AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHARLOTTE
Charlotte awoke with a sense of anticipation. While lying in bed, she reviewed her plans for the day. After her mid-day appointment to introduce herself to the hotel supplier in Miami, she was meeting Shane for a late lunch and to look at the non-profit he was working with. It would be a hectic day, but only the first of many trips to Miami, she suspected. She didn’t mind the travel and was excited about new marketing ideas that didn’t revolve around selling things consumers may or may not need.
When she went downstairs, Brooke was in the kitchen sitting at the table with a cup of coffee.
“Good morning. Another beautiful day. You’re up early. What are you up to today?” Charlotte asked.
“Jake and I are going to work on a cash flow budget. Gran has been a shrewd investor, and John’s financial contribution has provided enough funds for them to travel and for us to do the upgrades. But until they decide if they’re going to sell or not, we need to maintain proper liquidity.”
Charlotte agreed, unsure how she felt about Gran selling the Inn. As Gran had requested, neither she nor her cousins had mentioned a word about it to their families.
“You’re going to Miami to meet with the hotel supply rep, right?” said Brooke. “We’ll need you to get all the financial information about payments, delivery services and charges, and all those details.” She gave Charlotte a sheepish smile. “Why am I even saying this? But of course, you will.”
Charlotte shrugged. “No problem. What’s up with Livy?”
“She’s working in the kitchen today as usual, but she already texted me that we need to have a meeting soon to discuss equipment and staff assignments. She and Gran were talking about it earlier. Guess we’d better set aside time tomorrow.”
“Okay. I’m going to grab a cup of coffee and get ready to leave. I want to get as much done today as possible.”
“Does it have anything to do with meeting Shane Ensley for lunch?” teased Brooke.
Charlotte laughed but didn’t answer. She knew very well it did.
###
Charlotte pulled out of the hotel supply company’s parking lot in South Miami and drove to Coconut Grove. She was to meet Shane for a late lunch at one of the restaurants in the new CocoWalk. She loved the idea of a collection of shops, restaurants, and cafés dedicated to the idea of a waterfront neighborhood’s history with an emphasis on family.
His choice of a place to meet pleased her. Of particular interest was that they’d be discussing his non-profit, Family First, a cross between a Big Brother program and a guardian ad litem. She was anxious to hear more about it.
When Charlotte arrived at Theodore’s, she checked the extended outdoor patio but saw no sign of Shane. So, she entered the restaurant and gazed around. The interior was designed to make guests feel as if they were sitting in an outdoor garden. She loved it.
She saw Shane rise from a table in the back of the main room, and smiling, she headed for him.
“Glad you could make it. Have any trouble finding this place from the hotel supplier’s building?”
“No, the supplier’s office isn’t that far from here,” she said, allowing Shane to seat her at the table.
A waiter hurried over to them. “Sorry. I should’ve seated you. What can I get the two of you to drink?” he asked, handing them each a menu.
Shane asked for water, and Charlotte ordered iced tea.
After the waiter left, Shane turned to her. “I’m glad you could meet me. If you could help with the Family First program, that would be terrific. Though not many people know about it, Family First provides a unique opportunity for teenaged boys. Let’s order, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
Charlotte studied the menu. “M-m-m, everything looks delicious. Any suggestions?”
“They have great sandwiches. Sarita likes their salads,” said Shane.
“Sarita?” said Charlotte.
He looked up from his menu. “Sarita is my assistant. A capable woman almost as old as our grandmothers.”
“Nice, I didn’t mean to pry,” said Charlotte.
“You’re not,” he said simply and returned to his menu.
Charlotte made a quick decision from the menu and then took some time to look around the restaurant. Above the dark-stained wainscoting, the walls were painted a deep green, a perfect backdrop for the pictures of flowers of varying sizes and with different frames that dressed the walls. Live plants with colorful flowers were strategically placed throughout the room. She noticed grow lights hidden among the foliage keeping the plants happy. A simple arrangement of fresh flowers sat in the middle of each table. It was charming, Charlotte thought, taking a sip of her iced tea.
