A Case of Extreme Mistaken Identity

by Lieske, Victorine E.

  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.

  But even though she told herself her father might come around, a foreboding feeling crept into her chest. If he decided this was good for her, she just might be stuck working for who knows how long.

  Chapter 3

  Austin turned on the faucet and bent over to check the P-trap once again. He’d been there for over thirty minutes, messing with the pipes. It was a welcome change in routine, as the most excitement he’d had in the last two weeks was ordering a Pepsi and getting a Dr. Pepper instead. He held his breath that he’d finally fixed the leak.

  Another drop of water hit the wood. Well, darn. He’d already tightened the joint as far as he could. He knelt to see how fast the water was leaking and winced as pain shot through his knee. He bit his lip and held in a swear word.

  Mrs. Fleming walked into the bathroom and tsked, folding her arms. “Can’t get it to stop? I knew this place was run down. I can’t believe what they charge here.”

  “It just needs a little plumber’s tape, that’s all, ma’am.” Austin hefted himself up, hoping he hadn’t further damaged his knee. That was all he needed, more recovery time at a beautiful resort where he couldn’t do anything but stare at the ocean and wish he was in it.

  A frown tugged on Mrs. Fleming’s mouth and she let out a long breath. “We’re leaving in a few minutes. We have tickets for the river run excursion.”

  “Then I’ll stop by later tonight.” He tried to give Mrs. Fleming his best smile, but it felt forced. Maybe because she grated on his nerves, and what he really wanted to do was tell her off.

  She touched her hair and glanced up at the ceiling. “Oh, all right, I suppose.”

  Wow. She was a bottle of sunshine. Was this how she treated everyone? Or just people she felt were beneath her? Austin gave her a nod and motioned with his wrench. “I’ll be going,
then.”

  He didn’t wait for her to show him to the door. After he got outside, he took in a deep breath, filling his nose with the smell of the beach. It was probably stupid to insist on fixing Mrs. Fleming’s sink, but it was something to get his mind off his knee. At least, it had been.

  He hobbled down the pathway. Surely he didn’t damage it more, right? All he did was kneel. It was probably just a twinge. Healing was painful. That’s all.

  Danica emerged from the main building and rushed toward him, her hand on her hat. She held a bundle of clothes to her chest. As she grew closer, she waved at him. “Hey, thanks for helping me earlier. It looks like we’ll both be working here. I got the job.”

  She pulled out a handful of papers. “I just need to fill these out.”

  It was awkward now, having not corrected her before. It kind of felt like it was too late to do it. Besides, how often was he going to see her? Tomorrow she’d forget he even existed. He decided to play along. “Congratulations.”

  “I’m Dani,” she said, sticking out her hand. “Well, everyone calls me Danica, but I prefer Dani.”

  “Yes. I know who you are.”

  She didn’t seem to be surprised. “I didn’t catch your name.”

  “Austin.” Her skin felt surprisingly warm on his. And soft. She must use a ton of expensive creams on her hands. But she had a firm grip, which he liked. He hated those dead-fish handshakes.

  Her smile widened. “Like the city. I can remember that. I once ate the most amazing steak in Austin.”

  What an odd thing to say. He didn’t know how to respond to that, so he simply stood there like his feet were glued to the stones on the path.

  Dani didn’t seem to notice. “Maybe I can take you to dinner as a thank you. Do you like seafood? There’s this great place down the street.” She froze, and her mouth shaped into a small circle. “Oh, I mean, after I get some money…” Pink rose to her cheeks and she shifted her weight. She’d obviously embarrassed herself. He felt bad for her, for some weird reason. A tense silence filled the space between them.

  “I’ll treat,” he heard himself say. Wait, what? He hadn’t meant to say that. What was wrong with him? He didn’t want to sit through an entire dinner with Danica Jordan. He could just imagine what the spoiled princess would chatter on and on about.

  But before he could take it back, her eyes lit up. “Really? You’d do that?”

  Oh, man. He was in trouble now. She looked so genuinely happy that he couldn’t say no. “Sure.”

  “Fantastic. Where should I meet you? Is there a maintenance shed or something?” She glanced around the property, as if the maintenance shed would be where he would be staying.

  Austin almost backed out right then and there. This woman was such a clueless nut. Why was he even talking to her? He sighed and pointed. “I’m staying in 425.”

  Her eyes widened. “You get to stay at the resort? Maintenance people must get paid a lot more than cleaning people. Kay suggested I go down to the budget hotel.” Her lips pulled down. “I don’t even want to know what that’s going to be like.”

  He held back a smile. Whatever happened to Dani has put her in a tight spot for sure. He almost laughed at the thought of her having to do anything on a budget. The poor girl was completely unaware of how most people live. It might do her some good to have to work a bit for a living. “I’m sure it will be fine.”

  Her face didn’t mirror his positivity. “Uh, huh.”

  He held up the wrench, suddenly glad she thought he was a handyman. “Guess I’d better get back to it.”

  “Oh, right.” Dani smiled. “I’ll see you tonight, then? I’ll stop by your room when I get off work.”

  She seemed proud to say those words, which was so bizarre, like he’d fallen into some alternate world where it was cool for a notorious celebrity to don yellow gloves and clean bathtubs. There just wasn’t anything he could say to that. He gave her a small wave and headed toward the lobby to find Kay, because he could no longer handle the strangeness of the conversation.

  He found Kay in her office, behind her desk. When he walked in, she glanced up at him, then did a double take. “Did you hurt your knee?”

  He held back a scowl. How did she do that? She was the most perceptive person he knew. And now what was he supposed to say? “Not really.”

  “What happened?”

  “I just need some plumber’s tape. Do you have any?”

  She frowned. “I’m not asking about the pipe. What happened to your knee? Your limp is more pronounced.”

  “I…” He was going to lie, but decided it was useless around Kay. “I may have angered the knee gods a tiny bit.”

  “Austin—”

  “It’s not bad, ma’am, I swear.” He held up a hand like he was swearing in at court.

  “Stop calling me ma’am.”

  “I can’t help it. I grew up—”

  “In the South,” she finished for him. “I know. It just makes me feel old.”

  “You’re not old, ma’am.”

  She shot him a withered look and held out her hand. “Give me that wrench. Go rest. I don’t want to see you fixing anything else. I’ll have someone else repair the leak.”

  Even though he really had no desire to see Mrs. Fleming again, he had a sudden urge to finish what he’d started. “All I need is some plumber’s tape. Please let me do it.”

  “Your knee—”

  “Is fine. My mental health is what needs attention. Please, ma’am.”

  She winced and ran a hand through her hair. “You can probably find some plumber’s tape in the maintenance shed.” She opened her desk drawer and tossed him some keys. “And I’m only letting you do this because John is on vacation and I really have no one else to call.”

  “Thank you…” he said, forcing himself to drop the ma’am. “I really appreciate it.”

  “Go get that tape and then I want to see your butt in a lounge chair. I swear, Austin, if you reinjure your knee—”

  “I won’t. I’ll be more careful.” He tossed the keys into the air and then swiped his hand out, snatching them back. It felt like a victory, even though he had to deal with that cranky woman again. At least he had something else to do.

  Kay leaned back in her chair. “I noticed you chatting with Danica Jordan earlier.”

  Austin was surprised, but he really shouldn’t be. There wasn’t much that went on at the resort that Kay didn’t know about. “Yeah.”

  She got a pensive look on her face. “She’s going through some tough things right now. I’m glad she’s made a friend.”

  A friend? Hardly. But Austin didn’t want to correct Kay. He simply nodded.

  “She may not realize it, but she needs someone right now.”

  He squinted at her. What was she implying? “Ma’am?”

  Kay shrugged. “Just be good to her. That’s all I’m saying.”

  He almost gaped at her. Did she know they were going to dinner tonight? Why did he get the feeling like Kay had superpowers? Like she could see the future or something, and knew more than everyone else. He scratched his chin to cover up his surprise. “I’ll do my best.”

  She gave him a smile. “I know you will.”

  Austin ducked out of her office, a strange feeling clinging to him like fine dust. He wasn’t going to befriend little miss prissy. She may be temporarily in a bad spot, but her father was Samuel Jordan, for heaven’s sake. He could get her out of anything.

  Besides, she was kind of a nut. He wasn’t the type to date a woman just because she was beautiful. He wanted to be intellectually stimulated. And Danica was the last person on the Earth he would hang out with on purpose.

  But he wouldn’t be mean to her. He’d never do that. He’d have dinner with her tonight, and then he’d simply avoid her. Nothing would come of it, he was sure.

  He was going to ignore his growing curiosity about Danica Jordan.

  Chapter 4

  A light breeze blew as Dani propped o
pen the door to the first room she was to clean. She stared at the laminated cleaning guide chained to a cart full of chemicals and supplies. Kay wanted her to clean all the rooms in the section highlighted on the map she’d given her. Before two o’clock. She tried not to despair as she tugged on the bedding. The first thing on the list was to strip the sheets off. Man, they were stubborn. Why were they tucked in so tight?

  She pulled as hard as she could, but her long fingernails got in the way. The last thing she wanted to do was break a nail. Her favorite nail salon was back in Los Angeles. No one did as good of a job as Nailed It.

  This sucked. Her life sucked. And later tonight she would have to watch the entire video Victoria and Steph had put up on YouTube, because she needed to know what exactly they’d caught on tape.

  The thought sickened her, and she tugged harder. The sheet finally came off the corner and she fell back on her butt for the second time today. Pain shot through her, and she winced. Oh, that’s perfect. All she needed was an embarrassing reason to have to go to the doctor. She could see the headlines now. Danica Jordan Bruises her Butt while Cleaning.

  As if she hadn’t already been humiliated enough. Sighing, she pulled herself up off the floor. Nothing she could do about it now. Life just had a way of pushing you down. She needed to rise above. She wadded the sheet into a ball and shoved it into the laundry bag hooked to the cart.

  After twenty minutes she’d finally managed to get the new bedding onto the king-sized bed. She smoothed out the last lump on the corner. Huh. It didn’t look half-bad. She’d folded back the top like the laminated guide had shown. It looked just like the picture. She gave herself a smile of satisfaction. She could totally do this job.

  But when she checked the clock she saw it was already past eleven, and she still had ten more rooms to clean. Crud. She would have to hurry it up. What she needed was some good, upbeat music. She plugged in her earbuds and selected her favorite K-pop playlist. That would get her moving.