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“Sam, we’re
gonna give you a raise. We’re gonna make you a hostess. Just move around, try
to meet as many people as you can. Your raise will more than make up for any
tips lost. We’re gonna add a new room on, and add more cooking staff. You’re
the hottest item in Nashville right now.”
Samantha was in Heaven, she thought. This
was wonderful. As the days passed, more and more customers were pouring in.
Other businesses tried to hire Samantha away from the Wilsons’, but Samantha
had no desire to make a move. She was a loyal person by nature; the Wilson’s
had given her a job when she needed it, so she would hang with them. The
Wilson’s appreciated that, and, just in case, they doubled her raise.
The weeks flew by, and things just got
better and better for Samantha. She thought she was making more money than she
would ever need.
She thought about sending back to Slim all
the money he had given her, but she was a little scared about doing it. That would tell Slim where she was, and he was
just mean enough that he might show up here one day and take her back to the
Clan, money or no money.
Once again, Alvin and Lorna Wilson called
Samantha in. “Sam, we have an offer for you. We want to get your name out there
on our front sign. Dead Eye Sam’s Fine Foods, or something like that. Dead eye
Samantha might even sound better, but of course, everybody in Nashville already
knows you as Sam, so maybe not. Anyway, we will pay you fifteen percent of the
take for using your name. After six months, we will re- evaluate, and consider
cutting you in as a full partner. How do you feel about that?”
Samantha was flabbergasted. She smiled.
“Gosh, I don’t know what to say. To be honest with you, there’s things about my
past you don’t know. And I’m not sure yet how long I will be in Nashville. If
it’s OK with you, I need to think about this a few days. Thank you so much for
your offer. You’ve been so wonderful to me, I just love both of you.”
“ We just love you, too, Sam. That’s good.
Sleep on it awhile. But if it’s a money thing, we could adjust that a little
bit.”
“No, the money is more than fair. Give me
a couple of
weeks. Nobody
knows for sure how long this Dead eye Sam
popularity thing will last. I want to feel like I’m worth all that to you. I’ll
give you an answer in two weeks.”
Sam knew she had an awful lot to think
about in the next two weeks. She would not make this move until she felt like
this would be a permanent thing. Was she far enough from Slim? Should she move
farther away? And, Samantha was determined to find Tenny, someday, and if
things worked out, maybe she could live closer to her. Considering her past, would she be doing the
right thing as far as the Wilson’s were concerned? She would think about all
this.
Things continued to just get better and
better for Samantha. She loved this life, and all the interaction with so many
wonderful people.
Then, one day, a friendly salesman came by to
see Samantha, and changed her life completely.
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