Welcome to Coco Bay

by Kirsty McManus

  “I have no idea how I’m supposed to operate out of a half-finished day spa,” she continues.

  “We’ll make sure it’s ready on time,” I promise.

  “I can’t wait for you to see my vision come to fruition.”

  Lani insisted that the finished product be a surprise. She designed the new layout and picked out all the décor almost solely on her own. Obviously, the construction team knows what it looks like, but I have no idea. She has good taste, though, so I’m looking forward to seeing what she’s come up with.

  “When will you give me a tour?” I ask.

  “All in good time. I want to make sure the electrical work is finished first.”

  “Okay. Keep me posted.”

  She finishes mixing her cocktail and tilts her head at the jug. “You want some?”

  “No, thanks. I’ll just have a beer for now.”

  “Come and sit with me outside while we wait for dinner.”

  “Sure.”

  I grab a beer from the fridge and follow her outside. I can’t help but admire her curves as she swings her hips in front of me. Thanks to her Italian heritage, she has olive skin and long, auburn hair that falls in waves to her waist. She also has great fashion sense, having grown up in inner-city Melbourne. I don’t know how she does it, but she always manages to look classy.

  Someone has lit a campfire, and I watch as Lani perches on a nearby log, sipping her drink. I sit on the log next to her, smiling.

  “What?” she says, smiling back.

  “I was just thinking how cute you look in this light.”

  “You’re such a smooth talker,” she says, giggling.

  If only Mum and Dinah could see us now, they’d totally get it. At least they’ll have the chance next weekend.

  I can’t wait to be proven right.

  FIVE

  Emily

  I look around my new room. It reminds me of the camp dorms I used to stay in as a teenager. Certainly not where I expected to be living as the night manager of a fancy resort.

  And having to cook and clean on a roster system? When Birdie said food and accommodation were included, I assumed I’d have my own small villa and could live independently. But it’s a bit late to back out now. Even if I wanted to leave, I’d have to wait until at least tomorrow. The sun has set, and I can’t imagine it would be easy navigating back to the mainland on the speedboat in the dark.

  I spend a few minutes making up the bed, using some thin white sheets left folded on a ratty velvet chair in the corner. I hang up my stuff and unpack my underwear and socks, putting them in the tiny bedside drawer. I’m not a precious person, but I’m used to slightly higher standards than this. I know I’m only twenty-six, but after five years of living in my lovely Vancouver apartment, this is a huge step backwards.

  Still, I’ve made my decision. And living with a bunch of people I don’t know is infinitely preferable to facing the ones I do.

  I change into a pair of jeans and an olive-green shirt before making my way downstairs.

  A woman with bright red hair and wearing a floral romper bounds over, thrusting a glass of sparkling wine into my hand. “Hey! I’m Sasha. You must be Emily. Welcome!”

  I smile faintly. “Hey. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “I’ll be working on reception, so I assume we’ll be spending a fair bit of time together.”

  “That’s right.”

  “What made you take the night manager position?”

  “Uh, I thought it would be a good opportunity to further my tourism career. Plus, I’ve always been a bit of a night owl.”

  “Me too! I basically sleep from 3am until 10am each day, so if you ever need me outside those hours, just shout out.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  She picks up a glass from nearby and clinks it against mine. “To new friends.”

  Despite my reservations about the new job, I start to relax. So far, the people seem nice. Not that I came here to build a social life. I just needed a job, and it’s lucky I found one back in tourism. Besides, when you’re stuck on a remote island with the same people for days on end, it seems like you’d want to maintain a little professional distance to avoid any potential drama.

  “Who have you met so far?” Sasha asks.

  “Just Noah.”

  “Ah. Mr. McHottie. Not only is he good-looking, but he’s super sweet too. Unfortunately, he’s taken.”

  I keep my expression neutral. “Ah.”

  “Yeah. He’s dating Lani. She’s a massage therapist and aesthetician in the day spa here.” She lowers her voice and whispers in my ear. “I’m guessing Noah appreciates what she can do with her fingers.”

  I take a sip of my drink to avoid commenting. Yep. A little professional distance is definitely called for here. Particularly considering I’ll be part of the management team.

  Sasha points to a bunch of people in quick succession. “That’s Allie. She’s one of the groundskeepers. Monty just headed outside. He’s a chef who makes the best seafood carbonara I have ever tasted. Reid is the resort’s electrician. He and Darren, the plumber, also do handyman stuff around the place. And that’s Ciara. She’s in housekeeping. Don’t worry if you can’t remember everyone’s names right now. Most of them won’t be offended.”

  “How long have you all been here?”

  “We were employed here before the resort shut down, but we were able to return about eight weeks ago to help prepare for the reopening.”

  “And you’re all working to get the place up and running in a month?”

  “Yup. I don’t have as much to do as the others, so I’ve been chipping in with general repairs. Ciara, too. Normally, she’d just clean the rooms, but since so many were damaged in the cyclone, she’s had to help refurnish them all as well.”

  “It sounds like a huge job.”

  She chuckles. “Tell me about it. I don’t think we’re going to be ready in time, but Cal insisted on a particular deadline.”

  “What’s he like?”

  She wrinkles her nose. “You’ll find out soon enough. Just be thankful he stays on his side of the island.”

  “Okay.”

  She suddenly grabs my hand. “Oh my God. Can you smell that? Monty must be cooking. Come outside and get something to eat.”

  She drags me towards the door, and I smile.

  Just because I’m being professional doesn’t mean I can’t still enjoy myself.

  And that food sure smells good.

  Outside, there’s a campfire burning. Noah and a very pretty woman are occupying two nearby logs. A bald man, presumably Monty, is grilling steaks on a nearby barbecue. The scent is heavenly.

  Noah looks over, and his eyes light up. “Hey, girls! Come and hang out.”

  We make our way over and sit down on two more of the logs.

  “Lani, this is Emily,” Noah says.

  Lani looks me up and down. “Hey.”

  “Emily’s the new night manager,” he continues.

  “I gathered,” she says dryly.

  “What happened to the other night manager?” I ask Sasha.

  “Oh, she moved on, but that’s no loss. I won’t bore you with the details now. I can already tell you’re going to be a million times better than her. This place used to have over one hundred staff, but we all basically lost our jobs after the cyclone. The people you see here are the ones who really loved the island and wanted to come back as soon as possible. I was a retail manager at a clothing boutique in Mackay when I heard about them rehiring. Selling clothes in a tiny shop just doesn’t compare to the energy of a resort.”

  “Where did all the staff fit if they stayed on the island?” I ask.

  “There used to be a bunch of other buildings like this nearby. Only a couple of them are habitable now.”

  “How many staff are currently employed?”

  “About twenty. More are due to arrive before opening. And about ten or fifteen of the newbies will be housed on the mainla
nd and get ferried across each day.”

  “Oh, right.”

  “Honey? Could you please top me up?” Lani holds her empty glass out to Noah.

  He takes it amiably. “Sure.” He glances at me and Sasha. “Are you right for drinks?”

  “Yes, thank you,” we both say. I couldn’t imagine ever asking someone to do something for me if I was able to do it myself.

  Noah disappears inside, and Lani focuses on me. “So, Emily. What’s your deal?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Where have you come from? Are you married?”

  “I recently returned from working in Vancouver, but I’m originally from Brisbane. And no, I’m not married.”

  “Boyfriend?”

  I shake my head. “Nope.”

  “I’m afraid there’s not much of a selection for you to choose from here on the island. Reid is gay, Monty is in a long-distance relationship, and Darren…well, I’m not sure he even knows how to talk to women. I suppose there’s Noah’s roommate, Dash, and you might be interested in the guys on the construction team, but they’ll be leaving eventually…”

  I cut her off. “I appreciate your concern for my love life, but I’m not interested in a relationship right now.”

  She raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything.

  “Why don’t we go and see if those steaks are ready?” Sasha suggests to me.

  “Good idea.” I stand up and smile sweetly at Lani. “It was lovely meeting you.”

  “Likewise.”

  Sasha pulls me away. “Don’t mind her. She’s just super possessive of Noah.”

  “I never would have guessed,” I say, rolling my eyes. And while my first impression of Noah was positive, I would never entertain the idea of a relationship with someone already taken, or who was a colleague on a different level of the corporate hierarchy to me. Also, my relationship with Emmet wasn’t that long ago, and the one with Seb didn’t really get the closure it needed, so love is the last thing on my mind right now.

  “You know, as part of management, you have to ensure the staff are all behaving. And that includes getting involved if relationship dramas affect the smooth operation of the resort.”

  Ugh. I hadn’t thought of that. Hopefully, Calvin can deal with that stuff.

  “Duly noted.”

  “Hey, ladies. Grab a plate and help yourself.” Monty points to the steaks he’s recently removed from the barbecue. “There’s a quinoa salad in the fridge inside too if you want it.”

  “You know, I’m going to miss your cooking when you’re back in the restaurant,” Sasha says, spearing a chunk of meat and putting it on a plate.

  “You’ll still get me once a fortnight,” he promises. “Although, I won’t have time to make anything fancy.”

  “Can you pretty please make your famous carbonara at least one more time before we reopen? I told Emily it’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

  “For you, darling, I will.”

  “Thanks, babe.”

  Sasha hands me her plate and grabs another one for herself. “Here, take these, and I’ll get some salad. There’s a picnic table under the tree over there.”

  I nod and start making my way over.

  That’s when I hear a loud crack, followed by a splash. Everyone looks towards the direction of the sound, which I estimate is near reception.

  Noah is the first to react. He’s carrying Lani’s glass, but quickly dumps it on one of the logs and takes off. Sasha sticks her head out the door. “What was that?”

  “I don’t know. Something breaking?”

  “We better check it out.” She comes over and takes the two plates from me. “I’ll put these inside and catch up with you.”

  I nod and follow the others, who are also curious to see what happened.

  When we get to reception, it’s obvious what caused the noise.

  The whole jetty has collapsed.

  So much for the engineer saying it was safe for guests.

  Noah is standing nearby, looking at the water in dismay. Thankfully, it’s shallow at the edge, so the structure didn’t pull the speedboat underwater. Still, some of the planks have splintered over the top of it.

  “What the hell is going on here?” a loud voice calls out.

  I turn and see a man in his forties approaching us. He’s dressed in a white polo shirt and tan chinos and he looks livid.

  “I don’t know, Cal,” Noah says. “We were all over at the staff quarters.”

  “Well, this is pretty fucking dire.” He looks down at the destruction. “Get onto it first thing. We can’t accept guests if there’s nowhere for them to get off the damn boat.”

  “I’ll talk to the construction team in the morning.”

  “Good.” He momentarily glances at me. “Who are you?”

  “Emily. The new night manager.”

  “Oh. Right. Come see me in my office tomorrow morning. 8:30am sharp.”

  “Will do.”

  He nods curtly and walks off again.

  Sasha comes over and whispers in my ear. “That’s a nicer welcome than any of us ever got.”

  “I’ll have a chat to him tomorrow on the importance of treating staff with respect.”

  She snorts. “Good luck with that.”

  Noah turns to one of the women. “Allie, do you have any rope we can use to section off this area?”

  “I’ll go check in the shed,” she says.

  “I’ll wait here with you until Allie gets back,” Lani says, draping herself all over Noah.

  I’m not sure whether I imagine it, but I think I catch a flash of annoyance on his face. He extricates himself from her grasp and climbs down into the water, picking up the splintered wood and stacking it in a pile back on land.

  “Do you need any help?” I ask.

  “Nah. You should all go back and finish dinner. We’ll have a lot of work to do tomorrow.”

  “As long as you’re sure.”

  “Go. We’ll be fine.”

  “You don’t have to tell me twice,” Sasha says. “Come on, Emily.”

  I take one last look around and reluctantly head back. Right before I leave, I shoot a glance at Lani. She’s staring at me with her mouth set in a thin line.

  I don’t think she likes me very much.

  But I guess that’s her problem.

  SIX

  Noah

  I wake up and look across at Lani, still sleeping beside me. Technically, I’m not supposed to be here in her room, but no one enforces the rule. I kind of figure anyone who would complain about two people in a relationship sharing a bed must have issues. And before the resort shut down, this place was crawling with mix-n-match sleeping partners twenty-four seven.

  Right now, since there’s not many staff, the only official couple is me and Lani. I imagine that will change as more people arrive, though.

  I roll out of bed and pull on some pants. I pick up my T-shirt but don’t put it on since I’m going to change again in a few minutes. I lean over and kiss Lani on the forehead.

  “I’ll be up soon,” she murmurs.

  “No rush. It’s still early. I’m just going to go have some breakfast.”

  “Okay.” She rolls over and pulls the quilt tighter. I have a feeling ‘soon’ means at least half an hour.

  Out on the landing, I head for the stairs but stop when Emily exits the bathroom. She’s wrapped in a towel—and not one of those full-size bath-sheet towels. This one looks like it shrank in the wash and got demoted to a hand towel.

  When she sees me, she freezes. “Uh, hi.”

  I grin. “Hi.” I glance back into Lani’s room. “I was just…”

  “No need to explain,” she says hurriedly. “What you do on your own time is your business.”

  I deliberately keep my gaze above her neckline and usher her past. “It’s my turn to make breakfast, so come grab some food when you’re ready.”

  “Thanks.”

  She practically bolts past and s
lams the bedroom door behind her. I continue down to the kitchen, chuckling. The woman is cute in a wholesome, clean-cut way. Imagine feeling embarrassed by being caught out in a towel. Sure, even though I wasn’t ogling, I was still able to see she had a nicely shaped body. And her little blonde bob was all tousled like a nineties Meg Ryan.

  And then I feel guilty for objectifying someone who is technically my boss now. Cal is still the one who’d have final say over my career, but I imagine Emily has some input too. Plus, I’m sure Lani wouldn’t be impressed if she could see inside my head right now. She doesn’t shy away from telling me which male celebrities are on her ‘hall pass’ list, but I think she’d understand telling me she was lusting after the guys on the resort construction crew would be pushing it.

  Not that I’m lusting after Emily. Oh, God. I’m digging myself into a hole, and no one is even here to witness it.

  Okay. No more unprofessional thoughts about Emily.

  I head for the bathroom on the guys’ level and take a quick shower. I change into some boardies and a navy T-shirt and start preparing breakfast.

  Everyone must be sleeping in because I’m the only one in the kitchen. And when I finally hear footsteps coming down the stairs, I look up and see it’s Emily again.

  At least this time she’s fully clothed, looking every bit the manager in tailored black pants and a crisp white shirt.

  I lay out some cutlery on the communal dining table. “Help yourself. I picked up the yoghurt yesterday from a little place in Mackay.”

  “Awesome. And that granola looks good,” she says, pointing to a large bowl.

  “I hope so. I made it.”

  “You made your own granola?” She looks impressed.

  “Yeah, it’s easy. You just toast some oats with a little oil and honey and add whatever you like. In this batch, I used pecans, pepitas, cinnamon, and dried cranberries.”

  She scoops a large helping into a bowl and heaps some yoghurt on top. She takes a bite before sitting down, and her eyes roll back in her head. “Oh my God. This is amazing.”

  I smile, pleased. And probably because I was just thinking about Meg Ryan, I’m reminded of that orgasm scene in When Harry Met Sally. Emily definitely has a Meg vibe about her.