Nantucket Summer

Chapter Four

Sam's POV

The rush had begun. Tourists swarmed over the island like locusts in the desert. Suddenly the sleepy island was alive with wealthy visitors needing assistance left and right. Sam ran the tours around the island, tolerating screaming children, snobby women, and pretentious men. In addition to this he helped rent out boats, dock incoming boats, and even run the counter at the "bait shop" which didn't really sell much bait.

It was a bright sunny late afternoon, the last weekend in May, and Sam was reluctantly stocking shelves in the shop when the doorbell rang and a tall light brunette walked in, glancing around with wide blue eyes. Sam studied her soft features, high cheek bones, upturned nose, and large amount of freckles splattered over her cheeks and nose.

Sam stood slowly from his couch in the back of the small, neat shop. "May I help you, Miss?"

She let out a broad, white smile, "Oh hi! Yes actually I just arrived, um I'm supposed to be staying at a Smith Bed and Breakfast? I'm working here at the White Hare actually. I am not really sure where I'm going?"

Sam grinned back at her contagious smile. "You're not far actually, you could walk really. Um I'm off work in about ten minutes, I could walk you over."

The girl shook her head and waved her hand, "No it's fine. I can walk, my friends have the car right now."

"It's okay, I live there so it's sorta on the way," Sam joked smiling back at her. "If you don't mind waiting?"

The girl set down her two duffle bags and purse. "In that case, okay. No I'll wait." She walked over to stand face to face with Sam, "I'm Matti by the way," she said extending her hand for Sam to shake.

Sam wiped the dust from his hands and shook hers, "Nice to meet you, I'm Sam.

She flashed that big white smile, "Pleased to meet you."

"And you, so you are here for the summer?" Sam asked eyeing her expensive luggage and professional manicure. 

It wan't uncommon for rich college kids to come to Nantucket for the sumemr to work. They came for the supplied food and housing, the hookups, and of course the parties. They just took the job because it gave them an excuse to cut their parents leash. What happens when you cut a sheltered sociallites leash? They go a little wild to say the least. Then there were fraction like Sam that knew someone and needed the job and the money, not the parties. Usually Sam gave the rich kids, or summer skanks as they were distainfully called, the cold shoulder. He couldn't afford any distractions. But this girl seemed, as pitiful as it sounded, different. She had a real smile and a real laugh. She was more wholsome than many of the girls that came for the summer. 

The girl, Matti, nodded with a tense sigh, "Yes hopefully just the summer." 

Sam turned towards her, cans of soup still in his hands and raised one sandy eye brow, "Usually people dread leaving Nantucket."

She tilted her head to the right, her hair swining down over her shoulder, "And why's that?"

Sam chuckled, "Beach, girls, parties, no rules?" 

Matti rolled her large blue eyes, "Please, the last thing I need is a party, a hang over, and to throw up on some customer, and loose my job."

Sam laughed at her blunt responce, "Okay so if you aren't here for the parties, why are you here? People come to work at the Hare for one of two reasons, party or money. Which are you?" Sam found it hard to believe she was there for the money. The Hare was known for paying very well but it didn't seem as though this girl really needed any money.