A novel by Richard N. Côté      

Can a mother's love heal the deepest wounds of a daughter's heart? That's the challenge for Dolly Devereaux, a thirty-something divorced mother from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Dolly has spent twenty years fighting tooth and nail to break free from the grasping tentacles of her poor, rural origins and work her way into the middle class. But can Dolly save April, her rebellious 18-year-old daughter, from the neglect of her indulgent, absentee father, and seduction by a local gang leader and drug dealer? Dolly's dilemma: she'll have to do a lot better than her own mother did when Dolly was April's age. This powerful, emotional, and insightful story weaves its way through the secret worlds of teenagers and the lives of the parents and grandparents who try to guide and nurture them. The Redneck Riviera explores the unbreakable bonds of love that bind together three generations of Southern women struggling to escape the chains of their troubled family history. The tale is set against the backdrop of tourist-crazy Myrtle Beach, the epicenter of The Redneck Riviera. There, three women clash and ultimately forge the intensely loving, supportive family none of them were born into, and a mother shows how love can heal wounds to the heart that have bled for generations.

About the book: The Redneck Riviera is available in a 6" x 9" deluxe hardcover library edition ($24.95) or a high-quality trade paperback edition ($19.95). Both feature 288 pages and eye-ease, acid-free paper.

THE REDNECK RIVIERA FEATURED ON SCETV SPECIAL!

In August 2001, Patti Just, the popular host of South Carolina Educational Television's highly rated program, "The Writers' Circle," traveled to Charleston to film a 30-minute feature program about Richard Côté's best-selling South Carolina biography, Mary's World, and his new novel, The Redneck Riviera. "The Writers' Circle" special on Côté's books first aired on SCETV on October 13, 2001.

MEDIA AND TRADE REVIEWS:

• "Dolly shows true grit as she is determined that her daughter won't go to prison. In her quest to help April, Dolly turns to the only other person who might can help: her mother.What unfolds is an emotional story of love that binds three generations, even though their relationships had been frosty -- almost nonexistent -- at times through the years. The reader is held spellbound as each mother swallows her pride and seeks forgiveness." -- Ken Bell, Weekend Editor, The Beaufort Gazette.

• "Redemption amid the sleaze... that's the territory author Richard N. Côté cleverly mines in his fast-paced novel." -- William W. Starr, Staff Writer, The State (Columbia, S.C.), November 30, 2001

• "A great novel.... If emotional reading full of feeling and heart is what your loved one will like, buy The Redneck Riviera." -- Holly Fisher, News Editor, The Gazette (Goose Creek, S.C.), November 21, 2001

• "Talk about versatile! What links the two books [Mary's World and The Redneck Riviera] is a sympathy for women in crisis." -- Ben Steelman, The Star-News (Wilmington, N.C.), November 4, 2001. Read the complete article.

• "The book's ultimate message is one of familial love that triumphs over seedy adversity." -- Becky Billingsley, The Sun News, (Myrtle Beach, S.C.), October 21, 2001.

• "A must-read novel." -- Annie Rourke, WCIV-TV Morning News, Charleston, S.C., October 19, 2001

• "Intensely well researched.... Powerful and emotional." -- Kimberly Duncan, The Lowcountry Companion, (Pawley's Island, S.C.) Fall 2001

READER REVIEWS:

Average reader rating = (4.9 out of 5.0 possible stars) based on 10 reader reviews

"In The Redneck Riviera, author Richard N. Côté takes the 'love means never having to say you're sorry' theory of Love Story and dashes it to bits. Conversely, his rich mix of characters proves that love means being willing to say you're sorry. The chapter entitled "Amen, period." provides a recipe for healing broken relationships that few people are willing to follow - confession, repentance, and forgiveness. What is it about the fragile human ego that makes us so unwilling to admit fault? Côté is no newcomer to literature about the female psyche. The protagonists of his biography, Mary's World: Love, War, and Family Ties in Nineteenth-Century Charleston (Mary Pringle, a member of nineteenth-century high society), and his novel, The Redneck Riviera (Dolly Devereaux, a member of modern "poor white trash" society) show remarkable similarities. Both are struggling to keep their families together in the midst of great adversity, and both will do anything to succeed in their mission." -- Georgianne Francis Batts, Mt. Pleasant, S.C. (courtesy of Amazon.com)

AMAZON.COM "This brand new book by Richard N. Cote is a fast paced novel set in the tourist area of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, sometimes referred to as "The Redneck Riviera". Dolly Devereaux, a single mother in her thirties, works two jobs to support her 18-year old daughter, April, who runs around with a drug manufacturing gang and is headed for self-destruction. But Dolly is determined to save her daughter. This is that story, and it's told well. There are obstacles of course and lots of twist and turns. It was hard to put the book down as I was drawn into the world of strip clubs, drug labs and tourists. Not only were the characters sympathetic and well developed, but I also felt that I had taken a short trip to Myrtle Beach, especially the strip clubs. The world of the dancers is made real, and I got a sense of what their lives are like, right down to the smallest detail of having to avoid a spot on the stage where they could catch a heel on a protruding nail. Mostly though, the story is about relationships and a second chance to make things right as Dolly has to come to terms with her relationship with her own mother as well as her daughter. She also has to look at her own life and the choices she, herself, has made and is making about men. There's a lot of food for thought here but the story never gets bogged down and the action is constant. Recommended." -- Linda Linguvic, New York, N.Y, columnist and Amazon.com Top 100 Reviewer

"Recently, I visited a small book store and I was discussing new books with the owner. When this book [The Redneck Riviera] was mentioned, she informed me that the book would not be sold in her shop because the story was just one more example of Myrtle Beach bashing. I had the same idea when I met the author at a recent signing in Myrtle Beach but I bought the book anyway. He was a very friendly and outgoing person, and I enjoyed the book very much. The other reviewers have covered the plot thoroughly so I do not want to go over the material again; however, I teach school and I was familiar with the generational conflict immediately. Single mother wants to provide well for a child not fully understanding that children need parents more than they need things. Dolly wants to do the right thing for her daughter but she feels like she is entitled to a free and open lifestyle. She is shocked to find that the daughter follows in her footsteps. I see this happen time after time so I think Richard was very understanding and very on target with his portrayal of this dysfunctional family. It is a very entertaining read, and it shows how easily young people can be lead astray." -- L. Hinson, from S.C. (courtesy Amazon.com)

"When all is said and done, family ties truly are the 'ties that bind.' This novel is a realistic portrayal of everyday life for single women today, exploring the emotional bonds developed with family members, friends, boyfriends and husbands. The author carries us through an adventure from the varying perspectives of daughter, mother and grandmother. We relate to each woman individually… sharing her pain, understanding her rage, and rejoicing in her triumphs. I re-lived past events in my own life that mirror those of all three Devereaux women, realizing how the search for significance can so easily lead to self-destructive lifestyles. Confronting the past, acknowledging the present, and embracing the future are difficult but ne! cessary rules of survival. Each character’s circumstances result from the same basic desires within us all… to be accepted, to be loved, and to take care of those around us. The Redneck Riviera proclaims that truth is truth, forgiveness is healing, and love will cover a multitude of sins." -- Robin L. Dyer, President, Single Sisters Ministries, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Skilled fiction writing, with a historian's research work ethic. "In this, Côté's firm first step into the world of fiction, a single South Carolinian mom pulls out all the stops in a battle for her daughter's heart, health...and life. The portrayal of Dolly Devereaux, battling for betterment in a region focused mainly on the sexual needs of Canadian golfers (who are quite amusingly satirized here), is credible and consistent. The author has superbly handled the challenge of writing as not just one, but several well-developed female characters in a story that will surely reach out to women everywhere. The plot holds consistent interest and is quite relevant to today's life. Probably the strongest impression I formed, though, was of the author's research. This can be divined through the inclusion of a good deal of authoritative detail of the type that can only be credibly offered from an author's personal recollection, and this is what separates Côté from many far more famous novelists. From the chemical issues associated with the manufacture of methamphetamine ('crank'), to the lure of quick money offered to women considered attractive enough to get paid to take their clothes off (and perhaps sell what's underneath), it is obvious that he spoke to people with firsthand experience who shared candidly. This is what separates him from the shallow mass-market thriller novelists everyone has heard of, but who aren't hungry enough to do their homework now that they're big names. (Don't know about you, but I weary of the fate of the whole world always resting mysteriously upon the endeavours of some intrepid but unconventional and about-to-be-fired journalist, lawyer or detective. Dolly Deveraux, manager of a lingerie and sex toy shop, is a refreshing change indeed.) Côté's fiction is very good now, and is likely to make the transition from 'very good' to 'excellent' sooner rather than later. This novel can be recommended with equal strength as either a regional study or a heartrending emotional drama (one perfectly suited for a movie script) -- take your pick. -- Jonathan K. Kelly (courtesy of Amazon.com)

Being a native of Myrtle Beach, I had to find out what this book was about. I have truly been enlightened about a lifestyle that I did not know existed in Myrtle Beach. I am the only child of a divorced mom. My mom also worked several jobs at a time to put food on the table (none of the jobs were comparable to Dolly's, fortunately). Therefore I was very interested by the relationship between Dolly and [her daughter] April. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Literally, I could not put the book down. I am concerned however about the drug scene. I had no idea that drugs were that prevalent. Call me naive. As a middle school counselor, I will now be more aware of their changes in behavior, dress, grades, etc. Thanks for a great read!" -- Rhonda

What does it take for three generations of women to overcome the mistakes of the past and forge the bonds of love missing in their family? What are two mothers and a best friend willing to risk to save the ones they love? What does is mean to be a family? The seedy world of drugs, gangs, and strip clubs is often unseen or, perhaps, ignored by the typical Myrtle Beach tourist (at least this Myrtle Beach tourist). The Redneck Riviera opened my eyes to the secrets of those sucked into that life. Three women are driven to confront the demons of their own pasts. Grandmother Anne must admit that she looked the other way while her daughter was abused. Mother Dolly is forced to face her past, swallow her pride, and admit that she needs her mother. Daughter April has to turn from her bitterness and accept her mother's love in order to save herself and her best friend. Côté has created a "beach novel" with a message, a story that entertains and enlightens. The Redneck Riviera is the story of a family. Each character's definition of "family" is questioned, changed, and ultimately reformed. These women discover that family is more than the ties of flesh and blood. Family is sacrifice, perseverance in hardship, and unconditional love." -- A reader from Charleston (courtesy of Amazon.com)

The Redneck Riviera is everything a woman wants in a great beach read - humor, drama, suspense and romance. The novel tells the stories of three Myrtle Beach women. The author demonstrates an exquisitely accurate understanding of both the female psyche and the touristy town where I spent many a childhood vacation. The Redneck Riviera left me hungry for more. I truly felt as though these women had become my new friends. Dick Côté has created characters you can't help but care about, a storyline that any woman can relate to, and set it all against the very real backdrop of one of the quirkiest and most colorful towns in America. -- Tara Keener, Hickory, North Carolina (courtesy of Amazon.com)

"All the glamour and glitz of Myrtle Beach, S.C., show through in this very fast and entertaining read. Like a zoom lens on a camera, author Richard Côté shows us a more human side of what we regard on the surface as cheap and gaudy." -- A librarian from Charleston, S.C. (courtesy of Amazon.com)

"I was in Myrtle Beach on the weekend that Richard Côté was autographing books at Barnes & Noble and purchased the book. I really enjoyed reading it. We have been coming to Myrtle Beach for several years for vacation and quite a few of the spots described in the book we have seen. I enjoyed the story between the mother and daughter and was glad that it turned out well in the end." -- M.H., Chesapeake Beach, Maryland (via e-mail).

“Absorbingly suspenseful." In this gripping story of a mother's love, Dolly Devereaux suddenly learns that her teenage daughter, April, has been leading a secret life -- one that has dragged her into the underworld of gangs and drugs. In addition to conflicts with her daughter, Dolly also has deep, painful issues with her own mother, and is stretched far beyond what most humans could bear. As I cheered Dolly on and felt her anguish, I was so fearful that her devotion, powerful as it was, could not break the spell that held her daughter. Fortunately there is enough spice, laughs and wicked fun to make the suspense endurable. The ending was exquisite - and totally unexpected!" -- Rose Tomlin, a reader from Pawley's Island, S.C., courtesy Amazon.com

I met the author in Charleston the Friday after Thanksgiving. I could not decide whether to buy The Redneck Riviera for myself or Mary's World for my husband, but I won out. I just finished the book and believe me I loved it. I have read it off and on for a few days but my husband had to go to into the hospital for a heart procedure and I took the book along as I knew that I had to wait. Believe me, after I had the time to just sit and read I could not put it down, even to sleep. I would find that I had fallen asleep in the recliner with the book in my lap right where I had left off and would just pick it up and start again. I though that I would die laughing at the end. I could relate to Dolly as a mother as I have a 16-year-old and I worry about her constantly as she sometimes says "I don't feel anyone cares," but she really and truly knows better. It usually comes from the "crowd" that she hangs with, just like April. I can also relate to Dolly and her mother, as all mothers know "everything" but we all have to remember that the generation may change but the circumstances usually don't. I really can't wait to read Mary's World and the author's other books. I am so glad that I met him because this would have probably been a book that I would have just skipped over as I had not read any of his work before, but the way he described it to me that day I just could not resist. I appreciate the chance to just sit and let my everyday worries slip by as I read about someone else's. The author told me to be careful if I let my daughter read this book, but I really think that the way that she was brought up she would actually see how far I would go to do anything to save her. She may not realize it at the time but she would as she got older. In some circumstances she has already learned that lesson. --P.T., a reader from Charleston, S.C. (via e-mail)

DICK COTE' TALKS ABOUT WRITING THE REDNECK RIVIERA

Question: Your previous book, Mary's World, is a critically-acclaimed and highly popular true story of a wealthy, conservative, high-born nineteenth-century slave-owner's wife in Charleston 150 years ago. The Redneck Riviera is the contemporary story of a South Carolina woman from impoverished, rural origins who fights to keep her daughter from being sucked into the world of gangs and drugs. As a writer, why did you choose to make such a radical leap between subjects and genres?

Answer: Oddly enough, it wasn't much of a leap for me. Both books deal with the lives of women who have to rise to the challenges dropped into their life by fate. In the case of Mary's World, the woman was real: Mary Pringle, a rich rice planter's wife in Charleston, S.C.. Her challenge was the Civil War, which exploded in her face in 1861. In the case of The Redneck Riviera,, the woman is fictional: Dolly Devereaux, a struggling single mother in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Her challenge is that her daughter, 18, is out of control and as her mother, Dolly is the only one who can help her.

I enjoy exploring microcultures -- small groups of people who share a single common bond. For example, model railroad enthusiasts, stamp collectors, exotic dancers, bonsai gardeners, Masons, and Corvette owners are all members of microcultures. Take away the one thing that bonds them together and these people are usually indistinguishable from the rest of the population. Bring them together to share their common interest and they relate to each other and behave in extremely specific (and sometimes unusual) ways. I like learning how these super-specialized groups of people think and act -- and then sharing what I've learned with the reader.

In addition, after writing in the fields of history and biography for fifteen years, I felt like it was time for a change. I wanted some new writing challenges. Mary's World was the writing opportunity of a lifetime. But when writing history, if you can't prove it, you can't write it. I wanted a literary change for several reasons:

• First, I found myself frustrated because I found many interesting things about Mary Pringle's life which I believed to be true -- but which I could not conclusively prove. Therefore I couldn't write about them.
• Second, I was frustrated by the limitations of interpreting the lives of people solely through their letters.
• Third, I grew weary of spending all of my time dealing solely with dead people. I know that sounds odd, but that's what historians do. The research for The Redneck Riviera gave me the opportunity to do what I really love: talk to real, live people -- shop clerks, strippers, police officers, motorcycle club members -- and learn their concerns and problems, find out how they live their lives and deal with their challenges.
• Finally, Mary's World required such immense amount of research, writing, and rewriting that it took twelve years to get published. Another project of that magnitude would have dampened my desire to write. My goal now is to write one new novel a year and enjoy each of them.

Answer: I'm exploring several possibilities, both in non-fiction and fiction. I have three novels started, as well as a new biography of First Lady Dolley Madison (no relation to Dolly Devereaux!). I hope I get to finish all of them.

HERE'S A SAMPLE:

Chapter 1:
HIGH COTTON

Murrell's Inlet, South Carolina
Early May

Yahoo! Life rocks! Dolly Devereaux's heart raced as she fluffed her platinum blonde hair and checked her blue eyeliner in the bathroom mirror. Outside, the light mist of rain from the gray clouds above did nothing to dampen her spirits. Nothing, she thought, is going to get me down today. Yesterday I was an employee, a drone, a seven-dollar-an-hour sales clerk. Today I'm the store manager, the boss, the queen bee of Fantasia Lingerie Store #43 in Myrtle Beach. Recalling a phrase she'd learned from her grandmother when she was just a baby growing up in rural Darlington, Dolly grinned and thought to herself, Honey, you's in high cotton now!

She couldn't believe how casually the lingerie chain's district manager had made the announcement to her and the other employees the day before. Maybe it wasn't a big deal for him. After all, he supervised 13 stores in three states. The former store manager had quit without warning just two days ago, and he had to make a quick repacement. "What the heck," he probably thought to himself. "Take the blonde. She's the oldest, and she can't do any worse than the last one."

It might have been a routine decision for him, Dolly thought, but it sure was a big deal for me. Yesterday I was working by the hour with no benefits. Today I have health insurance, sick leave - and in three more months I'll be eligible for a 401(k). What the hell is a 401(k)? she thought when he told her, never letting on for a mimute that she had no idea what it was. Who cares, she thought, smiling. It was a benefit, and it was free, and nobody else in her family had ever had one.

For Dolly, life in the North Myrtle Beach mobile home park where she spent her teenage years up had centered around earning money after school to help her mother, Anne, with the cost of food, rent, electricity, and dodging the hands of her mother's succession of boyfriends. The "trailer trash," as the downtown high school kids called her kind, didn't spend much time worrying about 401(k) plans. But now, at the age of 36, her years of hard work and overtime had paid off. She had finally made it out of the trailer park and into the middle class. She was a manager. She was on a roll. She hoped the promotion wouldn't cause trouble with the other three girls. But if it did, well, she was the manager now and they'd just have to live with it.

Dolly swung her long, dancer's legs into her rusting, blue Honda Civic and slammed the door shut, hoping the passenger-side window wouldn't jump out of its track again. She pulled out of the SeaVue Apartments parking lot in Murrell's Inlet, turned left, and headed north toward Myrtle Beach.

As she pulled onto King's Highway, as U.S. Highway 17 was known locally, a long, silver gasoline tanker sped by on the left, shrouding her car in a light-brown fog of rain, dirt, and road oil. Her windshield wipers, long overdue for replacement, smeared the thin brown soup across the windshield, making it even harder to see. Tomorrow, she thought, I might celebrate the Big Event by taking the car into the shop for some maintenance. Heck, maybe I'll even splurge for some overdue dental work. The pay raise would bring her nearly $200 more a month. She was rich! Or as close to rich as any member of he family had ever gotten. She knew that she couldn't give up her night waitress job at Captain Willie's yet, but the thought of the extra money from her day job made her head spin. Maybe it's even time to move up from Budweiser to Heineken's, she thought. But she quickly reconsidered. Nah. I like Budweiser.

As she drove towards the store, thinking about how she'd handle her first day as manager, Dolly scarcely noticed the non-stop blur of signs and billboards which lined both sides of King's Highway. The entrance to Murrell's Inlet was the unofficial southern boundary of what the business community promoted as the family-oriented, fun-in-the-sun and golfing heaven known as the "Grand Strand." To local wags and far-away travel writers it is known as "The Redneck Riviera."

A two-hour drive north of Charleston, South Carolina's Redneck Riviera is a forty-mile-long strip of coastline which runs south from the North Carolina state line and includes Little River, North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, and ends at Murrell's Inlet, ten miles south of Myrtle Beach.

Each year, the region hosts twice as many visitors as the entire state of Hawaii. On a typical summer day, nearly a half-million people enjoy its wide, clean beaches and fill its 60,000 hotel rooms, 200+ tennis courts, 100+ golf courses, amusement parks, theaters, mini-golf courses, factory outlet stores, seafood restaurants, bars, and two dozen strip clubs.

Civilization - as most South Carolinians conceive it, anyway - starts a couple miles south of Murrell's Inlet at Brookgreen Gardens. The historic former rice plantation and its magnificent outdoor statuary is the first pearl in an unbroken chain of natural beauty that lay to the south of the neon, plastic, and t-shirt shops of The Redneck Riviera. Further south lies 150 miles of the state's greatest natural treasures, including South Carolina's legendary rice plantations, the incredible 18th- and 19th-century architecture of historic Charleston, and the lush sea islands, which stretch down to the beautiful, historic town of Beaufort.

Heading north from Murrell's Inlet is another story. The closer Dolly got to Myrtle Beach itself -- Ground Zero for rampant commercialism and tacky excess -- the harder it was to tell one Redneck Riviera beach community from another. The endless procession of nearly identical beachwear and t-shirt shops was evidently designed with the assumption that no addition of more of fiberglass sharks, neon lights, or chrome could possibly be bad for business. The countless tourist traps which lined King's Highway formed a continuous commercial blur. When a boyfriend took her for a weekend rendezvous at a romantic nineteenth-century bed-and-breakfast hotel in Savannah, Dolly began to realize that the Myrtle area Beach lacked some of the finer things in life. She immediately upgraded her aspirations another notch.

On King's Highway, the traffic, signs, and billboards increased in density the closer she got to the center of Myrtle Beach. In bright colors and pulsating neon, they all hawked the wares and services of the Redneck Riviera.

The Pirate's Cove -- World's Largest Gift Shop -- Welcome Canadians -- Free fireworks with purchase -- Liquidation sale -- Up to 80% off -- Beach Breeze Souvenirs -- Myrtle Beach towels $5 / 2 for $9 -- The Pussycat Lounge -- Girls, Girls, Girls -- Bikers welcome.

Will Melissa show up for work on time today? Dolly wondered. Melissa, the twenty-year-old girl who was hired a few weeks before, had been coming in late and tired during the past several weeks. Just like I did when I was eighteen, out of control, and dancing till 2:00 A.M. at the Wild Canary Lounge, Dolly thought. Dolly had always been the mother hen of the lingerie store, looking out for the younger girls who worked there. She was particularly worried about Melissa. The day before, Melissa said she was burning up, but her skin was cold and clammy. Shaniqua, another young clerk, said Melissa was taking medication for a migraine, but Dolly knew better.

Oh God, don't let it happen to this girl, Dolly thought, recalling a night she'd spent years earlier, holding the trembling body of a fellow eighteen-year-old stripper as she came down hard and fast from a bad heroin high.

Water Melons $2.00 each -- Ice -- Peaches -- Corn -- Beachwear Outlet -- Free Myrtle Beach decals -- 48-item seafood buffet -- All you can eat, $14.95 -- Casino cruises -- Las Vegas style gambling -- two cruises a day -- Horsefeathers, a Gentlemens' Club -- -- Welcome golfers 21 & Up Admitted -- Beautiful Women -- Wet T-shirt contest Tuesday nights -- Saturday Night Football -- Ladies Welcome.

Ladies welcome. Yeah, right. Like some fifty-something golfer from Toronto or the Rust Belt is going to bring his wife, fiancee, or girlfriend along to watch him get a hard-on while he slips dollar bills into the g-strings of teenage girls with silicone boobs. In the eight months that Dolly had worked the strip clubs after her divorce, she occasionally saw a woman come in with a man. Not many qualified as ladies, she thought.

Just past the Pancake Palace Restaurant, a thirty-foot, round-bellied fiberglass Buddha smiled enigmatically at the mini-golfers who putt-putted their way across the green plastic grass. Across the street, a smiling mermaid holding crossed Canadian and American flags rode the back of a huge fiberglass killer whale poised as if plunging into the blue-dyed water of yet another miniature golf course.

Harriet was the one most likely to be jealous, Dolly thought. She's been at Fantasia almost as long as I have, and she's been kissing up to the district manager for months.

WATCH OUT! she yelled as a big blue Oldsmobile with an Ontario license plate cut into her lane without warning. The balding driver in the Hawaiian print golf shirt paid no attention and drove on. He was obviously intent on enjoying the annual Canadian-American Days festival. Each year, it lured thousands of snow-weary Canadians south when the Grand Strand's Atlantic beaches - still frigid by local standards - were seductive when compared to the gloomy weather north of the U.S. border. The timing of the annual event to fit in with frost-bitten Ontario's school holiday was no accident.

Wouldn't that be just my luck, Dolly thought. Yesterday, I'm a clerk. Today, some golf-obsessed Canadian tourist almost totals me before I get the chance to enjoy my first day as a manager.

The traffic was light -- nowhere as bad as during the main tourist invasion that started on Memorial Day weekend, when all the theme parks and attractions oficially opened for the summer.

One mile to go. How will Melissa and Shaniqua take it? They both wanted the manager's job. They'll probably figure I got it because I'm so much older, she thought.

A paunchy, long-haired biker on a chromed-out, candy-apple-red Harley Softail cruised by, his sunglasses, black T-shirt, and graying ponytail dripping water from the rain. The back of his T-shirt read, "If you can read this, the bitch fell off."

How does he do it? Dolly wondered as the driver guided the massive motorcycle with one hand, holding onto a large, nylon mesh bag of groceries with the other. Gunning the engine, he flashed her a big, gold-toothed smile as he thundered down the road.

Here we go again, Dolly thought to herself, remembering that Myrtle Beach Spring Bike Week, the annual invasion of 150,000 mostly-white Harley Davidson motorcyclists, followed by a second week of 100,000 mostly-black speed bikers, was only days away. The worst part, she knew, was that the Harley bikers' biggest swap meet -- five acres of t-shirts, jewelry, leather goods, and performance parts vendors and twenty acres of parking for tens of thousands of bikes - was headquartered at Inlet Square Mall, just a few blocks from her apartment. At her lingerie store, Bike Week was great for business. The biker crowd loved to shop for sexy leather and lace -- but the crush of motorcycles added an hour to her usual fifteen-minute commute to work.

King Kong Golfland -- Live turtles -- Every item $1.00 -- Papa Primera's Pizza -- Large 4 toppings $10.95 -- Loose Lizzie's: The Wildest Show in Town, N. Myrtle Beach -- Amateur night every Wednesday -- T-shirts R Us -- Free Sand Dollar (with purchase) -- Myrtle Beach mugs 3 for $5 -- Swimwear -- Fantasia Lingerie and Novelty Shop -- Where Lace and Heaven Meet -- Welcome Canadians.

As if on cue, the sun broke through the clouds just as Dolly turned into the parking lot next to Fantasia. She drove behind the store to the staff parking area. When she arrived, her heart nearly burst with joy. There, at the back door, stood Melissa, Shaniqua, and Harriet, each with a big grin on her face. They posed on either side of a shiny new metal sign which read, "Reserved For Manager." Hand-lettered below, in flaming red-glitter nail polish, was the name, "Dolly."

Dolly yanked the keys out of the ignition and ran to the girls. "Congratulations, Dolly!" said Melissa, giving her a big hug.

"Way to go, girl!" said Shaniqua, who kissed her on the cheek. "You deserved it."

"You're the best!" said Harriet, smiling, though her heart was breaking at having lost the promotion.

The foursome walked happily into the store, talking about the sudden change in management with their hands and eyes as much as with their lips.

"It's gonna be soooo cool!" said Melissa. "Wanda was a real witch."

"Now we're gonna run this place right," said Shaniqua. Dolly was in heaven. She truly liked her co-workers, and had been praying that they wouldn't be jealous.

"OK, ladies, let's get this show on the road," Dolly called out to the chattering women. "We've got shelves to stock and displays to clean. Melissa, open that case of vibrators and get 'em priced and on the shelf."

"Where do the vibrators go?" Melissa asked.

Dolly and the other women glanced at each other and spontaneously broke into uncontrolled laughter. With a wicked grin, Dolly asked, "You're 20 years old and you don't know where the vibrators go? You grow up in a convent or WHAT? Don't they sell AA batteries in your part of town?"

Melissa turned red. The three other women convulsed in laughter. It was going to be a good day.

By noon, the shop was clean and looking sharp. The glass door, windows, and shelves sparkled. The sexual lubricants were all carefully restocked and arranged, one flavor per row. All the X-rated videos were dusted and arranged by sexual specialty. The racks were full of new fantasy lingerie, ready for all the local clients and tourists. The peel-away dance outfits and six-inch, strobe-light heels were all arranged by color and size for the local strippers, who were among the store's best customers.

Just after lunch, Shaniqua answered a phone call. "Fantasia Lingerie, where lace and heaven meet. Can I help you?" Within moments, her smile evaporated. "It's her," she called to Dolly.

"Hello, Mama," Dolly said in a sinking voice. "I just got a promotion and I run the shop now. I'm pretty busy. Can we talk after work?"

"Dolly, this is your mother talking to you. You'll just have to take a few minutes out of your busy life and talk to me. It's important."

Dolly knew the tone of her mother's voice. There was no use arguing. "OK, Mamma, what's the subject today?" It was a perfunctory question, as both women knew from long experience.

"It's April, Dolly. What on earth are you letting your daughter wear those crazy clothes for? Those big, black, steel-toed shoes she's wearing belong on a construction worker, not my granddaughter. And the red shoelaces don't make them a bit prettier. She's seventeen years old. Why can't you get her to wear some decent shoes?"

"The girls don't dress like you did to go to the prom forty years ago, Mama. A lot of women wear big, black, ugly shoes these days. These are Doc Something-or-others. I think they look awful, but she used her own money to buy them. She told me a lot of the girls wear them."

"And what about the long-sleeved shirts and sweater vests? Don't girls wear blouses anymore?

"Those are Fred Perry shirts, Mamma. April's friends all wear them. They're considered very stylish among her close friends."

"And the haircut? How can any girl cut half her hair down to the skin and then let the rest grow? She's always wearing some kind of cap to cover the bald part. It doesn't make any sense. She looks like some weirdo from the wrong side of another planet."

"It's just fashion, Mamma. Give her a break. She's going to be a senior in high school this fall. Remember my tie-dye days in high school? Remember the 70s, when Bobby had hair longer than mine? You didn't seem to mind strange hairstyles on my brother. What's the problem now with April's?"

Anne Doolittle wasn't done with her grilling. "She looks so sad and pale. Did you stop feeding her? Is she spending too much time at Kenny's? I don't like that new girlfriend of his a bit. I don't think either one of them can cook past opening a can."

"I feed her, and I love her. I keep a close an eye on her, Mamma, but I can't run a prison. I don't like Kenny's lifestyle or choice of friends any more than you do, but April wants to see her father, and he has joint custody."

"I don't see why you let he go over there at all," Anne said. "Kenny hasn't improved a bit since they arrested him for the marijuana thing ten years ago."

"April lives mostly with me now, Mamma. I don't let her go over there without permission, but I have to stay legal with the joint custody order. Yes, Mamma, he's a jerk, but Kenny's April's father, and she wants him to love her."

Dolly was happy to hear the doorbell ring as a middle-aged couple walked into the store. She knew that her mother could hear it, and the sound of business relieved her of the guilt she felt at cutting her mother off. "Look, Mamma, I have customers. I gotta go."

"You can take care of them, but what about visiting us once in a while?" Dolly gritted her teeth. Mamma, you're not getting my vote for Mother of the Year, either, she thought to herself. "I gotta go now, Mamma. Say hi to Henry for me."

"Why don't you come by on Sunday, Honey?" her mother asked, knowing the answer in advance.

"I'll try, Mamma. Gotta go. Bye." Taking a deep breath, she shoved the guilt and ghosts of her childhood back into their dark caves and tried to think of happier things. Dolly shook her head quickly as if to throw off bad thoughts. Thank God for Chrissie and White Lightnin', Dolly thought. A few hours and a few beers with her best friend at her favorite C&W club was just the kind of attitude adjustment she could use that night. And who knows? she thought. This week already brought a big promotion. Maybe it was finally time for Mr. Right to show up, too.

Copyright 2001 by Richard N. Côté. All rights reserved.