe Golden Girlson steroids. God help him.
“No, you’re going to rehire her because she deserves it and now you can afford to pay her salary,” Mavis said.
Opal took another dainty sip from her cup. “So long as we hand over the prize money. If you don’t give Molly her job back, who knows what we’ll do with it.”
“You’re blackmailing me now?” Max laughed.
Mavis, Ethel, and Opal didn’t. They were dead serious.
“Oh, so youareblackmailing me.” He drained his whiskey.
“Don’t be silly. It’s not blackmail, just strong advice,” Mavis said.
“Potato, potahto.” Ethel shrugged and refilled his cup again.
Max shook his head to protest. In the distance, he spotted two Dalmatians trotting among the seagrass in the dunes. They looked like exact mirror images of each other. He’d had two small shots of alcohol, and already he was seeing double.
“You need Molly, and you know it,” Opal said quietly.
She was right. He did need Molly, in more ways than one. Max had been seriously impressed with her fundraising ideas at lunch yesterday. And weirdly enough, he just knew they’d make a pretty fantastic team. At work and…elsewhere.
But it would have been nice to make the decision to hire her on his own instead of being forced into it by Rose, Blanche, and Dorothy.
