The Hotel Nantucket (69)

Kimber goes to the Darya Salon at the White Elephant and returns with her hair dyed flame orange. Richie loves it, Wanda and Louie are nonplussed, and Doug the dog barks so sharply when he sees her that Kimber has to put on his muzzle (Grace is not unhappy about this). Now, nearly every night after the Blue Bar closes and Adam heads home, Kimber slips down the hall to the lobby to visit Richie. Their fooling around has gotten too serious for them to stay out in the open in the lobby—what if a guest should appear or one of the children wander down?—so they are constantly looking for more private places to be together.

Kimber suggests the fourth-floor storage closet, but thankfully, Richie shoots this idea down. “It’s spooky,” he says. He thinks they should go out to the adult pool and get busy on one of the extra-wide chaise longues. They try this, but although the chaises are sturdy, they aren’t that sturdy, and Kimber complains about the mosquitoes. Kimber tries to lure Richie down to her suite but Richie is concerned about the children. They finally consummate the relationship in the break room. When Richie plays Marvin Gaye on the jukebox, Grace knows what’s coming and floats out.

The break room becomes the regular site of their sneaky links. Grace notices that after Kimber heads back to her suite, Richie often falls asleep on the sofa, then jolts awake like he’s being chased (Grace has nothing to do with this; she suspects it’s his conscience at work). Sometimes he sits for long periods with his head in his hands; sometimes he goes into Lizbet’s office, opens the safe, and stares at the piles of Kimber’s cash (though Grace is happy to report he doesn’t take a single dollar). He stays at the hotel until the birds begin to sing, then he slithers out the side door like a cat burglar.

Kimber tells Richie that she has to go off-island overnight the following week to meet with her divorce attorney, and she doesn’t want to take the children with her. She asks Richie if there’s any way he can sleep in her suite after he’s finished work and spend the two days that Kimber will be away with the children.

Yes, of course! Richie practically shouts. He’d love to!

Kimber tells Richie that the best way to acclimate the children to him staying over while she’s away is for him to stay overnight in their suite on a regular basis while she’s there.

“The children will be fine with it,” Kimber says. She has spent so much time in the sun that her once-wan skin is now subtly golden, and her hair holds appealing beachy waves. She’s also, Grace notes, glowing from within. “They won’t blink an eye.”

“Well, that may be so,” Richie says. “But it’s against the rules. Staff aren’t allowed to sleep with the guests, Kimber.”

“Let’s go talk to Lizbet,” Kimber says.

“We can’t,” Richie says. “I’ll get fired.”

Kimber laughs. “You work seven nights a week! You barely even go home! She’s not going to fire you, because she’ll never, ever find anyone to replace you. We’re consenting adults. We’ll ask permission. Lizbet will understand.”

Mmm, Grace thinks. This is a gamble. Lizbet has been known to stretch some rules, but to blatantly break one like a stick over her knee? Grace watches as Kimber leads Richie by the hand to the door of Lizbet’s office. They enter together, Richie hanging back slightly, like a delinquent child.

“Good morning, Lizbet,” Kimber says. “Just so you know, Richie and I are having a summer romance and some nights he’ll be sleeping with me in the suite. We know this is technically against the rules.”

“More than technically,” Lizbet says, and Grace thinks she’s going to nip it in the bud, but then Lizbet gazes at Richie and Kimber, and her face softens. “But at this point, you’re more family than guest…”

“Ahh! That’s so sweet of you to say.” Kimber beams. “That’s how the children and I feel too.”

Richie clears his throat. “I promise to put work first, as always.”

“Absolutely,” Lizbet says. “So no bothering Richie at night anymore, Kimber, okay? He can come to your suite when he’s off the clock. Richie, just please be discreet.”

“Of course,” Richie says.

Lizbet clears her throat. “I would never want anything inappropriate happening in, for example, the break room,” she says.





Mario’s Playlist for Lizbet


“Love Walks In”—Van Halen

“Strange Currencies”—R.E.M.

“Kiss”—Prince

“Next to You”—The Police

“OMG”—Usher

“Girlfriend”—Matthew Sweet

“Can’t Feel My Face”—The Weeknd

“Dreaming”—Blondie

“In a Little While”—U2

“Killing Me Softly”—The Fugees

“Soulshine”—Martin Deschamps

“The Guy That Says Goodbye to You Is Out of His Mind”—Griffin House

“Nothin’ on You”—B.o.B.

“Loving Cup”—The Rolling Stones and Jack White

“Are You Gonna Be My Girl”—Jet

“Sister Golden Hair”—America

“Never Been in Love”—Cobra Starship