Page 54 of Gulfside Girls
Ali followed a busy Didi as she pulled heavy wet towels from one of the washers to transfer them to the now-empty dryer.
The wall of four washers and four dryers constituted a mini laundromat really. There were two more empty spaces, likely the ghosts of appliances past. If the resort was fully booked, there would be a need for all six. But as it stood now, with one family in the hotel and none in the cottages, four was three too many.
Didi was breathing heavily, Ali noticed. And it was no wonder. It was already warm by 10 a.m. The older woman was moving fast, trying to get the linen done—and who knows what else needed to be managed before the guests checked in.
“Here, let me help you. We can work and talk, if that’s okay.”
“You’re the boss!”
Ali had a hard time accepting that fact. She still knew precious little about how that was possible. “Okay, yes. I guess I am. Give me that.” Ali finished adding the towels to the dryer.
“The sheets for the bed are already in there. While these dry, I need to do a once over with the cleaning. Let me get the cleaning cart.”
“I’ll get it.” Ali was done pretending she didn’t own this place; she did, and she needed to take charge, at least until they sold it.
She knew she still needed to understand what she might owe Jorge and Didi. She needed to find out if there were any debts associated with the place. Was insurance up to date? Her brain, used to handling details, was kicking back in. She’d had enough strolls on the beach and naps. It was time to wake up and get it sorted.
Didi led the way, and Ali carried the gear. She used the old-fashioned key and opened up Mango Mansion. It did not smell great. Not bad, but also not fresh.
“It’s been closed up for a bit.”
Ali wondered when there had last been guests here. She scanned the room. It was the mirror image of the Key Lime but slightly worse off. The draperies were stained, the furniture looked beat up, and the floor probably needed replacing. She noticed a few rag rugs on the floor and decided against moving them to see what was underneath. That was a reality check she didn’t have the strength for at this point.
This cottage, like hers, was a one-bedroom, one-bath affair with a pull-out couch in the seating area and a queen bed in the bedroom.
“Oh,” Didi said suddenly, “I don’t know if you realized this or not, but we actually have an outdoor shower on this one and yours, kind of a fun thing. Maybe you should try it!”
Ali decided the bathroom was the first order of business, and told Didi so.
“Sure,” Didi agreed. “I’m going to get these sheets changed, you work on the commode!”
“Sounds good.”
Ali opened the bathroom door, and two little geckos skittered across the linoleum. She let out an involuntary squeal.
“You okay?” came the question from Didi.
“Yep, fine. Fine.”
The geckos disappeared to a corner, and Ali wondered if she should hunt them down and relocate them or deal with the state of the bathroom.
Which…wasn’t good.
The toilet seat was clean but old, and the sink was water-stained. Worse, it was unstable. It rocked like it might separate from the wall when she put a hand on it.
The medicine cabinet mirror was pitted, and when she opened it, the rusty hinges creaked.
None of these issues were present in the bathroom of the Key Lime. She started to wonder if the other four cottages were like the Key Lime or like the Mango.
Ali got out a bleach wipe and wiped every surface. There was a high little window. She used every muscle in her body to open it and get new air in the space.
After a few minutes she had wiped every hard surface in the room, but it didn’t look any better.
The bathtub shower unit needed a new shower curtain, and a new towel rack, for that matter.
Is there time to make a run to Costco? What rate did Sea Turtle Resort charge for the Mango? What was the overhead for each unit’s utilities?
Ali was doing calculations in her head and trying to estimate if she could get this place slightly better before the guests arrived as she went to find Didi in the bedroom.
