Page 23 of Captiva Café

Maggie smiled. "Glad you could make it."

With everyone assembled, Maggie cleared her throat, and the quiet murmuring ceased. Five pairs of eyes focused on her expectantly.

"I've called this meeting because we're facing an unprecedented situation," she began, her tone mixing pride with concern. "Thanks to my mother's unexpected internet fame and some glowing write-ups in travel blogs, the Key Lime Garden Inn is fully booked from now through Thanksgiving."

Maggie couldn't help but shake her head. "I still can't believe this is all because of my seventy-nine-year-old mother and her 'Silver Wanderings' YouTube channel. Who would have thought that her van life adventures would lead to this?"

"I watched her most recent video," Oliver offered with a grin. "The one where she demonstrates how to make coffee on a camping stove while parked 'discreetly' in a national forest. She actually winks at the camera and says, 'What the park rangers don't know won't hurt them!'"

Maggie groaned, covering her face with one hand while the others laughed. "Please don't remind me. I keep expecting to get a call that she's been arrested for illegal camping."

"My personal favorite," Iris chimed in, "was when she did that ten-minute segment on the 'perfect pillowcase' and held up one of ours as the gold standard."

"The comment section was priceless," Millie added. "'Grandma Sarah for President' and 'I want to be her when I grow up' from people who are probably already in their sixties."

Ciara raised her hand. "Crawford has started calling her 'The Van Influencer'. He says he's had three different customers mention her just yesterday."

Maggie sighed but couldn't suppress her smile. "Well, whether we like it or not, my adventure-seeking, rule-bending, oversharing mother has turned us into the hottest reservation in Southwest Florida. So I suppose we should thank her—evenif I'm still trying to convince her not to post her exact GPS coordinates to the internet."

A moment of silence followed as the staff absorbed this news, then Millie let out a low whistle.

"Every room? For three straight months?" she asked, her pen hovering over her notebook.

"Every room. Even the cottage," Maggie confirmed. "I've had to start turning people away. The wait list is growing daily."

"That's wonderful," Iris said, though her expression reflected the same mixture of excitement and apprehension that Maggie felt. "But also..."

"Terrifying?" Oliver supplied helpfully. "Exhausting? A logistical nightmare of biblical proportions?"

"All of the above." Maggie nodded. "Which is why we need to talk strategy. This level of occupancy means more of everything—more breakfasts, more cleaning, more maintenance, more guest questions and requests. All while maintaining the standards that earned us those five-star reviews in the first place."

Paolo stepped forward, turning his spreadsheet so everyone could see. "I've mapped out a detailed staffing schedule through November," he explained. "As you can see, we'll need all hands on deck. There will be very limited opportunity for time off."

Millie's eyebrows shot up as she studied the calendar. "You're not kidding. This is going to be intense."

"It is," Maggie acknowledged. "And I need to be very clear about this—I cannot grant days off during this period except for genuine emergencies. I know that's difficult, and I wouldn't ask if it weren't absolutely necessary."

She paused, looking at each staff member individually. "If this presents a serious problem for anyone, now is the time to speak up. We can try to work something out, but I wanted to be upfront about the situation we're facing."

The room remained quiet, each person seeming to mentally review their own calendars and commitments.

"My best friend’s wedding is October 12th," Iris said finally. "It's in Tampa, so I wouldn't need to travel far, but I am in the bridal party."

Maggie nodded. "We can make that work. It's just one day, and with enough advance planning, Oliver can cover your duties."

"I don't have anything major planned," Oliver said, "but I do have my standing therapy appointment on Tuesday afternoons."

"Those are non-negotiable," Maggie assured him. "Mental health comes first. We'll work around those ninety minutes each week. Now, beyond time off, let's talk about how we maintain our standards during this busy stretch."

Ciara raised her hand slightly. "If I may? Crawford and I have discussed this, and I can commit to helping out two mornings a week with breakfast service and afternoon turndown. My hours at the Outreach Center are flexible. "

"That would be incredible," Maggie said, genuine relief in her voice. Ciara had worked at the inn years ago, helping her brother, Paolo take care of the property and previous owner, Rose Johnson Lane.

"I've also spoken with Sarah," Ciara added. "She can't commit to regular hours with the children's schedules, and her work at the Outreach Center, but she's offered to be on-call for emergencies or particularly busy weekends."

“Great,” Maggie said as she moved to the small table where she'd arranged coffee and pastries for the meeting. As she poured herself a fresh cup, she continued, "Quality is non-negotiable during this period. We've built our reputation on personal touches, immaculate rooms, and breakfast that makes people book return visits before they've even checked out."

"Speaking of breakfast," Iris interjected, "we might need to streamline the menu options a bit. With potentially twenty-six guests every morning, I can't manage the usual range of customizations."

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