Breakfast at the Beach House Hotel

by Judith Keim

  She then hurried me to the front of The Beach House and pointed to the circle of lawn. “A landscape architect came and looked at the grounds. He told me he could plant a putting green in the front circle. And we can have horseshoes and a shuffleboard court behind the garage and new parking on the other side of the garage, south of the tennis court. Thank God, the court is in great condition already. You should see his plans! It’s going to be perfect! What do you think? Huh?”

  I stood in a daze beside Rhonda, taking in the scene, feeling like a game-show winner having all my prizes described to me one by one. My imagination took over, and I could envision how lovely it would be. It was beautiful already.

  The entire property was enclosed by high, pink-stucco walls—tall enough to give total privacy to the lush grounds surrounding the enormous house, whose massive pink and white façade drew my attention. A broad expanse of tiled roof and countless windows lined its front, making the house appear to extend endlessly. Over-sized wooden doors stood guard at the top of wide, marble stairs. Potted palms sat on either side of the door, balancing its height and softening its edges.

  “Well, Annie?” Rhonda gave me a pleading look.

  It was, I realized, the chance of a lifetime—for anyone else. I let out a disappointed sigh. Rhonda and I, with all our differences and my lack of money, would never be able to make it work.

  Not in a tricky business like this.

  CHAPTER THREE

  I returned to Boston telling myself I’d made a wise decision not to join forces with Rhonda. But ideas about what The Beach House could be like as a boutique hotel continued to dance in my head. At those moments, my practical side took over, and I forced myself to focus on finding a new place to live. I was running out of time.

  Rhonda called every day to check on me.

  When I told her the townhouse I liked was sold out from under me, she said, “This is a sign, Annie. You come down here, and we’ll work things out. I want you in business with me. You agreed The Beach House would be perfect as a small hotel. Like I said, you’re the classy one with the business background. We can make it work together. I know we can.”

  I listened to her eagerness, and a whisper of hope came to me. Maybe I could make it work between Rhonda and me. As different as we were, I recognized that beneath her bossy manner there was decency, kindness, and caring. It might be just what I needed at this time in my life.

  “But I’d need money to become a real partner and buy the cottage,” I said, pulled back to stark reality. “I couldn’t accept any from you. That’s no way to start a business. I have to be able to be a partner in the true sense of the word.” My voice caught as the truth of what I’d said hit me like a blow to the head. “Thanks, anyway, Rhonda. That’s real sweet of you.”

  We hung up. My mind numb, I dragged myself to the shower. I had invested the bulk of my small inheritance from my grandmother in Robert’s and my consulting company. At the time, I’d happily agreed to use the money in this way. I knew it would please my grandmother that her money was helping to build a strong foundation for a marriage that would last forever. How stupid of me.

  ###

  The Rutherford Company board meeting was taking place on the last day of the month. I told myself I had every right to be there as I entered the empty boardroom and sat in my usual seat at the large, oval, mahogany conference table. Waiting for the others to arrive, I admired the muted beige and mauve colors I’d picked out for the boardroom a few years earlier. Seascapes of Maine and an oil painting of the New Hampshire Mountains accented the walls and reminded me of a happier time when Robert and I had bought them together.

  Other board members arrived. Polite small talk centered on the horrible winter weather that seemed to hang over the city like a gray, wet blanket, making us wish for warm, blue-sky, August days.

  My pleasure at seeing the other people evaporated when Kandie walked into the room. I stiffened and wondered what she was doing in this meeting. I took a deep breath and fought the urge to yank her hair out, one dyed strand after another.

  A rush of cold air from the outside followed a tall, white-haired man into the room. He stopped and frowned at Kandie, then took a seat beside me.

  I warmed to his quick kiss on the cheek. Kevin O’Donnell had always been one of my biggest supporters. He leaned over and whispered, “I want you to know how sorry I am about the divorce. Robert is an ass.”

  Unable to trust myself to speak, I merely nodded.

  Robert was the last to enter the meeting. He stood by Kandie’s chair. Jaw flexing, he gave me a defiant stare and laid a hand on Kandie’s shoulder.

  My stomach flamed with acid. He was acting as if he were showing off a prize he’d just stolen.

  Shifting uncomfortably in their seats, the others in the room glanced from him to me and back to him. “Kandie is going to take minutes for the meeting,” said Robert, emphatically. “Now that she’s part of the family, it’s important for her to get up to speed on what’s going on.”

  As Kandie looked over at me with a cutting smile of triumph, Kevin reached over and covered my hand with his. I wanted to cry at the soft touch of compassion.

  Robert scowled at us. “Okay, let’s get down to business.”

  I willed myself not to look at Kandie, who sat beside Robert as if that were her rightful place. Bile rose in my throat. For a business course in my sophomore year at Northeastern University, I’d formed a dummy corporation on paper, developed a business plan for it, and designed consulting services to corporations and smaller companies to help them theoretically develop benefits packages for their employees. I’d been dating Robert seriously by then, and he’d liked the idea so much, he’d taken it as his own and set up The Rutherford Company, with himself as President. He’d rationalized that a man in business presented a stronger front and gave me the role of Vice President. We’d worked day and night to get the business up and running and to keep it going. I still owned a large amount of stock in the corporation.

  As I focused on Robert’s words, alarm grew within me. In the last year, there’d been a dramatic decrease in the number of new clients. Consulting depended in large part on not only what projects you were working on, but what was in the pipeline. And of those projects in the pipeline, at least fifty percent of them would produce less than expected. As Robert continued to lay out a plan that didn’t take this into account, I felt I had to speak up. My survival depended on it.

  “Robert, I’m concerned we haven’t changed the focus of our consulting program. With the need to place a strong emphasis on providing better and more diverse services to clients, shouldn’t we be changing our format a bit?”

  Disagreements between us were not unknown, but Robert reacted as if I’d slapped his face. He glared at me. His cheeks turned an unhealthy red. Beside him, Kandie huffed and puffed noisily. The others at the table stirred restlessly.

  Robert scowled at me. “As I recall, Ann, you didn’t attend the last board meeting. If you had, you would’ve been able to hear for yourself exactly why we’re going to continue on our present course. Our clients have traditionally been the big guys, and they have pretty much the same agendas they’ve always had, with some minor modifications, of course.”

  I knew his thinking was flawed. The economy had changed, and so had the accepted wisdom in business. Hoping to draw support from the other board members, I prepared to speak again. I knew it would irritate Robert, but I couldn’t let it go.

  “I’d feel much more comfortable if we explored different ways we can address companies of all sizes, not just the big guys. We need to broaden our base.”

  A shocked silence filled the room. Robert had never taken kindly to board members questioning him. But I held firm. With the stock I owned in the company, I needed to think of my future.

  “Ann may have a valid point there,” said Kevin O’Donnell.

  “I say she’s more or less out of the loop now,” Robert responded with barely concealed fury. “Perhap
s it’s time for her to do something else and stay out of this business.”

  My lips tightened. Why hadn’t I seen how selfish, how childish he’d been in the past? Furious, I gave him a fixed stare. “I hope everyone here realizes that I, not you, conceived the idea for this company.”

  Robert looked as if he were ready to lunge across the table and strike me. The only sound now was the restless twitching of the Board members stirring in their seats.

  I fumed. He was going to let our personal problems override our business association. I barely listened to the rest of the meeting. My worries about the company were sincere. It was essential for us to reassess our modus operandi to cope with the changes in the economy—local, national, and worldwide.

  “Anything else?” Robert was saying as I focused back in on the meeting. “If not, the meeting is adjourned.”

  The other board members jumped to their feet, obviously relieved the meeting had ended without another major confrontation between Robert and me. I remained in my seat, fixated by an idea taking shape in my mind. Could I pull it off?

  “Ann? Did you hear me?”

  I blinked. The others had gone, leaving Robert, Kandie, and me in the conference room.

  I rose. “Robert, do you have a moment? I’d like to discuss something with you. Alone.”

  A pout formed on Kandie’s lips. “We’re going to lunch, Robert.” She patted her round stomach and gave him a smile. “You promised the baby and me.”

  It took all my willpower not to slap her. I kept my voice low, controlled. “I need to talk to you now, Robert. It can’t wait.”

  Robert frowned. “If you’re going to bring up the business with the mortgage on the house, I’m not going to listen. That’s a done deal.”

  “No, no. This is something else.” I silently vowed it would be different, that Robert would never take advantage of me again.

  Robert looked at Kandie and shrugged, then turned back to me. “Okay, but you’d better be quick about it.”

  We went into his office. Forcing myself to arrange my features in a pleasant smile, I sat facing him. My pulse quickened. This had to work.

  “Well?” Robert leaned back in his chair and looked at me suspiciously. “I’m waiting.”

  I swallowed nervously. “I realized you meant what you said at the board meeting about my doing something else. You’d be happy to be rid of me, wouldn’t you?”

  Robert’s eyes brightened. He pulled his shoulders back and gave me a condescending look. “We both know it’s not working very well. You’ve changed. You challenged everything I said today.”

  I bit my tongue. I remembered only too well how much he’d depended on my opinions in the past, the many discussions we’d had in the privacy of our home, the exchange of ideas he’d sought. My input was one of the reasons the company had been so successful. I’d been proud of my contribution. But how foolish I’d been to let everyone believe Robert knew it all.

  “I had to speak up, Robert. I’m not happy with the plan for the year.”

  Robert’s eyes turned dark, unfriendly. He looked at me as if I were a complete stranger.

  “If you’re not happy with the way I’m doing things, maybe it’s time for you to move on.”

  Elation, warm and thick, flooded through me. Knowing how perverse Robert could be, I tried not to show it. “Maybe it’s time for me to leave the business. But it has to be a fair agreement. And this time, Robert, everything we agree on must be put into writing. Understood?”

  “You’re serious about this?”

  “It might be best,” I said, watching a grin spread across his face.

  An hour later, Robert and I stood face to face.

  Robert shook his head. “You’re a fool, Ann. This company is going to continue to grow, and you’re going to lose out.”

  Refusing to take the bait, I closed the door to Robert’s office behind me and faced a furious, toe-tapping Kandie. Giddy with relief, I gave her a broad smile and patted my purse. Inside was a signed letter of intent for Robert to buy me out of the business he was too egotistical to change.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “Hey, Annie!” Rhonda called from the bottom of the stairway. “You finished changing yet? You wanna take a walk on the beach? The sun is going to set soon. Maybe we can see the green flash!”

  “Hold on! I’ll be right down!” I went back to drying myself off with a thick towel. It still surprised me that I’d managed to talk Robert into buying my shares of stock in the company. Even though he would make the payments in installments, it meant I could come to Florida, take part in the hotel business, and fix up the cottage. And, truth be told, I wanted out of the company before Robert realized I’d been right all along, that they had to make some changes or face the consequences.

  I slipped a pale-yellow tank top over my head and pulled on a long peasant skirt in a luscious shade of azure and hurried down the stairs.

  “What’s the green flash?”

  Rhonda grinned. “They say if the atmosphere is just right, you can see a bright-green flash at the moment the sun dips beneath the horizon. I’ve never seen it, but I never get tired of looking for it.”

  “Sounds intriguing. Let’s go.”

  We walked out onto the beach.

  Rhonda threw an arm over my shoulder. “You know, Annie, I’m awful glad you’re here. For a while, I wasn’t sure you were going to make it. I sure am lucky you’re gonna be my partner in this project. We’ll make a good team. I know it!”

  I glanced at Rhonda out of the corner of my eye. It had taken a huge leap of faith for me to come to Florida, but I had little choice. Finding a home and making a living were the reasons behind my decision. I was determined to make it work. Rhonda, too. After being hurt by the men we’d trusted, we each had strong reasons for wanting to show the world we could make something of our lives on our own.

  The sand was white and velvety smooth on my bare feet as we strolled along the water’s frothy edge. From a distance, I turned and looked back at The Beach House. The mansion’s beautiful, pink expanse was awe inspiring. The tall, swaying palm trees lining the beach, the warm caress of the evening breeze, and the oranges and reds of the setting sun, like strokes of paint coloring the canvas of the darkening sky, filled me with gratitude. At moments like this, I wanted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.

  “Hi, Rhonda!” A tall, well-built, gray-haired man wearing a bathing suit strode toward us.

  “Well hello, Brock,” Rhonda smiled prettily as he joined us. “It looks like it’s going to be another beautiful sunset on the Gulf. Say hello to my friend, Ann Rutherford. Her daughter, Liz, and my Angie are roommates at Boston University. Ann’s going to be our new neighbor.”

  “Oh? Is that why you’re fixing up that little cottage on your property?”

  Rhonda smiled and nodded. “She’s going to live there.”

  Brock turned to me. The setting sun cast a golden glow on his handsome, classic features. His tanned, muscular physique was shown to good advantage in the bright-blue bathing suit that clung to his trim figure. His green eyes crinkled at their corners as he smiled warmly at me. His gaze met mine and lingered.

  My cheeks grew hot as I realized I’d been staring.

  “Welcome to Sabal,” he said. “I’m sure you’re going to love it here.” He turned to Rhonda. “Maybe you two lovely ladies would come for drinks one night this week. How about it, Rhonda?”

  She gave him a playful punch on the arm. “Oh, come on! You mean you’d like Annie to come for drinks. I see the sparkle in your eye, Brock Goodwin, and it has nothing to do with me!”

  Brock leaned over and gave Rhonda a kiss on the cheek. “Darling, you always bring a sparkle to my eyes.”

  Rhonda laughed. “Who can resist charm like that? Okay, let us know when, and we’ll be there.”

  “You’re on! I’ll give you a call.” Brock gave me another once-over that sent heat snaking through my body.

  As if he knew the resp
onse he’d had on me, he winked and walked away, whistling.

  “He used to work for a large import company. He still does some work for them, traveling to faraway exotic places on buying trips. When he’s here, he’s everybody’s favorite extra guy. You can see why.”

  “He’s very attractive,” I said, watching him stroll down the beach, waving to people. I was still surprised by the way my body had responded to his blatant admiration. It had been a long time since a man had looked at me that way. Not that I wanted anything to come of it. I thought of Robert and all he’d done to hurt me, and a bitter taste coated my tongue.

  “He’s such a bullshitter, but everybody seems to like him,” continued Rhonda. “Being president of the Gold Coast Neighborhood Association gives him a lot of power, and he likes it. That’s why I didn’t mention the hotel. Not until we get our final permits.”

  ###

  Rhonda and I sat in the makeshift office we’d set up in The Beach House library, going over the construction schedule, checking progress against our projected opening. It would be a huge push, but we wanted plenty of time to run the hotel in the off-season to get the kinks out before the winter season began.

  Rhonda, in her usual unrestrained manner, had already begun making changes to the house, figuring they’d enhance the value of it, regardless of how the hotel aspect worked out. She’d had an architect design a large dining room and an office, which would be added on to the house behind the kitchen. As far as anyone else knew, she was merely renovating her house and the cottage on her property.

  Most mornings I awoke to the sounds of men working. On this particular morning, I rose early, walked the beach and, after a quick shower, shared a simple breakfast of fresh fruit, coffee, and bagels with Rhonda.