“That’s so sweet,” I said, trying to imagine Marco doing something like that. I couldn’t. Sweet wasn’t the word that came to mind when I thought of him.
“Isn’t it? Come on,” she said. I followed her back outside and took Min’s offer of a chair next to her. Marco sat on Min’s other side.
“So what’s going on in your neck of the woods this week?” Min asked.
I hesitated. “Jerry came on Monday. Left yesterday.”
I caught Marco’s eye, and what I saw there surprised me. Was that empathy? He seemed concerned. Taking me by surprise, I held his gaze a little longer than was probably wise.
“How did that go?” she asked.
Not one to be a Complainey Janey, I downplayed the absolute disaster that was his visit. “Long story,” I said, instead. “I don’t wanna ruin the vibe.”
“Ahh,” she said, “that good?”
With one empty seat in our semi-circle of four, it was either look at Min, or Marco. I chose the former, but it was really hard not to peek over at him.
“Unfortunately.”
“Min?” Hudson called from the corner of the deck where he sat on a stool, playing. “Cos and I have a question for you.”
“I’ll be right back,” she said to me, standing. And then to Marco. “Please behave.”
The second she walked away, he switched seats, taking Min’s empty one. I could smell his cologne as he sat.
Breath, Rae. Breath.
“Do you want me to behave, Rae?” he asked.
The flirt was back. He could probably flirt with women in his sleep.
No!
“Yes, please.”
“How bad was it?”
The abrupt change in tone, and topic, threw me. “Really bad,” I said before even thinking my response through. “I don’t think I can do it.”
“Work with him?”
“For him. He made it clear even with my dad’s share I would be a minority owner.”
He looked genuinely pissed. “You have a lot of advantages over him, Rae. One being that he’s gone, and you’re here.”
“True, but he could cause a lot of problems for me. For Sunset. As you know already. I just don’t know if I’m up for it.”
That seemed to surprise him. “Up for it? You mean, like you’re considering leaving?” Nodding, or affirming his question, seemed as cowardly as it sounded. “If this isn’t the life for you, then by all means, forge yourself a new path. But I got the impression the other night you liked it here?”
“I do.”
“And are proud of the work they’re doing over there, Jerry excluded.”
“Honestly, I’m surprised Sunset is as successful as it is under his leadership. And yeah, I really am. Haven’t met one person that wasn’t doing their job, even if they are a little disgruntled. Which,” I hurried to add, “I don’t fault them for, of course.”
Marco continued to hold my gaze. “Sunset has, or had, an impeccable reputation. Most of your employees have been there for years, which is a testament to the former owner.”
“That success is the very reason Jerry nixed every single one of my suggestions or ideas.”