She glanced at Junie’s customer. “You’re busy, so I’ll see you later.”
After walking to the cafe, Maileah sat under an umbrella, ordered coffee, and opened her laptop. She paused toappreciate the sun shimmering over the ocean. The mild, briny scent of the sea was omnipresent.
Jake would be here soon, but she wanted to add something she’d just thought about to Sailor’s proposal.
Thinking about him, she glanced toward the beach. But he wasn’t at the bike concession. An older, quite fit man was in charge. Maybe Sailor had finally conceded that job to someone else. As he should, she thought.
If he liked her idea, he would be plenty busy.
After adding her new thoughts to the presentation, she checked her phone. No message from Jake, the new date. He was late. Still, he might not be familiar with Crown Island.
She sent him a message.I’m at the Majestic Cafe. Need directions?
She watched the phone for a minute, but no message came back. Maybe he was driving.
Maileah turned back to her computer, which immediately dinged with an email. When she opened it, she smiled. She had returned to visit with Margaret, the woman who owned a shop on Orange Avenue. After giving her a proposal, the other woman had reviewed it. Now, she was ready to go with it.
Feeling elated, Maileah pumped her fist. She had her first official client, and it felt good. It wasn’t much, but it was a chance to prove herself among the community on Crown Island. She would also work on the summer festival with her mother, although she didn’t expect any payment for that. The networking would be enough.
Reinvigorated by her first paying engagement, she worked until the dinner crowd began to arrive. Jake was now an hour late yet, still no message.
She’d been ghosted.
Having been guilty of that in the past, she had no room to criticize. She understood. Maybe a sure thing had come along.
She was officially out of that race. She had more to celebrate anyway.
Maileah paid for her coffee, dropped the necklace off at Junie’s, and started back home. Even though the cottage was just a small rental, it was the first place she’d had on her own that she thought of as home. That felt good.
After turning onto Orange Blossom Way, she slowed as she approached Sailor’s home. He was outside wearing a black wetsuit and unloading his surfboard.
She pulled to the curb and called out from her convertible, “How were the waves?”
He put down his board and turned, looking pleasantly surprised to see her. “Pretty decent today. I worked on my technique.”
“I saw your replacement at the bike concession.”
He gave her a sheepish grin. “Skeeter talked some sense into me. That’s one of Dad’s friends who needed something to occupy his mind. Still, I’ll check on him when I’m here. How was your date?”
“How did you know about that?” She’d stepped outside to take that call. “Were you listening?”
“The kitchen window was open. I could hear you on the porch.”
“You should tell people about that.” Still, she waved that off with her hand. “Doesn’t matter. The guy was a no-show.”
“His loss, for sure.”
Sailor began peeling his wetsuit from his arms and chest, revealing his athletic, muscular physique. She had to admire his dedication to his sport.
He caught her eye and stopped at his waist. “I’ll be right back, but don’t go anywhere, okay?”
As Maileah waited, her mind raced. She’d been mulling over this proposal for days but needed the right time to discuss it with him.
He returned wearing a T-shirt and board shorts. “Are you busy tonight?”
“Maybe. What did you have in mind?”
“How about taking my boat out? There’s a full moontonight, and a little take-out stand on the other side of the island. Best fish tacos you’ll ever have.”
