Free Just Once by Julianna Keyes

realize she’s aged—we both have.
    “I’m getting too old for this, Kate. Hiring, firing—I just can’t be bothered. I want to enjoy this place, not run it.”
    “You can do that,” I assure her. “Don’t worry about anything. I’ll talk to the girls, and things will get better. I promise.”
    She smiles and looks relieved. “I’m glad you’re here, sweetie. We missed you.”
    I step around the desk and hug her. It’s been a long time since I’ve hugged someone for reasons other than hello or goodbye. “Me too,” I say.
    I return to the dining room just as the girls are preparing to leave. “Not so fast,” I say firmly. “Have a seat.”
    They exchange looks and slump into seats around one of the tables. I join them and pull out the list of guest complaints Mary gave me. “Does anyone know what this is?” I ask a sea of blank faces.
    “Another checklist?” Janie asks dryly.
    “Guest complaints,” I reply. “A long list of them. We’re going to go over the list one by one and see what we can do to fix them.”
    Janie rolls her eyes.
    “Question?” I ask her.
    “Yeah. Why are we being blamed for this?”
    I read the first item on the list. “Towels not replaced in cabin four for three straight days.”
    The girls avoid my eyes.
    “You’re not being blamed for anything,” I force myself to say calmly. “But this is your job and it could be done better, so I’m here to teach you how.”
    “Great.”
    “You applied for a position as a kitchen/cabin girl.” I address the comment to all three girls, but really it’s for Janie. “Don’t act surprised when that’s what you’re expected to do.”
    “So somebody forgot some freakin’ towels. Big deal!” she exclaims. “It’s not like somebody died.”
    “If we can’t do the small things right—like replace towels—how can guests feel confident about the rest of their visit? How do they know the food is prepared well or the horses are trained?”
    “What does this even have to do with us? We’re supposed to be off now.”
    “Well, you’re not. We’re going to take this list and go over it point by point until I’m confident you understand why it is a big deal that a cabin didn’t get new towels for three days.”
    “This is ridiculous.”
    I bite my tongue before I can tell her it’s her attitude that’s ridiculous. I didn’t come here to be the bad guy, but she’s doing a great job of pushing me into it.
    “Let’s go,” I say.
    Two hours later Becca and Janie, even Hailey, are on the last threads of their patience. I lost mine some time ago near cabin five when Becca, supposedly in charge of cleaning it for the past week, could not find the vacuum she swore she’d used earlier that morning.
    “The checklist was not a suggestion!” I snapped, not for the first time. “None of what I’m saying is optional. Just do it!”
    It’s after three when I send them back to the bunkhouse and sneak myself into the lounge. One of the rules for the new, wiser me is to drink less, but if anyone needs a shot right now, it’s me. Plus, as “management,” it’s totally fine for me to help myself every once in a while.
    The lounge is blessedly empty when I tiptoe behind the bar. It actually is okay for me to be here, but I can’t shake the feeling of being seventeen and doing this exact same thing—minus the permission. I’ve got a shot glass on the bar and have just found the tequila when I hear, “Make it two,” from behind me.
    I whirl around and nearly drop the bottle when I see Lisa taking a seat at the bar. Her nose is covered with gauze bandages and both her eyes are rimmed with bruises, making her look like a sad raccoon.
    “How old are you?” I ask.
    She smiles and slumps forward. “Eighteen.”
    “So…illegal.”
    “Please?” She bats her eyes at me.
    “Wrong gender,” I reply, filling my glass and grabbing a lemon wedge from the fridge. “Besides,” I tell her, “as rough as you look, trust me when I