And what in the world kind of job could she do? He was sure Kay had no openings for “Selfie-taker.”
He snorted and continued his hobbling to room 303. This day was getting more and more interesting.
Chapter 2
Dani approached the front desk. The young man standing there had dark skin and wore a polyester shirt with the Diamond Oasis logo embroidered on his chest. His nametag read Simon. A wide smile appeared when he saw her, as if he were bored and wanted something to do. “Need to check out, ma’am?”
Dani shook her head. “I actually need to talk to Kay.” She glanced around, making sure no one had a camera on her. “Is she here?”
Simon motioned to the hallway behind him. “I think she’s out and about, but you can wait for her in her office. I’ll let her know you’re there.”
“Thanks.” Nerves tightened her stomach as she adjusted her sunglasses and headed down the hallway. She’d never had a job before. She never thought she’d ever need one. There was plenty of money. This whole thing was ridiculous.
She approached the door marked “manager” and stepped inside. Two chairs sat against the wall by the door. A desk took up a large portion of the room, with a potted plant in the corner. Papers were strewn about the desk, as if Kay had been looking for something. Or maybe that’s just how she was. The messy type.
Perching herself on the edge of one of the seats, Dani wrung her hands. Maybe her father would come to his senses after he saw she had managed to get hired at one of the most prestigious resorts. Maybe she would only have to show him that she was capable of getting a job. She could call him later tonight, after he had a chance to cool down.
A woman breezed into the room, the smell of the ocean following her. Kay, the resort owner. She had bright, red hair. Revlon 35, if Dani had to guess. The woman was probably in her late twenties or early thirties. She turned and smiled, recognition in her eyes. “Simon said someone was waiting for me. What can I do for you, Danica?”
“I need a job.” The words sprang forth so fast, Dani didn’t have time to make them sound appealing. They came out like a demand. Mortified, she whisked off her hat and sat back down. “I mean, I was wondering if you had any positions open at the resort.”
Kay’s eyebrows lifted and she leaned against her desk. “What sort of work are you looking for?”
Her mind raced as Dani tried to come up with a good job title. She had no idea what jobs there were at a resort. Something where she could be in charge would be best. She was good at telling people what to do. But what kind of title was that?
She took off her sunglasses so she could show Kay that she was trustworthy, and to give her a little time to think. Last year her father played in a movie, and his job looked good, from the few scenes she saw. He was someone important, ordering people around. What was that called? Dani tapped the side of her leg. The name popped into her head. “What about CEO?”
Kay pressed her lips together, her eyes smiling. What did that mean? Was she laughing at her? Heat rushed to Dani’s face. She’d said something wrong.
“I think we’re fresh out of those positions.”
“It doesn’t have to be that. I’ll take any job, really. I have great phone skills.” She talked on the phone a lot. That one would be easy.
Kay drew in a breath and seemed to assess Dani. “Why are you looking for a job?”
Tears threatened to spring to Dani’s eyes. She swallowed them back. She couldn’t look pathetic. This was a simple matter of waiting out her father’s tirade. “Something happened,” she said, skirting around the truth. “I need some money.”
“To pay your bill here?”
Oh, crud. Dani hadn’t even thought about that. Her cards probably wouldn’t work. Last night’s stay would have to be worked off. Her shoulders slumped and she dug her toe of her sandal into the carpet. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Do you have a place to stay?”
A flash of hope filled her chest, and she jerked her head to look at Kay. “If I can stay in my room while working here, that would be best.”
Kay blinked. “Well, the position I’m thinking of doesn’t pay enough to cover a suite here.”
The hope she’d felt a second ago evaporated, and a cold, hard ball formed in the pit of Dani’s stomach. “Oh.”
Kay shifted and crossed her ankles. “You’re from LA, right?”
Dani nodded.
“And you can’t go home?” Kay’s voice softened.
Home. The word never sounded so good. But there was no way to get there. Tears once again threatened to come, and Dani furiously blinked them back, determined not to let herself cry in front of this person who might be her future boss. She shook her head.
Kay was silent for a moment before she spoke again. “Do you have any cleaning experience?”
Oh, no. Things were going from bad to worse. Manual labor? Had her life gotten so far into the toilet that all she could do was get a job cleaning them? She glanced down at her manicured fingernails. “Is that all you have?”
“I’m afraid so. Is that something you think you could do?”
Dani bit her lower lip. Cleaning. How hard could that be? She’d watched Lilly around the house. All she did was push a vacuum and scrub stuff. Dani could do that. She had to make it work. “Yes,” she said, squaring her shoulders. “I can clean.”
“Perfect. I’ll get you an outfit. There’s a budget hotel a few blocks down the street. They offer weekly rates.” Kay opened a closet and rummaged for a moment as the words ‘budget hotel’ made Dani’s stomach sour.
“I think these will fit.” Kay handed a bundle to Dani.
She looked down at the polyester shirt that matched Simon’s sitting on top of a pair of blue slacks. Ugh. Seriously? Dani tried not to show her distaste. “I can’t wear my own clothes?”
Kay shook her head. “Sorry, no. All our employees dress in company clothes.”
“Oh.” Dani’s head began to hurt, and she decided it was time to get out of there. She needed a long soak in the hot tub. “When do I start?”
“When’s the earliest you can start?”
She wanted to say next week, but she hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday, and she was beginning to feel it. She couldn’t even pay for another night’s stay at the resort. Her father wouldn’t give her any money. Not right now. She had nothing to sell. Her suitcase was only packed for one overnight stay. “I guess I could start today,” she said, the grim reality of her situation setting in.
Kay smiled and grabbed a few forms, holding them out. “Why don’t you fill these out, get changed, and I’ll get you started.”
Dani had no choice. She took the forms and gave Kay a nod. “Okay.”
As Dani walked back to her room, dread started to weigh her footsteps. How long was she going to have to be the cleaning lady? Her skin didn’t react well to chemicals. She always had to leave the room when Lilly cleaned the bathroom. The smell made her cough.
Maybe her father would call her later tonight after thinking harder about it. Especially if she sent him a few photos of her in her new uniform, maybe he would see how hideous it was and give in. She’d done what he said. She got a job. Now he needed to lighten up.