Jimmy had gotten a call, well, the office had actually gotten the call, but he was the only one around at the time. He'd given Jessica the day off to go on a date with some guy she was seeing, and he took over for the day. How hard could it have been? For a man who had worked the docks his whole life, and then a fishing trolley for the past two years, picking up a phone and talking to people was harder than it looked.

"Hello?... Sure we can bring some by... Yes all of our fish are fresh caught... No, I'll bring them myself... Of course, and how many do you want?... Alright, be there in half an hour."

As he hung up the phone he screamed out for some help loading a truckload of fresh caught salmon. Half an hour later he found himself pulling up to a large wooden building and backing up to the service entrance. He could have sworn that a year ago this was nothing but woods. Someone had some money.

"Hey!"

He called out to the guy waiting by the service entrance.

"You the chef?"

The burly man by the door shook his head.

"Sous chef, so I get the shit job of helping you!"

The two men laughed and began to unload the truck, putting the fresh fish directly into a large walk-in unit. Not something every restaurant had. The place was clearly made for the rich and famous to come up the coast from LA and get some time away. After dropping off the load the Sous Chef gave Jimmy directions to go down the hall to find the office of the lady that owned the place.

He knocked on the door and took off his hat then. It was a ratty old newsboy's cap, just like his ratty old overalls, and his scraggly ginger beard. Everything about James Green screamed that he had been working all his life and had eked out a living with nothing but pure elbow grease. So he stood, waiting patiently for a response to his intrusion on this woman's day.

"Chloe, I just can't. This place has only been open three weeks. It's going well. What kind of owner would I be to just up and leave? I was already gone too long while in Detroit for the funerals."

The blonde woman sitting across from Emily closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. 

​​​​​​"What about half days, then? Jesus, Em, you can't weigh a hundred pounds. And you promised Gavin you'd see another doc-" 

Chloe's begging was interrupted by a knock at the door. She got up and answered it while Emily watched from her chair behind her desk. 

​​​​​​​​​​​​"Can I help you?" 

Chloe was friendly, but clearly exasperated with the lack of compliance from her friend and employer. Emily, on the other hand, was just as warm as always and waved for him to come in.

"You must be Mr. Green! Please come in, I have your check ready, but I'd love to talk to you about possibly extending my order a bit. Chloe, we can finish this later. Go relax, huh?" 

Nodding, Chloe looked hesitant. 

"Alright, but you call for Colin before you try going anywhere."

When the woman was gone, Emily sighed and shook her head. They would have to talk later about discussing certain things in front of guests and vendors. 

She switched her focus back to the man standing inside her office door. In truth, she'd expected to see a much older, sea-worn man that smelled of fish. Instead, there was a rather handsome and strapping man with neatly groomed sandy-red hair and beard. With a bit of effort, she stood and offered a hand to shake his, her smile a little wider than before. 

"I'm Emily Renfroe. It's nice to meet you in person. Please, have a seat. Would you like a drink?" 

Emily motioned to one of the leather arm chairs beside him.

Jimmy watched the woman named Chloe leave. She was pretty and she looked like she belongs in a sailor's bed, not in an office. When he was offered a hand though, he nodded and shook the woman's frail looking hand. He sat down but waved a hand at the offered drink.

"No miss, I'm alright. I've got to get back to the office. I gave the secretary the day off, so I'm the one filling the orders and running the trucks today. Got one of the boys doing it while I'm gone, but sometimes it's better for the captain to be at the helm."

He smiled then and gestured to her own seat.

"You should sit down though, you don't have to stand on my account. I delivered your order today, and I'm happy to keep on doing it if you need. You've got a real fancy place here if you don't mind my saying. I like it though, it's cozy."

He nodded as if to say that was the end of that. He had made a fact of it, and it could not be argued now.

"What were you thinking about your order? Same thing every month or so? Seems like a large order, I'm guessing you freeze most of them. I could probably arrange for smaller shipments though every week. Keep things more fresh. I'm sure you got fancy folk coming up from Hollywood and they like good food. Fresh is always better."

If he could get her on board with smaller fresher shipments, he could ease the burden on his crews too. A shipment of this size, even broken down by week, would command an entire ship to fill. He only had four of them, but in a year he could make enough money off of this one place to buy another boat and it would have paid for itself.

Settled back in her chair, Emily listened to him talk over the possibilities for weekly deliveries, nodding. 

"I like the idea of weekly deliveries. The chef and I both insisted on serving locally caught fish, so the fresher, the better. One of his specials is a ginger-sesame salmon, and it's absolutely fantastic. I've had the worst luck finding a supplier y that delivers reliably, but if you can be as wonderfully prompt as you were today, I'll make an exclusive contract with you."

She pushed a lock of dark hair behind her ear and chuckled a bit.

"I'll tell you a secret, Mr. Green. I'm not really a business woman, I'm a nurse by trade. This place was my idea, but I ran it for a friend. He was the business brains. Unfortunately, he's passed on and I'm finding myself quite busy trying to learn the ropes of the hospitality industry. So, the easier you can make it for me, the happier I am to make it worth your time."

Emily slid an envelope across the desk to him, with the price of the order, plus a generous tip for the timely delivery. 

Jimmy reached out and picked up the envelope. He never flipped through the cash in front of the customer, that was rude. Instead he pocketed it and nodded.

"I'm happy to help in any way I can Miss. I don't know I caught your name, or the name of the lady who walked out the door, but you both seem real swell and I look forward to seeing you again."

He got up and turned to leave before turning back for a second.

"I'm sorry I think you said a special was salmon. That I won't have a problem supplying, but if you want anything else, other fish I mean, then I'm happy to give you a sort of catch of the day along with your normal order."

He stepped closer to the desk then and looked down at the woman behind it, she was tiny and unassuming. He felt bad for someone just dropping this on her.

"I don't know much about business myself either, I got a whole fishery dropped on me about two years ago. It's not exactly hospitality, but I make it work and we never went under. If you are as smart as I think you are so far, your gonna be fine."

He looked back to the door then for a brief second. Then he looked down at her hands folded on the desk in front of him. No jewelry.

"I really do have to get back to the office, but if you're still interested in that drink some time I know a nice place in town."

"I'd like that."

Emily answered almost as soon as he got his last word out, then felt her skin blush slightly. She stood again as he reached the door- force of habit - and quickly added. 

"You can just call me Emily."

She gave him a smile, probably a little more girlish than she realized. She'd all but sequestered herself lately, working and sleeping in uneven amounts. The idea of getting out of the office or the house was starting to sound more appealing.

Chloe appeared at the door again. 

"Hey Em, there's an older lady in one of the saunas having trouble breathing. Colin is taking her to one of the massage rooms." 

Emily's expression changed immediately, reaching for the bag under her desk. Chloe slipped into the office around Mr. Green and helped her up, holding onto her arm. Emily glanced at him somewhat apologetically. 

​​​​​​​​​​​​"I'm sorry, I have to go. But...come back. Any time you want to."

With that, Emily and Chloe made their way out and down the hall toward the row of therapy rooms. 

It had been about a week since Jimmy had last gone to the spa... restaurant... thing. He wasn't entirely sure what it was actually, he only knew that @Emily-Renfroe was in charge there and that she needed fresh fish.

His truck was, once again full of them as he promised, and with the tip she had given to him last week, he was not going to disappoint. He still hadn't gotten the chef's name, or even the Sous Chef for that matter, but he got Emily's and Chloe's. Those were more than enough for him.

"Hey there bud. Got half a truck full of salmon, and the other half is Alaskan cod this week."

The Sous chef shrugged as if Alaskan cod was barely worth cooking, let alone doing anything nice with. 

After unloading the truck he made his way to Emily's office then and knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

Emily's voice chirped from inside the office. On her desk there were two stacks of books- mostly medical journals- and several pages of steno paper chock-full of handwritten notes. As the door opened, her head popped up from behind one of the taller stacks as she looked to see who it was. Upon seeing James standing there, her eyes brightened a little.

"Hello! I'm happy to see you!"

Setting down the pen in her hand, she got out of her chair and walked around the desk to greet him.

"You are a celebrity around here without even knowing it. Well, Chef Michaels would insist on taking some of the credit, but the salmon has been an enormous hit. I've had customers come for dinner that aren't even staying at the resort."

As opposed to their first meeting, Emily wore her raven hair down today, lightly curled at the ends and drawn up and away from her face with delicate silver combs. Despite the faint dark circles beneath her eyes, she looked absolutely delighted to see him.

"Are you in a terrible hurry today? I thought you might like a tour of the resort. I mean, if you're not busy."

Jimmy shook his head, probably a bit quicker than he should have. He took his hat off then as is started to fall off his head and he realized he still had it on.

"Not busy at all. Would have been out on a boat today if it wasn't for you. I suppose I've got you to thank for that, so I might as well hang around for a bit if that's what you want."

He smirked and put his cap back on then before holding the door open for Emily.

"You know, I brought some Alaskan cod this time. Thought the chef might want to play around with something different."

This time it was his eyes that started to light up. He enjoyed talking about work. He enjoyed talking about work with pretty girls even more, but the only pretty girl he ever got to talk about fish with was Jessica and she was his secretary, and more than a decade his junior. Besides, she was always out and about town, he wasn't exactly a mover, a shaker, or a club-goer, so he stayed home with his coffee.

"So, this place of yours, is it very big? It looks big from the outside."

"Cod, hmm? I don't know if I've ever had it. I hope I can try it soon."

As Emily stepped out of the office past him, she noticed that he had the most unique color of hazel eyes she could recall ever seeing. 

When she had shut and locked the office door behind them, she smiled proudly as she looked over the bannister and down onto the main floor. 

"It isn't the largest resort in the area, but it's definitely the largest health spa. It's the only resort built around a natural hot springs in the United States."

They walked down the stairs while Emily told him a few more facts about the hotel and the grounds. When they came to the bottom step, her left foot faltered, and she instinctively reached for his arm to steady herself. At that moment, Chloe and Jen rounded the corner, chatting. So as not to appear that she'd had any trouble, Emily called them over. 

"Ladies, I'd like you to meet Mr. Green. He's our seafood supplier and the one responsible for the salmon that's been so popular. These are two of my dearest friends and associates. Jen is my resort services coordinator, and Chloe is the manager."

Both women grinned and glanced at each other before shaking his hand. They chatted for a moment before Chloe tugged Jen along. Before they continued, Emily paused. 

"Do you prefer James? Jim? I can't imagine you prefer being Mr. Green all the time. I know I get weary with the formalities. I don't feel old enough to be "Miss Renfroe" all the time."

Jimmy greeted both young ladies and watched as they left. Resort manager and what was the other one? He shook his head, didn't matter, all he knew was, those were not business women, not by a long shot. He smiled to Emily then as she asked him what to call him.

"Jimmy is fine. I don't really like James, like you said, too formal."

He looked around the resort as they made their way through the halls and when they finally came upon the hot spring he whistled out loud.

"Well I'll be damned. I'll bet you can see clear through to the night sky there. On a good night, that view must be amazing. You've got quite an imagination Emily putting such a big window up there."

He took off his hat and fanned at himself a minute then.

"I'll bet the sun helps to keep the place warm too when it decides to actually poke it's head out and blaze through that giant dome. No wonder folks is walkin' around with nothing but a robe on."

He could feel his face flush a bit then as he thought about Emily in nothing but a robe for a quick second. He wasn't sure if it was how familiar she was holding onto his arm, or if was the heat inside the place, but he knew he wasn't supposed to think like that. Not about a buyer. That could easily ruin a business relationship.

"So, how much do you charge for this kind of thing? I doubt I could afford it, but boy would it be nice once in a while."

Smiling, Emily looked up at the beautiful glass structure over the rocky springs and thought of her friend, a hint of sadness briefly passing over her face. 

"I wish I could say that was my idea. It was actually designed by a very good friend of mine who was a developer. He saw the finished product at the grand opening, but never got the chance to see it from the best vantage point. But, you're right, it's absolutely stunning at night. You can relax in the springs and just watch all the stars you please. All of our services are top notch, but nothing beats the view of a thousand diamonds in the night sky."

​​​​​​"I doubt I could afford it, but boy would it be nice once in a while."

Emily chuckled. 

"It just so happens that access to the hot springs is free to every guest of the resort, whether you're just here for lunch, or staying a few nights. I just couldn't bring myself to charge people for an opportunity to relax. You, however, get a vendor discount on all resort features. So, the $7 for a 30 minute sauna session goes down to $3.50, and you get access to the springs all day if you want."

They strolled around the other side of the springs, passing by the guest suites toward the restaurant. 

​​​​​​"You really should come and try it. The water feels unbelievable. In fact, I take advantage of it every afternoon. Gives me a chance to enjoy the therapeutic water, and visit with guests." 

Jimmy's eyes perked up, and his whole face went with them.

"Uh... every afternoon you say?"

He could feel himself getting hot, and he was no longer sure it was from the springs.

"Maybe, I will sometimes soon. I would really like that. Especially for the company. Not sure I could brave that all by myself you know. Does it really do good for the body though? I mean, I used to be a dock worker, so my back is finally starting to complain to me pretty regularly."

He gestured back to her office then.

"All them books you got. You a doctor? That why you started this place up? Help people and the like?"

Leading him into the restaurant, she grinned a little shyly. 

"Not quite a doctor, I'm a nurse practitioner. Sort of halfway between a nurse and a licensed physician. That particular mess on my desk is the result of a lot of research I've been doing lately."

They reached the wide picture window in the back of the restaurant that offered a dining, panoramic view of the woods and gently flowing creek below. Other than the view from her own home, this was her favorite. She peeked over at Jimmy, watching him take it in. 

"Beautiful, isn't it? That's the view that our customers get while they enjoy the fruits of your labor. Not a bad combination, I think."

She was about to call Colin over when she felt a wave of dizziness slowly creep up on her. As discreetly as she could, Emily steadied herself on the back of a nearby chair and softly cleared her throat. 

​​​​​​"Why don't we sit down? I'd love to hear about your business."

Jimmy pulled his eyes away from the window just in time to see Emily grab onto the back of the chair. He nodded in response and then sat down across from her.

"I'm sorry to ask, but the research you're doing, does it have anything to do with what you're going through? I don't mean to be rude or anything like that, but I asked around about you after we met last week. Then you held on to my arm back there at the bottom of the stairs and well..."

He let the rest hang in the air. He was no dummy, anyone could see the woman in front of him was not healthy. Or at least, not a normal size of healthy.

"Like I said, I don't mean to be rude, if you don't want to talk, that alright too. I just figured you might want to. Sometimes it's good to get things like that off your chest you know?"

He sighed and took off his hat, hanging it on the back of his chair.

"I know when I was going through my battle with whooping cough a while back I didn't want anyone to know, and then it just got worse and worse till I almost lost that fight. Alls I'm sayin' is, don't hold it in for yourself. Probably don't go well that way."

At first, Emily thought she'd be unbearably embarrassed that anyone had noticed her weakness. A woman in her lines of work couldn't afford to be seen as vulnerable. That's how you got killed. 

Somehow, though, Jimmy made it feel so much less daunting. The way he opened up about his own sickness made her feel like someone might just understand, without pity or taking advantage of her. She put her hands on her lap and sat back. 

"You're lucky. Pertussis can go from bad to worse in short order, especially if you're in the wind a lot." 

She gave a small sigh and nodded. 

"But, yes, the research is for myself. I haven't been able to figure out exactly what's going on. I've seen a specialist who was immovably convinced that it's polio; but I disagree. There are symptoms that don't add up, and the current research shows that there are other illnesses that have similar symptoms. But this man was so utterly pig-headed. He simply refused to listen to my professional opinion on the basis of my being a woman."

Not wanting to launch into that tirade again, Emily glanced off to the side for a second, then back to Jimmy. 

​​​​​​"Anyway, I'm determined to figure it out myself. I've been able to slow the loss of muscle mass and maintain my weight - such as it is - with intravenous nutrients, but it's not quelling the other symptoms."

Jen walked by the table in her way to talk to Colin and gave them a smile. Emily smiled back. 

​​​​​​"Those two angels have been working double time, running this place when I can't and acting like mother hens to me. Three o'clock strikes and Chloe is there at my office door to march me to the springs, and they've been trading nights staying at my house so I'm not alone."

Her eyes drifted away again. 

​​​​​​"To tell you the truth, it's frustrating. I'm supposed to be able to find these answers. And I'm not used to being the one needing help."

That was the first time she'd admitted that to anyone other than Alucard. Emily looked back at Jimmy, wondering if she'd scared him away yet with so much...baggage. 

Jimmy shrugged.

"We all need some help sometimes. I took over the fishery for my uncle two years ago when he died right? I had no idea what anything was. I had never been on a fishing boat in my life before that. I was a dock worker my whole life. The guys though? They knew what was what, so they helped me to keep things running until I figured things out. Chloe and Jen might be doing the same thing."

He gestured around the room.

"You having a business keeps them in a job. That's how my guys looked at it. So if you go, or if you gotta close up shop, what are they gonna do? They are both real pretty girls, but we both know what the world thinks of pretty girls. I think they've got it pretty good here, I'm not surprised they are trying to keep it that way."

He nodded and then looked toward the kitchen.

"Chef's back there doing something."

He shook his head and continued.

"As for the doctor, well I don't know what to tell ya. You said it yourself, you're not a doctor. Maybe get a second opinion though. My doc always tells me, 'You know your body better than anyone.' So if you think it's something else, I'd get another doctor."

There was a clatter of pans and dishes from the kitchen then, and Jimmy stood up out of instinct at the noise.

"You want me to see what's up?"

Emily was about to reply to his thoughts on the matter when a loud clatter jumped her, and Jimmy, from the looks of it. She chuckled.

"Probably the Chef throwing things at Ricky, but you might take a look. Better to know if I need to replace equipment sooner than later."

As he walked away from the table, Emily caught herself eyeing Jimmy. He certainly had the build of a dock worker- strong shoulders and arms, likely so in the chest, tightened midsection and waist. Unconsciously, she grinned a bit. A crush? Already? Well, there was no harm there, right? Besides, Jimmy wasn't like most of the people she contracted with. He wasn't full of himself or self-important. He seemed humble, and more down-to-earth than anyone with a body like that would normally be. He had a simple, honest quality that was downright charming. 

A hand rested on her shoulder, and she turned. Chloe was standing behind her with a clipboard. 

"Sorry to interrupt. Can you sign these?"

Emily took the clipboard and signed her name on the necessary lines. Chloe peered at her.

"That's quite a grin on your face. Enjoying yourself?"

"I might be." Emily smirked and handed the clipboard back to Chloe.

"Well good. It's 2:30. I'll be back by at 3."

Rolling her eyes, Emily started to protest, then stopped and thought for a second.

"You might not need to. I might have a guest."

Jimmy nodded and made his way to the kitchen, he peered inside and then ducked his head back out the door as a fraying pan flew past the space where his head just was. He re-entered then with his hands up.

"Everything ok in here guys?"

The Chef was staring at the Sous Chef who was clearly flustered about something, but neither man said a word. Finally the Chef spoke up.

"Everything is fine. Do not bring cod again. Inferior fish, waste of time."

Jimmy's eyes went wide. Was this really about the fish?

"Alright then, purely salmon from now on?"

The Chef shook his head.

"Swordfish, Ahi, Salmon, that's it."

Jimmy nodded.

"Alright, fair enough."

He made his way back out to the dining room to see Emily again.

"Just the chef getting mad at the sous chef for taking the Cod I brought. Chef isn't happy about the fish, says it's inferior, only wants swordfish, ahi tuna, and salmon from now on."

Jimmy shrugged.

"I'll keep the guy happy, even if just to keep the other guy alive and you from having to deal with an irate chef who likes to throw pans."

He looked around the place then.

"So when does the dinner crowd normally start to roll in?"

Hearing of the Chef's behavior, Emily cocked an eyebrow.

"Inferior, hm? Well, I happen to like cod; and when I can eat solid food again, I'm going to make a special addition to the menu. I have a dear friend who is British, and I'd like to be able to serve him some authentic 'fish and chips.'  If I'm not mistaken, cod is quite perfect for such a dish."

Satisfied with her little plan, Emily nodded smugly.

"As for the meal time crowd, usually the early-birds show up about 5, some 4:30. I'd say it's busiest around 6, and stays pretty solid until 7:45. The kitchen closes at 8:30, because Chef Michaels wants to be out the door by 9 sharp, but he refuses to leave the crew to their own devices in cleaning up. Sometimes I have to wonder about hiring him, but I'm willing to give him a month or so more and see if he relaxes."

A wealthy looking couple strolled by on their way to the bar and greeted Emily with smiles. For once, Emily didn't jump up to greet them. She simply returned their smiles and a cheerful hello, and turned her attention back to Jimmy. He was right. There was no shame in asking for help, and hiding wasn't going to help anything.

"While you were in the kitchen, Chloe stopped by to remind me that it's nearly three. I don't suppose you'd like to have a dip in the springs with me? I mean, you're already here. And anyway, I still want to hear about your ships."

Her eyes sparkled a bit. Emily truly loved the ocean, or lakes, or rivers. She was drawn to water, and greatly enjoyed being out in a boat.