“She’s open to a discussion if you are.” Joey held their breath, unsure of how that would land.
“You spoke to her?” Marianne’s eyes narrowed.
Joey nodded, though their insides clenched.
“I don’t know how I feel about you discussing my career when I’m not there.” Marianne’s coolness felt like an icy blast.
“I wasn’t, honestly. I just suggested your name and Kasia didn’t believe you’d be interested. And I said I’d ask. That was it.” They moved across to the seat next to Marianne, worry about upsetting her overcoming their need to keep a distance.
Marianne took their hand in hers, and they blinked, trying to focus.
“I know you mean well. But my career means the world to me. I can’t do anything that might jeopardize my future.”
“But you could spin it any way you want. A career break to have some quality time with Denny, or a chance to go back to basics. I follow your social media channels. People love you whatever you’re doing.”
Joey found it difficult to retain rational thought while Marianne’s thumb ran patterns across their palm. Their face was hot despite the coolness of the evening. They wanted to pull away, but also for Marianne to carry on holding their hand forever.
Marianne abruptly dropped Joey’s hand. “Perhaps you’re right. I could just give it a go for a couple of months. How bad could it be?”
Joey wondered how it would work if Marianne made changes to the menu and Kasia didn’t approve. Tom had never had that level of authority, but Marianne would likely take it for granted.Perhaps she and Kasia weren’t the best personalities to push together.
“If she agreed to take you on. I think Kasia would insist on a trial period anyway, so you could see how it went.”
“Would she, indeed?” Marianne laughed in a way that Joey didn’t particularly like. “And will I need to be interviewed for the post?”
Joey’s doubts multiplied. “Yes…if you’re sure about this.”
She downed the rest of her wine and reached for the bottle. “I’m not sure about anything. I just have no other ideas at the moment. So, I’ll give it a go.”
Joey sat watching her as she filled the glass to the brim and took a gulp. Were they doing the right thing pushing for this to happen? Was it desperation to not lose any more business, or did they really have everyone’s best interests at heart? Only time would tell, but they hoped they were doing something to help Marianne out of her predicament, and not making everything worse.
ELEVEN
“Did you sleep here all night?”
Marianne’s eyes were red rimmed as Joey woke to see her standing over their hammock. The sun was just rising, casting a pink glow over everything, but even in the beautiful light she had a gray pallor.
She’d downed another bottle of wine before Joey insisted she go to bed, and got her settled with a glass of water. Worried about leaving Denny in case he woke in the night in a strange place, Joey had grabbed a sleeping bag and made themself comfortable in the hammock.
They rubbed their eyes.
“I didn’t want to leave you and Denny after you’d had so much to drink.”That was subtle.But it was too early to be diplomatic.
“Why did you let me drink that much?” Marianne’s voice was raspy.
“I didn’t know I was responsible for your decision-making.” Joey failed to bite back their irritation. Mindful of how much pressure she’d been under, they sighed. “You seemed to need a little relaxation. I didn’t think it would do any harm.”
“Perhaps the night before you’ve promised Denny a ride on the boat wasn’t the wisest.” Marianne rubbed her face. “You’re right, it was my mistake, sorry. I’m just so full of feelings. I guess I needed to numb them for a while.”
Joey swung out of the hammock onto their feet. “We’ll keep it short. I’ll empty the pots and we’ll head straight back.”
“Denny will be ecstatic, anyway. And when we get back, I’ll call Kasia about the job.” She leaned against the wooden post of the deck. “It’s really not the best day to have a hangover.”
“I’ll head back to Dad’s and get ready, and I’ll see you at the boat in fifteen minutes. Dress Denny up warm, okay?”
The slap of the waves on the hull was a rhythmic sound that usually soothed Joey, but watching Marianne leaning over the side wasn’t conducive to calm. She hadn’t thrown up, but she looked close to it. With haunted eyes, she’d waved away the flask of coffee Joey had offered, and instead spent the trip staring over the side.
Joey was pleased they’d thought ahead to bring Denny’s buggy. It was compact enough he could sit in a corner and watch everything, but knowing he was strapped in and safe allowed Joey to get on with their job. They wished now they’d left Marianne at home to rest.
