Page 15 of Undertow

I pull in a deep breath and rise from the bench.

Julia’s face is etched into my memory, so I don’t think I’ll have trouble identifying her. She might be the only beautiful thing inUndertow. My mission for this first pass is to insert myself into her awareness and establish a connection.

Just get noticed. That’s never been hard for me.

As I move toward the building, I work to clear my mind of the details so my performance doesn’t come off stiff and scripted.

A cold rush of anxiety surges through me with each step, more than I’ve felt from all the other roles I’ve adopted over the years. Strange, since for the first time that I can remember, my role requires playing myself.

Which “self”?

Exactly. That’s the problem.

No host waits inside, so I take an open booth in the far corner and stuff my small suitcase under the table. Based on the curious gazes trained on me, I’ve been detected. Good.

Eighteen occupants.

Four families.

An elderly couple.

A middle-aged couple.

Two single men and one woman at the counter.

Three employees.

One visible exit.

I locate the door leading to the restrooms and what’s probably the kitchen. At least one, maybe two employees would be back there. Another exit too, most likely. A camera in each corner of the ceiling stakes out the entire interior. There’s no sign of an alarm, though.

Or Julia.

A server approaches, but by her short hair and airy demeanor, she’s not the person I’m here for.

“Hi, what can I get you?” Her targeted smile tells me she could still be an asset, however. I search for a name badge but don’t see one.

I return a lopsided smile and rub my forehead. “Honestly, I’ve had a really shitty day. What do you recommend for that?”

Her smile grows, and I make direct eye contact to cement my impression on her. She steps closer to the table.

“Bad day, huh? Must have been awful. It’s hard to have a bad day in paradise.”

“This is paradise?” I say dryly.

“Sun, sand, water. What else could you want?”

“How about a job? Got fired today.”

Her smile dims as she shifts her weight in sync with her concern. “Oh no. Really? I’m sorry to hear that. From the Palmetto Resort?”

I nod and feign surprise. “How did you know?”

She waves at my shirt, and I return a sheepish grin. “Oh. Right. The uniform.”

“Yep,” she says with a laugh. “Plus, no one crosses from the mainland just to come to Mama’s, and you definitely weren’t working here in Undertow.”

“You know everyone who works in Undertow?” I add a flirty smirk.