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Whitney nodded, but she avoided Sarah’s gaze as she continued to scan the bedroom. “I don’t know if you need to be in such a rush. I mean, you do want to get the best price.”
Sarah’s stomach knotted. “Why do you look so guilty? What are you up to?” They’d been friends for a long time, and whenever Whitney bit her lip, she was hiding something.
“Nothing.”
“You’re not a good liar.”
“I’ll wait until you take a few more sips of that first,” Whitney said, nodding toward the coffee.
Sarah eyed her friend over the rim of the cup as she savored more liquid courage for whatever bomb her friend was about to drop on her. “Okay, spill it,” she said.
“It’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s an incredible opportunity…”
“Don’t spin me with your sales tactics, Whit.” She took another gulp of her drink, grateful it was the perfect temperature.
“I’ve booked a reopening event. For the inn,” Whitney said as her phone chimed.
Sarah frowned. “I don’t remember that being part of the plan.” The details were fuzzy because of the wine, but she remembered all of them agreeing that as long as Sarah could have the B&B finished by the fall, it would be great timing to list it for sale. Offers would come in, and a sale could be completed before the holidays and still give the new owners time to prepare for the following year’s tourist season.
“I know, but this event came across my desk today, and I thought maybe it would be a good idea to host it here so that the community could actually see the place after its makeover.” Whitney typed furiously and then tucked the phone into a pocket in her white-and-tan-striped dress.
“What it is?” she asked carefully. Whitney was a go-getter. She shot for the moon with everything she did and had never failed enough to learn how to lower her standards. Sarah was a little bit more cautious in her goals. Which was why she was still working for Gail and not going out on her own, which had been her original plan after graduation. Get the experience and an established client base, then get out. Instead, she was climbing the ladder and making someone else rich.
But that was fine, right?
“A family reunion,” Whitney said. “The client was insistent that she needed a place for guests to stay, and she’d originally committed to the Seaview Inn, but they overbooked that weekend, and she was left scrambling to find another suitable venue. This was the perfect choice. She’s really excited.”
“But an event really isn’t necessary. I mean, we can just hold open houses for potential buyers.”
“Right…but this way, so many people who love this place will get to see it and experience it in its new splendor before someone else buys it. You’ve done so much work. Show it off before you ditch town again.”
Sarah sighed. It would be nice to at least soak up some of the credit of restoring the inn before she handed it off. “When is the event?”
“Labor Day weekend,” Whitney said.
“That’s two weeks away.” She’d been planning on leaving sooner than that. Extending her stay in Blue Moon Bay didn’t exactly appeal to her after the night before. Sarah took a deep breath and drank more coffee. “I’m not sure, Whitney. I really should get back to the city.”
“You’ve been working remotely all this time anyway. What’s another two weeks?”
She hesitated. Could she really last that long in town? Should she tell Whitney about the kiss with Wes and his rejection? Both of her friends were so successful and happy; she hated that she seemed to be the only one still trying to establish herself in her career and her love life. “It’s just getting complicated,” she said noncommittally.
“Come on, Sarah. Trust me. It’s the mayor’s niece hosting the reunion, so the mayor will be there. It’s the perfect time to show off the place to some impressive influencers who will help block any attempt at a big chain succeeding in buying it and tearing it down to put up some flashy resort.”
Whitney made a good point. Having the mayor’s support would go a long way toward preserving Dove’s Nest as the community landmark it was. She didn’t want to have done all of this in vain.
“Okay,” she said reluctantly. Gail was going to shit, but their pitch to the client wasn’t until after Labor Day. “Mayor’s niece? Do we know her?”
“Yes, we do know her,” Whitney said casually, but Sarah detected a note of apprehension in her voice. She paused before continuing. “You remember Lia Jameson from high school, right?”
Lia Jameson? As in her high schoolfrenemyLia Jameson? She shook her head quickly. “Oh no…”
Whitney forced a smile that said,Please don’t kill me. “I kinda already told her yes.”
“Whitney!”
“Sorry, Sarah. She needed an answer, and you have to admit, this is a good idea.”
“But Lia? Really?” The former gossip queen had always been just one step ahead. When Sarah placed second in the science fair, Lia placed first. When Sarah got an A on a math test, Lia got an A-plus. And according to Facebook, Lia was now happily married with a successful law career in New York City with a penthouse apartment overlooking Central Park. Once again, she’d beaten Sarah at life. Seeing her old high school rival right now when her own career was on the line and her heart was a mess wasn’t exactly appealing.
