The Reef

by Lois Kay

  “You asked her out on a date?” Lucy was beaming.

  “I asked her to join me for dinner,” Sam corrected her. “There are a lot of things we still have to talk about and we both need to eat, so, we might as well kill two birds with one stone.”

  “You’re so practical, Sam,” Lucy teased. “It’s a date, whether you like it or not.”

  Sam raked her fingers through her hair. She didn’t know whether to be annoyed with Lucy or to laugh. “Luce, I know you like teasing, and that’s fine with me, but, there are so many things Jody and I have to talk about. Things you don’t know and…If at the most we can restore our friendship, I’ll be extremely happy. Don’t—”

  “Push things,” Lucy interrupted in a calm voice. “I won’t, Sam. And I promise I won’t tease...too much. But Jody deserves a happy ending and if I can do anything to help her with that, I will. But I promise I won’t butt in... much…unless needed… or asked.”

  “Thank you. I think,” Sam breathed. She took Lucy’s elbow, steered her to the sitting area and motioned for her to take a seat.

  “What about you?”

  “What about me, what?” Lucy feigned innocence and Sam chuckled.

  “Are you in a relationship? Have you found Prince Charming yet?”

  “Who says I’m looking for a prince?” Lucy retorted. She laughed when she saw the look of surprise on Sam’s face. “Don’t be shocked, Sam. I leave all options open and no, I’m not in a relationship, nor am I looking for one. After living most of my life in a house with suffocating rules, I’m really enjoying my freedom.”

  * * *

  Jody, unaware of the conversation between Lucy and Sam, was trying very hard to solve a plethora of problems. She wanted to be able to leave in time to meet Sam and was working hard to make that happen. An American couple had lost their keycard somewhere on the beach and demanded an immediate replacement. At the same time, one of the entertainers for that night called in sick, while another guest didn’t agree with the choice of the menu and demanded to see the manager, who, of course wasn’t available. It took her an agonizing hour and a half to straighten things out and when she was finally able to go up to her office to do some paperwork, she was called back by one of the waitresses, who complained about being sexually harassed by one of the guests. By that time, it was four thirty. Jody’s head was pounding and she felt like screaming. Her original plan had been to stop by at her apartment to take a shower and change before meeting Sam, but she was running late as it was already, so she had to forget about that.

  It was five o’clock exactly when she arrived at the newsstand were she and Sam were supposed to meet. It was still very hot, so the cool ocean breeze felt refreshing against her flushed skin. Jody’s eyes were scanning her surroundings, searching for the familiar form of Sam. She shielded her eyes from the sun’s bright reflection off the ocean, expecting her to be near the water.

  “Looking for me?” an amused voice sounded behind her. Jody spun around and looked up into a pair of twinkling blue eyes. They were so close it nearly took her breath away and she quickly stepped back, putting a hand on her chest. “Sam,” she breathed. “Don’t….do that.” She playfully swatted her across the stomach. “You almost made my heart stop.”

  Sam’s didn’t respond, but there was a hint of recognition in her eyes, followed by a gentle smile.

  * * *

  Nine years ago.

  It was early morning. The sunrise painted the world with warm hues of pink and orange. A ray of sun peeked in through the window and Jody watched tiny particles of dust dance in the beam of light. She felt content with herself and the whole world. She turned her head to watch Sam, who was still asleep. She was so close, she could feel the warmth of her breath caressing the bare skin of her arm. She loved that time of the morning, waking up early, way before Sam and watch her friend sleep.

  She studied Sam’s youthful features. Her face was surrounded by curly, blonde hair. Long, surprisingly dark eyelashes rested on her cheeks and she was breathing deep and steadily. It gave Jody a sense of peace to see her like that. It gave her a chance to reflect on their friendship and the way Sam made her feel. When Sam stirred, mumbling something incoherent Jody’s lips curled into a smile. She brushed away a strand of blond hair that had fallen across Sam’s closed eyes and looked at it in awe when it boldly curled around her finger. With a sharp intake of breath, she let it go when she noticed a pair of, not so sleepy blue eyes stare at her. They were twinkling and Jody held her breath. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest.

  “Sam! You almost gave me a heart attack. I didn’t know you were awake.”

  “I’m sorry, I just liked the attention,” Sam said. The expression on her face contradicted her words. Her eyes held Jody’s who couldn’t look away.

  “What is it?” Sam asked

  “Your eyes.” Jody swallowed. “They’re so incredibly blue, like…I don’t know, I haven’t found a word for it yet.”

  Sam chuckled. “Let me know when you do. Let’s see if there’s a poet in you somewhere.”

  * **

  Jody studied Sam’s relaxed form. Her light blue t- shirt was tucked into a pair of dark blue cotton slacks and a leather bag was casually slung over her left shoulder. The sun was painting golden highlights in her hair. “Did you grow taller? Or did I shrink, already?”

  Sam laughed. “I don’t think so. I do work out, though, so…I might seem taller, that’s all. Last time I had a checkup I was still one eighty-three. Maybe I was a slouch in my teens.” Sam reached out and her fingertips touched Jody’s cheek. “You, Jody McDonnell, haven’t changed at all. Your hair is a little shorter, that’s all. Why’d you cut it?”

  “Because it took forever to dry,” Jody said. “I actually wanted to have it cut short, but both Lucy and Mom had a fit. So, I compromised.”

  “I’m glad you did. I’ve always loved your hair.”

  Jody’s heart jumped in her chest and she felt her face grow warm. One thing that hadn’t changed was Sam’s ability to make her blush. Thankfully, Sam ignored her flushed face. She put a hand on Jody’s shoulder and steered her toward a bench overlooking the beach. “Do you want to sit there and relax for a little while? I brought us something to drink.”

  “That sounds great.” Jody took a seat on the sun-warmed bench. “My afternoon was pretty crazy.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” Sam reached inside the leather bag she was carrying and pulled out two chilled bottles of ginger beer. “Will this help with destressing?”

  Jody laughed. “You know it will. I love ginger beer.”

  “I know.” Sam twisted off the top of one of the bottles and handed it to Jody. “I have to admit, I almost bought sarsaparilla, but decided ginger beer would be better.”

  “I’m glad. Thank you.”

  Sam toasted Jody with her own bottle. “Bottoms up.”

  “Since it’s non-alcoholic I can easily do that.” Jody took a sip of her drink. “I haven’t had time to sit and have anything to eat or drink all afternoon.” She glanced at Sam. “Like I said, it’s been busy.”

  Sam extended her long legs in front of her. They quietly sipped their drinks and followed a sailboat that was tacking against the gentle breeze. “So, did the illustrious William Jenkins show up today?” Sam asked. Her eyes were focused on the boat and she looked relaxed.

  Jody let out a soft, humorless laugh. “On a Friday? You’re kidding.”

  “Does that mean you’re running the place by yourself?” Sam asked. She turned to look at Jody who was picking at the label on her bottle.

  “Um…I guess I do,” Jody said after a long silence. “I like my job, every day is a challenge and I really like meeting people from all over the world, but….” Jody nibbled on her bottom lip. “Lately I feel like it’s getting to me, it’s so draining and sometimes I think I should throw in the towel and quit, but—”

  “But?” Sam probed.

  Jody hesitated. “After your family boug
ht The Reef I felt I, at least, had some kind of connection with you. Even though you were unaware.” Jody tore off a piece of the label and rolled into a tiny ball between her fingers. “I know that sounds pretty silly.”

  Sam’s hand covered Jody’s fidgeting fingers and gave it a gentle squeeze. “No, it’s not silly,” she said. “I can’t believe I never even came up with the idea to check employee files to see if you were working for us.”

  “I guess you’re not as smart as you look,” Jody teased, trying to lighten the mood.

  They both laughed. Sam’s left arm was resting on the back of the bench, behind Jody. She put her hand on Jody’s shoulder and silently encouraged her to scoot closer, which Jody immediately did.

  “Lucy is all grown up,” Sam said after a long, comfortable silence. “She’s quite the looker, but then, we always knew she would be.”

  “That, we did.” Jody smiled. “She’s quite the character.”

  “That, she is.” Sam laughed. “It was nice to see her. I’m sure you know she believes you and I are on a date.”

  “Oh, I’m aware,” Jody answered. “She left me three different voice mail messages to give me some specific instructions on how not to screw up. And she hates leaving messages.” Jody took a sip from her ginger beer. “I think I’ll save them for when she finds someone to date.” She let out a soft laugh. “She’d better hide when that happens.”

  “The prince, or princess,” Sam said.

  Jody looked surprised. “She told you? Wow. Up until now, I was the only one who knows she has no preference.” She playfully bumped Sam’s shoulder. “You should feel honored.”

  “I am.” Sam sat up and looked around. “Do you think she’s hiding somewhere with a camera?”

  Jody chuckled. “No, that would be more Fiona’s style,” she said wryly.

  They both laughed again and Jody realized she hadn’t felt this happy in a very long time. It was as if a part of her heart was unlocked and now the sunshine was flooding in. She decided not to dwell on those feelings. After all, there were still many things she and Sam hadn’t talked about yet. “Did you come up with something yet? About William, I mean?”

  “Not yet.” Sam eyes searched Jody’s and held her gaze. “I had a lot to think about today, but I’m working on it. I’d like to see a few files though. Maybe if I can get an idea of what’s going on I can develop a strategy. Dad gave me free reign, but I’d like to look at the files first, before I do anything else. I want to know what exactly I’m dealing with, so I can fix it.”

  Jody tore her eyes away and felt a heavy sadness settle in her chest. Sam would probably leave again as soon as she had solved the problem with The Reef.

  “I’m due for a vacation,” Sam said, as if she had been able to read Jody’s mind. “I haven’t had one in years and must have, at least, eight weeks saved up.” She smiled. “I might as well spend it here. I can’t wait to visit some of my favorite, old spots.”

  The heaviness lifted and Jody exhaled slowly. There could be time. “So, why do you do the things you do?” she asked. She immediately regretted the question, because it sounded very awkward. “I mean, you work for your father, but I thought you never wanted that. You wanted to become a physiotherapist.”

  “I did,” Sam answered. Her voice was calm and controlled. “But when my car decided to dive off the road, things changed.” She tried to keep her voice light, but Jody could still hear the tension in it.

  “Do you want to tell me about it?” She fought the urge to grab Sam’s hand and entwine their fingers.

  Sam was quiet for a long time and Jody patiently waited. She could see Sam was trying to collect her thoughts and she had no intention of interrupting.

  “This morning, I told you I was pretty banged up,” Sam said. “The truth is, I fractured my right leg, or maybe I should say ‘shattered’. Everything, from the kneecap down was a mess. My fibula and tibia and my ankle were broken in so many places, they had to be put back together with plates, screws and pins. I needed five operations to get it all back in place. Right now, there’s still a plate in there.” Sam tapped her right lower leg and sucked in her bottom lip. “That wasn’t all. I also fractured my right arm and broke two ribs. One of them punctured my lung. I had several deep cuts, a concussion and a lot of bruises. One of those cuts was on my hand.” Sam rubbed the area and Jody could see a thin scar across the palm of her hand. “I think my arm must have gone through the side window and the glass cut two of the tendons. A surgeon was able to repair most of the damage, but I lost some of my fine motor skills in that hand, so becoming a physiotherapist wasn’t possible.” Sam flexed and extended her fingers and studied her hand. There was a smile on her face. “I’m lucky I can still use my hand, though.” She took another sip of ginger beer. “So, instead of going into the medical field, I went to the university to get a business degree and joined my dad and brother on the corporate battlefields. Which, I must admit, is not bad.” Sam reached out and brushed away the hair that was hiding Jody’s face. “Don’t cry, Jody,” she said. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I guessed you wouldn’t let me off the hook if I didn’t tell you the whole story,” she tried with a light joke.

  “Damn right,” Jody sniffed. “It’s...it’s so unfair, Sam.”

  Sam gazed into a pair of eyes that were brimming with tears. She had to fight not to give into the urge to brush them away. She lost. Gently, she used her fingertips to catch some of the tears and her heart ached for Jody. “Please, don’t cry. It’s a long time ago and—”

  “It hurts, Sam,” Jody replied in a strangled voice. “And I can’t get rid of this image of you, lying in the hospital, all alone, waiting for me to show up and I never came. For eight years, your believed I didn’t care.”

  Sam’s hands traveled to Jody’s shoulders. She shook her gently. “Don’t do this to yourself, please. I know it hurts. It hurts me, too. But none of this is our fault. It was your father who ended what we had. And the accident, well, that was just a freak thing. I admit, there were times I blamed your brother for it, because of his reckless driving. But I’ve come to the realization that Matthew was just as much a victim as we were. He did what he thought was the right thing to do and of course that is no excuse, but…those were the circumstances. I don’t think he deliberately ran me off the road. Maybe I shouldn’t have slammed the brakes, I don’t know.” Sam paused. She put a finger underneath Jody’s chin and lifted her face so she could see her eyes. “Point is, it happened and it can’t be changed, so, please, no guilt, okay?”

  Jody grabbed the hand that still held her face and gingerly touched the scar that ran across it. “I just want to hit my dad for what he did.” There was anger in her voice and her eyes were blazing. “He had no right, Sam. I was twenty years old.”

  Sam smiled and she gently squeezed the fingers that were wrapped around her hand. “Hitting him would probably surprise the hell out of him.”

  “Seeing me would surprise the hell out of him. I haven’t seen him for eight years.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  Jody shook her head. “No, not now, later. Alright? I can’t talk about him right now, not without getting upset. I’m still too angry. When I calm down, I’ll tell you.”

  “Fair enough,” Sam said. “Let’s not dwell on the bad memories, Jody. We have lots of good ones.” Sam chuckled. “Do you remember the day I stole a kiss behind the shed?”

  Jody smiled. “You were so convinced no one could see us, but the entire time Lucy was watching us.”

  Sam grinned. “To this day, I still don’t understand where she came from. She must have been following us around. I’ll never forget that smirk on her face when she suddenly popped up, saying: ‘Hey, guys, better wrap it up, Dad is coming down to get some tools.’”

  “Talking about a cold shower.” Jody laughed. “She saved our hides.”

  “I’m sure she did. And you refused to come near me again that day.”

  “You can’t bla
me me. My hormones were all over the place. I didn’t want to risk anything.” Jody blushed. “I never knew what you were up to. You were very dangerous and very sneaky, my friend.”

  “It was fun, though,” Sam said. “So, are you hungry yet?”

  “I’m famished.” Jody admitted. “Where are the fish and chips?”

  Sam frowned. “You don’t seriously expect us to eat junk food?” Sam feigned a hurtful look.

  “If I remember correctly, you were always a sucker for fried food.”

  Sam grinned. “That’s the old me. I’ve developed a taste for the better cuisine. So, how about that fishy place up the road?”

  Jody burst out laughing. “You’d better not let them hear you say that. That ‘fishy place’ is one of the finest restaurants in this area. Besides, I don’t think we can walk in there without reservations. It’s always packed.”

  Sam jumped to her feet. She extended a hand and pulled Jody up. “I booked a table for two. Window seat. Ocean view. How about them apples, eh?”

  * * *

  About twenty kilometers to the south, two cars were parked off the road, near one of the picnic sites facing the ocean. Three men were having a drink, relaxing and engaged in small talk. Or, so it seemed. Anyone able to take a closer look would have noticed their conversation was far from innocent.

  “So, Billy boy.” It was a tall muscular man who was talking. “Did you come up with an idea to get the money?”

  William Jenkins nervously clasped a can of beer in his hand, denting the thin metal. His other hand raked through his dark hair, leaving it disheveled. “I’m working on it, Joe. I told you, I’ll have it next week.”

  “It’s Friday already, mate. I’m still ten thousand short, you know that. Of course, I can always persuade Little Steven here to apply a bit more pressure.”

  The huge man sitting next to Joe Michaels growled and squeezed the can he was holding. Beer spurted out of the holes in the metal, spilling over the ground.

  William swallowed hard. “I’m waiting on some insurance money. You know that can take forever, Joe. The money could come in any time now.”