Okay.
So maybe this was the solution.
Wealthy clients paid well. Wealthy clients tipped well. Wealthy clients might cover the difference in cost of “step-up care.”
This was fine.
I had handled worse.
I just had to keep smiling.
2
RAPHAEL
“The Columbus remodel is behind schedule.” Chandler stood across from my desk, tablet in hand, posture relaxed in the way only someone highly competent could afford to be.
Chandler had been my right-hand man since before I started in this business. After graduating and settling in Ohio, I got into the real estate industry, which led me to my bread and butter. Hotels. There was no one who did hotels and hospitality better than Chandler. I ran the business while he made sure our hotels were top-of-the-line experiences.
“Delayed how much?” I asked.
“Two weeks if inspections stall. The historical board is nitpicking stonework.”
“They always do.”
The Columbus property would anchor our Ohio expansion once renovations were finished. Location, structure, history; it was worth the delay, but not inefficiency. While Chandler excelled with the glamour and extravagance of it all, I stayed tied to the bottom line, and that bottom line stayed in place with efficiency.
“Pennsylvania holdings are stable,” he continued, not even looking up from his tablet. “Pittsburgh occupancy is up. Here, Cleveland is steady. Cincinnati is slightly above projections.”
“Staffing?” I asked.
“Handled.”
Geoffrey stood near the window reviewing printed schedules, immaculate as always. Geoffrey was the closest thing I had to family in the States. He had worked for my family for as long as I could remember, and after I graduated from college, he joined me. He ran almost everything from my schedule to the estate. It was safe to say that these two men had seen me at my best and my worst and were still around. Loyalty means everything in my world.
“The new cleaning rotation arrives at eight,” Geoffrey added in his posh British accent.
I glanced at the clock.
7:48.
“Hopefully, this one will be more competent."
The previous service had been dismissed in under a month. The one before that lasted less time than that. I did not keep distractions. Efficiency required consistency. Staff who lingered, talked, hovered, or treated proximity like permission did not remain employed.
“We are working with a new company. Hopefully, you will find them more suitable,” Geoffrey said.
Chandler shot a smirk at Geoffrey.
The gate monitor chimed softly. Geoffrey glanced toward it.
“She’s arrived.”
I didn’t move at first. There was no reason to. Chandler shifted slightly, watching the screen.
A small purple van covered in stickers rolled through the gates and stopped near the side entrance. It was immediately out of place.
The driver’s door opened. She stepped out and revealed a solid stance. I like that. Her hair was pulled back neatly, even if a few brown curls escaped. Her uniform was plain and functional. She shut the van door firmly, then pressed it once more to be certain it latched.
