It took me half the summer to figure out that if I bribed the girls with candy, the cleanliness of the bunks improved. I had just finished my daily walk-through and was on my way to the office when I saw a red convertible driving toward me.
A silver-haired man was wedged behind the wheel of the Porsche that stopped in front of the office. He was having difficulty extricating himself from his expensive car. The steering wheel sat low on his legs, making it difficult to maneuver.
It was uncomfortable watching his large frame slowly, excruciatingly emerge from the matchbox-sized car. I took out my clipboard, looking away, making it less embarrassing for both of us.
“Hello. I’m Chip Howe, here to see Jack.”
“Lori Kramer, one of the division leaders.”
“Lori. You’re just the person I wanted to meet.”
He was as tall as he was round. If I remembered correctly this must be the man Mindy and Bob said was part owner and the CFO of several camps.
Before I could find out why he wanted to meet me, Jack came flying out of the office.
“Chip, great to see you. I see you’ve already met, uh . . .”
Jack stood with his mouth gaping open. He’d patronizedme last Sunday and chastised me yesterday, but at that exact moment he couldn’t remember my name.
“Yes, Jack, I’ve already met Lori.” It was amusing, watching this giant of a man roll his eyes like one of the campers. “I’d think you’d be able to remember the name of the person who saved this camp and your ass.”
Beads of sweat formed on Jack’s brow. Although I enjoyed watching him squirm, staying with them didn’t seem prudent.
“Nice meeting you. I’m off to join the Cubs.”
“I hope you’ll have time to talk later,” Chip said.
I patted the radio on my hip. “You know how to find me.”
I made my way to the tennis courts where a round robin tournament was taking place among the Cubs. I cheered the girls on, hoping to see if the instruction during the first half of the summer had paid off.
The call from Chip came during rest hour, asking me to meet him at the back door of the office. He was sitting behind the wheel of Marilyn’s golf cart and waved me over.
“Slide in. Join me for a drive around the camp. It’s been a while since I toured it, and since I pay for everything, it’s good to take a gander now and again. Plus, I want to get to know you better.”
He drove us toward the lake.
“I’ve been hearing good things about you from Bob, Bethany, and Mindy—your quick actions saving Nate. How you stepped into Bethany’s role as head counselor. I’ve even gotten positive feedback from Ted, and he’s a hard man to please.”
Not if you know how, I thought. I hoped my blush would be construed as modesty.
“Bob was practically gushing over you.”
“Why?” Because I poured him a gin each night?
“Lots of reasons, but he thinks you’re a badass, standing up to Jack.”
“I’m impressing you by being disrespectful to my boss?”
He laughed. “You’ve got a good bullshit meter, and you’re obviously not afraid to speak your mind—two important attributes in business.”
At the lakefront, we pulled up next to Mike, who wore an orange Speedo. The contrast between these two men was so extreme they could’ve posed for before and after photos.
“Chip! How’s it going, big guy?” Mike slapped him on the back. “Haven’t seen you in my territory in years.” Only Mike could get away with calling the man who signed his paycheckbig guy.“I see you’ve met our heroic division leader.”
“Yes, I asked if she’d accompany me on a drive around camp so I could see for myself,” Chip said.
“Lori can tell you how I’ve been her personal hero this summer, saving her twice, so far, but there’s still another couple of weeks to go.” Mike winked at me like we were a thing.
