Life's a Beach

by Jamie K. Schmidt

  “I’m not taking less than the original contract price that he agreed to pay,” Samuel said. “That second offer was bullshit. Let him think he lost the deal because he got too greedy.”

  “All right. I’m willing to come in and give the place an evaluation.” Marcus stretched, and bones cracked and popped. “We did this once before, but you didn’t even want to see my notes, because you were hell-bent on selling. I think we can make a shit ton of money here.”

  “I still am. But it couldn’t hurt to do some renovations on the property. Maybe attract another buyer, and then Tetsuo can go fuck himself.”

  “What about the cutie pie? She seems hell-bent on taking on the restoration project all by herself.”

  “Her name is Amelia, and she’s going back to New York at the end of next week.” Samuel went into the galley and brought back some bagels and cream cheese.

  “What about you?” Marcus poured some more coffee from the carafe on the table next to him.

  “Maybe I’ll follow after the sale.”

  “You like her.”

  Samuel nodded.

  “Does she like you?”

  Samuel laughed without humor. “She doesn’t know me. She likes Dude. Hates Samuel.”

  “Hello, Sybil? You’re the same person.” Marcus sipped his coffee.

  “I talked to her on the phone as me before I realized it was her.”

  “I’ve had an eleven-hour flight. You’re confusing the hell out of me.”

  “Anyway,” Samuel said with a sigh, “it doesn’t matter. She’s got baggage about rich men. Her old boyfriend was some trust fund prick and really did a number on her.”

  “So let me get this straight. You’re involved with her, but she thinks you’re a stoner idiot instead of the diamond of Wall Street.”

  “Don’t call me that. Look, I’m glad you’re here. Not only are you going to help me put the screws to Tetsuo, but I need you to make Amelia enjoy her vacation more than she is. She’s been busting her ass working for us for free, which is why I okayed the commission.”

  “This should be interesting. I sure as shit am not going to take her to Hana. Maybe a helicopter ride?”

  “That’s not what I meant. I want her to stop working the desk. She’s not going to be able to take another vacation for a while because of the situation her ex left her in. I want her to enjoy herself.”

  “Seemed to me like she was having a good time.” Marcus helped himself to a bagel. “No lox?”

  Samuel shook his head. “And Gregson doesn’t come until Monday to replenish the supplies.”

  “You are slumming. She must be something special. I can’t wait to talk to her tonight.”

  “You’re not having dinner with her.” Samuel clenched his jaw.

  “Oh, yes I am,” Marcus singsonged at him.

  “You can’t. I need you to play a part for me, and being nice to her isn’t going to help.”

  “This isn’t Shakespeare in the fucking park, you ass. I’m not putting on a Hawaiian shirt and stumbling around half drunk.”

  “You should try it sometime. It might dislodge the stick in your ass.”

  “Insulting me isn’t going to make me want to help you.” Marcus flicked bagel crumbs at him.

  “I need you to be an arrogant hard-ass to her. It shouldn’t be a stretch.”

  “How about I seduce her?” Marcus said around a mouthful of bagel and cream cheese.

  “How about I break your face? Keep your filthy mitts off my girl. Got it?”

  Marcus chewed and swallowed. “Okay, so why am I being a hard-ass to her?”

  “Just treat her as if she were any other project manager you’ve ever had, and she’ll think this renovation plan is not worth it and she’ll spend more time on the beach with me.”

  “You’re pathetic.”

  “She’s nuts.” Samuel whirled a finger over his ear. “She actually likes to work the desk, and she’s good at it.”

  “The horror. Let’s toss her in the deep end of the pool with an anchor around her neck that says ‘helpful.’ ” Marcus air-quoted the last word.

  “Look, if there’s anyone who can frustrate their employees enough to make them start half-assing their job, it’s you.”

  “You don’t know shit. Just tell cutie pie—”

  “Amelia,” Samuel snarled.

  “Right, Amelia. Tell her who you really are. Come clean. Then you can deal with her ideas.”

  “I don’t want to.” Samuel flopped back into the other lounge chair.

  Marcus took off his sunglasses and looked at him in concern. “Why?”

  “I really like her and she really likes me. And not because I have a yacht or a seven-figure bank account. She likes me. And I’ve been lying to her. So she’s going to hate me. But she’s leaving the island in eight days. I just have to keep up this charade until she goes home.”

  “And when you meet her in New York?”

  “If that happens, I’ll think of something.”

  “You’re a lost cause. You know that, right?” Marcus shook his head.

  “Yeah. I wasn’t expecting to become so attached so soon. I figured she was just a fling. But it’s more than that, and I’m running out of time.”

  “What do I get out of this if I play your little game?”

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake, I’m your brother. Don’t play the mercenary with me.”

  “I want a favor. To be cashed in sometime in the future. No questions asked.”

  “Fine,” Samuel said, and they shook on it. “When’s dinner?”

  “You’re not invited. How would that look, the owner dining with the stoner idiot?”

  “That’s childish.”

  “You’re the one hiding your identity like some low-rent Batman.”

  “I prefer Superman.”

  “Oh, God, can you shut up and let me take a nap?” Marcus put his sunglasses back on and lay back down on the lounge chair.

  Chapter 12

  Dude was standing in the doorway glowering at her while she was getting ready for dinner.

  “Can you please send those pictures over to me? Or are you scared that once I have your phone number I’ll text you asinine things all day long?” Amelia brushed her hair out so it curled down to her shoulders. She leaned in to put in earrings and saw that he hadn’t reached for his phone. “I promise. No duck-lip selfies. Please?”

  He sighed and started sending them. “I don’t see why you’re wearing a dress.”

  “It’s just a sundress, and I’m going to a nice place.” She put on a little lipstick and looked at herself in the mirror. “I think I should wear my hair up.”

  “If this is a business meeting, why are you acting like it’s a date?”

  Amelia huffed at him. “I’m trying to make a good impression.”

  “You look beautiful.”

  A little explosion of joy filled her, and she wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you. I’m so nervous.”

  “You smell good too,” he growled, and she felt his teeth on her neck.

  “Don’t you dare give me a hickey. I’m trying to be professional.”

  “And I’m trying not to get pissed that you’re putting all this effort into one dinner meeting.”

  “What effort?” Amelia said with a shrug.

  “Jewelry, nice dress. Are you putting your hair up?”

  She fiddled with a jeweled clip. “I’d better. It will be a frizzy mess.”

  “And he’ll be staring at your neck all evening.”

  “Dude, seriously. He’s the boss. He’s not interested in me. He’s just being nice.”

  “Nice, huh? He’s taking you to an expensive place and he’s going to flaunt how stinking rich he is.”

  “You don’t have to be jealous. I told you, I’m not into rich guys.” Amelia hugged him again. “I’ll come over to your room after dinner, if you want. We can take up where we left off after the cockroach that ate Hana chased us off.”

  “I’m l
ooking forward to it.” He kissed her breathless, making her a little weak in the knees. Then he winked and left, leaving her staring after him for a few minutes.

  Dude was potent. She had to give him that. She fanned herself while checking to make sure the pictures came through. Amelia thought it was sweet that he was a little jealous. But he didn’t have anything to worry about. What he didn’t know was this was a job interview or at the very least a reference for a job.

  After checking herself in the mirror one last time, Amelia went to meet Marcus Kincaide. As she was hiking down the stairs, she saw Joely on the third-floor landing, sitting on the railing with her cart in front of her.

  “Howzit, Amelia,” she said, waving.

  “You’re working late.” Amelia went over to her and enjoyed the beautiful ocean view and breeze.

  “Yeah, Rosalie wants me to clean up a few rooms on this floor before checking out, but they’ve all got Do Not Disturb signs up. So I’ve got to wait.” She shrugged.

  “Do you want me to send someone up with a sandwich or something?”

  “Yeah, that would be awesome, thanks. Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you, what do you think of Zarafina’s predictions?”

  “I swear by them.” Amelia put her hand over her heart.

  “Really?” Joely scrunched up her face in a hopeful but disbelieving way.

  “You bet. Why? What did she say for you?”

  “She said I’m going to be married soon and have a new job.” Joely laughed. “The new job I can see, because this place is about to be sold. But married? I don’t even have a boyfriend. I’ve been married. It’s not for me.”

  “Maybe it’ll turn out you’ll be married to your job.” Amelia patted her arm. “She’s never wrong. I’ll see you later.”

  Amelia hopped down the rest of the stairs and almost ran into Holt, the head of security. “Hey, do you think you can radio one of the kitchen staff to bring Joely up a sandwich and a soda? She’s working late and might miss dinner.”

  “Why is she working late?” he asked.

  “Ask Rosalie.”

  Amelia headed toward the lobby, hoping she hadn’t kept Marcus waiting too long.

  “Am I late?” she said, feeling breathless.

  Marcus was dressed more formally than most of the men at the resort. He wore a suit and tie and looked very dashing. “You’re right on time.”

  They walked side by side when the path allowed it, making small talk until they reached Whaler’s Village. “I’m definitely coming back here to do some shopping,” she said.

  “We have a few minutes before dinner if you’d like to go in,” he offered.

  “No, that’s all right. Let’s get a cocktail.”

  “A girl after my own heart.” He ordered a vodka martini, and she went with a mai tai.

  “My first one.” She toasted him.

  “Ever or today?” Marcus clinked glasses.

  “The first one ever.”

  “Well, welcome to Hawaii.”

  “Aloha,” she said and took a sip. “Rum is the best,” she sighed.

  “How is it you’ve been on vacation for most of the week and this is your first real drink?”

  “It’s a long story,” she said. “But I’m catching up. I’ve finally stopped subtracting six hours to find out what time it is back in New York.”

  “It’s 2:30 p.m.,” he said, checking his watch.

  She leaned over. It showed Maui and New York time. “That’s so cheating.”

  The waiter came over and took their appetizer orders. Amelia couldn’t resist the fresh fruit salad, and Marcus got the ceviche. As she was sipping her drink, out of the corner of her eye she saw Dude watching them. When she whipped her head around to look, he had already faded back into the crowd outside of the shops.

  “Something wrong?” Marcus asked.

  “I think I’d better slow down on the rum. At least until I eat something. So what brings you to Maui?”

  “My brother wanted me to assess the hotel now that our buyer lost interest. Samuel still wants to sell, but for the moment we don’t have a buyer in our price range.”

  “I think you can really turn a profit here. Not to simplify, but with a few coats of paint and some fresh talent for the shows, you can attract more tourists—even the ones who aren’t staying with us.” She told him about Kai’s idea for bringing in the high school students for hula shows and her idea about the lavender farm and winery combined stops.

  Marcus was a good listener. He nodded in the right places and asked intelligent questions. He didn’t change the subject or tell her she was overthinking things. It was nice to have someone listen to her ideas and actually consider them.

  She showed him the pictures of Hana and told him about the food and the accommodations. “They’ve gotten complacent. If you come in there with some world-class service, better hours, and a New York chef cooking authentic Hawaiian dishes, you’ll corner the tourist market.”

  “It’s something to think about, but I don’t think Tetsuo Hojo is going to sell.”

  “There’s got to be some part he doesn’t own yet.”

  “I’ll look into it. But I want to concentrate on Palekaiko. I think we need to redo the entire façade and the grounds.”

  Amelia was already shaking her head. “I see where you’re coming from, but you don’t want this resort looking like all the others.” She waved her hand down the beach. “Sure, it’s dated, but we can work with that. See, if you walk into a Marriott, you can’t tell what city or state you’re in because they all look alike. If we keep some aloha spirit in the decorations and the events, we set ourselves apart.”

  “You have a point,” he said. “I’ll have to do some market research.”

  They ordered dinner. Amelia went with just a steak, while Marcus went for surf and turf. He told her a bit about himself over dinner. And she felt a little guilty for enjoying the conversation so much. She wished Dude would open up a bit about himself to her. She still felt him watching them, but she couldn’t see him. Did he not trust her? Or was he worried that Marcus would take advantage of her? And why was he so worked up about dinner? Then it hit her. He had planned this nice romantic getaway to Hana, and it had blown up in his face. She hadn’t slept with him when they got back; she’d been too tired to even try to keep her eyes open a second after her head hit the pillow. And the very next day, she’d gotten all dolled up and gone out for a swanky business dinner. Amelia silently promised she’d make it up to him.

  “What are you thinking about?” Marcus asked.

  “It’s silly. It’s about Dude. How well do you know him?”

  “Fairly well. I make it a point to know all my staff.” Marcus signaled their waitress for another round.

  “I think he’s watching us.”

  “Yeah, I thought that was him over by the band.”

  Amelia casually looked up and caught a glimpse of his shirt. “Good eyes.”

  “If he’s bothering you, I can have security remove him.”

  Marcus sounded a little eager to do that, so she reassured him. “No, it’s not like that.” And she explained to him her thoughts on why he was skulking around.

  “So he’s jealous?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far. I think his feelings are hurt. He’s really very sensitive.”

  Marcus snorted, and at her frown he said, “You like him a lot.”

  She nodded.

  “Will you miss him when you go back to New York?”

  Amelia smiled sadly. “Can I let you in on a little secret?”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’m not going back.”

  Marcus frowned at her. “What?”

  He reminded her of Dude when he did that. “You remember I told you that I no longer have a job, right?”

  He nodded.

  “Well, I don’t have an apartment anymore, either. So I could pay for a hotel in New York in late January while I look for a job. Or I can pay for an apartment in Maui wh
ile I do the same thing.”

  “Maui’s probably more expensive.”

  “It’s about equal. I’ve been checking Craigslist and the Internet. The thing is, I need to find a job first. Then I have to find a bus line before I can narrow down the hunt for an apartment.”

  “So you’re looking for a job.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I could use another concierge. What do you say you come work for me?”

  “Where?” she gasped, her heart pounding. She had wanted to pick his brain about that; she hoped it was somewhere fantastic.

  “Here. Room and board, and I can start you out at thirty thousand a year, plus 10 percent commission.”

  She gaped at him. That was a dream offer. It was a chance to start putting down some roots. Sure, she didn’t own her own place, and this job would stop being secure when they found another buyer. But if she could make this place profitable, maybe they wouldn’t sell. And in the meantime, she could work on building up some more savings. This time she wouldn’t take some jackass on a Hawaiian vacation with the money. She’d put a down payment on a home.

  Amelia took a deep breath and counteroffered. “Fifteen percent.” The worst he could do was say no. It was easier to get money up front than to hope for a yearly bonus or raise.

  He raised an eyebrow at her, probably wondering if he should counteroffer too, or maybe just shut her down completely. He knew how desperate she was. But she also knew he needed her, even if he wasn’t aware of it yet.

  “I have experience,” she chimed in. “And I’ve been doing the job for almost a week now.”

  Marcus grinned. “You got it.”

  They shook hands.

  She pressed her hands to her hot cheeks. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you. This is perfect. You’ve taken a load off my shoulders.” Amelia blinked back tears.

  “Please don’t cry.”

  She took a large drink of rum. “I can’t promise that.”

  “Do you want dessert?”

  “No, thank you. I should be going.”

  “Can you start next Monday? That gives you time to finish out your vacation and then the weekend to settle in.”