Return to Gray Harbor (10 page)

Michael took another sip of his wine and then placed it aside. He decided she was too far away, he needed to close the gap between them. He pulled his chair around so that he was directly in front of her and their knees were touching. He was on the edge of his seat, wondering what he should do next.

“I’m nervous,” she blurted.

Beth’s statement caught Michael off guard, but it also made him smile. “You don’t say.” His tone was low and amused and he was watching her intently. “And why is that?”

“Because I’m trying to figure out if this is a good idea or not, and you’re looking at me,” she said as she watched him with a mixture of anticipation, desire and heat that was unfamiliar. She wanted him. Michael’s movement interrupted her thoughts. He had leaned forward and he was looking at her intensely.

The silence between them had turned so absolute that all Michael could hear was the wind whistling behind him and if he listened carefully, he could hear Beth’s heart beating almost as fast as his own. She leaned closer and reached across and grabbed his hands in hers.

All the blood in his body rushed straight to his groin. Despite all the years it had been, one thing had not changed. All Beth had to do was look at him and his body would respond.

Their eyes connected in the semi-darkness and held. He leaned in and their lips met, molding together, tongues tangling, the heat building between them. They stayed like that for many moments until Beth rose and sat in Michael's lap, feeling his hardness. She smiled and kissed him.

Michael responded with a groan and his arms encircled her and his hands roamed over her body, encountering what he thought was far too many layers of material.

“These need to come off,” Michael said breaking the silence and he began to unbutton her oxford shirt all while kissing her neck and then her lips.

Beth let out a soft moan. It had been a long time since she had been kissed like this and who would have ever thought she’d be kissing Michael! He certainly had changed since high school, she thought, as her hands roamed his body. His back was like one large muscle, his shoulders broad, despite his lean frame. His chest muscles and stomach muscles were tight. His arms were strong and she liked how they felt circling around her. She was feeling warm inside and had a desire deep inside to do more than just kiss. This was getting intense. Beth wasn’t sure she was ready for this — it had been such a long time since she had been with someone and that fact made her nervous.

Beth removed her arms from where they were resting around Michael's neck and placed them on his chest, then she pushed him away lightly, and then more forcefully, bringing their kiss to an end.

Michael looked into to her eyes,

She sighed. “I should get you home.”

Michael looked crestfallen. She didn’t want to hurt him but this was just moving too fast. On top of that, tomorrow was the first night of the bike tour at the Inn and it was her chance to impress them and get a contract booking that could lead to some press and reviews that could help her grow the Inn. It was all too much to risk for a man who was likely leaving in two weeks.

“Is everything okay, Beth? Did I do something wrong? I hope you don’t think I was trying to push for anything we’re both not ready for.” He looked at her, searching her eyes, to see what she was thinking, what she was feeling.

“No, you didn’t do anything wrong, and I didn’t think that. It’s just that—“ how was she going to word this? Michael was great, he was good-looking, smart, successful, nice, sexy, sincere … basically everything she would normally want in a man. But there were no guarantee he would be here in two weeks. Not that she needed a guarantee. But she couldn’t risk a great business opportunity for a fling. And frankly, she was tired of being left. First her parents, then her sister, and then strings of boyfriends.

“It’s just that I have a big day at the Inn tomorrow and a special tasting menu to prepare and …”

Michael interrupted her before she could finish, “Say no more. You have an important day tomorrow and I don’t want to get in the way. But maybe we can go out one night, or one afternoon? Whatever works best with your schedule here at the Inn?”

She looked hesitant, but something in her eyes gave Michael hope that tonight wasn’t a lark.

“You don’t have to tell me now. Let it marinate, okay? I’d really like to see you again.”

It was hard to say no to that sexy smile. She felt her whole body grow warm. She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips and smiled at him before standing up.

Michael was confused but he also understood. He was always so focused on his career and would never let a woman get in the way of his work — it seemed like Beth was the same way. It’s funny how sometimes the very thing that draws you to someone is the thing that could keep you away from them. But he wasn’t going to give up, they had something and maybe it was only physical but maybe that was all either of them could handle now, anyway.

Argghh ... the world was ending. At least that’s how Michael felt. He had way too much the drink the night before. Drinking that much was never worth it the next day, he thought. However, it was all worth it for the moments he and Beth had shared behind the Inn. He wasn’t sure if she would want to see him again but he knew what he wanted and he intended to go after it. Beth was intriguing — she was smart, funny, driven, and attractive — something he had yet to find within one woman. But he needed to put her out of his mind for the day, since it was going to be a busy one.

The shingle guys would be arriving that morning and Jonah would be supervising them. Michael would probably have to tell his mother about what he and Annie had discovered about Malone’s Market. He wasn’t planning on visiting his Dad that day but it was certainly weighing on him. And to top it off, he was babysitting. Some vacation. He looked over at the alarm clock and jumped up. It was already six forty-five! Annie would be here any minute. He shot out of bed and in a matter of five minutes, he had showered and pulled on jeans with a navy blue t-shirt, a brown belt, sunglasses, and his brown boat shoes. He quickly looked at himself in the mirror. He had stubble but he knew he’d have no time to shave with Annie on the way. He grabbed his wallet and keys and by the time he hit the bottom of the stairs, Annie was knocking on the door.

He opened it and before he could say a word, Annie said, “God, you like hell!”

Michael growled at her and simply said, “Need coffee,” as he pulled on his sunglasses.

“Ah-Ah, little brother, details, details!”

They both walked to the car and Michael got in on the passenger side. He buckled in before saying, “Not much to tell. We were having a great time chatting, we even kissed—”

“Whoa! Not much to tell. Sounds like a lot to me,” Annie said, as she started the car and pulled out of the driveway to head to the market.

“Yeah, I know. She just, you know, hit the breaks fast and basically said she’s busy with work. I don’t know, we’ll see. I’ll give her a little space. Anyway, now how about that coffee?”

They pulled into the Dunkin Donuts and each got a coffee. Michael also opted for a chocolate glazed donut, something his trainer would have killed him for. He also hadn’t worked out once since he got there almost six days ago. That needed to change. He’d planned to finally put on those running shoes he’d brought with him and workout. He sipped his coffee as Annie drove and by the time they got to Malone’s Market, he felt almost human again. She promised him that they would be continuing the conversation about his night later that afternoon before his babysitting duty began.

He and Annie agreed that he’d be spending all day in the office. He’d try to get a filing system going and pay the most important bills he could. In the afternoon, they’d speak to their mother. Michael also needed to think about when he was going to face his Dad again. It had only been two days but it felt like an eternity.

When Michael walked in, he waved to the cashiers, including his sister Judy, and then he headed up the stairs, still sipping his coffee. When he got to his father's office, he saw someone else was already there and the computer was on. It was his mother and it looked like she was crying. She turned around as she heard Michael approach.

“So, I was right, but I had no idea how right I was.” She had opened up his spreadsheet with the profit and loss calculations. “Michael, what are we going to do? I think this just might be what caused your father's stroke. I can’t believe he didn’t share any of this with me. I could have helped. I don’t know how, but maybe I could have convinced him to slow down on the improvements — oh, it’s just such a mess.”

She began to sob.

Michael crossed the room and set down his coffee. Today of all days and first thing in the morning, too. He put his arms around his mother and held her while she cried. They stood there for a while until Marty broke the connection and wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

“It’s all making sense now, Michael. I am so angry with him. Why couldn’t he share this with us, why couldn’t he ask for help? He is just so goddamned stubborn.”

Michael was beginning to think his father knew exactly what had happened, but he couldn’t say that. Instead, he said, “Mom, sometimes when you encounter stuff like this and you’re in it, you can’t see just how bad it really is. I know we can save Malone’s Market, though, if Dad will let me help. I actually think if we all helped and put our ideas together as a family, we can really make things work.”

Marty sighed but then a look of determination crossed her face. “Write up your ideas, son. We’re going to talk to your father about this and let’s see how many months we can make it until we come up with a formal plan.”

“Mom, I can help a little. I can pay—”

“Michael, no. Don’t think I didn’t realize what you’ve already paid for at the house. Although I appreciate that, this is too much to ask and even too much money for you to put up. Unless ...” she paused and had a thoughtful look on her face. “Unless you become a partner in the business ... and that’s not something I think you’ve ever had an interest in. And that would be something everyone, including your Dad, would need to think about ... but that could really work ... just think of it as an investment.”

Become a partner! That was not something that had even crossed Michael’s mind. He guessed he was enjoying himself this week but being here permanently would be difficult, especially once his Dad was back. Michael suddenly felt scared, what if his father didn’t come back? He really did need to go speak with him, and he needed to do it alone.

“Mom, I’m not really sure how I would feel about all of that, but I do know I want to help and that I do care about the fate of the business. Let me take a look at all of the finances and come up with a plan. It might take me a few days but I think I have some ideas and I would love to sit with all of you: you, Annie, Jonah, and Judy, and see what all your thoughts are. I think everyone could really have good ideas and talents we haven’t tapped into. For instance, why haven’t we made a website when we have Jonah here? Why aren’t we serving your delicious lobster rolls to the public — if you ask me, depriving the public of those is a crime.”

Marty smiled for the first time that morning and punched Michael on the shoulder. “Flattery will get you everywhere!”

He smiled at his mother and said, “Okay, well I guess I better get to it, especially since I’m ducking out early today to get some supplies for babysitting the boys.”

His mother left him alone in the office and Michael sat down and stared at the spreadsheet. He decided to get any additional data into Excel and then begin filing and color coding. He loved these types of tasks. Of course he loved to be challenged, too, but sometimes it was nice to get visible results right away. Maybe that’s why Beth liked cooking so much, he thought. Originally, when they were in high school, she had talked quite a bit about becoming a doctor. He had to admit that she had been a great lab partner and probably would have made a great doctor, but he was actually more impressed that she became a chef.

Once upon a time he thought he’d be a writer. Instead, he picked his career by picking what he was best at and what he would make the most money doing. At the end of the day, finance and the market didn’t make him happy. He was good at it, he had good instincts and he was comfortable taking financial risks — but for some reason, not creative ones. He really admired Beth for taking the unexpected route and coming back and creating something great for the town. Not only did her Inn provide jobs, it also was a place where the townspeople could convene.

As he was getting his family’s things in order, he also decided it was time for him to take charge of his life, too, and really think about his next steps. He picked up the phone again and tried his assistant. He checked his email, nothing. He knew it was over. He just had to decide what he was going to do about it, and come to terms with it all and with what he wanted to do next. But honestly, for some reason he didn’t care that much about his job and what could happen, maybe that should tell him something. The money may be great, better than great, but he felt empty at the end of the day. Something to think about.

When he looked at the clock, it was nearly noon. Michael looked around the office and noted that he had placed the last files into the file cabinets. They were labeled and color coded. That just left the stack of bills, which he was going to take care of next. He sat down and took a look at each of them carefully before he wrote out any checks. He set aside some of the smaller, less noticeable bills to pay for the next day, with his own checkbook. Just a little help to keep the place going. He wished he could just give his family the $500,000 — but his had mother made it clear that she felt if he did, then he should have a stake in the business.

Even though he had made and saved millions of dollars, a half million was not exactly a small expense. He had all of the important and urgent bills paid and some set aside for the next day, when both Annie and his mother came in armed with tuna salad sandwiches, colas, and chips.

“So, Mom and I talked,” Annie said. “We have a number of ideas for improvements that might not be so costly, based on what we’ve heard on the floor from customers.”

Michael listened carefully as his mother and sister offered some suggestions. A deli counter, recipe cards at the fish counter suggesting their other products, more appropriate seafood accompaniments, pre-packaged foods, a small coffee shop with its own separate register and entrance.

Michael also shared a few of his own ideas, a re-branding effort, new logo, picnic tables out back, an ocean-themed playground area for kids. He wanted to make the Market a destination and help set it apart from the competition.

They were all good ideas, and many of them wouldn't be nearly as expensive as some of the things their father had put in place, including large tanks for fish that spanned floor to ceiling ... making Malone’s more like sea world than a market. There were clearly some misguided plans that were going to take place — but they could change that.

Marty took a deep breath. “I think we have some good ideas here but we’re going to have to talk to your father about all of this, and you know how stubborn he is. And he’s never listened to any of us...”

Michael knew what was coming.

Annie looked at their mother.  “You should really talk to him, Mikey. I know things are rough between you two, but believe it or not, I think Dad will listen to you. You wouldn’t be so successful managing that hedge fund if you didn’t have a head for business. We need that.”

His mother gave him a meaningful look. He didn’t know what to say. He was honored that they valued him but he also wasn’t sure he wanted to work at Malone’s, and he definitely didn’t want to speak to his father about all of this. But he saw no way around it.

“Fine, I’ll talk to him. And I am happy to help, but I don’t know that I want to be a part of Malone’s Market full-time, but we can work something out.”

Both his mother and Annie smiled.

Michael said, “So, I’m going to wrap things up, Annie, and then I’m going to go get some pizzas and videos and head over to your place to see the boys.”

“Sounds good. Tom will be there, he’ll give you the rundown on bedtimes, baths, and all that. Thanks again, Michael. We’re looking forward to some alone time.” She winked and Michael nearly gagged.  As much as he liked his sister, even at thirty-one, sometimes he just did not need the details about her personal life, even just implied details.

Beth was tired. Making breakfast that morning was hell on earth. Her head was pounding and she felt like she had cotton in her mouth from being so dehydrated. And she kept getting distracted while baking; she nearly burned her scones. All she could do was think of Michael. Why couldn’t she get him out of her head? Sure, he had lean muscles and long limbs, sure he had deep blue eyes and dark hair and a smile that could make you weak in the knees — but she wasn’t interested. She couldn’t be. She had no time for this, and she certainly had no time for someone who was just going to up and leave in a few weeks. Where would that leave her? She couldn’t think about it anymore, she had too much work to do. And she told herself that she wasn’t interested, not interested at all. So why did she keep seeing his face everywhere and keep replaying last night over and over in her head? She sighed.

Okay, fine, she liked him. She was really interested, but he was leaving soon. She knew he said he thought about leaving his job and coming back ... but thinking about doing something and actually doing something were two entirely different things. But if she just thought of it as a fling, maybe it would be better. It had been quite some time since she had been with someone and she didn’t know how much longer she could take it. She was independent, but being alone was not always the most fulfilling. She sighed again.

“Oh, mother — damn it.” She had just burned the asparagus for her vegetable frittata. Today’s breakfast special. She needed to focus, she needed to get him out of her head. She couldn’t keep thinking about Michael with all the pending guests. As much as she loved the restaurant and the Tavern, it was the Inn that brought in the greatest profit margins. Impressing a tour group like Pedal Feet was exactly what she needed to allow the Warren to thrive. Today bicycle tours, tomorrow weddings, she thought. And as far as Michael — well, if he really did ever move to Maine, then maybe they could have something. But until then, if it ever happened, she needed to focus.