One sunny weekend morning this past spring, I drove to Duke’s, a festive Hawaiian-themed restaurant in Malibu, to visit with a woman named Kathy who has worked there for the past 15 years. Her official title is Ambassador of Aloha; the job description includes greeting diners when they walk in the front door and charming regular patrons, many of whom are her friends. Kathy comes in for two shifts a week: Sunday morning for brunch, and at night on Taco Tuesdays. Taco Tuesdays are more casual, and typically she wears slacks. For brunch, Kathy likes to gussy up a bit. When I visited her, she was dressed like a parrot. Her dress was covered in a bright floral pattern and she wore magenta lipstick. The tropical bird-like glamour was accentuated by her incessant motion and flirtatious behavior with guests....

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