Frequent Traveller (Cathy Dixon #1) by Pandora Poikilos Page B

livid man. Cathy sighed.
     
    That evening, she saw him at it again. "You were touching him! How can you touch a client? You are such a stupid slut."
     
    JG screamed at Annie who pressed herself against a wall. She wished she was invisible. Earlier, Annie had mentioned to another colleague that one of the workshop participants had squeezed her thigh when sitting at the dinner table. Somehow the news had got back to JG who insisted that it was the other way around.
     
    It was easy to find Annie after that incident. Cathy saw her sitting on a bench at the swimming pool having a cigarette. Shoulders shaking, she sobbed. Her tear stained face was twisted between frustration and embarrassment.
     
    "As cliche as it sounds, those things will really kill you," Cathy said.
     
    "Yea ... all the better then," came the soft reply.
     
    "Annie, right? Listen. Growing a thick skin is something you and only you can do. It's your body, your heart and your mind. If you don't protect yourself, no one else will."
     
    Annie sniffled and sighed. "I just really, really need this job. I graduated two years ago ... and it took me almost a year to land this gig ... and I have a student loan to repay ... and ..."
     
    There was a long pause.
     
    "You won't tell him right?" she expectantly looked at Cathy.
     
    "Of course not. We are not even having this conversation. Here's my business card. Email me your resume? I can't promise you an immediate offer or a guaranteed position but it's worth a shot." Cathy offered.
     
    "Oh wow, thank you ... so very much," said Annie excitedly. She was already able to picture her final day with JG.
     
    Cathy watched as she reread the card as though she were expecting something else to pop out of it. They shook hands and Cathy left her sitting on the bench. If the girl had managed with JG, working at MoonStar would be a walk in the park.
     
    It was late Sunday morning when Cathy walked towards St. Peter's Church, the only one within walking distance from the hotel. In dire need of some peace and quiet, Cathy entered the church. The morning service had just ended. She met the Vicar at the entrance and he invited her in. He told her she was more than welcome to offer a prayer. Wherever she was, she made it personal practice to visit a church for at least one hour on Sunday, even if she could not attend a full service. Lighting a candle, she sat down at the church pew to deal with the voices in her head. Sometimes she heard thankfulness, other times the voices preached revenge and sometimes the voices got confused between remorse and frustration.
     
    Dealing with past issues was not always about moving on. Sometimes it was about unlocking the past, one door at a time and throwing the weight away. Unlocking was easy but the ‘throwing away’ remained the difficult part. Today, she was not alone. At the altar, a male figure was kneeling with his hands raised heavenward. He sang a chorus to himself and ended with a loud, "Hallelujah, Hallelujah". When he turned, Cathy’s own reflections scattered. It was JG.
     
    "Ah, you're the hotel girl," he said in a loud whisper and sat down next to her. He signed the symbol of the cross and gently nudged her. "We must always put the Lord first, never let Satan win," he said.
     
    Cathy managed a slight nod but was still in shock. How could someone who deliberately treated others so poorly be preaching religion? Was he reading a different Bible? Did he not recognise the hypocrisy he practiced or had he become so blind to his ways and now found joy in ruining others?
     
    'Almost like he has multiple personalities,' thought Cathy to herself.
     
    JG left through a side door and Cathy could hear him whistling the tune of "Amazing Grace". In prayer, Cathy bent her head, now more convinced that Annie definitely needed a new job.
     
    It was the last day of the GLS workshops and true to his nature, JG was at his peak. He was like a volcano about to spew out its lava. Every few