I apologize for the delay in getting the second chapter of this series out. I had a combination of writers' block, real-life, and ideas for other stories before I could continue this one. I hope it was worth the wait.
*****
After my night with Rita, I returned to Chicago to talk to some people there about advertising. I had a few friends who were in the ad business, as well as a former FWB who owned a string of travel agencies. I also talked to a buddy of mine who was a lawyer, and soon I had all of the arrangements made to try to get some business headed to my new resort.
My travel agent friend suggested that I invite a few of her colleagues down for a look at the resort, so I had her put out some feelers for me.
Having been a "working stiff" all of my life, and knowing how hard it could be to make ends meet and still take a vacation, I decided that I was going to cater to people like me, and try to give then an affordable escape. I knew that was what my uncle would have wanted.
Part of my plan was to give teachers, cops, fire fighters, and military a good price on a stay with us.
When I returned, with Valentine, Rita, and Betsy helping, I was able to work out quite a few deals with the locals, assuring everything from decent taxi rates to food and liquor supplies. It seems that my uncle had developed a great reputation as a good man, something that really didn't surprise me, which also helped.
After a couple of months, business was slowly starting to pick up. We went from only a couple of bookings a month to a couple every week.
As I walked into the lobby one morning, I saw Rita talking to a group of women, with Valentine standing nearby with a pile of luggage.
There were four women in all, and Rita told me later that they were all family members, the youngest in her early twenties, her mother, and her grandmother and great-aunt. The two younger women were wearing sun dresses, while the older two were in what looked like the ugliest, baggiest "mom jeans" I'd ever seen.
I stayed out of the way, and then watched as Valentine walked them down the path to their villa.
Rita came out of the lobby and told me that they were the only guests booked for the week so far. She had put them in the two bedroom villas, which were about fifty yards apart, the older women in one, and the younger in the other.
A couple hours later, as I was stocking the bar, all four women came walking down the path from their villa. I could see that the youngest was very pretty, but it was her mother that really caught my attention.
I guessed her to be in her late 30's or early 40's, maybe about 5' 4", and, as the saying goes, 'curves in all the right places'. With shoulder length blonde hair and glasses, she had a hot, girl-next-door quality about her, and a body that matched.
"Ladies," I asked, as they walked up to the bar. "Can I get you anything?"
"It's a little early to drink, isn't it?" one of the older women asked.
"Ma'am, I'm Irish and German," I replied laughing. "It's never too early to start drinking. Besides, it is after noon, and you're on vacation. There are no rules."
"Well, I think it's too early," she shot back. "We came down for some lunch."
"Not a problem. You can have a seat out here by the pool, and I'll have someone out here as quickly as I can, or you can go into the dining room, right through those doors," I told them.
The two older women looked at each other, and the other one spoke up.
"I'm not one for eating outdoors," she said, and started walking to the dining room.
The two younger women looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
"We'll be there in a minute," the older one said. "I want to get something to drink."
Both of the older women looked at each other, and the mom shot them a look of disapproval before they walked off.
"I can have something sent to you, if you'd like," I told her.
"No, this is fine," she replied softly.
She and her daughter stepped up to the bar.
"I'm sorry," the mom said. "That was my mother and my aunt. They mean well, but ..."
"Say no more," I replied with a smile. "I've got a 'means well' mother myself. What can I get you?"
"Well," the mom said, smiling at me, "I could go for something fruity, with rum. LOTS of rum. I have a feeling I'm going to need it."
"I can do that for you," I smiled back.
"And for you, young lady?" I asked her daughter.
"I'll have something fruity too, but virgin," she replied.
"Not a problem," I told her. "One virgin punch, and one a little slutty, coming right up."
Both ladies laughed and sat at the bar as I started making their drinks.
"You work here?" the mom asked.
"Yeah, you could say that," I replied.
"Cool. So, you'll be here all week?"
"That I will," I told her.
"Good. It's always nice to know your bartender," she said, smiling at me again.
Getting lost in her smile for a second, I told her I agreed, and went back to blending the drinks.
"I'm Debbie," she said, extending her hand across the bar as I cut up some fresh fruit. "This is my daughter, Christine, and those other two are my mother, Ellen and my aunt, Pat."
"Debbie, Christine, the pleasure is all mine," I told them, shaking their hands.
I could've sworn I felt a spark as my hand made contact with Debbie's, and she continued smiling at me.
A few minutes later, I handed the women their drinks, and watched as they walked into the dining room to join the others.
Later that night, after the women walked around the property, and then had dinner, they all walked up to the bar.
"Ladies," I greeted them as they sat down. "Would you like a drink, or is it still too early for you?"
Debbie and Christine both smiled at that comment, Christine looking like she was trying hard not to laugh out loud.
"I could definitely go for something," the one called Pat replied. "Do you have any Scotch?"
"I do," I told her. "We have some stored away somewhere. However, you're in the islands, ladies. May I recommend something a bit more tropical?"
"Like what?" Ellen asked, not looking very happy.
"Well, you're in Jamaica," I told her. "This is the home of rum! How about something along that line?"
"For you," I told Pat, "if you're more in the mood for something straight, I would recommend some of Jamaica's finest, Appleton Black."
"For you," I told Ellen, "I can make you anything you'd like."
Pat agreed to try the Appleton, while Eileen asked for a Cuba Libre'.
"Ahh. Rum & Coke, with a lime," I teased. "Being adventurous while on vacation, are we?"
She shot daggers at me with her eyes while I asked Debbie and Christine what they were drinking.
They both replied that they wanted the same thing that I made them earlier, and I started mixing up the drinks.
I took care of the older ladies first, and as I handed Debbie and Christine theirs, Pat blurted out loudly, "Make sure you don't mix their drinks up! Christine is pregnant and can't drink!"
Debbie sighed, and Christine turned red as I gave them their drinks.
