“I finished the final interviews for the front desk staff?”
“Emma. Darling. Light of my corporate existence.” Lena reached for something off-camera—presumably the aforementioned wine. “You’re killing me.”
“You asked for good news.”
“I asked forfunnews.” Lena took a sip, then pointed at Emma. “There’s a difference. One involves staffing matrices. The other requires stories I can laugh at.”
Emma leaned back in her chair, rolling the tension from her neck. Outside her window, the sky turned deep purple, with the first stars appearing.
“If you want entertainment, call Kate. Last month when she was here, she tried to convince a delivery boat captain that the island’s protective spirits would guide his boat safely to shore.”
“Did it work?”
“I don’t think he’s been back since.”
“Guess that’s a no.” Lena’s grin was sharp.
“I do have one story for you. An interview for a front desk clerk.”
Lena perked up. “Oh, tell me!”
Emma shifted in her chair, trying to get comfortable. “First, he showed up in jean shorts older than me, and a T-shirt thatlooked like it survived at least one natural disaster. There were… stains I chose not to identify for my own peace of mind.”
Lena choked on her wine. “Good call.”
“He was barefoot when he walked in. Not sandals. Barefoot.”
Lena giggled like a teenager. “This is incredible. Please tell me you still did the interview.”
“I did—I was curious. So I began with standard questions. Previous experience, customer service scenarios, conflict resolution—basic things.”
“And?”
“He interrupted me halfway through to say my interview style is ‘aggressively invasive.’ He said, and I quote, ‘I don’t appreciate being interrogated like I’m applying for the FBI.’” Emma’s tone stayed dry. “I clarified that asking about prior job experience is, in fact, a standard part of the interview process.”
Lena grinned. “How did he take that?”
“Not well.” Emma paused. “He said, ‘vibes matter more than résumés.’”
Lena lost it. Full, helpless laughter.
Emma allowed herself the smallest smile. “It gets better. I asked how he would handle a guest complaint.”
“And?”
“He said—and again, I’m quoting—‘I’d tell them to relax. People need to chill out more.’”
Lena wiped at her eyes. “Oh, my god. Please tell me you hired him.”
Emma couldn’t keep the grin off her face. “He then asked if the job came with ‘free drinks and maybe, like, boat access.’”
Lena pointed at the screen. “He’s an entrepreneur. A visionary.”
“He is unemployed,” Emma laughed.
“That too.”
Emma grinned. “I thanked him for his time and told him we’d be in touch. He left after telling me I might want to ‘loosen up a little’ if I wanted the resort to succeed.”
