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Kelli took a deep breath, reminding herself that this hotel was her dream, then decided to go up to room 401 by herself to ensure the older woman was taken care of. She took the stairs, using the time to focus on her breathing, then knocked on the door to find a woman in her mid-seventies, her hair a shining silver and her robe a similar shade, clearly expensive, as though it had recently been spun by silkworms.
“Good evening,” Kelli said with a smile. “I hope it’s not too late to disturb you. Your son has informed us that you’ve had a difficult night, and I wanted to make sure that you’re all right. Is there anything we can do?”
The woman had beady eyes that seemed to go straight through Kelli, whom she probably didn’t deem “rich enough.” “Yes. I’ve struggled endlessly to get this television to play what I need it to play.”
Kelli swallowed, trying not to spin-out with rage. She was the manager of this hotel— it wasn’t up to her to fix people’s televisions, was it? With a smile, she stepped into the woman’s ornate suite, which Kelli herself had decorated with gorgeous artwork and sublime curtains, then picked up the remote control to adjust the television to play what the woman wanted.
“Isn’t that nice,” the woman said, although she didn’t sound pleased.
“Is that all you need?” Kelli asked.
“I suppose so.” The woman placed bifocals on her nose and sat at the edge of her bed, no longer interested in Kelli’s presence.
Flabbergasted, Kelli bid the woman goodnight, then headed into the hallway. But just after she’d clipped the door closed, it opened again, and that same woman peered out at her.
“Miss?” The woman blinked.
“Do you need something else?” Kelli wanted to fall to the floor and weep.
“It’s just that I expected turn-down service,” the woman said. “And I haven’t received that yet.”
Unfortunately, Kelli was suddenly reminded of all the items on her to-do list, of all the horrifically time-consuming things she had to do when she reached her office. When would she ever have time to sleep?
Just before she lost her nerve, however, Sandra swooped in from the left, all bright and smiley, and said, “I’m happy to do your turn-down service, Miss Jennings.”
Kelli breathed deeply, locking eyes with the twenty-something staff member she’d just met the other day, the one who’d saved her after her shoe had broken.
“Sandra,” Kelli said, as Miss Jennings receded into her hotel room. “You’re a lifesaver!”
Sandra waved her hand. “It’s no trouble. I heard a rumor that you’ve been at the hotel for fifty-plus hours since Saturday. Why don’t you go home? Get some shut-eye?”
Kelli blinked at the young woman, incredulous. “No wonder you’re friends with Amanda,” she said finally. “She’s always looking out for people, just like you.”
“It’s my job,” Sandra corrected. “But yes. I hope I have a tiny bit of Amanda Harris’ kindness and compassion.” She then waved as she passed through Miss Jennings’ doorway, prepared to give her the service she needed to get to bed.
And although Kelli remained at the hotel another thirty minutes after that, neither Miss Jennings nor her son complained again.
That night, Kelli collapsed in bed just a few minutes before Xander returned home. After he removed his clothes, he clambered into bed after her and curled himself around her, cuddling her.
“How was the rest of your day, baby?”
Kelli tried her best not to cry. “This is so much harder than I thought it would be. And the guests all have minds of their own!”
“Hospitality is a beast,” Xander said. “But remember what we talked about? About you hiring someone to pick up your slack? It’s purely selfish, of course. I just want you here more often.”
“I’m sure you want me sane, too,” Kelli said.
“I don’t need you to be sane, but I think it’s more comfortable for both of us.”
Kelli giggled, in her first good mood of the day, then kissed Xander gently with her eyes closed.
After a long, comfortable pause, Kelli settled her head back on the pillow and said, “I’ve been really impressed with this newcomer to the island. Amanda’s friend, who happens to work up at the hotel.”
“What’s her name?”
“Sandra,” Kelli remembered. “Maybe I could finagle a way for her and Piper to be my second-in-command staff.”
“Wow. Look at you, learning to delegate.”
