I left both Finn and Cary in my rearview when I moved to Florida. As I wrote in the first story of The Drive Home series, the chef and I kept in intermittent contact over the years. The second story in the series revealed Cary, a distant memory and never to be heard from or seen again.
So here we are in a new state with renewed beginnings, but the same old dirty laundry. After moving to Miami, I was in total awe of the people and surroundings. Coming from a Mexican heritage with a large family, Hispanic culture was familiar to me. Although Miami is home for many Cubans and Puerto Ricans, the city seems to be the Mecca for Latin American culture. In the end, we all get to “check” the Hispanic box upon arrival.
Oddly enough, my ex-husband and I became closer during the transition to our new city. After a few weeks of hotel living, he found a job and we were fortunate to move into a spacious condo just south of downtown. We explored every part of the city, even venturing to the Keys. South Beach became our weekend home with days spent tanning in the sun, and nights dancing in the clubs. It wasn’t long before my husband made new friends—filling up his social calendar once again.
My next story is about Tom, who worked at a sister-hotel property. He was a Sales Manager who I briefly met when I started working at my new job. This was another one-and-done sex adventure which, for whatever reason, ignited the dominatrix side of me. The hotel I transferred to in Miami was a new acquisition for the company. Holding dual roles of responsibilities (the assistant to the General Manager and Human Resources), I thoroughly focused on gaining as much knowledge as possible. I was now responsible for recruiting new employees, and the implementation of policies and procedures. My new role left me feeling more confident and instilled as sense I was becoming an adult with a blossoming career.
Round three begins…