Love Bait

17| Blue skies ahead

For the first time all summer, I wake up early. While I'm dreading the thought of spending the day with Jordan, I can't help but feel hopeful. If Lexi's plan works, Jordan could change his mind about the cafe; the Big Fish Cafe could be saved.

I take my time getting ready. I can tell by the sky that today will be a scorcher, so I put on a black strappy top and denim shorts before applying my makeup.

Dad's not in the kitchen when I make it downstairs–he's busy catering for some big conference at New Wave hotel–so it's just Lexi and her boyfriend, Elliot, at the table. I've only met Elliot three or four times–Lexi met him in college, and he lives on the mainland–but he seems nice enough, if a little boring.

"Hey, Evvy," he says with a grin. "How's it going?'

I smile before taking a seat. "Really good, thanks." I glance at his overflowing plate of French toast and fresh fruit. "Got enough there?"

"Blame Lexi," he says, glancing at his plate. "She knows French toast is my weakness, especially how she cooks it. You reckon she's gonna follow in your dad's footsteps?"

Lexi smiles as she hands me a plate piled high the same way. "Only if my plan to become a Marine Biologist falls through, which leads me onto my good news." She looks between the two of us, bursting with excitement. "My professor called me this morning to tell me he's secured an interview for a graduate entry position." 

The biggest grin spreads across Elliot's face. He jumps to his feet, pulling Lexi into a hug. "Congrats, Lexi. You'll do amazing." 

For a second, I'm silent. While I'm happy for Lexi, a part of me can't help but feel saddened by this news. If Lexi gets this job, she'll be moving to the mainland, and then I'll be moving to the mainland, and who will Dad have?

Lexi glances at me, so I force myself to smile. "I'm so happy for you, Lex. Do you need me to practice interviewing you?"

It was the same thing Lexi had done for me when I'd gone for the waitressing job at the cafe. She sat me down at the breakfast table with a list of questions, and we practiced for hours. I'd thought it was overkill at the time, but now I realize she was just trying to help me.

"No, it's okay," she says. "You need to concentrate on winning over Justin." 

"Jordan," I correct.

Elliot looks between us, confused. "Who's Jordan, and why do you need to win him over?"

I sigh and glance at the patio doors. Sunlight pours through them and falls on the floor, revealing the scuff marks on the tiles. When Mom bought this table, she enlisted the help of Lexi and me to drag it into position, scuffing the new tiles in the process. Dad spent forever laying them down, so whenever he'd notice, he'd get annoyed at Mom all over again.

Nowadays, he doesn't get mad, he just smiles at the memory. It's really the little things–scuffs in the wood, burn rings on the counter–that remind us of her. She was here, she existed, even if it sometimes starts to feel like she didn't.

"Evvy, are you okay?" Lexi asks.

"I'm fine," I say, turning to Elliot. "Jordan is this guy trying to sell the cafe. I'm hoping that giving him a tour of the island this week will help him to realize how important this place is to the locals. Maybe it will stop him from selling."

Elliot furrows his eyebrows. "Is it really such a big deal if it gets sold? I mean, it will still end up as something similar, right? A cafe or a coffee shop or an ice cream shop or whatever."

I narrow my eyes. "But it won't be the Big Fish Cafe anymore, and if the wrong person buys it, it would be the start of the piranhas monopolizing the beachfront."