Sighing, Avery and I left the office and met Jim at a large table. He had several papers for us to complete and I provided enough information that he may not ask us about the ones I didn’t complete.
I wrote down my new name, past work experience, and Avery’s cell phone number. Since we had moved a lot, I left out my home address. Taking our forms, Jim began to read over them and I felt my stomach drop. He may be a pig, but he seemed to follow some rules.
Pointing to the spots I left blank, Jim sighed. “I need you to provide your social security number or I can’t file taxes on you,” he grunted.
“Well you see, I lost my driver’s license and I never memorized my social security number. Since we have moved so much, I don’t have a current address to give you,” I said, as I batted my eyelashes and gave a sweet smile.
“Maybe I can work around that,” Jim said, as he folded the forms and directed us where to find Chase in the hotel staff kitchen.
Relieved, Avery and I smiled at one another as we entered the kitchen. As told, Chase was sitting alone at a small table while the rest of the staff crowded around a smaller table. They were all talking and laughing while drinking coffee and eating donuts.
Spotting us, Chase clenched his jaw and moved himself away from the table. “He looks hot even though he is always angry,” Avery whispered over to me.
“Are you all ready to begin your training?” Chase asked, without looking at either of us.
“Yes,” Avery and I both said.
“Sammy, I need you to help me train the new girls,” Chase called over to the table full of the staff members.
An older woman who was wearing a gold shirt tucked into her long black skirt rolled her eyes and then made her way to us. In a husky voice, she addressed us. “Jim already told me this morning. You know Chase, you might actually get people to like you if you put a smile on that face of yours and stopped walking around here like you have a stick up your ass,” she said, as she motioned for Avery and I to follow her.
I instantly liked this woman who appeared to be in her fifties. She had wrinkles and lines around her mouth that showed she was a smoker and I could tell she was tough. Even through her tough exterior, it was clear she was the momma of the staff. That made me like her even more. I never had a true mother. Chase just ignored her insult as he followed us out of the kitchen and into the casino.
“Alright, ladies. My name is Sammy and I have worked at this Casino for thirty years. Jim let me upgrade to a more respectable uniform once I started to put on some weight,” she added, with a smirk.
“And he was tired of your constant bitching,” Chase added.
“Well, and that, too,” Sammy laughed again. “Anyway, I am going to show you where to go to get drink orders, how to take orders, and how to treat the customers,” she continued.
And so, we began our day watching Sammy as she flirted her way to the customers. We learned where to place our drink orders and how to collect our tips. It all seemed pretty easy to remember. The only problem was that Chase stayed glued to us the whole day. I wasn’t sure why but I was going to find out.
“Also, the customers are not allowed to touch the staff. Even if they are hot or sweet talkers. We can’t give anyone the impression that this isn’t an upstanding place. Just politely remind anyone who gets out of hand of the casino policy and if that doesn't work, you motion for security. They will be located all throughout the casino and rooms.”
Sammy seemed to really care about the staff and respect this place. I could tell this wasn’t just a job to her, but this was her career and her family. I really admired her even more.
At one point, Chase was called to deal with two men who were fighting over poker chips and had to leave us for a while. I used that opportunity to ask Sammy some non-work-related questions.
As Avery and I helped Sammy fill a drink order for a group of guys celebrating a bachelor party, I decided to use this time to chat.
“So, Chase seems to always be around,” I said, as I tried to act like he wasn’t always on my mind.
Rolling her eyes, Sammy coughed before talking. “That boy is angry at the world. I don’t think he ever takes a day off and I am pretty sure he works seven days a week,” she said. “He doesn’t really share his personal life with any of us.”
“Seriously?” Avery questioned, as she raised her eyes at me. “What about his family?”
“I don’t think he has any family, at least he has never talked about one. I have worked with Chase for ten years and the only thing I know about him is that he keeps to himself, doesn't seem to date, and is just angry,” Sammy said, with a shake of her head.
Turning to me, she held up a finger. “Don’t you even start to think about getting any ideas about Spencer Chase. You are a pretty girl and you seem smart, too. Don't waste your time and energy trying to tie down a boy like Chase.”
“No, I didn’t mean anything. I was just curious, that’s all,” I said, as I looked down at the floor.
I could tell Sammy didn’t believe me, but she didn’t say otherwise.
Breaking in and taking the attention off of me, Avery began her line of questioning. “So, why do we need security training if we are just waiting on customers at the casino?”
“The men around these casinos can get a little touchy sometimes. Besides, we have some high rollers that come in here and a lot of people that want to take their money. It is best to always know where the security is and to have them aware of where you are at all times. This is a big place… I’ve seen some bad things happen here. Just be careful and keep your eyes open at all times,” Sammy said, as she made a note to show us several other men wearing black shirts and pants walking around the casino.
We finished our day and even got an updated copy of the schedule where it showed Avery and I would be working the rest of the week. We never did see Chase again as we completed our first day of training. Even though I watched for him with every step I took, I never spotted him again.