a crescendo in the silence filling the room. Her anger was not directed at George. He was making the best of the situation her mother had forced upon him. Debra’s fists clenched the chair arms.
Damn Karin. “I told her this would never work.” Her words escaped through grinding teeth. George had just confirmed it. Further dark responses to her mother’s crazy idea begin to manifest inside her head as she accepted the truth. She could no more carry out the duties of a waitress than fly to the moon.
Embarrassment replaced anger and burned her face, burned her whole body. How dare her mother force her into such an unpalatable position?
It was mortifying to have a subordinate inform her how useless she was at a task she’d undertaken to perform. A basic, unskilled task any idiot could do with their eyes closed. And yet she’d sucked at it—sucked so much that those in the kitchen and dining room, who weren’t covering for her ham-fistedness, were laughing.
She swallowed, hoping to purge the sour taste filling her mouth. Burning with resentment and humiliation, patting her hands against her cheeks did nothing to reduce the heat of that humiliation.
Helplessness surged through Debra. Deflated by the truth of George’s comment she could see no way out of her predicament. Not when her mother was being so dogmatic about having her solve Riversleigh’s problems. “Damn Karin,” she muttered. “I told her this was a stupid idea.”
“It’s far from stupid,” George contradicted, leaning against his desk. He wheeled the pen around in his fingers, keeping his eyes on the movement. “But for this endeavour to succeed you’re going to need some help.”
Without effort Debra’s body went ramrod stiff.
“Waiting isn’t easy,” George said.
Debra managed to stop her eyes from rolling. Yes, I’ve discovered that. A few hours exposure had opened her eyes quite dramatically. She’d never take a waitress for granted again.
“It takes training and a lot of practise to perfect the necessary skills to become a successful waitress,” George continued. “We don’t have time for practise but we could give you some practical tips and—”
“So I could at least appear to know what I’m doing?” Sarcasm dripped off the words.
Whether he was unaware of her mockery, or merely thought it prudent to ignore, George nodded, silently waiting for some response.
Debra tapped fingers against her lips. “It’s no use me even being here if people suspect,” Debra mused aloud. “I need to fit in, become one of the staff. Otherwise no-one—”
“Exactly,” George agreed.
“But this ridiculous set-up must be very short term. I have more important things on my plate than running around acting on my mother’s whim. I’ve told her, one week.”
She glared at George. “If I haven’t uncovered anything in one week to explain this place’s lack of profit, well...” She left the threat hanging. George’s expression suggested he was well aware of what her next action would be if the week’s undercover work exposed nothing of benefit.
“I’d like your permission to bring someone else into the picture—one of my staff. She could take you under her wing, so to speak, give you some practical training and work as cover for you—”
“When I stuff up?”
Had her expression lightened, she wondered, for George had become more forthright. Or had her unveiled threat about the hotel given him some added backbone?
“Exactly.” His wary smile suggested he wasn’t quite as sure of her reactions but was willing to take a risk anyway. “But I can’t see how we could do this unless Meg is aware of who you are and why you are here.”
Debra’s fingers continued tapping her lips, her mind whirling. Another person who knew what was happening? Was this taking too big a risk?
She watched George as he watched her. He had already picked his candidate and was intelligent enough to guess what result the resort might suffer
Damn Karin. “I told her this would never work.” Her words escaped through grinding teeth. George had just confirmed it. Further dark responses to her mother’s crazy idea begin to manifest inside her head as she accepted the truth. She could no more carry out the duties of a waitress than fly to the moon.
Embarrassment replaced anger and burned her face, burned her whole body. How dare her mother force her into such an unpalatable position?
It was mortifying to have a subordinate inform her how useless she was at a task she’d undertaken to perform. A basic, unskilled task any idiot could do with their eyes closed. And yet she’d sucked at it—sucked so much that those in the kitchen and dining room, who weren’t covering for her ham-fistedness, were laughing.
She swallowed, hoping to purge the sour taste filling her mouth. Burning with resentment and humiliation, patting her hands against her cheeks did nothing to reduce the heat of that humiliation.
Helplessness surged through Debra. Deflated by the truth of George’s comment she could see no way out of her predicament. Not when her mother was being so dogmatic about having her solve Riversleigh’s problems. “Damn Karin,” she muttered. “I told her this was a stupid idea.”
“It’s far from stupid,” George contradicted, leaning against his desk. He wheeled the pen around in his fingers, keeping his eyes on the movement. “But for this endeavour to succeed you’re going to need some help.”
Without effort Debra’s body went ramrod stiff.
“Waiting isn’t easy,” George said.
Debra managed to stop her eyes from rolling. Yes, I’ve discovered that. A few hours exposure had opened her eyes quite dramatically. She’d never take a waitress for granted again.
“It takes training and a lot of practise to perfect the necessary skills to become a successful waitress,” George continued. “We don’t have time for practise but we could give you some practical tips and—”
“So I could at least appear to know what I’m doing?” Sarcasm dripped off the words.
Whether he was unaware of her mockery, or merely thought it prudent to ignore, George nodded, silently waiting for some response.
Debra tapped fingers against her lips. “It’s no use me even being here if people suspect,” Debra mused aloud. “I need to fit in, become one of the staff. Otherwise no-one—”
“Exactly,” George agreed.
“But this ridiculous set-up must be very short term. I have more important things on my plate than running around acting on my mother’s whim. I’ve told her, one week.”
She glared at George. “If I haven’t uncovered anything in one week to explain this place’s lack of profit, well...” She left the threat hanging. George’s expression suggested he was well aware of what her next action would be if the week’s undercover work exposed nothing of benefit.
“I’d like your permission to bring someone else into the picture—one of my staff. She could take you under her wing, so to speak, give you some practical training and work as cover for you—”
“When I stuff up?”
Had her expression lightened, she wondered, for George had become more forthright. Or had her unveiled threat about the hotel given him some added backbone?
“Exactly.” His wary smile suggested he wasn’t quite as sure of her reactions but was willing to take a risk anyway. “But I can’t see how we could do this unless Meg is aware of who you are and why you are here.”
Debra’s fingers continued tapping her lips, her mind whirling. Another person who knew what was happening? Was this taking too big a risk?
She watched George as he watched her. He had already picked his candidate and was intelligent enough to guess what result the resort might suffer
Similar Books
The Most Famous Illegal Goose Creek Parade
Virginia Smith
Out of the Ashes
Michael Morpurgo
Fathomless
Jackson Pearce
Bloodland: A Novel
Alan Glynn
The Things a Brother Knows
Dana Reinhardt
Shine
Star Jones Reynolds
Victoria Confesses (9781442422469)
Carolyn Meyer
a Touch of TNT (An Everly Gray Adventure)
L. j. Charles
The Unexpected Guest
Agatha Christie