Page 53 of Backwater Justice
“I’ll give it a shot,” Kat offered.
“Great. How are you at spreadsheets?”
“I have to turn them in after every run.”
“Welcome aboard, Kat! I think I’m going to like having you around.” Sandy held up her hand for a high five.
Kat smiled to herself. Sandy might be a good ally in the future.
* * *
Oliver excused himself to tend to other business while Benjamin showed Isabelle the Cascade Inn section of the offices. “Everyone, this is Isabelle Fleming. She’s coming onboard to oversee the facilities. She’ll be traveling back and forth, making sure everything is running smoothly. Dad wanted all of us to have some backup support until he’s well enough to return to work. With the inns spread out along the interstate, we thought having a traveling manager would take some of the burden off of Oliver, and of course, me.” He chuckled. “Make Isabelle feel at home. Speaking of which, she will be using the apartment upstairs as her home base. She’ll be sharing it with Kat Lamont, who is our new swing-shift, on-call driver.”
“Welcome, Isabelle.” Isabelle guessed the woman who’d greeted her was sixty. She was well-dressed and had a current, smart hairstyle. “I’m Jessica. I’m in charge of linens, paper goods, and amenities. That’s Norman. He’s responsible for all perishable goods, such as food, and beverages. And I’m sure you’ve already met Oliver. He handles personnel, staffing, and the rest.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Isabelle replied. “Jessica, when you have a few free minutes, I’d like you to give me an overview of how things are managed. Daily routines, etc.”
“Sure thing. How about we chat over lunch?” Jessica suggested. “We have a couple of food trucks that pull in every day. Sometimes it’s pizza, sometimes Mexican. I think we have falafel today. Or if you’re into less exotic food, we have a cafeteria with freshly made sandwiches, soups, and a few hot items.”
“Whatever you prefer. I’m not fussy,” Isabelle responded.
Jessica checked her watch. “About a half hour?”
“Sounds good to me.” Isabelle looked at Benjamin. “What else do I need to do? Know?”
“I’ll show you your workspace and the rest of the offices, and then you can come back here and have lunch with Jess,” Benjamin replied.
“Sounds good.” Isabelle followed Benjamin to a cubicle on the other side of Jessica’s.
“Not glamorous, but workable,” he said.
“Thanks. It’s perfect. Nice view of the woods.”
“We are very conscious about trees, considering the business we’re in.” Benjamin walked her down the hall. “We are required to plant twenty trees for every one we fell, but we plant up to fifty per tree.”
“That’s very earth-friendly of you.” Isabelle was a big proponent of green areas, as well as protecting the planet from ruination. Sometimes she felt overwhelmed and outvoted when it came to the design of her commercial projects, but she would always manage to find a way to save a tree or two, and plant a few more than required. She decided she liked Benjamin. He had integrity.
* * *
After a quick glimpse of the executive offices, Benjamin walked Isabelle back to the Cascade Inn area. “I’m sure Jess will be able to get you settled in. If you need anything, just holler.” Benjamin smiled and went back to the executive suites.
“He seems like a very nice man,” Isabelle said to Jessica.
“He is.” She hesitated.
Isabelle cocked her head. “But?”
“Oh, nothing.”
Isabelle knew it was something, but she’d let Jessica tell her in her own sweet time. They had just met each other, but Isabelle thought there was a lot Jessica would like to reveal. Just a feeling, but over the years, the Sisters had relied a lot on their intuition, as well as their uncanny ability to often read each other’s minds.Inexplicablewas the word they used to characterize it.
“You up for Mexican?” Jessica asked, as she pulled her sweater off the back of her chair.
“Love it!”
“The guy who runs the food truck is from Mexico. It’s the real deal.”
“So glad to hear it. Fake Mexican can be awful.”