Chapter 3

The day after Sir Richard and his wife left the safari camp to return home, Bull was in his office going over plans for the group arriving the following day. He heard a light tapping on his door and looked up to see an attractive young woman he didn’t know.

“Hi,” he said with a smile. “May I help you?”

The young woman stepped into his office, handing him an envelope. “My name is Margi Gilmore. I just arrived from South Africa and have a letter for you from Stephen Broadmoor.”

Oh sure,” Bull said, taking the envelope. “Stephen’s the general manager of South African Safaris. I met him at a conference a couple of years ago. What’s he sending me?”

The woman pointed at the envelope. “I think he explains it in the letter.”

Bull was somewhat confused, but opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. It read, Dear Jake, if you are reading this message, you have met my young friend, Margi Gilmore. She has been working with South African Safaris for the past two years. We have recently had some trouble with the local native community, and I’ve become worried for Margi’s safety. Given your outstanding work in Tanzania and the growth of your business, I hope you can find a suitable position within your organization for her. I can tell you that Margi is top-notch help. She can (and will) do anything needed and is an excellent bartender. While with us, she proved to be fantastic at gaining the approval of our guests. Since Margi is an American, she was a big hit with our Yank guests. I hope you can find a spot for her.

“Do you know what this says?” Bull asked.

“Not exactly,” Margi answered, “But I know it is a letter of recommendation. Stephen was concerned for my safety in South Africa and suggested I come to you. He told me that your business is booming and he was certain you could use my help.”

Bull stood and extended his hand. “Well, let’s get started properly. I’m Jake Browner, part-owner and General Manager of Serengeti Safari Camp. My friends call me ‘Bull.’ It’s nice to meet you, Margi.” As he shook her hand, Bull took the moment to study the woman standing in front of him. She had a lovely face, free of makeup, soft brown shoulder-length hair that protruded from under a safari-style hat, and soft brown eyes.

“As you already know, I’m Margi Gilmore. I’m originally from the States. Stephen told me you come from Texas. My home was in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.”

Smiling as he sat, Bull said, “How did you get from Oklahoma to Tanzania?” He pointed to a chair as an indication that she should be seated.

Sitting down, Margi removed her hat. “It’s not a long story, Mr. Browner, but it’s lasted six years now.”

“First,” he told her. “We don’t use formalities around here unless we have guests. Call me Bull or Jake, please.”

She smiled and continued. “After graduating from high school, my parents expected me to attend Oklahoma State University because they both graduated from that school. But I just didn’t care about continuing with school right away. I wanted to travel and see the world. They finally agreed and allowed me to go to Europe. I traveled around until I ran out of money and found a job. I ended up in Paris, where I was hired as a bartender in a club.”

“Weren’t you a little young to be tending bar?”

“I would have been in the States, but not in France,” Margi explained. “It was a great job. I loved the club and the people who came there. Renee, the woman I worked for, taught me the tricks of the trade and always guided me to the English-speaking guests. I would probably still be there if I hadn’t had a little problem with a drunken Englishman.”

Bull nodded. “Drunks are always a problem. Was he getting amorous?”

“I guess he decided that if I worked behind the bar, I wasn’t any different than the dancers on the stage and felt like I should sit on his lap. When he started tearing at my shirt, I took him out with an empty bottle of Jack Daniels.”

“Ouch!” Bull said with a grin. “I guess that didn’t go down well with the management.”

“Renee didn’t have a problem with it, but she knew that when the police arrived, they would have a problem with my citizenship status. In Paris, people from other countries who take jobs from Frenchmen are not well regarded. So, Renee stuffed some cash in my jeans and told me to get out of town.”

“That’s not too surprising,” Bull admitted. “How old were you then?”

“I was a month from being 21,” she replied. “After that, I ended up in Italy and worked in an Irish pub in Florence. That lasted about a year before I moved to Rome. While I was there, I met some American kids headed to South Africa. It struck me as a great adventure, and I joined them. After a few months there, I met Stephen and joined his safari operation. And that’s my story.”

Bull studied the young woman for a minute. “The truth is, I could use some help, but I don’t have any place to put you. All of my staff members belong to a local tribe, and they don’t live on the property. They’re here as much as I am, but they live elsewhere. I have four cabins for guests right now and this building for my quarters and this office.”

“You don’t have another bedroom?” Margie asked.

“Well, yes, I do. But you’d have to share a bathroom with me.”

“Jake,” she said flatly. “Do you mind if I call you Jake? You just don’t strike me as a bull.”

“My parents call me Jake,” he laughed. “Join the family.”

“Look, Jake, I’ve lived in some places that weren’t five stars. I don’t mind sharing a bathroom with you. I don’t mind if you walk in and find me naked. I’ve been through a lot in the past six years. Having a bedroom to myself would be quite a prize for me.”

“What would you expect to be paid?” he asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Margi answered. “You put a roof over my head and feed me ... I’ll be happy. You strike me as a nice man. As long as you treat me well and don’t make me fuck your customers, we’ll get along great.”