Traci shrugged. “She and her husband, who worked in the hotel in guest relations, both took jobs with a brand-new resort just up the coast. We hated to see Mehdi go, but the salaries she and Sammy were offered were ridiculous. Not something we could match.”
“Okay,” Felice said. “So, now what?”
“Now, we send you over to my HR person. He’ll get your paperwork completed, see about uniforms, and then you can go tour your kitchen.”
“Really?” Felice beamed. “I’m hired?”
“Pending a drug test,” Traci said.
“That won’t be a problem. And what about housing? When can I move in?”
“The furniture is supposed to be delivered later today, and I’ll have a final walk-through this evening. If everything shows up on time, I’d say you could probably move in Friday,” Traci said.
She stood up, held out a hand to her new executive chef. “Welcome to the Saint.”
CHAPTER 11
GARRETT
A cool breeze wafted off the ocean as Traci Eddings sat at her usual table on the patio at the Verandah.
Garrett, her favorite waiter, appeared moments later, carrying a glass of iced mineral water with a lime slice.
“Thanks, Garrett,” she said, looking down at the notes she’d made back at the office.
“Can I bring you your usual, Mrs. E?”
Her usual was a lobster Cobb salad, but all that discussion of menu options from her newly hired chef had her thinking of trying something different.
“I’m feeling sort of adventurous today. What’s your favorite thing these days?”
“I love the crab cakes with remoulade, and we’ve also got a nice little fillet if you’re looking for something heartier.”
“How long have those crab cakes been on our menu?” she asked.
Garrett would know. He’d started working at the Saint while he was still in high school.
“We were serving them when I started working here before my senior year.”
“So, at least ten years. Can I ask you another question?”
“You’re the boss, Mrs. E.”
“How’s the morale among the restaurant staff? Are folks happy? Content? Anybody thinking of following Mehdi to her new job?”
He looked away. “Uh, well…”
“So, people are restless,” she said, reading his expression. “Go ahead and bring me the crab cakes.” He started to walk away, but she put out a hand and touched his shirt sleeve.
“Wait. Garrett, you’re not thinking of leaving us, are you?” She tried to tamp down the desperation in her voice.
Garrett was everyone’s favorite, both with the barnacle-encrusted regulars who’d been staying at the hotel for what seemed like centuries, and who appreciated that he always remembered their cocktail orders and their grandchildren’s names, but also the younger set, especially the women, because, with his mop of dark ringlets, twin dimples, deep brown eyes, and slender build, he was undeniably easy on the eyes.
His cheeks colored. “It’s a really good offer, Mrs. E. Mehdi says the customers there are younger, and bigger tippers. I mean, I don’t wanna leave. Y’all have been great to me…”
Traci unfolded her napkin and smoothed it across her lap. “I get it. Loyalty doesn’t pay the bills, does it? But you live right around the corner here, don’t you?”
“Yeah. I rent a room at my sister’s. But it’s so close, I can ride my bike to work most days, unless there’s a hurricane blowing.”
