“Not at all,” Harrison says, smiling at Kat. “It takes guts to put yourself out there, especially for someone your age. I respect that.”
He respects my mum dragging her lazy-ass daughter here to ask us to babysit her all day?
“Thanks,” Kat tells him, letting out a dainty sniff. “The truth is, I’ve always wanted to work here, but I haven’t had a chance to apply before because I’ve been so busy.”
Busy hooking up with randos, getting drunk, and table dancing…
“Tell you what,” Harrison says. “I think this is a terrific idea. Nora is going to have her hands full with this bartending competition. Why don’t we call it a trial internship, and after a few weeks, if it’s working out, we make it a more permanent situation?” He says to me, “You won’t mind training your sister, right, Nora?”
Yeah, I do!“Of course not. It’s going to be a little difficult, on account of being so busy, but anything for family, right?”
“That’s my motto,” he says. “And you’re all part of my family.”
As cheesy as that sounds, he means it. Harrison grew up on the resort after his parents died. His uncle owned Paradise Bay at the time, and even though he was the legal guardian of the Banks children, apparently it was the staff that did much of the heavy lifting when it came to parenting Harrison and his siblings.
“Wonderful,” Mum says, clapping her hands. She grins at Kat. “See? I knew you could do it. You just have to believe in yourself a little more, sweetie.”
Believe in herself? For what reason, exactly? The only thing she’s accomplished since she finished high school is looking pretty on a budget.
Mum turns to me. “I should run. Let you two working girls get to it. Can you give Kat a lift home after work?”
“Sure,” I say, phony smile still in place.
Harrison winks at me. “That’s what I like to see. We take care of each other around here.”
Kat beams at him. “That’s so beautiful. I’m going to love it here. I just know it.”
You know what else she’s going to do? Ruin everything for me.Ijust knowthat.
* * *
Mike the Moose - TikTok Reel
“It’s the Moose again! I’m back with a huge update on my competitors for the Worlds! The last three World semi-finals wrapped up today, so now I know who I’m up against. In the Asian semi-finals, this year’s big winner is a massive upset. Her name is Binna Chu. She hails from Seoul, South Korea, and get this—she’s a total newbie to the sport.
“Can you believe it? Her first competition, and she knocks it out of the park. Not only was she the only woman in the Asia-Pacific semis this year, she’s also the oldest person to ever compete!” Mike claps his hands, and a photo of a lovely woman with long dark hair appears behind him. “She’s a forty-two-year-old mom of four who teaches piano lessons in her spare time. Yeah, she’s also a trained concert pianist. I gotta be honest, I’m a little intimidated by her.”
Her photo disappears. “All right, moving on. The UK semis also ended today, and this will come as no surprise at all. You all know who I’m going to announce, don’t you?”
A photo of a man with a shock of red hair appears. “The Ginger Beast himself—Ewan MacClary—has won again. Y’all will remember his controversial decision two years ago to leave Scotland and move to Avonia so he could compete for them. A lot of you out there think it was a cowardly move, based on the heavy competition in Scotland, but I happen to know he moved there for a girl, so cut him some slack, my Moose Heads, because he did it for love.”
Mike breaks into an off-key rendition of “I Did it for Love” by ’80s hair band Harlequin.
After a few bars, he stops and laughs. “Last but not least, we have our South American champ. From Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Paulo Souza, who is not only talented but one hell of a great guy. We had to share a hotel room four years ago at the Worlds in Tokyo, and I can honestly say I’ve never had such an awesome time.” Making the hang ten sign for some odd reason, Mike adds, “Paulo, I’m coming for you, dude!”
“I’ll be back in two days, after Europe, the Caribbean, Oceania, Africa, and Central America have decided who they’re sending to the Benaventes in two short weeks.” Mike lets out a whooping sound, then claps his hands loudly. “I can’t friggin’ wait!”
* * *
TO-DO LIST (Home Version)
Laundry – definitely do whites today!
Vacuum floor
Determine which plants are beyond saving and get rid of dead ones/water survivors
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