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The next item on my to-do list: check in on the lunch buffet. Walk through the tables; hold up stemware to the light to inspect it for fingerprints; make sure the French pastries are arranged in sharp lines, each croissant tilted exactly forty-five degrees left from center. I have exacting taste. I’m aware of that.
“Looks great,” I tell Marcus, the head chef of our resort’s main restaurant, the Bistro.
He nods in appreciation. He and I understand each other. I might be two decades younger than him, a novice for certain, but we share the same principles and values. We want the same thing. Unlike Todd. Todd spends most of his time holed up in his office, gambling online. He only ever bothers to observe the daily operations of the resort—to do his job—when Scott Durliat is on site. I once heard Marcus refer to Todd as “that obscene blob,” and now I call him that in my head too.
After I leave the restaurant, I walk through the main lobby, en route to the grotto under the guise of checking inventory, when really I want to size up Blaze, get a feel for the guy Paige seems so interested in. I get sidetracked, though.
Near the excursion desk, Paige stands chatting with an older male guest in a cowboy hat. He’s sloshing around a half-finished piña colada. From Paige’s tight smile, I have no doubt he’s already been chatting her ear off for long minutes, and I could save her ... it would be the nice thing to do.
“Paige, aren’t you supposed to be at your yoga class right now? Run along, you!”
Paige sees me, and her eyes widen with a plea.Get me out of here!
I give her a smile and two hearty thumbs up. “You’re doing a great job,” I mouth.
Her expression says she has murder on her mind.
During this exchange, I make the mistake of veering too close to them. Mr. Cowboy Hat sees me and jumps at the opportunity to get another employee on his hook.
“Ah, just the man I was hoping to see!” He stops me by grabbing ahold of my biceps and tugging me even closer. I don’t have to comply. He’s not that strong, but I have every reason to ingratiate myself to our guests. “I need to put in a good word for this little lady right here. Whatever you’re paying her,double it! She really goes above and beyond. I tell you, the missus and I had our heart set on snorkeling, but the hotel’s preplanned excursion was a little above our skill level. We’re novices here, and Ms. Young, she didn’t mind one bit. Told us to meet her back down at the beach an hour later, and she took us on a little trip of our own, just like that. Best experience of my vacation so far. Saw myself a barracuda!”
Paige has been watching me through this entire speech with a little gloating smile in place. Her blue eyes spark with mischief.
“You keep your hotel staffed with people like Ms. Young and we’ll be coming back here year after year,” he promises in a thunderous voice. “She’s great, isn’t she?”
I’m looking at Paige now, smiling for the guest’s benefit.
“Absolutely. We really value staff members like Paige here at Siesta Playa.”
The guy gives Paige a wink, and then he has to peel off quick when he sees his wife is beelining for the hotel gift shop. “Now, Bernice, I know you had your eye on that pot warmer, but I told you we’ve already bought enough souvenirs this trip ...”
Now that we’re alone, we could both back away slowly. Instead, Paige and I each take a step toward each other. Somewhere over our heads, a dangling race car light blinks red ... red ...green. She tilts her head back and looks at me like she wants to play.
“Say it again. Say I’m great.”
“You’re great,” I repeat blandly.
“C’mon, where’s the conviction? I want tofeelit.”
“You’re one of a kind,” I say, just as dry.
She snaps her fingers like she’s just had a brilliant idea. “You know what? Maybe you should nominate me for employee of the month?!” She says it like she’s a total genius for thinking of it.
My stomach plummets as reality sinks in.
If only she knew the truth of what’s really happening behind the scenes. She’s nowhere near getting awarded employee of the month. In fact, if Todd had it his way, she’d be packing her bags at this very moment. It makes me sick thinking about it. This problem with Todd consumes me day and night. Ever since our meeting earlier this week, I’ve been checking numbers, doing my due diligence, formulating a plan, a way that gets me,us, everything we want.
But the clock’s ticking, and I’m still waiting on those damn expense reports. Worse, Todd fired the clown today. Which, honestly, big whoop, but now I know he’s serious about what he told me. He’s really going through with this shitty plan. Fine, whatever, he can get rid of a few employees—the ones who deserve the boot, anyway—but he’s not firing Paige.Over my dead body.
“You’re being quiet.” Her eyes narrow. “Are you sick?”
“I don’t get sick.”
She thunks her forehead. “Of course not, duh. How could I forget that you’re not susceptible to things like the common cold? No gettingsick like the rest of us schmucks. Be honest, have you ever taken a day off in all the time you’ve worked here?”
Sure. “Once a year, I go to all my doctor’s appointments on the same day.”
She shakes her head like she can’t believe it. “Wild.I have so many questions about the way you live. Are you a side sleeper?”
