That tenacious mindset had gotten her through some really crushing problems in life and she was determined to inspire and encourage others to use the same approach.
CHAPTER TWO
Wes couldn’t call the evening perfect but neither would he complain about being one of four or five men among dozens of interesting women. He’d found himself admiring Debra’s strategy as she worked the room. Her genuine interactions were impressive. She was excellent with names and details and had an innate grasp of how one woman might assist another. Having observed her in action at the Cove, he’d been sure that was her calling. Now, he thought she’d be equally good as a consultant or marketing coordinator.
When she was ready to leave, he walked her out to the car. “How long has your women’s group been going?”
“Let me think for a minute. I joined the Cove about five years ago and the group was already strong. We must be closing in on the fifteen-year anniversary. I should probably check with Melissa, in case we need to pull together an anniversary party committee.”
“You seem to know everyone.”
She chuckled as he unlocked the car. “It only looks that way because I remember names so well. The group is good for business overall in Key West. We’ve done some excellent cross promotion and community events through the years.”
He opened the passenger door for her. “It’s not just for the hospitality industry?”
“No, there are plenty of other entrepreneurs who join us each month.” She slid into the seat.
“Go ahead and take off your shoes,” he said with a wink.
Her big blue eyes narrowed. “How did you know?”
“It was the sigh at the top of the stairs. My sister used to make the same noise when she got home after a long shift at the hospital.”
“That’s not at all mortifying.” She pulled the door closed, dodging his gaze by fastening her seatbelt.
Settling behind the steering wheel, he started the car. “Actually, I consider it a compliment. It’s nice to be trusted with someone’s vulnerability.”
The little pucker between her eyebrows told him she didn’t have a ready reply to that. He glanced down, and noticed her shoes were gone. Her toenails were painted a bold, bright purple. He couldn’t help wondering what other surprises she kept to herself.
“What’s your address?” he asked. “I’ll plug it into my phone.” He entered the details she gave and when the navigation was ready, he pulled out of the parking spot. “Need to make any other stops?”
“As much as I appreciate the offer, you are not my chauffeur. Straight home is fine with me.”
“At the risk of offending your feet with the idea of more steps, are you sure you don’t want to stop for dinner?”
“I’ve got that covered at home, thanks.”
He could fend for himself too, with a stop on his way back to the hotel, or even room service. “Can I admit something?” He glanced her way. “I always thought hotel managers lived in the hotel.”
“That’s rarely the case at big properties. These days it happens more at B-and-Bs or small boutique hotels. You’re not the only one who makes that assumption,” she continued. “Seems to be a persistent myth.”
“At a place like Ellington Cove, I think it just goes along with the fantasy you create for guests every day. I’m sure they can’t fathom why you’d want to live anywhere else.”
Her laughter sounded rusty. Tired. “Trust me, as beautiful as the Cove is, it’s my office. I enjoy going home at the end of each day.”
He drove for a few blocks, letting the quiet settle around them. “What do you think of this bling ring threat?” he asked. “It’s not a term I’ve heard before tonight.”
“Bling rings are typically specialized crews. Since I’ve been here, they tend to come and go with special events like Bike Week or the wild party that is a dental hygienist conference. In many cases, thieves will infiltrate the group itself and take advantage of the situation.”
“And working as insiders, they’re harder to catch.”
“Exactly right,” she agreed. “Without the Guardian Agency, I think the Cove would be just as susceptible as every other hotel.”
“Is that similar to having an alarm company yard sign in front of your house in the suburbs?”
Her lips curved into a smile. “Criminals have networks too. Word gets around,” she said.
The more they talked and the more he learned about Debra, the more he wanted to discover. She was knowledgeable in her field as well as a wide array of topics that intersected with hospitality. “How do you know so much about the criminal thought process?”
“Comes with the territory.”
That didn’t feel like the whole story. He’d just spent a couple hours in a room filled with hospitality experts and, experience or not, they didn’t seem nearly as savvy as Debra.
Maybe he was biased because he liked her. But he wasn’t the only one. The security team respected her, that was obvious, and she treated her people with respect no matter their position within the hotel.
But he hadn’t known her long enough to call her on what felt like a bluff. “How long have you been working in hotels?”
“Long enough to have seen plenty,” she said, grinning. “My bachelor’s degree is in business and my first job out of college was with a hotel. During college, I worked for a hotel catering service and those connections paved the way.” She went quiet for a moment before asking, “What about you? How long have you been in security?”
He changed lanes following the navigation app directions. “Feels like all my life. I was an Air Force brat, lived all over the world. Lots of ID offices and local safety concern classes. When I joined up at eighteen, I showed an aptitude for the security forces. I served on bases around the world, listening to or giving safety briefings. The Air Force was good to me.”
“You must miss traveling,” she said.
“Yes and no.” He came to a stop at her gate and powered down his window. She gave him the code and he punched it in. When the gate rolled back, he guided the car into the well-maintained neighborhood.
“Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy traveling for work or pleasure,” he continued. “But having a place that feels like home is nice too. Growing up, moving so often, I learned pretty quickly how to make friends. My mom was a whiz at making a house feel like home and I did my best to adapt her techniques when I was out on my own.”
“Where is home now?”
“My current permanent address is in Chicago.”
“Let me guess, in care of the Guardian Agency.”
He smiled. “Got it in one. I’ve been with them a couple of years now.”
He didn’t want to delve into the details of his marriage, the divorce that followed, and the family he failed to hold together. He and his ex-wife got along well these days and their daughter had certainly turned out just fine. But it remained a sore spot and one he didn’t share if he could help it.
He followed the navigation cues to her building. “Nice neighborhood.”
“It shows better in daylight,” she replied. “It’s been a great place to live.”