“Next room.” He smiled. “We have to christen this whole damn house.”
“But this is the only bed.” I thought about last night and the floor. I wouldn’t turn that down, despite the rug burn.
He laughed. “Baby, the next room has a wall.”
And just like that, I was Jell-O in his arms.
I flipped through the reservation book in the Palm Palace office. Grey had told me there were a few customers booked into the fall, but not many.
The goal was to turn the Palm into a year-round destination for families and couples, not a spring break hangout for one month out of the year. Spring break was an incredible way to make money, but Grey needed steady income he could count on when the spring breakers weren’t in town. Now that I was on the payroll, I needed that consistent cash flow too.
The agreement I made with Grey was that I wouldn’t start accepting a paycheck until the motel had a fifty percent reservation rate for three straight months. It wouldn’t be much, but I’d be able to pay myself a small salary if the motel could bring in that kind of income. I had a savings account I could use in the meantime, but it made me nervous to live off it for too long. That pot was finite, and when it ran out, I didn’t have anything else to fall back on.
I had convinced myself that my business degree had prepared me for this. I had marketing classes and economic training under my belt. If I could make an A in class, I could definitely make an A for the Palm.
The little window unit hummed along as I scanned the calendar. It was hard to believe I had already been in South Padre for a week. I had managed to unpack the rest of the boxes, and set up the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Grey promised we could start hunting for living room furniture over the weekend.
I didn’t think a couch was essential, but I did have a nice TV, and it was funny to sit on the floor and watch it without the usual furniture ensemble.
I think Grey and I were finally starting to get the hang of living together. It wasn’t the same as sharing an apartment with Taylor. Whenever she and I lived together, there was a more clearly defined barrier of personal space. Living with Grey, all the personal space boundaries were blurred. We slept in the same bed, shared the same bathroom, and cooked meals together in the kitchen. Essentially, what was mine had become his, and it the same was true for his things.
I didn’t realize he had a night routine that lasted almost as long as mine. I tried to give him his space to shave and brush his teeth. It seemed weird to hover over him in the bathroom.
I thought he was trying to figure out how to approach my bedtime reading. The first few nights all we did was have sex, but part of me wanted some kind of normalcy. For me, that meant pulling out one of my books before I turned off the lights. I could see him from the corner of my eye debating whether he could pounce on me or not. I discovered the solution was to let him pounce, and then I could start reading again.
We were navigating through it one day at a time. So far, I was proud of us for making it this far without any major blowups or arguments.
I looked up as he walked into the office.
“Hey, I have to run to the mainland to pick up some things for the other rental properties. Want to ride with me?”
“Actually, I just started digging into the reservations. Is it ok if I stay?” I wasn’t sure how long he would be gone and I felt guilty for neglecting my new job’s duties.
“Sure. I’m picking up a new door and some shingles. It shouldn’t take me long.” He strolled over and kissed me long and hard, before retracing his steps to the door.
For that, I would have ridden over the bridge with him. I sighed. Grey knew how to get to me every time.
I logged on to my laptop, ready to start work on my social media campaign. I had made a list of all the places we could start posting and advertising the Palm Palace that might attract an older clientele.
All we needed was one good pipeline, and I knew we could have the place full throughout the year. I had fallen in love with the rundown rooms and the retro accents on my first trip. With a little more upkeep, I wouldn’t be the only one.
I dove into my marketing plan, and before I knew it, it was past lunch. My stomach started to growl.
I didn’t feel like walking back to the house to make lunch. I realized I hadn’t stopped by to see Mac yet. I grabbed my purse, locked the office, and headed over to Pete’s for a turkey sandwich.
“Look who’s here.” Mac’s smile lit up the bar.
“Hey, Mac.” I tossed myself over the bar so I could give him a hug. It was good to see him after so many months.
“How do you like the new place?”
“Thank you so much for giving Grey the tip about your friend. We couldn’t have found a better setup, and the fact that it’s right next door to the Palm is too perfect.” When things did get busy, Grey would be only a few steps away from work.