Page 19 of Coral Memories

“Then it’s settled.” When Kurt rose, so did Bertrand. He shook her hand and promised he’d see her Monday morning.

Ginger was thrilled and delighted, as was her mother.

After much persuading by Mary Lou, Ginger’s father accepted her work grudgingly, although he disapproved of it.

Nevertheless, Ginger immersed herself in a new world and loved it. Kurt treated her as an equal, though she had much to learn. In her free time, she devoured books on various subjects, including mathematics, engineering, and emerging computational technologies.

When Kurt’s friend Bertrand visited, he often invited her for coffee in the diner in the building, insisting Kurt didn’t pay her enough, which Ginger protested against. Still, buying coffee for her soon became a regular occurrence when Bertrand was in town.

When Kurt traveled on business to New York, he brought Ginger, and she often met Bertrand for coffee in the hotel. He told her he was committed to helping her navigate her new surroundings and protect her from unsavory sorts.

Mary Lou was delighted to learn a man of Bertrand’s stature was looking out for her daughter. Ginger told her that he was always correct with her, which was true. She enjoyed their intelligent conversations. There was no one she’d rather spend time with, so she turned down invitations from other young men who seemed to have different ideas in mind. Her time was too precious to waste.

Ginger and Bertrandhad known each other for two years when he asked if she would accompany him to an event hosted by the American ambassador to France. Kurt had business in New York with IBM. As usual, she was there to assist him and take notes.

“Before you answer, I would like you to attend as my date,” Bertrand said, stirring his coffee. “People will assume that, so I wanted to clarify. You may take a few days to think about it. If you don’t wish to go, I’ll accept that.”

However, the idea appealed to Ginger. She sat up straighter at the table. “I understand. I don’t need time.”

Bertrand drew his brow. “Then, you’ll go as my date?”

“Yes. I would like to see what one does on a date.” She’d seen couples on the silver screen and heard the gossip of other secretaries, so she was somewhat prepared.

“I hope you’re not disappointed.” Bertrand chuckled. “You’re a rare treasure, dear Ginger. I knew it the first moment I saw you in Kurt’s office. Now, you’ll need a specific type of dress, so I will make an appointment for you at a store where I shop.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Surely not for men’s clothing?”

“They have a department for ladies. You’ll be in good hands, I assure you.”

When Ginger visited the store with multiple departments, the saleswoman treated her like visiting royalty. While models paraded the clothes she had selected for Ginger, the woman served tea in thin teacups and offered her cucumber sandwiches. The woman told Ginger that Mr. Delavie insisted on paying for her evening gown. It seemed a waste of energy to disagree, so Ginger selected a mint-green dress she thought Bertrand would like that also accented her hair.

She could hardly wait for their first date.

5

While Cruise managed the cafe kitchen on slow afternoons, Marina tended to business and developed new recipes. Today, she worked on fresh salmon sliders in Ginger’s cottage. She loved working where she’d learned to cook alongside her grandmother during summer visits.

“Coleslaw, tomato, blackened salmon, homemade herb buns,” she said to herself as she wrote down the ingredients and took a photo. Marina was trying different flavor profiles and standardizing new recipes for the food truck side of her business.

Kai swept into the kitchen. She was a vision in a leopard print catsuit, proudly showing her baby bump.

Looking up, Marina grinned. “Wowzer, that’s some outfit, Mama.”

Kai lowered her dark sunglasses onto her nose. “This kid will be born with theatrical style.” She pulled out her phone. “Did you see your video on social media?”

“You know I don’t look at that anymore.” Starting another version of her recipe, Marina sprinkled minced rosemary from the garden into a small bowl of panko and shredded salmon.

Kai stared at her. “Since when?”

“Since my on-air blooper became a meme.” Marina could laugh about it now, but that had marked a tragic end to her anchor position and broadcasting career. “I couldn’t bear to see it plastered everywhere. The comments were awful. But that’s all behind me now.”

Kai slid her phone across the kitchen counter. “Not so fast. It’s a powerful medium. Just look at all these comments. Youhaveto write that cookbook now.”

Marina started to turn away, but the video caught her eye, and she was shocked at what she saw. The clip began with Jack dipping her low while they danced. Kai had floated words across the top:Hot moves in the kitchen at the Coral Cafe!

Marina couldn’t bear to look at the comments, though she was curious—and concerned. She had invested a lot in the cafe and didn’t want strangers’ comments to damage her business. “Kai, I didn’t know you’d filmed that part. What are people saying?”

“Chill, Marina.” Kai massaged her shoulders. “They’re all good comments. I teased them, too, saying you were working on a cookbook. How quickly can you throw one together, do you think?”

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