A Case of Extreme Mistaken Identity - Victorine E. Lieske Page 0,3

to fix a faucet.”

He cringed. She didn’t care about that. Why was he rambling?

The woman pointed behind her. “It’s that way.” She hesitated. “Are you new here?”

New here? He wasn’t sure what she was asking. He’d been there for two weeks. And this wasn’t his first visit to the resort. “No.”

She took off the sunglasses, and he immediately recognized her. Danica Jordan. And socialite was an understatement. She was always in the news for her wild behavior and massive money-spending habits. He stepped back, surprised to see her in such a state. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and she had no makeup on. What in the world had happened to her?

She bit her lower lip. “Who would I talk to about getting a job here? I’m kind of desperate.”

He couldn’t have been more shocked if she had said, “Please hold my hat, I need to take off my head and see if I have any brains left.”

His mouth opened and closed a few times. “Kay, the owner,” he finally managed to say.

Danica nodded, her large eyes blinking back moisture. “Okay. Thank you. I’m so glad I ran into a maintenance worker. You’ve been very helpful.”

Maintenance worker? Austin almost laughed. This woman wasn’t into football, apparently. He almost corrected her, but Danica had already slid her sunglasses back into place and replaced her large, floppy hat. “Thanks,” she said as she rushed past him.

Austin watched as one of the richest women in the world hurried off to beg for a job. It was the most bizarre thing. What could have happened to Danica Jordan to make her desperate to get a job?

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