Linda Hope Lee - Her Summer Crush

After her mom left, Luci looked at the boxes and then at the open patio door. The door won. She could unpack later. Rummaging in her boxes of clothing, she located her favorite wide-brimmed hat. She put it on and tied the strings under her chin. Then she headed along the path through the dunes to the beach.

Once there, Luci tucked her hands in her sweater pockets and kept going. The beach was busy today. Some people were walking, like she was, while others jogged. Kids and dogs played in the surf, and on the hard-packed sand near the shore an occasional car or truck rumbled by.

A gull swooped down and landed in a large tide pool. Several more followed. The birds splashed and high stepped, poking their heads in and out of the water. It wasn’t long—a few minutes at the most—before the leader spread its wings and flew into the sky. The others followed. Soon they were mere dots against the blue backdrop.

The birds reminded her of Cody. He never stayed in one place, either. Before long he swept off on a new adventure.

They were so different. He needed to keep moving, and she needed to stay still. Good thing they’d never gotten together. A relationship wouldn’t work. Not then and not now.

* * *

MONDAY MORNING, JUST short of nine o’clock, Luci went through the glass double doors of the two-story Stafford Building, on the corner of Main and Seaview. Her heart fluttering, she followed the brightly lit, high-ceilinged hallway to the office of the chamber of commerce.

With her major in journalism, Luci could have applied for any number of positions. However, Willow Beach was a small town, and the opportunities were limited. Even the Willow Beach Herald had no openings. So she felt lucky to have found this job with the chamber of commerce.

Luci took a deep breath, then greeted the receptionist, Marge Delano.

Marge looked up from a desk piled with folders. “Luci, glad you’re here. This mess belongs to you.” She scooped up the folders and thrust them at Luci.

“Okay, but—” Luci juggled the folders to keep them anchored in her arms.

Marge made a dismissive wave. “Glen can explain. I’ll let him know you’re here.”

She made a call, and a couple minutes later Glen Thomas appeared in the hallway.

Besides Luci’s father, who was president of the Willow Beach National Bank, Glen was probably the only man in town who wore a tie to work. She’d bet there was a suit jacket in his office, too.

“Good morning, Luci,” Glen boomed. “You’re right on time. That’s good. I like my staff to be punctual. So, let’s get you started on your projects. Come this way, please.” He motioned for her to follow him down the hall.

Luci’s office turned out to be a large room with picture windows along one wall. She immediately looked out to see a courtyard with a fountain in the center. Colorful flower gardens and wooden benches surrounded the fountain. Two women sat drinking coffee in the sunshine.

Luci turned to Glen. “What a pleasant setting.”

“Mmm, yes, I suppose it is.” He pointed to a table stacked with file folders, magazines and brochures. “You can put those files Marge gave you with the rest of that stuff. It all goes together.”

Luci deposited her armload on the table, then sat and took her tablet from her purse.

“Nice party the other night.” Glen pulled up a chair across from her.

“I’m glad you and your wife could join us.” Luci turned on her tablet, ready to take notes.

“Your dad and I go way back, you know. We both came to town about the same time. He worked at the bank, and I worked at the hardware store. Now he’s the bank’s president, and I’m owner of the store and president of the chamber of commerce.” He chuckled. “How about that?”

“I’d say you’ve both done very well for yourselves.”

He nodded and stroked his chin. “I wasn’t sure I’d like living in such a small town, but it hasn’t been so bad, after all. The place kinda grows on you.”

“Yes, it does.”

“Well. We’d better get moving.” He tapped his wristwatch. “Have to meet with the mayor soon. There’s a list for you somewhere around here. At least, Marge said there would be.” He poked around the piles and came up with a piece of paper. “Ah, here it is.” He took a pair of eyeglasses from his shirt pocket and put them on.

“You’ll be writing an article each month for Coastal Living magazine. It’s published in Hampton, but the surrounding towns all contribute stories.” He gave her a questioning look over the top of his glasses.

“I’m familiar with Coastal Living.” Luci made a note on her tablet.

“Good. The next issue is out the first of July, so you’ll need to turn in your article soon. The person who last had this job planned to write about Cranberry Acres. I suggest you follow through on that.”

“I’ll make it a priority.”

He pointed to another item on the list. “The Fourth of July celebration. That’s taken care of by the outfit we hire to do the fireworks display. You’ll need to do some publicity, though, flyers around town, that sort of thing.”

Luci nodded, busily taking notes.

Mr. Thomas took off his glasses and dangled them between thumb and forefinger. “Now, here’s a real challenge. The sand-castle contest in August. We want to add something new this year, something that will get us a lot of attention. You decide what that will be. Make us look good.”

“Okay...”

He replaced his glasses and consulted the list again. “The newsletter to our members. Published twice a month.”

“All right.”

He put down the list and gestured to the stacks of papers and folders on the table. “Then, there’s all this stuff. Needs to be sorted and put in those file cabinets over there.” He nodded at several cabinets standing side by side on the far wall. “A lot of the brochures need to be updated. You can do that, too.”

He waited while Luci keyed in a few more notes. “How’re we doing here? Any questions?”

“Yes. For the articles and the brochure updates, will you want me to take photos, too? I’m not a professional, of course, but—”

“Photos won’t be your responsibility. Our regular guy, Sam Reynolds, is on an extended vacation, but I’ve hired someone to fill in.”

A knock sounded on the open door. Glen looked up. “Here he is now.”

When Luci turned to see who had arrived, shock rippled through her. “Cody?”

He waved. “Hi, Luci. Glen.”

“Have a seat.” Glen motioned to a chair across from Luci. “And you call me Glen, too, Luci. No need to be formal.”

Cody, looking neat and trim in a short-sleeved plaid shirt and jeans, ambled across the room. He pulled out a chair next to Glen, sat and stretched his long legs underneath the table. Of course, his camera was with him, slung over his shoulder.

Glen continued talking, but his words barely registered. All Luci could think about was that she and Cody would be working together. Was she his boss now?

“Cody, you can set your own office hours,” Glen was saying, “just so long as you meet all the deadlines. Luci, I’ll expect you to be here most of the time, except when you’re out doing research, of course.” He looked at his watch. “Ah, time for the mayor. I’ll let you two get started.”

After Glen left, neither Cody nor Luci said anything. She fussed with her tablet while he folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. The seconds ticked by.

Finally Cody cleared his throat. “I get the feeling you’re not happy with this situation.”

Luci put down her tablet and idly picked up one of the brochures. “I’m surprised. No, shocked. Why would you want this job? I thought you were eager to be off to see the world again.”