“Already? She just got here.”
“She’s here to help. Might as well throw her in the deep end.” Sarah pulled out her phone and checked her schedule. “We’re doing the same format as last week. DJ, music, welcome drinks.”
“Sounds riveting.”
“It doesn’t need to be riveting. It needs to be organized and run smoothly.” She stood up, leaving cash on the table for her share. “I should get to the hotel. Lizzie is supposed to meet me at eight for orientation.”
Carlos’s phone buzzed. He looked at it and groaned. “Someone vomited in hot tub three. At this time of morning. How are they already drunk?”
“It’s spring break. They’re probably still drunk from last night.” Sarah grabbed her bag. “Good luck with that.”
“Thanks. You too. Try not to be too scary with the intern.”
“I make no promises.”
She drove back to the Carlson. The morning was already warm, the sun bright on the water. Tourists were out on theirrental bikes, weaving through traffic with varying degrees of competence. She watched one nearly crash into a parked car and resisted the urge to honk.
Lizzie was waiting in the lobby when Sarah arrived. She was wearing khaki shorts and a Carlson polo that was slightly too big, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She looked young and nervous and entirely too pretty.
Sarah pushed the thought away. “Good morning. Did Maria give you a tour of the kitchens and behind the house?”
She’d tasked Maria, her chief of catering, to keep Lizzie busy until she got back from breakfast.
“She did.”
“Good. Ready for the rest of your tour?”
“Absolutely.” Lizzie had a tablet in hand and raised it so she could see.
“We’ll start on the top floor and work our way down.” Sarah headed for the elevator. “The Carlson Seaside Resort has four floors, ninety-six rooms total, plus the rooftop terrace. We’re at ninety-two percent capacity right now, which is typical for spring break season.”
The elevator doors closed. Sarah kept her eyes on the floor indicator, very aware of how small the space was. The mirrored walls didn’t quite allow her to ignore Lizzie completely though. She still noticed how her chest rose and fell with each breath. How red her lips were despite the lack of obvious lipstick.
“How long have you worked here?” Lizzie asked.
“I’ve been GM since we bought the place. Before that I was GM at one of the properties in Aspen. For like, four years.”
The doors opened on the fourth floor. Sarah stepped out, grateful for the space. “This floor is all suites. Larger rooms, better views, higher price point. We reserve several for VIP guests and long-term stays. A few of them are in our timeshare program. We have ten of those.”
She walked Lizzie through the layout.
“I love those little mermaid figures,” Lizzie pointed out as they passed one.
“Billy loved them. We have them at all our properties. He loved this place most of all though, so his favorites are all here,” Sarah said, stopping at the window at the end of the hall. She hadn’t meant to talk about him, but sometimes, she found she simply did. She might not have been attracted to him, but she’d loved him with all her heart.
“You must miss him.”
Sarah turned away from the window. “Every day. Let’s continue.”
They made their way down through the other floors. Sarah kept up a steady stream of information: room capacities, amenities, guest services, maintenance schedules. Lizzie took notes, asked occasional questions, and seemed to be absorbing everything.
On the ground floor, Sarah led her out to the pool area. Several guests were already claiming chairs, spreading out towels, slathering on sunscreen. The bar wasn’t open yet but would be soon.
“Key West is small,” Sarah said. “Four miles long, two miles wide. You can bike the whole island if you want.”
“Jasper mentioned that.”
Sarah nodded, ignoring the comment. “Duval Street is the main drag. That’s where most of the bars and restaurants are. You’ll be in charge of the weekly bar crawl. Chrisla did it last year, so she’ll show you the ropes.”
