Aisling's Summer Diary

Chapter 25 | Hot Off the Presses

This morning’s paper was splashed with a front page feature on the one and only Shark’s Tooth Hotel and Beach Café!  Siobhan’s instincts had been right (thank goodness)—the phones were ringing off the hook!  It seems like everyone wants to be a part of the upstart of Ciaran Kelly’s Business School!

Sunday 11 June

9 a.m.

Excepppppt for Ciaran Kelly.  He came into the kitchen RAGING this morning!  How is it that our “fledgling hotel” has a front page spread in the Observer?!  Siobhan smiled deviously and changed the subject.  “The real problem is this!”  She handed over the note card.  “Slater’s been by.  He says Celia’s turned down a fifteen person booking, and it’s ours if we want it.”  The only question is do we trust Slater & Co. 

All eyes on me, so.  “Do you think he’s telling the truth, Aisling?” Ali asked.  Really and truly?  Yes.  I think he is.  “Make the call,” Ciaran said, and Ali was through to Mr. Shoa in no time.  “It’s all booked then!” Ali said.  ALL of our rooms were booked.  By the end of the week, we’d have the bet won!  But why did I feel like there was something not quite right in all of this?  Deep breaths, Aisling!  You’re just over thinking everything.  Like always.

 

1 p.m.

To keep my head from spinning, I set to work on a tray of gourmet sandwiches complete with my own coriander baguettes!  If we were going to have a full house tonight, we’d need plenty of snacks.  Just as I was wrapping up the first batch, I saw a flash of red in the doorway.  “Ali?!”  He froze mid-stride.  “Gavin the Mysterious,” he said over his shoulder.  

“Where are you going.  Dressed like that?” I asked.  “I...em...I have a gig, a birthday party,” he stammered.  “Where are you going really?” I prodded.  “To see Fiona,” he sighed.  “She likes to read down on the beach, and I thought—”  “That if you showed up as Gavin you could whisk her back into your arms?” I asked.  “Something like that,” he smiled. 

“I thought you were going to be YOU from now on?!”  Ali shot an anxious glance out of the window.  “Yeah, I said that, but when I think about facing her again.  I just can’t.”  “Alright,” I teased, “but you’re much cuter without the mask.”  Ali blushed and swished out of the door.  I crossed my fingers, hopeful that Fiona would see the sweet, silly Ali we all adore, with or without the Gavin get-up.   

3 p.m.

After lunch, Siobhan dragged me out of the kitchen and behind the reception desk.  The phones had been ringing nonstop!  She couldn’t manage it on her own.  We’d had to turn away at least twenty people after rooms for the holiday weekend—we were booked solid!  It was a surreal feeling, being on the inside of the suddenly sought after Shark’s Tooth. 

We were giddily dreaming over our success when Mrs. Murray (Siobhan’s mom) called!  And she sounded completely ticked!  “Where is my daughter,” she asked.  “I need to speak with her immediately!”  I turned to Siobhan, panicked, and she shook her head frantically NOOOOO.  “She’s...uh....”  Siobhan mimed something—was she swimming or digging a hole?!  “She’s digging...up info on colleges.”  Phew!  “Well, tell her to ring me first thing!” Mrs. Murray said and hung up. 

“What was THAT about?” I asked Siobhan.  “Oh you know.  She probably saw the spread in the paper and wanted to congratulate us.”  I eyed Siobhan.  “She didn’t sound very congratulatory to me.”  The phone rang, and Siobhan picked it up in a flurry—another guest to turn away.  I watched her purr into the receiver, an absolutely brilliant diplomat when it came to breaking bad news.  Or covering it up.  Why had she ducked her mother’s call?  What was she hiding?! 

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