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“Everyone!” Kelli clapped her hands to get their attention.
At this, the feuding kitchen staffers, the sous chefs, and the server turned and glared at Kelli, as though she was the reason for all this drama.
“Let’s get this worked out,” Kelli said. “We have an extra walk-in fridge for a reason, guys. Put the wedding stuff in there— get it out of the way. And get back to work!”
After a dramatic pause, the staffers kicked themselves into gear and began to carry the boxes to the back fridge.
“Give the tables free mimosas,” Kelli instructed the server as sweat billowed up on her neck. “Tell them we have a wedding today and that things are chaotic. People love talking about weddings.”
“Okay.” The server brightened slightly, knowing that free alcohol always equated to happier tables. She sped off to tend to them, which left Kelli to collapse against the counter. As soon as the boxes were cleared and the staffers returned to their post, she thanked them and hurried back to the front desk, where Sandra greeted everyone with a big smile.
“I put out the kitchen fire,” Kelli told Sandra between guest visits, scrubbing her fingers through her messy hair.
“Great work, boss,” Sandra said.
“Now, just another twenty-four hours till I can sleep,” Kelli joked.
As Sandra chuckled, a woman in her sixties approached the front desk. She wore a black beaded dress and a big hat, as though nobody had alerted her it was nearly summer, and her eyebrows were cinched tightly together, producing thick wrinkles up her forehead.
“Good morning,” Kelli said. “My name is Kelli. I’m the manager here at the hotel. Can I help you with something?”
“Hello.” The woman spoke very quietly, which forced Kelli to lean far over the counter to hear her. “I’ve probably made a mistake. I don’t know.”
“What seems to be the problem?” Kelli asked, with a slight twinge of annoyance in her voice.
“I’ve looked all over my room,” the woman said, lacing her fingers together. “In the safe. Under the bed. Between the sheets. But my rings, they’re gone. And honey…” The woman leaned so close that her nose nearly touched Kelli’s. “Those rings were worth more than you make in a year.”
Kelli immediately resented the fact that this woman had any hunch of what Kelli made. There was a strange, evil glint in her eyes, one that made Kelli question if she wanted to help her at all. But the customer was always right, or at least Kelli had to believe that in order to keep the hotel afloat.
“You’ve looked everywhere?” Kelli repeated.
“Absolutely everywhere.”
Kelli sighed and dropped the woman’s gaze. A thought struck her: maybe Miss Jennings had told this woman that her room had been comped due to the “thieving” of her earrings, which had given this woman the idea. Kelli’s head spun. Her hotel would never make it if she continued to comp very expensive rooms. She imagined a horrible future, wherein people came to the hotel, pretended to have their things stolen, and then enjoyed the fruits of comped rooms into infinity.What was she going to do?
“We should really call the police,” Kelli heard herself say because she wasn’t sure what else to do.
The woman studied Kelli sternly, as though she didn’t trust her at all. Kelli wasn’t sure she trusted herself, either.
But just as Kelli reached for the phone to call Officer Bobby back to the hotel for another round, two beautiful and familiar faces entered the lobby.
Susan Sheridan and Amanda Harris smiled eagerly, bustling through the sunbeams of the ornate foyer, both effervescent with excitement for the approaching wedding. Amanda carried her bagged dress easily and walked with her shoulders back, entering the day that would change her life forever with poise and confidence.
Horribly, Kelli cursed their entrance. She didn’t want Susan to know just how little control she had over the hotel, especially not today of all days. Kelli braced herself with a smile. “Amanda! Susan! Happy wedding day!” She then quickly whispered to Sandra to say, “Can you call the police? Try to get Officer Bobby. He was so understanding the other night.”
“I’m on it,” Sandra assured her, smiling as she took over.
This left Kelli to breeze around the side of the desk and swallow first Amanda, then Susan in hugs. Both of them smelled wonderful, like the sea and like lavender, and Kelli hoped they couldn’t sense that she hadn’t showered and had spent the night on a couch.
“I can’t believe it’s here,” Amanda said of the day, adjusting her dress on her arm.
“The suite is all ready for you,” Kelli said, guiding them to the grand staircase, up the steps, and into the room they’d reserved for Amanda, Susan, Christine, Lola, Audrey, and two of Amanda’s friends from Newark.
“The hairdressers will be here soon,” Amanda explained as she spread her dress across a cream couch.
“Wonderful,” Kelli said. “In the fridge, I’ve set aside several bottles of champagne for you. I’ll have the servers bring up some hors d’oeuvres as well. You know the number-one rule for brides.”
“Don’t fall?” Amanda joked.
