Damn it. I’m doing it again. Unprofessional thoughts!
“I’m glad you like it,” I say neutrally.
Lani appears at the bottom of the stairs, and I quickly change my focus. She glides over, only briefly registering that Emily is in the room and whispers in my ear. “Thanks for last night.”
I look over at Emily, wondering if she heard. I don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable, but she doesn’t seem to have registered anything out of the ordinary.
And then I wonder if this is the kind of thing Mum and Dinah were talking about. On the surface, Lani was just being cute and reminding me of our night together. But she could also be deliberately trying to mark her territory. I don’t know why she would feel threatened, though. I love her. I want to marry her. Maybe I need to remind her how much I care.
I know! I’ll suggest we sneak away tomorrow for a mini date. There are lots of secret romantic places here on the island where we won’t be disturbed.
My roommate, Dash, bounds down the stairs. “It was so good not having to listen to your snoring last night, dude,” he teases. “I had the best sleep in ages.”
“I don’t snore!” I mock protest.
“Yeah, he doesn’t snore,” Lani says, faking outrage on my behalf. “And I should know.”
I glance at Emily again. She’s doing a good job of looking at home, but I worry that there’s too much discussion about my relationship with Lani. “Hey, Dash, have you met Emily yet?”
Dash waves at her. “Hi. You’re the new night manager, right?”
“That’s me.”
Lani suddenly squeezes my side. “Darling, do you want to try that new Asian Fusion restaurant in Mackay tomorrow? I heard it’s supposed to be really good.”
I internally sigh. The woman is not making it easy to change the topic. “Uh, maybe. I guess we’ll see how the repairs on the jetty go. We’re already behind schedule, and that collapse last night didn’t help.”
She frowns. “I know. But you have to have a life sometime.”
“Of course we do. And I was just thinking about what we could do for our next date night. Maybe we could hang out together here somewhere on the island. That way we’re not wasting time travelling to and from the mainland. Besides, if we went back for dinner, we’d have to stay in Mackay for the night.”
She pouts. “But the island is so boring.”
I disagree, and I don’t think Lani really believes that either, but she’s the kind of person who likes to see an idea through once she gets it in her head.
“Okay. How about we see what happens with the repairs? Maybe we could sneak back tomorrow afternoon and return before dark.”
She looks as if she wants to argue more but doesn’t want to make a scene in front of everyone. “All right. We’ll talk about it more later.”
She leaves the building without eating breakfast.
Dash looks at Emily and comically drags his hands down his face. She smiles in return.
“What do you do here?” she asks.
“I’m the event planner.”
“Really?” She perks up. “So, are you working on something for the reopening?”
“I am. But I’m struggling with budget constraints and a lack of coordinated strategy at the moment.”
“Have you talked to Calvin?”
“Have you talked to Calvin?” he counters.
She looks at her watch. “I’m about to.”
“Tell me what you think when you’re done.”
“Okay.” She stands up, scooping the last of the granola into her mouth and heading for the door. “Thank you for that delicious breakfast, Noah. Wish me luck!”
“Good luck!” Dash and I say in unison.
After she leaves, Dash looks at me. “I like her.”
“Yeah, she seems nice.”
“Low drama.”
I nod.
“Unlike a certain someone…”
“I know, I know. Leave it. Lani’s awesome. She’s just not a morning person.”
“Or a day person. Or a night person.”
“Dude,” I warn him.
“Sorry. I’ll stop hassling you. You got a busy day?”
“Yep. And with the jetty repair added to the list, I’m worried we’re not going to be anywhere near ready to open in a few weeks.”
“I guess that’s not our problem.”
“Well, it kind of is. But yeah, Cal really needs to get his shit together.”
“Maybe Emily will be a good influence on him.”
“I hope so.”
I’ve only known the woman for a day, but she seems very capable. Definitely more capable than Cal.
But getting through to him will require some pretty special people skills.
I’m not sure anyone is up for that task.
SEVEN
Emily
I run into Sasha on the path going towards reception. “I didn’t see you at breakfast,” I say.
“Yeah, I got up early and ate with the construction guys at their building. They’re way more chilled out than some of the people we share a floor with.”
“Are you talking about Lani?”
She raises an eyebrow at me. “How’d you guess?”
“Just a hunch.”
“Man, I never like to talk ill of anyone, but that chick is hard work.”
“She seems to really care about Noah. And he her.”
“Yeah. I definitely think he’s into her. But I’m not so sure about the other way around. There’s something a bit off about the way she behaves with him.”
“I guess that’s something they’ll have to work out.”
“You’re right. It’s their business. Anyway, I take it you’re about to have your first meeting with Cal?”
“Yep. Do you have any tips for me? Or anything you want me to ask on your behalf?”
“I wouldn’t know where to begin. Ever since we came back, we’ve kind of been in reactive mode. Whatever needs attention the most gets fixed first. I’ve tried to ask Cal whether we need to develop some sort of overall strategy, but he just fobs me off and says it’s all under control.”
“And clearly it’s not.”
“No, it’s not. All Calvin cares about is money and sucking up to Bruce, the owner.”
“Well, then, doesn’t Bruce care what happens to the resort?”
“You’d think so, but apparently not. He’s kind of eccentric. This island was a spontaneous purchase he made five years ago, and when the cyclone hit, he lost interest. Rumour has it, he’s trying to find a new buyer. That’s why he’s making us reopen but not giving us enough money to do it properly. He just wants to turn enough of a profit to convince some poor sucker it’s worth taking off his hands.”
“Oh. Aren’t you worried you’ll be fired if that happens?”
“I guess that’s always a risk, but I can’t see anyone wanting to buy it in this current economic climate. You just have to look at all the luxury resorts along the coast. Half of them are abandoned but in better shape than here.”
My brain starts turning over. Five years of experience developing campaigns to attract Canadians to various Australian landmarks means I feel qualified to come up with a plan for this place. That way, we could ensure everyone’s future employment and that the resort’s previous branding standards were maintained.
“What?” Sasha asks, seeing my expression.
“Nothing. I’m just thinking.”
“Well, don’t think too hard. It causes wrinkles.” She laughs. “But anything positive you can convince Cal to do will be very welcomed.”
“I’ll try my best.”
We arrive at reception and Sasha points to a door behind the counter. “He should be in there.”
“Thanks.”
I cautiously knock and wait.
“Come in.”
I know this is now technically my office too, but from the sound of it, Calvin isn’t someone you want to get on the wrong side of. A little respect will h
opefully go a long way.
Inside are two desks on opposite walls, with a computer on each one. At the back, a window looks out to the turquoise water. I could get used to this. Although, I suppose there won’t be much to see if I’m only here at night.
Calvin is sitting at one of the computers, wearing an identical outfit to the one he had on last night, except his polo shirt is mint green today.
He doesn’t look up. “I’m just finishing an email. Feel free to enjoy the view while you wait.”
“Is this computer mine?” I ask, looking at the one not being used.
“Oh, yeah. I guess.”
I sit down and switch it on. I was pretty savvy with all the software we used in Vancouver, but I have no idea what I’m doing now.
“Do we have an IT guy?” I check.
“Nope.” He doesn’t elaborate.
“Okay. I guess I’ll figure it out myself.”
“Shit!” He spins around and runs his hands through his hair. “My whole email just disappeared.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. Do you want me to see if I can retrieve it? Sometimes messages can be hidden in the drafts folder.”
He faces his computer again and clicks a couple of buttons.
“It’s there,” he says begrudgingly.
“That’s a relief.”
“All right. Just give me two minutes, and we’ll talk properly. Can you get me some coffee?”
Normally, I would point out that I’m not his personal assistant, but we’ve only known each other for five minutes, and I’d rather catch flies with honey, or whatever the saying is. “Sure. Do you want milk and sugar?”
“Milk, no sugar.”
“Okay. I’ll be back in a minute.”
I head out, wondering where I can obtain coffee. Surely Calvin doesn’t expect me to make it back at the staff quarters? It would be cold by the time I returned.
I look around for another employee and see Allie, the groundskeeper, clipping a hedge.
“Hi,” I call out. “Do you know where I can get some coffee for Calvin?”
“Monty should be in his restaurant. There’s a coffee machine in there you can use.”
“Thanks.” I look around. “And where exactly is Monty’s restaurant?”
She laughs and points to a nearby building. “Just down the path. You know, they have resort maps behind the counter at reception.”
“I’ll make sure I grab one on the way back.” I pause for a moment and watch her. “It looks like you have your work cut out for you.”
“Yeah. I’m digging up this Sheena’s Gold. It makes a pretty hedge, but it can easily get out of control. Also, the berries are poisonous if eaten, so I want to plant some lilly-pillies instead. I just have to get Cal to sign off on the purchase order. The upside of the new plant is that its berries can be made into jam.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever tried lilly-pilly jam.”
“It’s a little tart, but I like it. My mum makes a lot of stuff from native Australian plants. Wattle-seed ice cream…lemon-myrtle shortbread…macadamia butter…”
“They sound delicious.”
“They are. She sells them at a market in Mackay sometimes, although I think it’s hard for her to book time at the commercial kitchen near her house in order to make everything.”
“You’ll have to tell me when she next has a stall. I’d love to try some.”
“Will do.”
I continue heading down the path, past a swimming pool filled with scummy green water, and enter a large dining area. All the furniture is covered in the type of cloths painters use when they’re working, but I can hear some noise at the back.
On further investigation, I see the bar, complete with coffee machine at the end. I peer through the serving window and spy Monty in the kitchen.
“Hi. I’m just getting some coffee for Calvin,” I explain.
“Go for it. You’ve used one of those machines before?”
“Not for a while, but I think I’ll be okay.”
He nods.
I locate some ground coffee under the counter and tamp it down into the…whatever that scoopy thing is you click into the machine. It’s lucky I’m not being tested on specific barista terminology.
I switch it on, ensuring the water container is full, and wait until the sensor light changes to green.
In the meantime, I find some milk and pour it into a jug. I haven’t done this for over five years, but my hands seem to remember what to do.
“Do you want any?” I call out to Monty.
“Nah, but thanks anyway. I’m just trying to work out a menu for reopening week, but it’s difficult when I don’t know what the budget is going to be.”
“Calvin hasn’t given you any idea?”
He snorts. “The day Calvin gives me a straight answer about anything will be the day I die from shock.”
“I’m sorry you don’t have the information you need. I’m about to have a meeting with him, so I’ll see what I can find out for you.”
“If you get him to commit to anything, I will be very surprised.”
It’s clearly quite worrying that none of the staff I’ve met so far have a very high opinion of Calvin. But I’m going to reserve judgment until I’ve talked to him properly.
After frothing the milk and adding it to the freshly brewed coffee, I switch everything off and clean up after myself. I head back to the office, hoping my barista skills are up to a decent standard.
Calvin looks even more agitated when I return.
“Is everything okay?” I ask, putting the mug down beside him on his desk.
“No! I’ve just lost my spreadsheet.”
The guy sure doesn’t have a good relationship with technology.
“Uh, do you want me to see if I can find it for you with auto-recovery?”
He shakes his head. “Forget it. I’ll just start over.”
“Are you sure?”
He picks up the coffee and takes a sip. And then raises an eyebrow. “The woman is talented.”
I don’t know if I like the way he said that, but I appreciate the sentiment. “Thanks.”
“Now tell me. Why does an international tourism director living in Vancouver suddenly throw in the towel and accept a shitty night post on an abandoned island in the Whitsundays?”
I take a deep breath. I knew this question would come up eventually. I think about my carefully rehearsed answer. “I feel as though I achieved everything I set out to do in that role, and I missed Australia, so I decided to come home. But for the record, I didn’t know the resort was ‘abandoned,’ as you put it. The recruiter forgot to tell me that part.”
I shouldn’t complain about Birdie, though, since she didn’t ask for any professional references. If she had, I’d probably still be considering one of those jobs at the bike shop or gold buyer.
“Yes, well, we’ll be up and running again in no time.”
“Okay, so I was wondering if we could go over the work schedule? Maybe I can complete a few things on the list or follow up staff and suppliers? I’ve talked to a few people this morning and…”
He narrows his eyes. “Work schedule?”
I look at him, confused. “Yes?”
“You mean a written document?”
“I assumed there would be a document of some sort, yes,” I say carefully.
He taps his head. “It’s all up here.”
“But maybe now that I’m here, it would help to have something we can both refer to.”
He puts down his drink and cups his hands behind his head. “Listen, I know you technically have the word manager in your job title, but I think you need to realise it doesn’t mean we’re equals. Your role is to make sure the place doesn’t burn down at night, and since we don’t reopen for another four weeks, you’re basically pointless until then. So why don’t you go and enjoy the downtime? Lie on the beach…swim in the ocean…although, I won’t say no if you want to bring me coffee each morning.”
I lo
ok at him disbelievingly. “Excuse me?”
“What?”
“Why did you ask to see me at 8:30am sharp if you were just going to tell me to sit on my butt for four weeks?”
“Because I wanted to test your coffee-making skills.”
He says it with zero irony. For a second, I wonder if I’ve somehow fallen into a time warp and come out in 1950.
“Am I going to be paid for ‘lying on the beach’ and ‘swimming in the ocean?’”
“Yes, why?”
“And you don’t see that as a waste of resources? Why didn’t you just have me arrive here on opening day?”
He waves a hand dismissively. “I don’t know. I left it up to the recruiter to sort everything out. She probably stuffed up the paperwork or something. But hey, if you want to go dig weeds with Allie or be Monty’s sous chef, go ahead. I just don’t want to see you again until opening day.”
“Would Bruce be okay with that?” I check.
He looks at me warily. “Bruce trusts my judgment. He doesn’t get involved in the day-to-day operation of the resort unless it’s important.”
“Okay, so just to be clear, you have everything under control and don’t expect me to achieve any benchmarks until after we open?”
He looks at me blankly. “Benchmarks?”
“You know, goals? Ways to manage staff performance? KPIs?”
“You’re talking gibberish to me, woman.”
I throw my hands up in the air. “Forget it. I’ll see you on opening day.”
“Excellent.” He turns back to his computer, picking up the coffee and taking another sip. “This is damn good coffee.”
I stalk out, heading back to the staff quarters. What the actual hell? What kind of manager has never heard of benchmarks or KPIs? Where did that guy get his qualifications? From the back of a cereal box?
I’m walking so fast I almost go through the rope protecting people from falling off the remains of the jetty. I stop myself just in time, cursing under my breath.
“Everything okay up there?” a voice calls.
I peer over the edge and see Noah down on the sand with a couple of guys. He’s shirtless and his torso is glistening in the sun. With anyone else, I would reprimand them for not practicing sun sense, but no straight woman would complain about having that chest on display. I caught a glimpse earlier when I’d just come out of the shower, but I’d been too mortified about being practically naked myself to appreciate the sight properly.
Welcome to Coco Bay Page 4
