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Chris was telling me lies, she seemed
content.
    "What do you want to do in the future
at the resort?"
    "Be a manger, eventually. I know it's
long hours, but I don't have a husband or children yet. I want to try it while
I can."
    "Do you know Nathan, the owner of
Cameron?"
    "Not really. I've seen him a few
times. He's cute." She turned again and grinned.
    "The employees are aware he's staying
for a few weeks, right? And why?"
    "Oh yeah, we know. He wants to check
out the place before the new manager comes on board. Toby was good, I guess.
He's the one that promoted me. Said my talents were wasted, that I should have
a job where I interact with people."
    I had to agree. Chris was easy to talk to
and extra friendly. "We'll be handing out employee surveys. Please tell
everyone to answer honestly. They can stay anonymous if they want."
    "Will do." Chris tapped her
fingers to her cap in a salute.
    "I'm going to check my email and
enjoy the scenery. Thanks for talking to me."
    I leaned back and picked up the rest of
the sandwich. I'd never been in a supervisory position and wasn't sure exactly
what my role would be here. Nathan liked my take-charge attitude, but I didn't
want to overstep my bounds. He told me he wanted me to talk to the employees,
to get to know them and have them confide in me. When we had that email
discussion, I'd phrased my response carefully.
    Lying's not my thing. I could never pretend
to be a friend, then betray a confidence and tattle. Nathan assured me, he
didn't expect or want me to do that. If someone told me information and asked
it be kept private, as long as it wouldn't cause harm, he understood. He just
needed a liaison between himself and the employees. Someone who wasn't
management, exactly. He didn't come right out and say it, but I think he knows,
he's kind of intimidating.
    Especially once I met him in person. Those
laser-beam eyes seemed to look right into my soul. If I didn't know him, hadn't
worked with him and heard him laugh at one of my silly jokes, I'd be pretty unsettled
talking to him.
    So, my job here, be the intermediary
between Nathan and the staff. A perfect use of my skills.
    Driving down the two-lane US 1 to get to
Key Largo, I had plenty of time to gawk at the tropical scenery. And to learn a
new curse word from Chris.
    "Hey you fuckass, go the speed limit would
ya? Oh, shit!" She clamped her hand over her mouth. "Sorry, you're so
quiet back there, I forgot you were in the car. I didn't mean to say fuck. Or
ass. Or shit. I don't talk like this when I'm driving people. Really."
    I laughed. "It's okay. I've heard
those words before. Did this car belong to Mauldin Management?"
    "Nope. Somebody told me, Nathan
bought it and drove it here himself, from Orlando. But that could just be a
story."
    From what I knew of Nathan, it sounded like
something he would do and enjoy the hell out of.
    "This must be a tough stretch to
drive."
    "Yeah. It's great when everybody
moves along, but there's always one fuckass, I mean, one idiot who goes too
slow. We only get a few spots with passing lanes, then you're stuck. Okay, I'll
calm down now. There's no rush, right?"
    But I was anxious too. I wanted to see Bay
Paradise Resort, get settled into my room, and get to work. And, to see Nathan.
To hear what our plans were.
    "Do you live on Key Largo?"
    "Yes. I rent an apartment with two
roommates. It's small, and one day I'd like a house on the island, but I don't know.
They're so expensive!"
    "Most of the staff doesn't live on
the island, do they?"
    "No, they take a bus to and from
work. Where do you live?"
    "Chicago. The suburbs."
    "I've got a cousin who lives in
Evanston."
    We chatted about Illinois for a while,
then I let Chris return her full attention to the road, while I acted like a
tourist, and put down the window to take pictures of the palm trees and
water.  
    We finally rolled in to Bay Paradise. The resort
was on the bay side of the island, and I glimpsed the water behind the hotel as
I got