Page 30 of Scandalous Lover

I may be officially gaga over a guy who will probably never want me.

And who begged me to keep our tryst a secret.

And who looked like he was going to pass out when I suggested sending him my number.

But it could be worse, right?

Actually, yes. It’s going to be a lot worse when you tell him the truth.

Chapter Ten

Sam

I’m still staring at my phone like it’s a time bomb about to explode when I hear a soft tap at my door. Glancing up, I smile at Susan, one of the head housekeepers. She’s been with us since almost the beginning and has been instrumental in bringing other hard workers onto the team.

“Hey Susan. What can I do for you?”

Her smile turns apprehensive. “It’s the cart again.”

I set my phone down and lean back in my chair. “Dang. What’s going on this time?”

She looks at me solemnly. “My husband tried to fix it, but he thinks it needs a new part. It’s above our abilities. It didn’t start at all yesterday evening. I walked home and then had to walk back in.”

I lean forward, elbows on my desk and regard her with eyes wide. “From Palm View?” I sigh. “That’s too far. You should have told me. Please call in the future, and I’ll have someone buzz you home and pick you up.”

She’s shaking her head. “I don’t want to bother the whole resort over my own problem. We’ll have saved enough for a newone in a few months. I just wanted to let you know why the cart was parked in the lot and not moving. I don’t want anyone to think it’s been abandoned out there. I’m sure they will tow it away when we buy the new one.”

“Susan, you’re one of The Sand’s most dedicated employees. We’re not leaving you hanging like this. If the cart’s already here, that’s great. I’m going to call mechanical and have them pop over and take a look. Will you head down there to give them the keys and let them know where it’s parked? If they can’t get it running, we’ll set you up with one of the carts from the rental fleet at no charge until you and your family are able to get a new one.” I tap the eraser side of my pencil against my phone and consider. “You have an older model Club Car DS right?”

She nods.

“I bet Bucky will want that for parts if it ends up being unfixable. We’ve got quite a few of that same model working on the shuttle runs. We’d be happy to buy it from you.”

She’s looking a bit misty eyed now, but her face is sharp with determination. “Thank you, Sam. I should have just come here in the first place, but I didn’t want to bother you.”

“It’s no bother at all. I’m going to message Bucky now, you head down there on your next break, okay?”

With another nod and smile, she backs out the door, closing it behind her halfway like she found it.

I type out a quick message to our head mechanic then toss my phone back on my desk. I trust him to take care of Susan’s cart, whether that means fixing it or buying the broken down thing for parts. If it comes down to it, we’ll be happy to give her the money for the new one, but I’ve learned over the years that people around here prefer to be self-sufficient. It’s caused me to get very creative in the ways I offer help to the islanders. They always prefer a loan over being given money, which has developedinto a whole new department of resort HR that operates like a bank. I still sneak in bonuses to hardworking employees when I can, but most often it’s offers of help, food, or more hours that are the most well-received.

The expat transplants living in employee housing or rented apartments around the island are a whole different story. They work in the way I’m used to from years of running departments in hotels back in the States. When they need something, they ask for it. And money always talks.

It’s a fine balance to strike between the two groups, making sure each feels supported by The Sands without feeling like anyone is being unfairly favored.

Just another day in the life of a mid-sized resort GM in paradise.

My phone lights up with a reply from Bucky, and I nod to myself. It’s taken care of. I glance at the clock on the screen and notice that I missed lunch again.

With a sigh, I pocket my phone—my new constant companion—and head toward the stairs down to Reef. Everyone glances up and smiles or waves when I pass, many offering a hello or a how’s it going. I return each smile and give each person a moment of eye contact as my way of letting them know they can stop me to say something if they need to. It’s my job to be available for anything anyone needs here, even if my stomach currently thinks otherwise.

I make it all the way to the ordering counter at our quick service deli-style restaurant adjacent to the pool when I finally have someone take me up on my open invitation. Luckily, it’s the guy taking my order, so I get to multitask.

“Hey Sam, I was just going to run up to talk to you on my break.”

I offer a genuine smile. “Looks like I saved you the trip, Nat. What’sup?”

Nathaniel is new this season, from the States, and lives in employee housing. Even though he’s only been with us for a few months, the kid’s fitting in great and his supervisor Marcus let me know at our last meeting that he’s talking about next season like he’s already decided to stay. That’s what we love to hear from the seasonal staff, especially hardworking, easygoing staff members like Nathaniel.

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