CHAPTER1
Felicity was rather brutally jet-lagged, her checked luggage was lost in Mexico City, and the handle had broken off of her carry-on, so she’d been lugging it around by a strip of hazard tape that the airline had kindly given her…but it was worth the grueling trip to be here.
The island she’d landed on with her final flight was glimmering green in a turquoise sea that Felicity had been certain was altered in photos. It smelled like warm earth and flowers, with a gentle tang of salt and spice. The van trip from the airport was on a smooth, winding road with magnificent views of waterfalls, jungle ravines, and ocean shore, ending at an arch of white stone.
Shifting Sands Resort.
Her new home. Her new job. Herdestiny?
Felicity had found the solicitation on a members-only shifter chat group. She’d never felt any need to leave her little town and the friends she’d grown up with, but she’d just finished her bachelor of arts and discovered that an English literature degree didn’t exactly fling open doors of opportunity. Her waitress job wasn’t doing much more than paying the bills, which didn’t seem like a sensible future, and Felicity was wistfully sure that there was something more out there to aspire to.
Being a waitress at Shifting Sands Resort might not be a book deal and a hot billionaire sweeping her off her feet, but it was a chance to move to a tropical island on the other side of the world. All room and board were included, plus a stipend that she could sock away for a metaphorical rainy day.
It seemed like a no-brainer to apply, and her resume had earned her a phone interview, followed by a video conference with the restaurant’s chef (a big man aptly named Chef), the resort owner (a serene red-headed woman with a direct green-eyed stare), and the head waiter (who looked like he’d be more comfortable in tear-off pants twirling around a pole).
Her crappy connection and nervous urge to chatter had miraculously not torpedoed her chances, and before she knew what she was doing, she had a six-month contract and a plane ticket to Costa Rica.
“Don’t get robbed,” her mother had warned her. She was not very warm about the idea of her oldest daughter leaving the nest, which was one thing Felicity liked best about this job opportunity.
“Don’t get pregnant,” her father added.
“Don’t forget my birthday!” her youngest brother chimed in. “It’s in January!”
The rest of the people in the van were all new employees, like Felicity, and she swiftly made friends with everyone in handshake range. Trudy was a tough-looking woman who was coming to work in maintenance. Ezra was a computer technician. Briar was an accountant. Diego didn’t speak a word of English, so Felicity wasn’t sure what he’d be doing, but he smiled and nodded a lot. Her own Spanish wasn’t good enough to do more than order tequila, which made him laugh. Theodora, a shy seal shifter who would have been tall even next to a normal-sized person, would be working in the restaurant with Felicity.
They were all met at the entrance to the resort by the owner, Scarlet, and an assortment of people that Felicity hadn’t met on the video call.
“Welcome to Shifting Sands,” Scarlet greeted them, once everyone had spilled out of the van and gathered under the arch. Felicity had to push her way to the front so she could see what was happening; it didn’t surprise her to be the shortest one there by several inches. “I trust your employment here will be to our mutual satisfaction. Please see me directly if you have any problems. I have arranged a tour of our facilities, and then you will be divided to meet with your supervisors for more specific training. Your bags can be left here for delivery to your housing. Changes to assigned rooms may be requested, but please understand that employee quarters are still under construction and we have limited resources as we get the resort up to full speed.”
Felicity left her hazard-taped carry-on with a truly wide assortment of luggage, ranging from duct-taped military duffel bags to matching leather cases that probably weren’t trimmed inactualgold. She scampered with the others to do a whirlwind tour of a resort that was still so new there were literally work teams applying trim and paint over raw construction.
The public-facing facilities were the most finished, and they were a breathtaking mix of classical and modern architecture. The pool area had a half-dozen glorious saltwater pools, from utilitarian to artistic, plus hot tubs and water features. There were gardens between every building, with arches of flowers and hedges along white gravel paths. There were solar panels gleaming on every roof, and colorful murals in progress around unexpected corners.
Felicity thought she would never tire of wandering around her new home, though her calves complained after a while about the inordinate amount of stairs and inclines; the island was steep, and the resort was built in staggered levels. Ramps connected most of them, with stepped shortcuts running everywhere.
Her tour, and Theodora’s, ended at the restaurant near the top of the resort. It was broad and open to the outdoors, partly under a high, arched roof and partly covered in retractable awning. She could just imagine sitting here on a clear night with the stars above and candles lit on every table.
The head waiter from her interview was there to take them through the kitchen and acquaint them with the procedures and protocol. Chef was much bigger than he had appeared in the video, and twice as charming. He unexpectedly quizzed Felicity and Theodora on their singing range.
“I’m a very medium mezzo-soprano,” Felicity said cheerfully. “Don’t ask me to hit notes too high or low. Why? Will there be a concert?”
Theodora looked panicked by the question. “I don’t sing,” she said in a low, shy voice.
“It’s not a requirement,” Chef said kindly. “We simply find that song makes the work go more quickly in this kitchen. Feel free to join in at any time.”
He himself had a booming bass voice to accompany his jolly appearance, and Felicity wondered if he would play Santa at any holiday parties. He had the bowl full of jelly physique to suit the part, even though he seemed shifter strong and swift, swirling around a gleaming stainless steel kitchen with skilled efficiency.
Felicity joined in several choruses of Christmas songs that she knew as they were shown around the kitchen.
“And my mother told me not to put my participation in the church choir in my application because it was irrelevant,” Felicity laughed with Theodora as they left the kitchen but the other woman looked so alarmed that Felicity made a mental note to be careful about the topic with her. What would make her afraid ofsinging?
The entire restaurant was impressively well run, with emphasis on a morning and evening meals, and an extensive buffet available at all times.
“We take orders for the bar and accommodate some of our clients with special dietary needs throughout the day,” the head waiter explained, showing them where to find napkins and settings, where the staff room was, and how the drink dispensers worked. The decor was a mix of modern and indigenous, with bold Pacific designs and lots of pale wood with white accents. Then he turned to Felicity.
“Your full name is…Felicitation? You’re a mouse shifter.”
“Felicity is fine,” Felicity assured him nervously. “Luckily, I am. Happy, I mean. Can you imagine how awful it would have been to be stuck with that name and be all gloomy or pessimistic?”
