Memory of You (A Misty Cove Love Story) Page 5

  I nodded, perplexed. “Yes. I have a degree in Marketing and Branding. I worked for Jill Winters Communications as branding manager for two years.” Why did I tell her all that? She didn’t ask me to recite my resume. Who told her about my educational background, anyway? It had to be Erin.

  “My word,” Sadie laid a hand on her chest. “What in the world would make you quit such an amazing job? They're the best of the best.”

  “Personal reasons. How did you know about my background?”

  “People like to talk, and I like to do my research.” She paused and smiled. Not one smudge of bright red lipstick on her pearly teeth. “I've been meaning to approach you for a few days now.”

  “Is that so? What about?”

  “Before we get to that, can I offer you something to drink?” She walked to a small fridge in one corner of the room.

  “Water would be nice.”

  She poured me a glass of mineral water and an orange juice from a small bottle for herself.

  “Jade, can I call you that?”

  “Sure,” I said, wishing she would get to the point already.

  “Well, I came to Misty Cove six months ago to help revive this dying business.”

  “What kind of business is this? I don’t remember seeing it five years ago.”

  “That’s because it was only founded four years ago. The ARA Agency is a holiday accommodation rental company that owns several cottages in Misty Cove and the surrounding towns.”

  “Well, it should be doing pretty well since Misty Cove gets a lot of visitors.”

  “It should, but it’s been struggling for over a year now.”

  She was still not telling me what I was there for.

  “Well, as you probably know, things can be slow in Misty Cove. Sometimes they don't get done for weeks or even months. Many of the employees we have at the moment are also not business minded.”

  “I see.” I tipped my head to the side. “Sadie, if I may call you that, why am I here?”

  She reached for my hands as if I were an old friend and then pulled back again. “Sorry, I think the touchy-feely tendency of Misty Cove residents is rubbing off on me.” She laughed and leaned back. “I called you here because I was hoping you could help. You have everything we're looking for. The knowledge, the experience, and you've lived in a city with a different work ethic.”

  “You want to hire me?” A smile spread across my face and then it froze. “But I have a job.”

  “As a waitress at a small town restaurant.”

  “Gayle’s Diner might be a small town restaurant, but Linda Gayle gave me a chance when no one else would.”

  “I get that. But that job is so…” She paused and drank her orange juice. “I think, if you want to have a nice start in this town, this job could be the perfect opportunity. We can't afford to pay a New York salary, but we're prepared to negotiate. When business picks up, we can renegotiate again. What do you say?”

  “That won’t be fair to Linda Gayle. I can't quit from one day to the next.” I shook my head. “What would you want me to do anyway?”

  “How about offering you the position of Marketing Manager? We'd need you to help rebrand the company’s whole image. In addition to renting out cottages and the like, we'd like to enter the luxury accommodation rental sector, and it would help if we had a strong brand in place.” She sighed. “I have a confession to make. I did get in touch with Jill Winters Communications. They said you used to be one of their best employees.”

  My mouth fell open. I was shocked that she had dug into my life, but I found it hard to be offended. What stood out in my mind was that she was handing me a job in an area I specialized in, and in my own hometown. It sounded too good to be true. No one walks up to you and offers you a job out of the blue like that, without seeing your resume. But then again, this was Misty Cove. Her offer did sound tempting, and I was a crappy waitress, anyway.

  “I appreciate the offer. Can I think about it and get back to you by the end of the weekend?”

  “Sure, please do.” She smiled as she reached toward a stack of business cards on a side table. She picked one up and handed it to me. “We would be honored to have you on board, Jade.”

  I did think about the offer. When I brought it up to Linda Gayle, she gave me a stern look that caused my stomach to twist with guilt. But then she started to smile.

  “Don't be ridiculous, Jade. We were doing fine without you. I gave you a job not because we had an opening, but because you needed a chance.” She laughed. “Call that fancy New York woman and accept the offer. It sounds like a great opportunity for you.”

  “You're so kind, Linda Gayle. Are you sure?”

  “Without a doubt. Now do as I say.”

  “Okay,” I said. “I will. I'll take her offer. But I want to make you one too. If you ever need an extra pair of hands on the weekend, I’d be happy to help out.”

  She touched my cheek. “If that’s what you want. You have a kind heart, like your grandmother had. I hope you'll find your happy again. Your eyes are just so sad.”

  “Thank you.”

  During my lunch break, I called Sadie on her cell phone, and we arranged to meet first thing Monday morning. She told me I should bring along my resume and any references. A little too late for that, but I guessed she needed it all for filing.

  When I went to bed that night, I smiled in the dark. I had found a job doing something I loved, a job I was going to be good at.

  I might have lost Bryce, but things were looking up for me. I was finding myself again right here in Misty Cove. If only Gran had lived to see it.

  Chapter Twelve

  The ARA Agency’s conference room was spacious, with wood-paneled walls, a polished wooden conference table, and leather chairs. The faint scent of pine and lemon hung in the air.

  Mariela Cox, the very pregnant daughter of the town’s sheriff, had walked me there instead of to Sadie's office.

  “She'll be with you in a moment. She's taking a call.” She dipped her head, averting my gaze. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “No, I'm fine. Thanks.” I gave her a kind smile. We had gone to school together and she had been a goody two shoes then, telling us we were going to hell for having boyfriends and going to parties. I hadn't seen her since I'd come to town, but I'd overheard two women gossiping about her last Tuesday at the diner. My heart had gone out to her when I'd heard she’d gotten pregnant after a one-night stand, and that her controlling father had turned his back on her. I knew better than anyone how it felt to be shunned.

  “Nice to see you again,” I said. I had the feeling she wanted to talk but wasn't sure how to begin. “How long have you been working at ARA?”

  She looked up and I saw surprise swirl in her amber eyes. “Since Sadie came to town. I wasn't able to find anything for months.” She placed a hand on her stomach. “And I have to provide for this little one.”

  Once she started, she was unstoppable, as if she had been waiting for a long time to pour out her heart to someone who might understand. She told me about how her father kicked her out and she spent a night in a shelter, how she finally managed to get a one-bedroom cottage, how she was thankful to Sadie for giving her a job.

  “I guess Sadie is our fairy godmother in heels.”

  “That she is. That she is,” Sadie said laughing as she walked into the room on blood-red heels, and wrapped in a black business suit. “Jade, so glad you accepted my offer.”

  Mariela left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

  Sadie sat in the chair opposite me, placed the folder she was carrying in front of her, and clasped her hands on top of it. “My business partner will be joining us shortly, but before I can introduce the two of you, I think it’s best we get the paperwork out of the way. I brought your contract with me.” She reached for her folder.

  The next twenty minutes were spent talking about my job, me asking specific questions about what they expected from me, and Sadie answ
ering them with utmost detail. Then she told me that she was actually co-owner of ARA and not just an employee.

  “I figured it would be a great way to connect with my parents’ hometown,” she said as she slid my contract toward me.

  “That's fantastic. Congratulations.” I looked up. “And thank you for this opportunity. I appreciate it.”

  “I should be the one thanking you.” She stood. “I need to go make another call. Please have a look through the contract. I'll be back in a moment to answer any more questions you might have.”

  “Sounds good,” I said and Sadie left the room.

  I took a deep breath and read every single line of the three-page contract from the header to the footnotes. I was surprised that they were offering me more money than I thought I could earn in Misty Cove. It wasn’t nearly as close to what I’d earned in New York, but it was more than a comfortable income for my needs here.

  I signed the dotted line and dated my signature. My decision was made.

  While I waited for Sadie to return, my gaze returned to the header. ARA had a thin line beneath it and the words Autumn Rental Agency.

  The door to the conference room opened. I expected Sadie to walk into the room, but it was someone else entirely.

  “Bryce?” I said in a shaky voice.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Hi, Jade,” Bryce said, a hint of a smile stretching across his face. He looked distinguished in a dark gray suit. Watching him, I was reminded again of our wedding day, the only other time I had seen him in a suit. “Nice to see you.”

  “What are you doing here?” I didn’t mean to sound rude, but the words flooded out of my mouth before I could stop them.

  “I work here… sort of.” He lowered himself into the seat that had been previously occupied by Sadie.

  I shook my head. “You’re not… you’re not—”

  “Bryce, great that you could make it. I know how busy you are with all the wedding preparations.” Sadie breezed in, sat down next to Bryce, and reached for the contract I’d signed.

  “That’s all right,” he said, nodding at her.

  “I know you two have a past, of course, but we’re here to talk business. Let’s not let that get in the way, shall we?” Sadie flipped the pages of my contract and then placed them in her folder. “Jade just signed the contract. For a moment there, when I offered her the job, I thought she wouldn’t take it.”

  “Well, that’s great news,” Bryce said and gazed into my eyes.

  My blood ran cold as I turned to Sadie. “Are you… Is this your business partner?”

  “Yes, and the founder of the agency.”

  My mouth dropped open as a realization hit me. I was not so much surprised that Bryce owned a rental agency. He did have a degree in real estate. But my mind went back to three days ago inside his truck, when he had asked if I wouldn’t rather work in my field. He’d been thinking of hiring me, and since he thought I probably wouldn’t take the job if he himself offered it to me, he sent Sadie to do the work for him.

  Now that I would be working for him and be in his presence more often than I was comfortable with, did I still want the job?

  ***

  Sadie filled Bryce in on everything we had discussed earlier, thanked me again for taking the job, and then as if she was being chased out of the room, she left, saying she had a conference call, her folder—with my signed contract inside it—tucked under her arm.

  “Now that you know I’m part owner, I hope you won’t reconsider,” Bryce said.

  “Why didn’t you tell me that night that you were thinking of giving me a job?”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t think you would take it.”

  “Why are you doing this? I don’t need you to look after me.”

  “That’s not why we hired you. You’re good at what you do, and we were looking for someone. You fit the bill.”

  “But Bryce, you know… I don’t know how that would work. We’ll be…”

  “I work from home most of the time. I’ve never felt too comfortable in an office anyway. So, if you’re worried about bumping into me, you won’t.”

  I nodded. As much as I wanted to throw this job back in his face, to tell him that he was doing it out of guilt for moving on with another woman, I knew I might never get an opportunity like this again, at least not in Misty Cove. Knowing that he wouldn’t be around much did make things easier. Seeing him every day and seeing the blink of his wedding band on his finger, telling me he belonged to someone else, would be torture.

  “Thanks,” I said. “Thank you for the job.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  I thought back to the header I had been studying when he’d walked into the room and felt my stomach tighten with emotion. “Bryce, why did you name your company Autumn?”

  “You know why.”

  I felt tears burn the backs of my eyes. My first name was Autumn—thanks to my autumn-colored hair—and Bryce had loved it, even if hardly anyone called me by it. It tore me apart to know that I had broken his heart and yet he had named his company after me.

  “I don’t know what to say,” I said, my heart filling with warmth.

  “You don’t have to say anything, Autumn Jade,” he said and rose from his chair. “I happen to like Autumn.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  I glanced at the lower right corner of my computer screen. Eight p.m. and I still didn’t feel like going home to an empty cottage.

  A few days after I signed my contract, I had dived right into my job. I was so grateful for it as it kept me from thinking about Bryce and his approaching nuptials. Luckily he had kept his word and I rarely saw him around the office.

  I still hadn’t met his fiancée and wished they would be getting married outside Misty Cove. But word started spreading around that the wedding would be right here in town, and local florists, bakers, caterers, and decorators had already been hired for the big day, which was in a week.

  I sometimes toyed with the idea of leaving town for the weekend so I wouldn’t have to feel their happiness in the air, but that would be childish. I would not go to the wedding—and I wasn’t invited anyway—but I would stay right here in Misty, maybe spend the day at the office. Unfortunately my office had an ocean view and they were having a beach wedding. I had no choice but to suck it up. It was my fault he was marrying someone else. I had to swallow the bitter pill.

  I returned to the document I was working on as my phone rang.

  “Please don’t tell me you’re still at the office,” Erin said from the other end. “You work too much. Come on, have some fun.”

  “I don’t feel like—”

  “You’ll feel like it later. Get out of that office, go home, and dress up in something sparkly. I’ll pick you up at ten. It’s Ladies’ Night at The Ivy. And you know we’ll get free cocktails.”

  I thought of ways to talk myself out of clubbing, but I found no other reason other than that I had to work. I had to admit, Erin was right. All I did lately was work and sleep.

  “You’re so pushy,” I said, laughing. “Fine. Let’s go.”

  ***

  I tightened my fingers around my icy Coconut Kiss as I followed Erin through the river of people. It was no surprise that the place was packed. The Ivy, which was owned by the Laclaire family, was the only nightclub in Misty Cove. But being VIPs—thanks to Erin’s involvement with Trevor—we would be partying in the back where a booth was reserved for us and we didn’t have to dance while rubbing against sweaty bodies.

  Someone blew a cloud of smoke into my face and I coughed on reflex, almost spilling my cocktail. The culprit had large round glasses, an open shirt, and crooked teeth. He blew me a kiss and I ignored him and raised my glass to squeeze through more people.

  Finally we walked through a glass door. The atmosphere was instantly lighter, and the smell of cigarettes not that strong. The music was also not as loud, allowing for conversation.

  “Hi James,” Erin said to the bartender,
a barrel-chested man with a goatee, and tattoos covering his biceps.

  I looked around, remembering the last time we were here, the night of my bachelorette party. Erin had reserved the whole VIP lounge for the event, and we’d had so much fun. I had been so happy. I never thought that a week later I would be crying instead of laughing on my honeymoon.

  “Not too good, Erin,” James said pointing at our cocktails. “Looks like you’re cheating on me again.”

  The cocktails served in the VIP lounge were too fancy, with names we could hardly pronounce, so Erin and I always snuck off to the other side to get the cocktails we were used to.

  “You know why, James,” Erin said. “I like the cheap stuff.”

  We all laughed. Erin knew that if she asked for something that wasn’t on the menu, she would get it, but she didn’t see why she should inconvenience James or the other bartenders when she could get what she wanted at another bar in the same club.

  “Jade.” Someone touched my shoulder and I whirled around to see Luke, Bryce’s best friend. “How are you? I haven’t seen you since you came back to town.”

  Luke was at least six feet three and handsome in a rugged kind of way, with his signature crew cut and dark eyes. He hadn’t changed much in five years. While we were dressed up for clubbing, Luke wore a plain white shirt and shorts.

  “Would you have wanted to see me? I’m not exactly Misty’s favorite person.”

  “No, you’re not.” He laughed, his cheeks dipping into faint dimples. “But people make mistakes and deserve forgiveness.”

  I tipped my head to one side and raised an eyebrow.

  “Bryce told me why you left.” He shrugged. “You made a mistake. No need in holding a grudge. Life’s too short.”

  “Some mistakes are too costly,” I said.

  He nodded. “Yeah. I never stopped thinking that you and Bryce were made for each other.” He leaned into me and I sniffed a hint of beer on his breath. “I don’t for a minute think he loves his fiancée as much as he loved you. She pretty much forced him into proposing.”