by Abigail Keam
“I can replace the popped-out tiles. No problem. But we have to wait until all the water is drained to see if there is a crack at the bottom. All the pipes in the pool house look okay but I think the pump needs to be upgraded.”
“How much will that cost?”
“I’ll have to go into Homestead and see. I don’t think it will be ridiculous though. All in all this pool was built to last. Nothing cheap about it.” He looked at the chain-link fence surrounding it. “I think the fence just needs a little paint to hide the rust. We don’t need to replace it.”
“That’s good news.” She thought for a moment. “Mike, you should have told me that you were in the hospital instead of letting me think you were irresponsible.”
“Jenny?”
“Yes.”
“I just don’t like people to know.”
“That’s stupid. Half the country has diabetes. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“People can be funny. I’m trying to save money for Jenny and me. I can’t take chances anymore.”
Eva thought the last statement was strange. “Can you tell me what happened to Jenny’s mother?”
Mike looked at Eva with a pained expression. “It was two years ago. I was working on a housing development in Sarasota. A hurricane came through the Keys. Unless the hurricane is graded three or more, most people in the Keys stay put, but the storm was worse than predicted. Beth, that’s Jenny’s mom, decided to leave. I was to meet them in Orlando at my aunt’s house.
“As they passed Pennekamp Park, witnesses say a freak wave swept over the highway and took Beth’s car with it. The car flipped over and submerged into water. People stopped and tried to help, but the rain and the wind made it difficult to get to the car. They could only get Jenny out in time.”
Mike looked out to the ocean. “I feel like it’s my fault. I should have told Beth to leave earlier, but neither one of us took the storm seriously. Storms come through here all the time. Usually they are nothing to worry about, but this time we were wrong.”
“That explains why Jenny wants me to get a car.”
“She’s worried that you might get caught in a storm and not get out of Key Largo.”
“I see.” Eva reached over and squeezed Mike’s hand. “I’m so sorry. I was feeling so unhappy for myself and then I hear something like your story . . . well, it makes me feel ashamed.”
“What is your story?” asked Mike, realizing that he liked Eva touching him.
“The long and short of it is that my marriage went south and then so did I.”
Mike gave her an inquisitive look. “There’s got to be more.”
“It’s such a cliché. My husband left me for a younger woman. There! See. Pathetic, isn’t it?”
“She must be a stunner then because you’re pretty hot yourself,” he blurted out. “Oh jeez. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” Mike backed away. “I’m going to get started on demo before I stick my foot in my mouth again.”
Before Eva could respond, Mike hurried into a bungalow. Surprised, Eva looked down at her too tight clothing. Was Mike just massaging her ego to keep his job or was he telling the truth? She didn’t see how any man could think she was attractive. She certainly didn’t feel pretty.
The truth was that Eva needed to lose some serious weight. She was also sunburned and peeling plus she could braid the hair on her legs, as she hadn’t shaved since she arrived. But still Mike had confessed she was hot. Eva didn’t mind being called hot. She didn’t mind at all.
15
The next day Mike caught Eva shooing a large iguana out of her bungalow.
“Where did he come from?” asked Mike, amused at Eva’s frustration.
“I don’t know but he keeps following me.”
“He might be someone’s pet,” Mike suggested, watching Eva throw some old bread to the iguana, which caught it in mid-air. “That may be why he’s following you. You’re feeding him.”
“He looked hungry.”
“If you’re going to do that, put a bell around his neck and keep him as a mascot.”
“I’m afraid he’ll get on the highway and get run over.”
“He looks pretty happy here. I don’t think he’ll be moving soon.”
“Why are you here? Today is Saturday. Your day off.”
Mike looked hopefully at Eva. “Mom took Jenny shopping for some summer clothes and I didn’t have anything to do.”
“How about sleep?”
“I thought . . . if you were free . . . we’d go north. I could get a new pump for the pool. That would save me some time and we stop off and look for a car for you. Have any car type in mind?”
“You would go with me to look for a car?”
“Sure. I know lots about cars.”
“That’s great, because I don’t. People in New York don’t own cars unless they’re millionaires. I haven’t a clue what to get. That’s why I’ve been putting it off.”
“Are you going to need a passenger van?”
“I thought about that but I decided against carting tourists around. They are going to have to have their own vehicles.”
“Still you will need to carry things for the motel. And I would like to see you in a vehicle that has some height on it. It floods around here and the higher your car is the better it is to get around at times.”
“Let me get my things and we can go.”
“Great.”
Eva ran to get her purse and then followed Mike through the gate. She locked it and was surprised when Mike jumped out of his jeep to open the car door for her.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“No problem,” he grinned.
After he got back in the car and turned on Highway 1, Eva asked, “How old are you?”
“That’s a funny question to ask. I’m forty-two. How old are you?”
“I turned forty this year, but this place makes me young. I feel so rejuvenated. It must be the sea air.”
“I know what you mean. I feel like a teenager and then I make the mistake of looking in a mirror. Oh, boy is that a surprise.”
Eva laughed.
“I like it when you laugh. It’s not that often I see you light up. You’re always so serious. Divorce must have been hard, huh?”
“I thought my world had ended. My husband was everything to me.”
“He sounds like a jerk.”
“Actually, he’s a very nice man. He just fell out of love. Happens all the time.”
“Wow. I’ve never heard anybody speak so highly of an ex.”
“As I said, he’s a nice man and I hope never to see the son-of-a-bitch again.”
“Thatta girl.”
Eva laughed again. In fact she laughed a lot that day with Mike and realized she hadn’t had such fun in a very, very long time.
They got a pump in Homestead and then traveled to southern Miami where used car dealerships were plentiful.
Eva was excited about purchasing a car. She hadn’t owned one since her college days.
At the second dealership, she test-drove a used pick-up truck and decided she really liked it.
Mike checked out the engine and took it out for a spin, giving her the thumbs-up when he returned.
After an hour of dickering with the salesman, Eva wrote a check, got the keys, and followed Mike home driving her new truck. Eva was ecstatic and felt really independent.
It seemed everything about her new life was falling into place.
16
Tired of working on the website for the motel, Eva went over her checklist.
• Landscaping and outside lighting done
• Pool repaired and ready to go
• Pathways and parking areas ready
• Boat dock rebuilt
• Flamingo sign repaired and hung
• Web PR and brochures done
• Business permits and tax numbers acquired
• Insurance paid
• Kitchenettes upgraded
&nbs
p; • Pest control done
Now the next month could be spent on restoring the bungalows to their former glory. Unfortunately, repairing the two bungalows closest to the water was not cost-effective and they would have to be torn down.
Eva would use their concrete pads for games until she saved enough money to rebuild the bungalows. All in all, things were going well. Her estimates were holding so far. With good weather and luck, she would come in under budget.
And also due to Mike.
He had done a wonderful job keeping costs down. She knew from experience how general contractors, not keeping their eye on the bottom line, could cause costs to soar.
As Mike’s other job had finished, he now arrived at seven each morning and worked almost non-stop until five.
Knowing that he had a tendency to forget to eat, Eva made sure he had snacks during the day, complete with a lunch with lots of protein.
Eva looked forward to hearing his jeep pull up next to the office. Each morning she would have a treat ready for him like an egg sandwich or slices of country ham–food consisting of protein. She was sure it helped keep his sugar from spiking even if it didn’t help his cholesterol.
She could tell that Mike enjoyed their little breakfasts together while going over the day’s list as well. Eva began to wonder if Mike might like her more than just as a friend and boss. It was improper to say anything now, but once the restoration was over, maybe she should say something to Mike . . . or even ask him out.
Regretfully, Eva pushed that thought from her mind. Who was she kidding? When Eva looked in the mirror, she knew she was no prize catch. Her best years were over. Besides, she didn’t need to get tangled up with a man at this point of her life. She had been there, done that. She may have to face the fact that the romantic part of her life was over.
Still, her heart raced when she heard Mike’s jeep.
Maybe that was all there was going to be.
A racing heart on her part.
17
Eva, Mike, and Juan decided to take a break after the third bathroom they had “demo’d” that day and it wasn’t even eleven yet.
Juan brought his teenage sons to carry out the debris while the Demo Trio, as Mike, Eva, and Juan called themselves, ripped out medicine cabinets, chipped sinks, corroded tubs, leaking toilets, and wall tiles. All bathrooms were to be given a complete makeover.
The Demo Trio worked like a well-oiled machine. Eva tackled the tile while Mike and Juan tended to the heavier items.
So far only one floor was so weak that they had to rip out the entire sub-flooring. Otherwise, the construction was tight.
Eva loved the look of the old bathrooms, but they were just impractical with current bathing practices. Most people today showered rather than bathed. Only three of the bungalows would have deep soaking tubs installed. Eva knew what today’s hip young people wanted in a bathroom.
Marble subway tiles with a water motif would be used for the walk-in showers. Marble would also be used for the sink counters as well as the backsplashes. Marble stone was a classic and could endure much abuse over the years.
The floors were to be a black and white tile pattern popular in the forties. All bathrooms were to have handicapped railings and bars installed. Also a special pulley would be installed in each bathroom that a guest could pull if they fell. A bell would sound in the office, notifying the staff.
Eva was very pleased with her design. The bathrooms would be new and slick, but with the bygone era look of the ’40s. And buying all the materials in bulk kept down costs.
After the demo was complete, then the plumbers and the electricians would do their thing. That’s where the heavy costs might arise.
They worked steadily throughout the day until Eva brought the workday to an end, telling everyone to go home at four. She was exhausted and knew they must be too.
She paid Juan’s boys on the spot, as she knew the teenagers needed the money. Having listened to their patter during the day, Eva knew they had girlfriends who were expecting to be taken to dinner that night.
Juan loaded up his boys in the truck, arguing that they should save their money and not spend it on women. The boys listened with bored indifference.
Eva waved goodbye as Juan honked his horn. She stood by the fence waiting for Mike to leave so she could lock the gate, but he didn’t follow Juan.
She found him organizing the scrap woodpile. “What are you doing, Mike?”
“I’m sorting this wood. I can reuse a lot of it to make outdoor tables and chairs. You said you liked my table.”
“Do that tomorrow. Go home. I know you must be worn out.”
“I will in a little bit. No one is home right now.” He looked up at Eva. “I don’t like going home to an empty house. Something about it creeps me out.”
Eva noticed that his brown hair was sun-streaked with blond and that he had very long black eyelashes, which emphasized his light gray eyes that were the color of the Atlantic Ocean on a stormy day. “I’m really tired. I think I will take a dip in the lagoon and then take a nap. If you leave before I wake up, will you lock the gate?”
“Sure. No problem.” Mike watched Eva head for the beach. “Gonna swim in your clothes?”
“Yeah,” she called over her shoulder. “Then I’ll use the outdoor shower.”
Mike shrugged. “To each his own,” he commented under his breath.
Eva stepped into the warm ocean water. She was glad that the motel was on the bay side, as she wasn’t rushed by waves. The water was always calm and serene. She could take her time and slowly immerse in the clear turquoise water. Every day she saw something new . . . a baby skate, sea turtles, various small fish darting here and there, a sea horse, cuddle fish, and hordes of colorful birds hanging around in the mangrove trees.
She was enjoying the water when she noticed something splashing around the mangrove trees. Eva hoped it wasn’t a shark. She started to get out when muffled whimpers came from where the splashing was occurring.
Eva slowly went over when she discovered a manatee cow entwined in fishing wire. The wire was interfering with her ability to swim and Eva could see that her breathing was distressed. The real mermaid of the sea made another mournful cry.
“MIKE!” cried out Eva, petting the manatee. “MIKE HURRY! BRING A KNIFE!”
Within seconds, Mike was running into the water looking for Eva. “EVA!”
“Over here!” she called.
For a split second she saw concern on his face change into relief. Was the relief due to the fact she was okay?
Mike waded through the water. “It’s a manatee.”
“I think she’s drowning, Mike. There’s fishing cord wrapped around her. There seems to be a big ball of it underneath her. I think some of it has got caught on the mangrove trees. Do you have a knife?”
The manatee began thrashing again.
“Try to calm her while I cut the cord. I don’t want to nick her.” Mike pulled out a pocketknife and after taking a deep breath, went beneath the water while Eva held onto the manatee’s flippers. Mike emerged from the water gasping for air. “Try holding her head up. The wire is caught on some mangrove roots.” He took another deep breath and went back under the water.
A minute went by. Eva could see Mike moving around the manatee working, but she was concerned that Mike might pass out trying to free the animal. Finally he came up. “The cord is cut. Let’s see if she will let us remove it. I’ll hold her and you try to work it free.”
Mike held up the manatee’s head while talking to her as Eva stuck her head under water, trying to work the cord from around the manatee’s flippers. The salt water burned her eyes and she had to come up. Knowing that this was causing the manatee a great deal of distress, Eva took another deep breath, shut her eyes tight and submerged again, using her hands to feel the cord. After several failed attempts, she finally got the cord loose.
“Let her go, Mike,” said Eva, emerging from the water.
Gentl
y Mike turned the manatee toward the bay and pushed her out to sea.
As she moved past, Eva removed the last bit of fishing cord. “What a mess,” announced Eva, winding the cord while watching the sea cow swim away. “Saving her makes me feel good.” She turned to face Mike, only to see him staring at her with a strange expression on his face. “Mike, what is it?”
“I thought you were hurt!” accused Mike. “Scared me to death.”
“I . . . I’m sorry,” sputtered Eva. “I got excited when I found the manatee.”
Suddenly Mike reached over and grabbed Eva. Bending his head, he kissed her while pulling her close.
It was a long, lingering kiss. And to her surprise, Eva kissed back, wrapping her arms around Mike’s neck in a fierce embrace. She loved the feel of his torso against hers. He was built like a rock . . . solid and sturdy. She pressed closer to him until suddenly Mike pushed her away.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again,” he groused. Without saying another word, he turned and left her standing in the water.
Stunned, Eva didn’t know what to do. She certainly didn’t want to follow him.
Then she heard his jeep start and drive away. Confused, Eva went to the front gate and locked it. “What was that all about?” she whispered to herself.
18
The next morning Mike went straight to work, not bothering to come to the office.
Eva had made a huge breakfast for him as a thank you for helping with the manatee, but as she saw him make his way to the next bungalow to demo followed by Juan, she threw the food in the disposal and put the dishes in her new dishwasher.
For some reason, Mike regretted kissing her, so Eva would do as Mike was doing . . . pretend that it never happened.
She never should have kissed him back. Instead, Eva should have slapped his face for impertinence. But Eva admitted to herself that she had enjoyed the kiss.
But it was obvious that Mike didn’t want to get involved.
Eva didn’t really blame him.
