Page 41 of Gulfside Girls
Ali felt sad for the older woman; she loved this place, and the glory days it had were clearly in the rearview.
The resort property was half the hotel and half this almost village or cul-de-sac of cottages. They walked there now. The six little shacks were arranged so that each had direct beach view and access, though two were clearly the “best” and seemed just plopped down on the sandy shore.
A little courtyard featured a fire pit and palm trees. There was a grill, a shuffleboard court, and quirky faded cartoon turtles at different points instructing guests which way to the laundry or beach or hotel.
“We used to have a play area, the Hatchling Hutch. It had a swing set. But that was a while ago.” Didi waved over to the side, next to the roped-off pool. “All in all, Sea Turtle Resort is two acres along the beach and half an acre deep! Big, really, despite how cozy we are.”
Ali’s jaw dropped again.Over two acres? On the Gulf of Mexico?It hadn’t really dawned on her before how much that really was.
Ali was no real estate expert, but she knew that this wasn’t what people rented these days for vacation. They wanted cartoon characters and superheroes and WiFi and continental breakfasts.
But resale…this had to be worth something. The acreage alone. Was this life-changing money for her and her sisters if they could unload it?
Of course, Ali didn’t mention unloading it to Didi. Tough conversations were ahead, and she’d had too many tough conversations in her recent past. She just enjoyed the tour, and the stories lovingly conveyed by a native Floridian. Ali wasn’tsure if she’d ever met someonefromFlorida, only people who’d movedtoFlorida.
The six cottages were in various states, from dilapidated to almost good. Each was a different color of peeling paint. There was the Lemon Love Shack, the Strawberry Hideaway, the Pink Lady, the Blueberry Bungalow, the Mango Mansion, and the Key Lime.
After a walking tour of the cottage section, Didi and Ali arrived at the lime green clapboard structure. It had a weathered porch and a faded wooden sign to indicate that this was the Key Lime Cottage—in case the lime paint hadn’t already given it away.
Each cottage had a wooden deck, and each deck was in some level of distress. Ali wondered when the last time major repairs or restorations had happened. She really needed to see the books and find out. The Key Lime looked to be the freshest of the cottages. The wood deck was newer, and the deck rail was straight, with all the slats intact. The decks were small, but Ali noted they could accommodate a couple of chairs and maybe a little bistro table.
She had to stop. She wasn’t here to decorate. She was here to unload!
“Here, this is your cottage, the Key Lime. I’ve stocked you with some water in the kitchen and fresh towels, sheets, all that!”
They walked in and the word cute wasn’t big enough to describe what Ali saw. The entry door was to the side, and two large windows faced out to the ocean view.
Ali stepped into the space and did a 360-degree turn. A couch, two comfy chairs, and a kitchen table for four made it cozy but not cluttered. The small kitchen appeared to have all one would need, from a stove, oven, fridge, and sink. In the center of the far wall, a hallway split with a bathroom and a bedroom beyond the doors.
“You’re smiling. You sure have a gorgeous smile, young lady!”
Ali hadn’t realized she’d busted into a smile. It had just happened when she’d stepped into the Key Lime.
“I’m, uh, thank you. Haven’t had a lot of reasons to smile lately.”
“Well, the Key Lime has that effect on me too.”
Ali realized, though, that this big stupid smile wasn’t getting her mission accomplished, her mission of finding out the management company contact information, of getting this place appraised, of finding a reputable commercial real estate agent. She wasn’t down here for vacation! Yet, the sound of the ocean, the salty fresh air in this little space, and the sweet older couple who welcomed her had distracted her from the job at hand. The job she came to do.
“Did you have a chance to get that contact information, the management firm?”
“Oh, goodness, we’ve been so busy. I haven’t yet, and we’ve got the Grand Finale yet. I’ll put it on your tray for breakfast. Does that work?”
Ali didn’t want to put Didi out any more than she had. There was clearly a lot on the woman’s plate, and she’d been kind and patient as they toured the grounds.
“Sure, sure, of course.”
“Now, I need you to get into your way more casual beach togs, dip your toes in the ocean, nap, whatever you need. And a little after six, join us for the Grand Finale.”
“I don’t really have, uh, beach togs.”
“I figured as much. There are a few things in the closet. I had them brought over—they’re from when I was more your size, than mine. If you don’t mind vintage, they will work.”
“Oh, you didn’t need to do that. You’re very sweet.”
“See you at the Grand Finale. We’ll be out there with a glass of wine and a lounge with your name on it.”
Didi left Ali on her own in the Key Lime.
