“It’s more complicated than that.” Chrisla leaned forward. “Sarah worked her way up through the hotel chain. She earned her position. Yeah, being married to the owner didn’t hurt, but she wasn’t just handed everything.”
“Still though.”
“Still though, she’s doing a good job. The Carlson runs smoothly. Guests are happy. Staff gets paid on time, and at better rates than anywhere else on the island. We have a much higher staff retention rate also. That’s what matters.” Chrislafinished her coffee. “And anyway, once all these lawsuits are settled, Sarah’s going to run the whole chain as CEO. That’s if her stepson doesn’t somehow manage to win his lawsuit. Though I don’t see how.”
They finished their sandwiches while chatting about less serious matters and then walked back to the scooter. Lizzie’s head was spinning, partly from the coffee and partly from everything Chrisla had told her. She’d spent the morning thinking Sarah was just a cold boss who didn’t want her there.
Now she realized Sarah was fighting to keep her entire life from being dismantled by lawyers and family drama.
The ride back to the Carlson went smoother. Lizzie was getting used to the scooter, or maybe she was just too full of Cuban coffee to care about dying. They pulled into the parking lot with five minutes to spare.
“Thanks for lunch,” Lizzie said, handing back the helmet. “And for the info about Sarah. It helps.”
“Just give her a chance. She’s not as scary as she seems.”
“I’ll try.”
Chrisla headed back to the front desk. Lizzie went to find Sarah’s office, her tablet clutched in her hand, trying to prepare herself for whatever the afternoon would bring.
Chapter 6
Sarah
Saturday
“No, the speaker goes on the left side. The left. Your other left.”
Sarah stood by the pool deck watching the DJ struggle with his equipment setup. It was three in the afternoon, and they had four hours until the first welcome party of the season started. The sun was brutal, even in late March. She could feel sweat gathering under her blazer.
The DJ, a kid who couldn’t be older than twenty-five with a man bun and too many tattoos, finally got the speaker positioned correctly. “Like this?”
“Perfect.” Why didn’t he remember this from last year?
He nodded and went back to work. Sarah pulled out her phone and checked the setup list again. Tables arranged around the pool perimeter. Bar stations at the north and south ends, one serving mocktails, one checking IDs for the alcohol. String lights hanging overhead, ready to be turned on at dusk.
“Sarah!”
She turned. Stavros Andreou was walking toward her across the pool deck, wearing linen pants and a guayabera shirt. He was in his mid-sixties, distinguished with silver hair and a tan that spoke of boats and golf courses.
“Stavros. I didn’t know you were coming today.”
“I wanted to see how things were progressing. The spring break season is important for revenue.” He looked around the pool area, taking in the setup. His expression was neutral. “This looks very similar to last year.”
“We’re using the same format. It’s proven effective.”
“Hmm.” He walked over to one of the drink stations, examining the menu. “At the last board meeting, Derek mentioned that guest feedback from the parties has been less than stellar.”
Of course Derek had said that. She should have known better than to let him deliver the report. But she’d had a pesky tooth ache that insisted on being tended to. Now she got the bill for not doing the report herself. “We always get mixed reviews. You can’t please everyone.”
“The words ‘boring’ and ‘out of touch’ were used frequently in the comment cards.” Stavros turned back to her. “I’m not trying to criticize. I’m trying to help.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“You have Jasper’s girl here. Why not use her?” He smiled. “She’s closer in age to our guests. She might have insights we’re missing.”
Sarah wanted to point out that she’d been running successful events for years, that age didn’t automatically equal understanding, that Lizzie had been here three days and couldn’t possibly know what worked at the Carlson.
But this was Stavros. Not Peter Lassiter with his condescending tone. Not Derek Mitchell waiting for her to fail. Stavros, who had been Billy’s closest friend, who had stood bySarah when Jonathan started his legal challenges, who had the power to make her life much easier or much harder.
