Читать книгу Her Summer Crush - Linda Lee Hope - Страница 13

CHAPTER FOUR

“DID YOU SUBMIT your article on Cranberry Acres to Coastal Living?” Glen asked.

Luci put down the brochure advertising a charter boat service and sat back in her chair. She’d managed to organize some of the material, but countless stacks remained. The mess was driving her crazy.

“I did turn in the article. I haven’t had a response yet from the editor.”

“It looked good to me.” Glen hitched up his trousers over his ample stomach. The day was a warm one, and he’d shed his jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves, but the ever-present tie adorned his neck. “But then, what do I know about it? That’s why I hired you and Cody. By the way, have you seen him lately?”

“Not since we went over the article together. I’m working on the brochures now, picking out the ones that need updating. When I get them organized, I’ll contact him to take some photos.” Not that she’d be picking up the phone anytime soon. Working together or not, seeing Cody as little as possible suited her just fine.

“Good, good.” Glen idly picked up a brochure from one of the stacks she’d assembled, riffled through it and then tossed it onto the table. “But don’t forget about the sand-castle contest.”

Luci retrieved the brochure and carefully put it where it belonged. “Of course. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought.”

He frowned. “You need to do more than that, Luci. You need to come up with an idea. A brilliant one. We need a new twist this year. Make us look good.”

Not long after Glen left, Marge rushed in, her arms loaded with yellow file folders. She dumped them onto the worktable, where they slid into the neat piles of brochures.

“Oops, sorry.” Marge leaned over the table, scrambling to corral the files.

“What’s all this?” Luci rescued the brochures and set them aside.

“Cleaning out more files.” Marge straightened and waved her arms. “Not my idea. Glen’s orders. This is stuff from decades ago. If it was up to me—” she thumbed her chest “—I’d toss it. But now that you’re here, he wants everything organized and up-to-date.” She rolled her eyes. “Pressure, pressure.”

The phone in the outer office rang.

“That’s probably the mayor,” Marge said. “Gotta go.” She scurried out the door.

After Marge left, Luci abandoned the brochures and the rest of the mess on the worktable and migrated to her computer to research sand-castle contests.

She was deep into her work when Cody arrived.

Another man accompanied him. The newcomer looked vaguely familiar, like someone she might have passed in the hallway. He wasn’t as tall as Cody, but then most men weren’t. He was dressed in neatly pressed slacks and a plaid shirt that looked, well, sprayed on. His blond hair was cut short and combed back from a high forehead.

“Luci, meet Ben Shapiro.” Cody gestured to his companion. “He’s new in town. An accountant. Has an office upstairs.”

“Pleased to meet you, Luci.”

Ben offered her a shy smile along with his outstretched hand. But his fingers barely touched hers before he drew back.

“I thought I’d seen you here in the building. Welcome to Willow Beach,” Luci said.

“Thanks.” Ben broke eye contact and looked around.

“Ben’s also a bird fancier,” Cody put in. “That’s one of the reasons he moved here from Seattle. Right, Ben?”

“Right.”

Ben seemed to have found something interesting on the ceiling, although Luci couldn’t imagine what that was. “We do have a lot of birds here on the coast,” she said.

No one spoke for a couple of seconds, and then Cody snapped his fingers. “Say, if we do an article on birds for Coastal Living, maybe you could be our go-to guy. Have you seen that mag, Ben? You got a copy handy, Luci?”

“I do, somewhere around here.” Luci rummaged through a stack of papers on her desk and pulled out a copy of the magazine. She held it out to Ben.

He riffled through the pages. “Yes, I’ve seen this around town.”

“And didn’t you say you’d written some articles yourself?” Cody asked. “For professional journals? Birds something-or-other?”

Ben looked up from the magazine. “Birds of the West Coast and Birdology.”

Luci hadn’t heard of either of those publications, but, when nothing more was forthcoming from Ben, she said, “Oh? If you have extra copies, I’d love to read them.”

Cody nodded. “Might give us some ideas.”

“Sure. I have some extra copies.” He handed the magazine back to Luci and looked at his wristwatch. “I gotta get back to the office. Client coming in a few minutes. Pleased to meet you, Luci.”

He finally made eye contact, along with a small nod.

“You, too, Ben.”

Cody walked to the door with Ben. “Don’t be a stranger now, you hear?”

Ben mumbled a reply, but Luci couldn’t make out the words.

She sat at her desk, ready to resume her work. Cody returned and stood over her, arms folded across his chest.

“So what do you think?”

She looked up. “About what? The article idea?”

“Ah, yeah. About that.”

“It has possibilities.”

Cody paced a few steps and then turned. “How about Ben? What do you think about him?”

“You mean as a resource person?”

“Resource. Sure.”

“I don’t know. I’ll have to talk to him some more. Except he doesn’t say much, does he?”

“He might be a little shy.”

Luci narrowed her eyes. “Cody, what is going on here?”

“Ben went fishing with us on Saturday. He’s Max’s accountant. And when he mentioned he was interested in birds, I thought maybe he’d be a good contact.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay, since he’s new in town and, as you saw, shy, I thought he could use some help getting to know people... Say, I gotta run, too. Glen’s got an assignment for me. Do you have anything? I can come back later.”

“I will have something on the sand-castle contest...soon. I’ll let you know.”

Luci watched Cody hurry out the door. He was acting strangely today. But she didn’t have time to worry about him now. She had a job to do. She turned back to her computer and her research.

* * *

ANXIOUS TO GET away from Luci’s questions, Cody headed down the hall to Glen’s office. Had he been too obvious? This matchmaking stuff was harder than he’d thought it would be. Still, he’d gotten the ball rolling, and he wasn’t about to give up.

The following day, Luci mentioned that Ben had dropped off copies of his articles and she had given him some brochures on the Wildlife Refuge. She made no mention of getting together with Ben after hours, though, and Cody didn’t want to raise her suspicions any further by inquiring. He waited a couple more days, and when no progress appeared to have been made, he figured he’d have to give Ben another nudge.

He was at the post office when he spotted Ben pulling mail from a postal box. They exchanged greetings and a bit of small talk, and then Cody got down to business.

“What’d you think of Luci?” he asked.

Ben tucked his mail into his jacket pocket. “She’s very knowledgeable about writing. We talked a bit when I gave her my articles.”

Cody nodded. “Talking’s good. But what did you think of her? She’s attractive, isn’t she?”

“Very. You on your way out?” Ben gestured toward the door. “I need to get back to the office.”

“Yeah, I’m done here.” They fell into step walking across the marble floor to the open door, dodging people along the way. “Luci was an intern at the Herald when I worked there. Then we went to the U at the same time, although I graduated a year ahead of her.”

“So you two go way back.”

“Just as friends.” Cody emphasized the word friends.

They went down the steps to the parking lot. Cody was searching his brain for something else to say about Luci when Ben asked, “Is she seeing anyone?”

Finally. He was beginning to think he’d have to spell it out. “No, she’s not. She was dating a guy at the U for a while, but that didn’t work out.” Cody was glad it hadn’t. Seth had seemed like a loser. Not good enough for Luci. He eyed Ben. Was he good enough?

“So, you think you’d like to ask Luci out?”

Ben nodded. “I was thinking of asking her to dinner.”

Yes! Cody restrained himself from making a fist and pumping the air and instead nodded solemnly. “I’m sure she’d like that.”

“Where would you suggest we go? I could ask her for suggestions, but I’d like to have some ideas myself.” Ben whipped out a pair of sunglasses from his jacket pocket and pushed them up on his nose with his forefinger.

“Beach Café’s probably your best bet. Casual but with a touch of elegance. Can’t beat the view.” He was already imagining them at a window table, enjoying one of Willow Beach’s spectacular sunsets—when they weren’t gazing into each other’s eyes.

Ben took out his car keys. “Sounds good. Why don’t you come, too?”

Cody gave him a look. “Me?” He pointed at himself. “Why would I—”

Ben shrugged. “I’m not much of a talker... In fact, maybe this isn’t such a good idea, after all.”

“No, wait.” Cody put out a hand. “Okay, I’ll come and...bring someone.” Right now, he had no idea who. But if that was what it took to get Ben and Luci together, he’d do it.

Ben looked at his watch. “Gotta go. I’m late.”

Before Cody could say any more, Ben climbed into his truck. He started the engine and roared from the parking lot.

Cody stared after him. What had just happened here? But maybe his presence on their date would be a good thing. Then he could make sure Ben and Luci were getting along okay.

But now he had to come up with someone for himself. Who would that be? Most of the women he knew were either married or had moved away. He wandered down Main Street, deep in thought.

He was about to give up when he found himself in front of Sylvie’s Souvenir Shop. Sylvie Ventura. He snapped his fingers. Yes.

He opened the door and went inside. “Is Sylvie around?” he asked the teenage clerk.

She nodded toward the back of the store. “In the office.”

Cody hurried past the crowded shelves. Seashells were everywhere: wind chimes, boxes, lamps, coasters, bowls and flowerpots. Then came the clothing section: flip-flops and tennis shoes, sweatshirts and jeans, hats and scarves, and then, finally, he reached the open door to the office.

Sylvie stood behind a counter unpacking a box of T-shirts. “Cody!” She put down a handful of shirts and ran to give him a hug.

He put his arms around her and hugged her back. Her topknot tickled his chin and her perfume filled his nostrils. She broke away and looked him up and down. “Heard you were back in town and workin’ for the chamber. Glen Thomas.” She tsked-tsked. “He’s a driver.”

“He’s okay. Leaves me and Luci pretty much on our own.”

Sylvie shook her forefinger. “Yeah. Just don’t cross him.”

“And that would be how?”

“Forget I said that.” She waved a hand, jangling her bracelet made of tiny seashells. Her dangling earrings were also made of shells, and her pink shirt read Willow Beach Rocks. He glanced down at her jeans and flip-flops. Sylvie was a walking advertisement for her souvenir shop.

“Looks like you’re doing a great job, taking over for your folks.”

“I’m trying. Growing up in the business helps. I’ve been working here since I was old enough to walk, practically.” She grinned. “So what brings you here today? Want me to pose for you?” She placed her hand behind her head and fluttered her eyelashes.

Cody laughed. “Sure. But later. I’ve a favor to ask first.”

“Okay. I’m listening, but let me buy you a drink. C’mon.”

She led him to the employee’s lounge, which was decorated with orange and red vinyl furniture and a soft drink machine with blinking lights. A few minutes later, bottle of soda in hand and seated on one of the vinyl couches, Cody asked Sylvie to go out to dinner with him and Ben and Luci.

While he talked, she drank her soda and tapped her red fingernails—which matched her toenails—against the bottle.

When he finished, Sylvie set her drink on a glass-topped table. “Let me get this straight. You want me to be your dinner date because you’re trying to get this Ben and Luci together, and he needs moral support.”

“Something like that.”

“And I’m supposed to be your date,” she asked.

“Think of it more as friends getting together.”

“But you want Ben and Luci to be more than friends? Cody, Cody. Everybody knows Luci’s had a crush on you since she was in high school and you were working for the Herald.”

Cody stiffened. “Maybe so, but now we’re just friends.”

“Does Luci know that? What are you trying to prove here?”

Cody set down his soda and raised both hands. “I’m not trying to prove anything. Ben says he’s interested in Luci, but he’s, well, shy, and needs a nudge. I got them talking about birds—Ben’s hobby is bird-watching—but I can tell he’s a slow mover.”

“And what does Luci think about Ben?”

Cody shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe you can find that out. You’re not hooked up with anyone right now, are you? I heard you and Eddie Lightner were quits.”

Sylvie gave an unladylike snort. “That jerk better not show his face around here again.”

“What happened?”

She folded her arms and tilted her head toward the ceiling. “You don’t want to know. Anyway, I’m off men right now. Big-time.”

“You don’t have to worry about me, Sylvie. I’m not looking, either.”

“Uh-huh. I don’t know, Cody. Don’t you think messing around with people’s love lives is risky?”

“I think Ben’s a good guy and I think Luci’s, ah...” Oh, man, he was talking himself into a corner here.

Sylvie gave him a sly look. “You think she’s hot.”

“Luci is a good friend of mine,” he finished in a firm tone. “A friend I want to see happy.”

“With another guy. You don’t make a bit of sense.”

Cody set his jaw. “Hey, it’s a free meal.”

Sylvie put a finger to her cheek. “Hmm. The Beach Café, you said? I do like their seafood salad.”

“Well, there you go.”

“I guess I could meet you there.”

“Nope. I’ll pick you up. We’ll make this an official date.”

By the time he left, Cody’s head hurt. He stood outside a moment and rubbed his temples. If his plan worked, it’d be worth it. Now, all Ben had to do was ask Luci and they’d be set. He’d better not expect Cody to do that, too. The guy had to take some responsibility.