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  “It was. I had one of the front desk girls cover the concierge desk so I could run into town and get everything. It was a fun day, actually.”

  “Never a dull moment at the concierge desk,” Marco said.

  It was the perfect opening for Andrea to mention her New York offer. She wanted to talk to Marco about it and not just spring it on him if she did decide to accept. But it was hard for her to bring it up, too. If she decided to take the offer, it was going to be even harder to leave, and she knew she’d miss Marco, too.

  She waited until after they’d eaten and were relaxing with a second cocktail. They were still outside watching the sun beginning to set. There was no water view from where Marco lived, but it was still a nice area. His house backed up to conservation land and there were lots of trees everywhere.

  Usually, the two of them were never at a loss for conversation and often had to be careful not to talk over each other in their rush to get their thoughts out. But suddenly there were some quiet moments. The normal flow of conversation seemed to dry up as the weight of what Andrea needed to say hung over her. Marco finally noticed it, too, and said something.

  “Is everything okay? You seem a little distracted, not your usual chatty self.”

  She smiled. “I do have something on my mind. So, I didn’t exactly tell you the whole story about why I went to New York.”

  He took a sip of his beer and held her gaze, waiting for her to continue.

  “I had a final interview, for a general manager role at an upscale hotel in Manhattan. It’s a great opportunity. And they made me an offer this afternoon. A good offer.”

  “I see. You don’t seem all that excited about such a great offer. Do you want the job? If you do, if you think it might be your dream job, then you should take it.”

  She didn’t expect him to say that.

  “I don’t know what to do. There are pros and cons. It’s a great opportunity, but it’s in Manhattan. That has never been my first choice.”

  “I think you have to decide if that’s what you really want to do, too. Were you happier as a general manager than you are working in concierge services?”

  She bit her lower lip as she considered the question for what felt like the millionth time.

  “I feel like I should want this job,” she admitted.

  “Why?”

  “Well, because it’s the highest level and what I always thought I should be doing and what I did do for so long here.”

  “Do what you love and the money will follow…that’s an old saying my father used to say. When a man loves what he does, it’s not work, it’s living. I guess it depends how you want to live your life. Only you can decide that, Andrea.”

  She knew he was right. And she knew she had a lot to think about. She smiled. “How did you get so smart?”

  He leaned over and brushed a wayward strand of hair off her face. “You’re making it too hard. Sleep on it and go with your gut. Go with what is going to make you feel lighter, happier. Maybe it’s the Manhattan job. Maybe it’s not.”

  “That’s a good suggestion. I’ll do that.”

  “There’s something else to consider, too,” Marco said softly and leaned in closely.

  “What?” she whispered.

  He closed the distance and touched his lips lightly to hers. The kiss made her toes tingle. It didn’t go on for long, but it was powerful. When it stopped, he smiled again as he met her eyes. “I’ve wanted to do that for a long time. I just wanted you to know how I feel. If you stay, it could be amazing with us. I think you feel it, too?”

  She nodded. “I do.”

  “I’m not trying to change your mind. If New York is what you want, I still think you should go for it. But I just wanted you to have all the information.”

  “I don’t know if this is a good idea. I am your boss, after all,” she said softly.

  But Marco shook his head. “I already looked into it. There are no rules about dating co-workers or supervisors at the hotel. We’re adults, Andrea. If it doesn’t work out, I think we’d still be able to work together. And if it does work out—well like I said already, it could be amazing.”

  “I have a lot to think about. I should probably get going.”

  “You do.” Marco walked her to her car and kissed her again, more thoroughly this time, and left her breathless.

  “Sleep well, Andrea.”

  Chapter 33

  Something was brewing. Paula didn’t know what was going on, but it involved her Aunt Vivian. Her grandfather and her aunt went into a meeting at eleven that lasted over an hour and by the way Aunt Vivian had stormed out of office, Paula guessed it hadn’t gone in her aunt’s favor. Her grandfather had back-to-back meetings the rest of the day and at two in the afternoon, she noticed that David went into a meeting with him that also lasted for over an hour.

  Paula had an odd feeling that it may have been about her as she wasn’t included in the meeting and David’s time here was almost over. Technically it was over, but her grandfather had asked him to stay on for the Taste of the Town event which was coming up on Monday. He was due to leave after that. The time was going by too fast. Paula didn’t feel like she needed his guidance for a longer period of time, but she enjoyed having him around.

  She went down to the reception area at three to help with the check-in rush and when it slowed and she returned to her office an hour and a half later, her grandfather waved her into his office and a moment later, David joined them.

  “You may have noticed it’s been a busy day today. Lots of meetings. Some of them were just catching up after being away, but there was one with your aunt that we need to discuss and also I met with David to discuss his overall assessment of your suitability for the role.”

  Paula nodded. There wasn’t much for her to say at this point. She’d known the assessment was coming. She thought she was doing a good job. She hoped David and her grandfather agreed.

  “So, first your aunt. Did you know she had a harebrained idea that I might want to sell The Whitley?”

  Paula was shocked. “No. I knew nothing about that.”

  “She invited a realtor in, got an assessment and then tried to convince me it would be a good time to cash in. For her to cash in is really what it came down to.” He explained about her aunt’s gambling addiction. Paula knew she’d had a problem with gambling years ago but didn’t know it was an issue again.

  “I’m sorry to hear that. I didn’t know.”

  “None of us did. Except Freddy who was there. That’s the real reason she came home and was all upset with him. He put his foot down about the gambling. But not before she lost most of their life savings.” He sighed.

  “I talked to David about it and we came up with an idea. I didn’t want to involve you on this because you are family, and I wanted an outside, objective opinion. I also wondered if he might have run into anything like this before in his consulting and he has.”

  “Twice, actually. Gambling addiction is more common than people realize.”

  Her grandfather nodded. “Your aunt is already addressing the problem. She’s joined a local support group. What we’ve decided to do is to advance her a portion of her inheritance—enough to give her a cushion and get her back on her feet and so they won’t have to lose their house.”

  Paula’s jaw dropped.

  Her grandfather nodded. “Yes, she’s really got herself and Freddy into a pickle. And it’s not his fault. She lied to him about what she was up to. He thought she was out with her friends—and she was—but at casinos. It’s a mess.”

  “Your grandfather isn’t just giving her money, though,” David added.

  “That’s right. I told her I’m not a bank and I have no intention of selling The Whitley—ever. I did tell her we can give her a real job here, though, and put her on salary. David came up with the perfect role for her.”

  “We thought she’d make a good program director,” David said. “She can work with Hallie on putting together some pac
kages where guests come for a long weekend or a week and have an educational experience—like a Nantucket history week where we have talks on different aspects of Nantucket and tours of the local museums. Or a Nantucket foodie week, where we line up cooking demonstrations and luncheons at area restaurants. A knitting weekend or a literature week. She can target her own age demographic especially, as they have the time and money for vacations like that.”

  “And she’s like your cousin Andrea in that she’s very social so she can be the hostess for the guests that attend, like a cruise director,” her grandfather said. “When David said that, it made sense to me as we had all kinds of similar things on our cruise. And it’s another way we can market The Whitley.”

  “Well, that all sounds like a good plan to me,” Paula said. “How can I help?”

  “You can oversee Hallie and your Aunt Vivian, and make sure they have the support they need,” her grandfather said.

  “Now that that is settled, it brings me to our other business. When I first brought David in, I asked him to help you settle into your new role and to give me an honest assessment at the end as to if he thought you were a good fit. I told him it wouldn’t change anything as I’d already made my mind up, so your job is safe. But I wanted to know what he thought as someone that has been to a lot of properties. I’ll let him share what he told me.”

  David smiled. “I told your grandfather I was unsure about you at the beginning. When he first told me that he’d promoted his back-office accountant to the general manager role I questioned that decision, but he told me to reserve judgement and to meet you and then I’d understand. So, I did, and I do. I think the biggest obstacle you’ve had is yourself and if you believed you could do the job and if it would make you happier than being in the office with your numbers. I know you liked that role and resisted this one?”

  Paula nodded. “I did. I also felt guilty since I was taking it away from Andrea.”

  Her grandfather interjected. “But you weren’t. Not really. Even if you didn’t take the job, I was still going to replace Andrea.”

  “I know. And that’s why I decided to give it a try. And because I didn’t want to disappoint you,” Paula said.

  He smiled. “I don’t think you could ever do that, my dear. If you don’t want this job, it’s not the end of the world. I could just call Elaine and get someone in a New York minute. But of course, I’d rather not do that. But it’s up to you.”

  “I also told your grandfather that I think you’re doing an excellent job. And you take feedback well, even when it’s not what you want to hear.”

  Paula knew he was talking about his comment that she was ‘too nice.’ That had stung.

  “You weren’t happy with me. I knew it. But you processed the feedback and you tried to do better, and you did. You’ve grown in the role and I think you could do a great job for a long time, if you choose to.”

  Her grandfather smiled. “So, it’s entirely up to you, my dear. What do you think? Are you happy in the role? If you’re not, you can go back to what you used to do.”

  Paula took a deep breath and looked at both of them. “I didn’t think I was going to like the role. To be honest, parts of it scared me a little, being so visible and out there everywhere. But I don’t think I could go back to my old role. I think I’d miss the variety in this position and the challenge. I didn’t realize it at the time, Grandfather, but you were right. It is a good fit for me. I just had to discover that for myself. I’m happy to stay on as the GM.”

  Her grandfather beamed. “Well, that’s most excellent news. And I think it calls for a toast. There might be a bottle of that bubbly stuff you like in the refrigerator. Want to get it and pour us a cup?”

  Paula went to his small office refrigerator and saw the yellow cardboard box that held a bottle of her favorite champagne, Veuve Clicquot. She got it out and brought it over to them.

  “You got this for me? You were that sure we’d be celebrating?”

  He laughed. “I think I know my granddaughter. You’ve never backed away from a challenge before. I felt pretty confident that you’d want to stay. And now we can toast and make it official.”

  Paula poured champagne for each of them and they tapped their glasses together.

  “To you, and to The Whitley and many more happy years together,” her grandfather said proudly.

  Chapter 34

  Andrea had Tuesday off and was scheduled to work the evening shift at the concierge desk. She slept unusually well and woke feeling rested and lighter and she knew what her decision was. Once she decided, there was no going back and she knew in her heart that she’d made the right decision, for her.

  She was about to call Elaine when her phone rang, and it was Ben.

  “Hey, there, just calling to say hello and see what your plans are for the weekend. Didn’t know if you wanted to do something Friday night?”

  “Hi, Ben. Thanks again for showing me around New York. That was such a fun night.”

  “Of course, anytime. If you take that job, we can do that more often.”

  Andrea hesitated—she always hated conversations like this, and she really did like Ben. “I’ve actually decided not to take that job. I’m happier here, and there’s also someone that I’ve recently grown closer to and, well, I think I need to see where that goes. I hope you understand.”

  “Oh. Yes, of course. I’m disappointed, but I understand. He’s a lucky guy, whoever he is.”

  “Thank you, Ben. It’s been great getting to know you.”

  “You, too. I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

  “I’m sure you will.”

  Andrea ended the call feeling sad and relieved at the same time. Ben was a really great guy, a catch for the right girl. But that girl wasn’t her. There was only one person she wanted to kiss, and she couldn’t wait to see him.

  She called Elaine next and felt bad after that call, too, as Elaine wasn’t going to get a commission from placing her. Hopefully, she could still fill the role, though, as Elaine shared that she represented the other candidate, too. It was a great opportunity, but it just wasn’t the right one for her.

  Andrea took a little more care than usual with her hair and makeup before going in to work, curling the ends a bit and using a new lipstick in a deep rose shade that made her lips look fuller.

  Marco was at the concierge desk when she arrived and he smiled when he saw her, but his expression was guarded as if he was bracing himself for bad news. She walked up to him, smiled big and simply said, “I’m staying.”

  The light came back into his eyes and his smile matched hers.

  “Well, you’ve made my day. I can swing back by and we can celebrate after your shift, if you like?”

  “I would like that very much.”

  Her shift ended at eleven and at a few minutes of, Marco texted her that he was at the outside bar saving her a seat. Andrea practically danced out the door and as soon as she settled into her seat, before she said a word, she leaned over and kissed him. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day,” she admitted.

  He grinned. “Just the first of many, I hope.”

  Andrea ordered a glass of wine, and after it came, she turned to him and raised her glass. “To new beginnings.”

  “I like that.” He clinked his glass against hers. “So, you actually turned down that other job?”

  “I did. No regrets, either. I woke up this morning and the decision was made. When I thought about going to New York and taking that GM role, I felt tense and stressed. When I thought about staying here working the concierge desk and being with you—well I only felt happy and at peace.”

  He leaned over and kissed her, and she felt like she was overflowing with happiness.

  “I’m so glad you made that choice. I wasn’t looking forward to going to New York to visit you.”

  “You would have come to see me in New York?”

  “Of course. I’m not that easy to get rid of,” he teased.

 
“I don’t want to get rid of you.”

  “Good, because I’m not going anywhere. We’re going to have so much fun together.”

  She smiled. “I know we are.”

  Chapter 35

  They got lucky with the weather for the Taste of the Town event. The forecast initially called for it to be overcast, with possible showers, but the winds shifted, and Monday brought nothing but sunshine and warm breezes. There were a few glitches when the electric outlets didn’t work correctly in all the sections, but Paula called in an electrician that got it all sorted and working by noon.

  The restaurants were all set up in their booths and ready to go by three. The event officially got underway at four and the turnout was even better than expected. Grandfather was thrilled as he strolled around with Paula and David, checking out the different restaurants and their offerings.

  “Isn’t this marvelous?” he said as they made the rounds to make sure everyone had everything they needed.

  “It was a great idea, Grandfather,” Paula agreed.

  “I just had a feeling it would go over well. There’s nothing like it here and what else are people going to do on a Monday night? It’s the slowest night for the restaurants and this is a great opportunity for them to show off what they can do.”

  Peter Bradford was there overseeing all the wine vendors and they ran into him and his girlfriend Paige and her two best friends, Lisa, who owned the Beach Plum Cove Inn, and her friend Sue, who owned an insurance company downtown. They were all sipping wine and snacking on tiny crab cakes from one of the restaurants.

  “What do the vendors think?” Paula asked him.

  “They’re loving it, and a few have already asked if this is going to be an annual thing. You could probably lock most of them in as well as the restaurants for next year if you wanted,” Peter said.

  Paula looked at her grandfather and at David. Her grandfather smiled. “What do you think about that, Paula?”