Author's note: Desperate Measures is an anthology consisting of stories related by theme, rather than by character, chronology, or storyline. Accordingly, they can be read in any order, as each installment is a stand-alone entry.
* * *
Sonia Castro switched off her cell phone and raced to the rear deck of her home.
"Luis," she shouted. "Guess who called!"
"Your mother," Luis answered, "again?"
"That was earlier."
"Your sister?"
"No. It was nobody you know."
"Then how am I supposed to guess if it's no one I know? When did I become clairvoyant?"
"Stop being a bitch. You know what I mean. It was a client–my first client! I have a catering job this weekend!"
"That's wonderful, baby. Which day?"
"That's the amazing part. It's for the entire weekend."
"All weekend? Where? Who?"
"I was speaking to a Mr. Ramirez. He has a vacation home in the Keys. He and his wife and two other couples are going to spend the weekend there, from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning. I was hired to cook for the six of them–Friday dinner through Sunday brunch. Isn't that great?"
"How much are they paying you?"
"Twenty-five hundred dollars. Plus, they provide all the supplies."
"Twenty-five hundred? That's a nice payment for one weekend."
"It's cooking five meals for six people. That's pretty good, I think. Hell, I'd do it for half that amount. We need the money, you know."
"I know, I know. You don't have to remind me."
"You aren't working this weekend, are you?"
"No."
"Do you have any plans?"
"Nothing set in stone. Why?"
"Well, they suggested that I bring an assistant. Someone to help with service and clean up."
"What about your sister? She's probably not doing anything all weekend."
"That wouldn't work. There's one other thing I didn't mention."
"Go on."
"Well, it seems that they are sort of, um, nudists."
"Nudists!?"
"Yeah, nudists. I don't think Eva would be able to handle that."
"What makes you so sure you can handle it?"
"I'm down to forty-nine dollars in my checkbook. That has to last me until you get paid again. Right now, I don't care if they're Satanists. I can handle just about anything for twenty-five hundred dollars. But I would feel better if you were there, with me."
"I see. That's an interesting proposition. Tell me about these people."
"All I know is there are three couples. They're all Latin, ranging in age from forty to fifty-five. The husbands are all professionals. Mr. Ramirez is an architect, another is a chiropractor, and the other one is a professor at the university. The women are all housewives. That was all I could gather from my conversation with Arturo."
"Arturo?"
"Mr. Ramirez."
"What kind of food are they expecting from you?"
"Well, that's another reason why I hope you will go with me. They like seafood, of course, and anything Caribbean. I can do Cuban, but those things are not really my specialty–especially seafood."
"Sounds like I don't have much of a choice then, do I?"
"Baby, we need the money. It's been hard since you lost the restaurant. I know you're doing everything you can, and I want to help. This is my first good catering job. I need you to help me make it work. You said you would do whatever you could to help me get started. Who knows, these people could help me launch my business."
"Who's going to watch the kids all weekend?
"I can ask Eva. She wouldn't mind."
"And if she says 'no'?"
"Let me worry about that. I just need to know if you're with me on this."
"If that's the case, then when do we leave?"
"Friday morning. It's only a two and a half hour drive, but I want to get there early so I–I mean we– won't be rushed with dinner."
"I'll have the car fueled and loaded by ten a.m. Is that early enough?"
"That would be wonderful."
"At least it won't take long to pack our suitcases."
"Why's that?"
"It's a clothing optional vacation, right?"
"Baby, we'll be working–not vacationing. And besides, they're the nudists–not us."
* * *
Sonia slept for the first half of the two hour plus drive from Miami to the Lower Keys. She awoke when Luis stopped at a dockside restaurant in Islamorada for lunch, and then settled in for another snooze as they commenced the second leg of the trip. She was surprised to find that sleep evaded her.
"What's wrong, Sonia, can't get comfortable?"
"I don't know. I'm restless."
"Are you nervous?"
"No. Maybe–just a little."
"You don't have anything to worry about. I'll be doing most of the cooking. And it's only going to be six people."
"I know, I know. Still, this is my first big engagement. This could open some doors for me."
"What else do you know about these people?"
"Well, like I told you already, there are three couples. Arturo and Kika are both around fifty-five or fifty-six–I don't remember exactly. Ernesto and Rosa are fifty-two, I think. And the other couple–Antonio and Liliana–are forty-eight and forty."