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“What kind of restaurant was here before?” I ask.
“I’m not sure,” Hilary says and she looks guilty. “I know I should know, but I think it was a seafood place or a steakhouse.”
She doesn’t know at all. But if she doesn’t remember, I don’t think anyone else will, either. The last thing I want is the reputation of the place that came before me. Hilary makes it sound like it’s a bad thing that it’s been empty for some time, but I prefer it that way. It’s a fresh start and I can create my own image from the very beginning.
I walk back to the dining area and stand before the full-length windows. The view of the ocean is incredible. The dunes rolled to either side of the beach before me, and seagulls squawk and circle in the distance, making the scenery picturesque.
“Is that beach accessible to tourists?” I ask.
Hilary shakes her head. “It’s private property and there is no public access. It’s one of the reasons the price is so steep. Obviously, people can access it from other places, but the foot traffic is low.”
Private is up my alley. I could use that to my advantage, somehow. I’m not sure what I’ll do just yet, but suddenly, Hilary’s line about the place speaking to the right person doesn’t sound so ridiculous.
This is the restaurant for me. I haven’t made concrete plans just yet, but with this property, anything is possible.
“I’ll take it,” I say, turning to Hillary.
She widens her eyes in surprise. “Don’t you want to think about it?”
“I don’t need to. This is exactly what I want. How fast can we get the paperwork done?”
“That depends on the bank and your loan application, but if we put it in right away—”
“I’ll pay cash,” I say. “That should speed things up, shouldn’t it?”
“Cash!?” She can’t conceal her shock. “Mr. Gill, the price—”
“It’s not a problem,” I say. “I’d like to take care of this as quickly and as discreetly as possible.”
“Discreet?” She looks confused.
“I want it to be a surprise when I open these doors. Tell your superiors if you must, but please, don’t speak to anyone else about it.”
Hilary nods. She looks pleased about the fact that she just made a sale—a big one. I don’t know if I can trust her, but she doesn’t know what I’m going to do with the place. I don’t even know exactly yet. She can’t spread the word too much.
After taking care of a few administrative things, Hilary heads back to the office to get the paperwork going.
I get in my car and drive to the hospital.
My mom is alone in her room when I arrive. Her eyes are closed and I take a moment to take in her form. She is frail beneath the sheets, her dark hair pulled away from her face, and her eyes are sunken. She looks like a shell of what she used to be.
As if she knows I’m looking at her, she opens her eyes and smiles at me. It transforms her face.
“I was hoping you would drop by,” she says softly.
I walk to her, kiss her on the head, and sit down on the chair by the bedside. I try not to notice how paper-thin her skin is, and how I can see the veins, roadmaps on her arms.
“How are you feeling?” I ask.
“Much better,” she says. When she does, I glance at the machines that tell me how she’s really doing. But she does look a lot better than when I was here, last. “What about you? Have you gone on that date yet?”
I shake my head. “That’s this coming weekend.” I told her about my date with the girls who paid for me at auction.
“I hope it’s something nice,” Mom says. “You deserve a good girl.”
“I don’t think I’m going to meet one through an auction,” I say with a chuckle.
“You never know what fate holds for you, darling,” she says and pats my hand.
