Page 10 of Tiki Hut Tragedy
“Perfect.” Annette perused the list. “There doesn’t appear to be anything too out of the ordinary.”
“Except for the last item,” Barth said.
Annette lowered her gaze and made an unhappy sound. “I’ll deal with this one later.” She set the paper aside. “Have you met Millie Armati, the cruise director?”
“Not officially.” A shy smile spread across Barth’s face. “My previous position didn’t allow me to mingle with the upper management.”
“Barth is moving up the ladder.”
“Where did you work before?”
“The engine room.”
“Congratulations on the promotion. It’s nice to meet you, Barf.”
Annette coughed loudly. “Did you just call him Barf?”
“I…uh. I thought Barf was your name. I need to get my hearing checked. What is your name?”
“Barth.” He spelled it out for her. “B-A-R-T-H.”
Millie’s hand flew to her mouth. “I am so sorry. Of course, your name isn’t Barf. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“It is okay,” Barth said. “You are not the first person to call me Barf.”
Annette shifted, giving her new assistant her full attention. “We need to give you a nickname.”
“My full name is Barthyolomew, but it is too long and formal,” Barth said. “I’m open to suggestions.”
“What’s wrong with Barty?” Millie asked. “It’s catchy.”
“Barty,” Barth repeated. “It does have a nice ring to it.”
Annette slapped her palm on the table. “Barty it is. Henceforth and forevermore, you will be Barty, my bubbly assistant.”
Millie waited until Barth, now known as Barty, walked away. “Oh my gosh. I’m so embarrassed.”
“Don’t be. I think the nickname will work out much better.”
“He has big shoes to fill. Amit was the best. How did Barty go from the engine room to the galley?”
“He and Amit are friends.” Annette explained that they were both from Bangladesh, from thesame region and knew each other. “Amit assured me he was a hard worker, willing to learn. I trust Amit’s judgment.”
“If Amit thinks he’s a good fit, I’m sure he’ll work out fine.”
“I had better get going.” Annette shoved her chair back and gathered up her empty dishes. “Not again.”
“Not again, what?”
She jabbed her finger toward the overhead speakers. “The song. I’ve heard it twice now since we’ve been sitting here.”
Millie grew quiet, listening to the Superhero Strong song. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Maybe Majestic Cruise Lines is cutting back on its music royalty payments and shortened the playlist.”
“No.” Millie removed Hannah’s list of demands from her pocket and handed it to Annette. “Read Belly Buster’s demand number seven.”
“Play Superhero Strong on loop, twelve times per day for motivation.” Annette handed the paper back. “They got to our sound team too?”
