Page 113 of Summer Tease
Grams doesn’t say anything, squeezing lime juice onto the top of her salad.
“So,” I say awkwardly. “Any feedback?”
“The text was too small,” she says.
“Okay…” That wasn’t quite what I meant.
“The rest of it was well done, though. And he obviously deserves the job.”
My jaw slips open. “What?”
“He obviously deserves the job,” she says much more loudly. “Do we need to get you fitted for hearing aids, young lady?”
“No,” I say. “I’ve just never heard you compliment a Palmer.”
“And that compliment doesn’t leave this table. Do you understand?”
I nod meekly.
“You gave him a nice presentation, Gigi, but aren’t you worried he’ll bungle it? Palmers are good at that.”
There it is—the Palmer dig I was waiting for.
“I doubt he’ll mess it up that badly, Grams. The whole island loves him.”
“Includingyou.”
I stare at her with no ready response. I’m sure my face says it all, though:guilty.
“You do, don’t you?”
My heart starts to patter. “Love is a strong word.” And yet not strong enough, somehow.
“Hm. Well, I still thinkyoushould do the presentation.”
“And present to the city council that just backstabbed us again? If anything, having me do it will hurt his chances, not help.”
She shakes her head, still chewing. “It’ll be that much more convincing coming from a Sawyer.”
“But…but…I can’t look them in the faces. I’m still upset.”
“Weren’t you the one who told me not to let Rick Palmer get to me?” She jabs a finger in my chest. “Don’t you letthemget toyou, Gigi. Stand up there, steadfast and strong, and show them what you’re made of.”
I swallow and nod. Grams is wrong. A lot. But she’s not wrong right now.
I don’t want to let my bad experience with the city council hurt Beau.
“When is it?” she asks.
I check my phone, and my heart skips. “In an hour and a half.”
“Get going, girl!” She pushes my shoulder, and I get to my feet, my taco salad forgotten.
Am I really doing this? But I know the answer to that. I am. I owe it to Beau. And I owe it to myself.
But that means I need to get home and shower. Make myself presentable.
It’s time to bring out the business attire again.
