Lunch at the Beach House Hotel

by Judith Keim

  His wife Sabine was an unexpected bonus. Cultured and well-acquainted with proper table service, she oversaw the waitstaff, who worked for us on a part-time basis. These staff members learned a whole lot more from her than where to place forks, spoons, and knives. They learned about gracious living, discreet service, and how to take care of guests seamlessly by anticipating their needs.

  “Looks like another great evening,” I said as I strolled into the kitchen.

  “Mais oui,” said Jean-Luc, giving Rhonda a side-glance.

  “I almost ruined the frickin’ hollandaise by not stirring slowly enough,” Rhonda confessed, rolling her eyes.

  Determined not to be drawn into the bickering between the two of them, I simply nodded. As much as they irritated one another, Jean-Luc and Rhonda had become fast friends who managed to cook together. But a Frenchman and an Italian determined to have her own way would give any kitchen a troubled air, so the other staff in the kitchen were careful to give them space.

  Jean-Luc offered me a plate with some broccoli and a couple of slices of roast lamb served with a mustard and wine sauce.

  I gladly accepted it and sat down at the kitchen table to eat it. Pink, but not too rare, the lamb tempted me to ask for more. But I’d learned to take small amounts, though Jean-Luc’s desserts made with heavy cream were a more difficult challenge.

  “How’s the dinner meeting going?” Rhonda asked, placing a dollop of whipped cream atop a lemony dessert tart on a tray with others.

  “Very good. Hmmm. They’re going to love that,” I said, staring hungrily at the sweet pastry.

  She grinned and glanced at Jean-Luc.

  “One of my mother’s Italian recipes.”

  I laughed. The blend of French and Italian cooking made our menus fun.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  I awoke and stretched in bed, intent on making some kind of peace with Tina. She’d been allowed to make everyone else miserable, and it was time to resolve that. Long ago, I’d learned that kids respected boundaries. Though Tina was in her mid-twenties, emotionally, she was about two, possibly three. Perhaps she needed to be approached differently. Besides, I couldn’t escape the idea that inside the young woman was a vulnerable girl crying for help, and I wanted to know why.

  Dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, I made my way through the hotel to Tina’s rooms. Early light filled the sky with possibility. The usual tropical storm season would be coming to a close in a few weeks, but on this particular day, it was showing a reluctance to leave us. Rain was in the forecast, and a restless breeze whirled around me.

  The Gulf water reflected the weather. Waves splashed on shore, their grayish color edged with frothy white tips that formed foamy smiles on the sand as the water receded.

  I thought of Vaughn and the magical moment I’d shared with him after we first met. Standing quietly on the sand next to him, holding hands as we’d looked out over the water, I’d fallen in love with him then and there. I missed him.

  I moved along to Tina’s suite, knocked softly on the door, and waited for Jerry to answer.

  The door opened.

  I stepped back and blinked in surprise. Tina was wearing gym shorts and a tank top, looking as if she’d been up for a while. Her hair was pulled away from her face and formed a single braid that drooped behind her head and onto her shoulders. Without makeup and no attitude marring her face, she looked...well, adorable.

  “Are you ready for your morning walk?” I asked cheerfully.

  “Duh.” Her lips formed a familiar pout.

  Shaking my head, I held my tongue. Tina was back to her obnoxious self. But for a brief moment, I’d seen the girl who could win hearts on a movie screen.

  “Okay, let’s go,” I said, trying not to let Tina’s mood ruin my day.

  We left the room and went out onto the beach.

  I started walking down the sand.

  Tina called to me. “Hey, wait! Aren’t we going to stop and listen to the waves or whatever you like to do?”

  I stopped, not sure if she was teasing me or not.

  “Ann, I mean it,” said Tina sweetly. “I liked what you showed me yesterday. It was pretty cool.”

  Not sure where we were going with this, I walked back to her and took hold of her hand. Actors could pretend so many things. Though I’d been a bit leery at the beginning of my relationship with Vaughn, I’d learned to trust what he was saying. With Tina, I wasn’t sure.

  Facing the water, she turned to me. “Well? I’m waiting.”

  I drew in a deep breath and drew her closer to the edge of the water. “Okay, breathe deeply and close your eyes. Now listen. Can you hear the waves lapping the shore? The rhythm is so peaceful. Take another deep breath. Hear the cry of the birds? Let your shoulders relax. There. Now be still.”

  In the silence that followed between us, I could sense a shift in Tina. I cracked my eyes open and stared in surprise. Tears were silently rolling down Tina’s cheeks.

  Instinctively, I pulled her toward me. “What’s wrong?” I whispered, wrapping my arms around her.

  She opened her eyes and jerked away from me. “What are you doing? Are you some kind of pervert?”

  At the venom in her voice, I stumbled away from her. “Good God! I don’t know what kind of stunt you’re pulling, but I think we’d better get you back to your room.”

  Not caring if she followed or not, I turned on my heel and headed off the beach. Behind me, I heard the sounds of her running to catch up to me.

  She grabbed hold of my arm, jerking me to a stop.

  “Hey, look, Ann. You’re not going to tell anyone about this, are you?”

  Through lips gone wooden with anger, I managed to get out the words, “What do you mean by this?”

  She lowered her head. When she raised it again, tears filled her eyes. “Me, crying like a baby. And then being upset. I don’t want anyone else to know.”

  Trying to understand, I shook my head. “No. I won’t tell.”

  Tina wiped her eyes. “Thank you.”

  My mind continued to spin as we walked back to her room without exchanging another word. Jerry met us on the patio, where he’d apparently been watching us.

  “Everything okay?” he asked, giving us both questioning looks.

  I glanced at Tina and nodded. “Thanks.”

  “See you later?” Tina said, giving me a look that dared me to say anything about our experience.

  “Tomorrow. I’ll see you tomorrow, Tina.” I couldn’t wait to get away so I could think about all that had happened.

  After breakfast, with our guests happily fed, Rhonda and I met in the office to go over the schedule for the day.

  “How did your morning walk with Tina go?” Rhonda asked, pushing away her barely touched cup of coffee.

  “Something’s off with Tina. Her behavior is so erratic, so emotional. I wonder if she’s taking drugs.”

  “I’ll speak to her about it,” said Rhonda firmly. “We’re not going to have any drugs here, not if I can help it. We don’t want any of that kind of publicity. That would kill our business.” Her brow knitted with worry. “I think we made a big mistake by having Tina come here.”

  “Me too.” There was a lot more to that girl than most people knew. I didn’t know what to think of her.

  “How are room reservations coming along?” Rhonda said.

  We went over the list. It was a small steady stream of business that I appreciated, but we needed more than that to cover our costs and make a profit.

  I sighed. “We have to do better until the high season kicks in.” Mid-January through March were peak-season months when we could normally count on a lot of “snowbirds” visiting from the north.

  “Let’s see what we can do to convince Brenda to have the royal wedding take place here,” I added. “At the moment, we can offer her the rooms she needs, but we can’t hold onto them forever without a commitment and a deposit.”

  “I looked online for any information on royal engagemen
ts or anything else that might tell us who it is. I found nothing at all about it anywhere on the web.” Her eyes gleamed. “But, Annie, I don’t care who it is. For us to be able to say that royalty stayed here at the hotel would be a big deal.”

  “Yes, it would. And the girls would love it.”

  A shadow crossed Rhonda’s face. “Have you heard from Liz recently? I tried to call Angela, but she didn’t pick up, and she hasn’t called me back. It’s not like her.”

  “Mmm, I had the same problem trying to reach Liz. I wonder if our dear daughters are up to something.” Liz was usually good about calling me back.

  “Well, at least Angela will be home for Thanksgiving. She promised me that,” said Rhonda. Her eyes filled. “I can’t help wishing she’d chosen a college in Florida. Boston seems so far away. I don’t even know most of her friends.”

  “I know how you feel. I’m happy Liz is staying with Nell Sanders in Washington, but it’s a life I know little about. I guess I’ll find out more at Thanksgiving.”

  Rhonda beamed at me. “Just think, if Ange and Liz hadn’t met in college their freshman year, we wouldn’t be here running a hotel together. Life sure is funny sometimes.”

  We chuckled together. It was a roller coaster ride neither one of us had ever imagined.

  I checked my watch. “Brenda’s limo should be here shortly. Before she leaves, let’s check with her about the wedding plans.”

  “You bet!” Rhonda jumped up out of her chair and stood a moment, holding onto the edge of her desk. Her face grew pale.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Are you all right?”

  “I think I might have the flu. I feel a little odd.” She shot me a mischievous grin. “Maybe Will and I need more sleep.”

  Shaking my head, I felt my lips curve. Rhonda had confided in me that after years of taking care of his sickly wife Ethel, Will was entranced with the idea of making love with a healthy, lusty woman. I was happy for her. Rhonda deserved that kind of delight after being ridiculed by her ex for her appearance.

  We found Brenda with Tim in the front hall, as she was checking out of the hotel.

  She noticed us and smiled. “I hoped I would see you again. I’ve found the perfect spot for the rehearsal dinner. A little French restaurant where the bridal party can have all the privacy they need.”

  “René’s?” I asked.

  “Yes. It’s quite a lovely spot.”

  “He’s a friend of Jean-Luc’s. After ours, it’s the next best in town,” said Rhonda proudly. “You’ll be happy with it.”

  At Rhonda’s enthusiasm, Brenda’s eyes twinkled. “Not as happy as here, but I think it’ll do.”

  “So when will you know if we’re selected for the wedding?” I asked, crossing my fingers behind my back.

  “And when can you tell us who it is?” said Rhonda.

  “I hope to have answers for you within a week or two. In the meantime, are you going ahead with the assumption you’ll get it?”

  “Yes,” I said, “but we’ll need a commitment fairly soon, or I’ll have to release rooms that come into demand.”

  Brenda gave us a satisfied smile. “Good. I’m rooting for you. Really, I am. My New York clients are still raving about filming the soap opera here and how well it worked.”

  Tim took care of her luggage as we walked Brenda out to the limo waiting for her.

  Rhonda and I exchanged hugs with her and then stood aside as she climbed into the car.

  As we watched the limousine pull out of the front circle, Rhonda said, “They’d better come through for us, Annie. You know how I love weddings. And this one would put us on the map in Europe.”

  “It would be a great way to grow our business,” I said. My body became cold at the idea of failing. Our first months of operation had beaten all our forecasts, but now we needed to make up for some slow weeks. After suddenly having no money and no means to support myself following my divorce, the thought of being in that situation again was something that kept me worrying about the future.

  Bruce Taylor, from Tropical Spa Equipment and Supplies, arrived to meet with us and check out the condition of equipment we’d recently installed. A striking man with gray hair and bright blue eyes, whom I guessed to be in his fifties, he was eager to please us.

  “Do you know of a good masseuse?” I asked. “The one we’ve been using is moving to Arizona to one of the big spas there.”

  Bruce smiled. “As a matter of fact, I do. My son Troy is a trained masseur. Given the right circumstances, you might be able to talk him into leaving his present situation to come and work for you.”

  After we showed Bruce out, Rhonda said, “Do you mind if I go home? I need to take a nap. Don’t worry. I’ll be back in time to help with dinner.”

  I gave her a quizzical look. “You okay?”

  “Just sleepy.” A wicked smile crossed her face and faded.

  I held up my hand. “No, don’t tell me.”

  She laughed and left me in the office to finish up some paperwork.

  That night, talking on the phone with Vaughn, I filled him in on the day’s activities without getting into my strange experience with Tina. Though it weighed heavily on my mind, I’d promised not to tell anyone else about it. I hadn’t and I wouldn’t.

  Settled among the pillows on my bed, I listened as he told me about the day’s filming. I’d learned from watching the filming of the soap opera how tedious the process could be. It was a hurry-up-and-wait sort of thing. Lighting needed to be adjusted, and retakes of scenes due to a number of reasons meant hanging around or doing the same scene over and over. Not quite as exciting as I’d first imagined.

  “So no more kissing scenes with Alicia?” I said, smiling.

  “Yeah. We’re done with that. At least for now. Maybe I’ll have to find someone else to kiss. You know, to keep in practice for you.”

  I laughed. “Better not.”

  “So where are you right now?” he asked, his voice becoming low, seductive.

  “I’m in bed. How about you?”

  “About to get up. But I’ll take time for you. So ... tell me what you’re wearing.”

  I smiled. “Well, not much,” I said, enjoying this game with the man I loved.

  CHAPTER SIX

  In the light of dawn, I trudged across the hotel’s lawn wondering what kind of person I was going to have to deal with this morning. I knew now Tina was very vulnerable; she was also unpredictable and difficult.

  When I arrived at her room, Tina was standing outside dressed for our outing. Pleased, I said, “Good morning! Looks like the rain has left us. It should be a nice walk.”

  She said nothing but acknowledged me with a nod.

  “So how’re things going?” I said as we crossed the lawn to the sandy beach.

  “Terrible. That Jerry won’t let me do anything I want.” A practiced pout pursed her lips.

  “Like what?”

  “I’ve got to have something good to eat, not the stuff you’ve been giving me. And I can learn my lines in a hurry. No one needs to tell me to do it.” She pulled me to a stop. “Can’t you order McDonald’s for me? Please? I’ll pay you a lot of money.”

  “Don’t you want the role in the movie?” I said. “To get it, you have to lose weight. You’ve already lost a couple of pounds. That’s why you’re here.”

  She frowned. “Yeah. So what?”

  “Then why aren’t you cooperating? Jerry’s doing the job we hired him to do. So are we.” I gave her a steady look. “We want to help you.”

  “You want the money,” scoffed Tina. “I know how that works.”

  “We’re not desperate, Tina.” A little white lie.

  “Well, I am,” she said. “Desperate for some frickin’ decent food.”

  Sighing, I moved away from her. It wasn’t an easy situation for any of us.

  Tina caught up to me. Walking beside me, she mumbled under her breath. I ignored her and picked up speed, moving freely along the sandy shore.
Surprisingly, Tina stayed beside me. We’d gone a mile or so when I noticed a figure coming toward us.

  Brock Goodwin.

  “Let’s turn around. We’ve gone far enough,” I said. He was the last person I wanted to meet.

  Tina noticed him and gave me a knowing look. “It’s that guy you don’t like. What’s up with that?”

  I shook my head. “Nothing I’m willing to talk about.”

  Tina turned and, waving her hand at Brock, called out to him. Before I could stop her, she took off running toward him.

  Gritting my teeth, I watched her for a moment and then hurried after her. Brock and Tina together would be disastrous.

  As I approached them, I heard Brock telling her, “It’s the eighth house down the beach from the hotel. Why? Are you going to come visit me?”

  She gave him a coy smile and did a little shimmy with her shoulders. “I just might.”

  His eyes lit up.

  “Or might not,” I said, upset by the way Brock was leering at her. Once a slime, always a slime.

  “Now, Ann, we’re only being friendly,” he said petulantly.

  My hand itched to slap the smirk off his face, but I refused to say more to him in front of Tina. I had the feeling she’d use it against me in the future.

  “Come on, Tina. Let’s go.”

  She made a face but surprised me by joining me and heading down the beach at my side.

  Brock caught up to us. “Wait! Ann, why don’t you and Rhonda come to the party I’m holding tomorrow night, and bring your friend?” He smiled at Tina and turned to me.

  “Thanks, Brock, but we’re really busy with the hotel.”

  “Well, maybe Tina and her boyfriend could come.”

  Tina’s face reflected my astonishment. “Boyfriend?”

  Brock clucked his tongue. “Oh, come on! I’ve seen the guy who hangs around with her. So what do you say?”

  “We’ll see.”

  “Guess that’s the best I can do.” Brock gave us a little salute and trotted ahead of us.

  I pulled Tina to a stop. “What’s with you and Jerry? Why would he think Jerry’s your boyfriend?”