Briskly I nod, interrupting her. “I understand.”
I amnotmaking the same mistake again.
I’m not sleeping with the guests.
“You could’ve said no, by the way. Told them I was on leave, or unavailable.”
“We did,” she confesses quietly, my insides sinking. Yup, definitely offended.
God, hotel management has such little faith in me. It almost makes me want to sabotage everything, but then I kind of already did that back in Aspen. My options will only become more and more limited if I keep this up. This area has become my new home; I want to remain here. Probably. And if it can’t be in Aspen, then it’ll have to be at this ski resort, on a different mountain.
“They threatened to cancel the booking,” she continues, “if you weren’t available.”
I scoff. Arrogant, demanding guests aren’t uncommon. When I work cabin one, I’m going to have to hold my tongue. But I would be lying if I didn’t feel a thrill at their insistence. A nervous one, too, but it’s confidence-boosting all the same, and I need a big shot of that.
But as for Elias…“If I thought anyone cared, I’d make a complaint that Elias is clearly hindering my career.”
“I do care, Winter,” she appeases. “But my hands are tied.”
Yeah right. She’s been working for Elias so long now that only he has her undivided loyalty. No one else.
A worry that often lurks in the back of my mind pushes to the front. “Are they from Aspen?”
“No.” She consults her laptop again. “New York. California. England.”
I wonder why they’re interested in this hotel. Aside from the VIP cabins, the rest of the hotel is fairly standard. We’re a ski-in, ski-out resort, the most practical, popular choice. And even though the cabins have been built in a pretty spot, there are much nicer places to stay.
Maybe budget is the issue.
“Well, I’m glad my impressive qualifications and experience are highly regarded by some people around here,” I remark. “This is a win, Maria. Elias will have to listen to my demands now. ”
Maria totally ignores my ultimatum, deciding to offer further details about the soon-to-arrive guests. “Although your shifts are not compatible, we’ve worked out that you can have Friday off before coming in for 7AM the following morning. That’s the twentieth.”
Bummer. I was meant to have Saturday night off, and then Christmas Eve. “And they’re here for seven days?”
“They want the Christmas experience.”
Looks like my Christmas Eve plans are void, but pandering to VIPs on Christmas Day might be preferable to working my ass off in the main hotel. Maybe I can get Christmas drunk with my guests? Sounds like a solid plan.
“I’ll email all the details to you today so that you can familiarize yourself with the names and their preferences.”
“Right. They’ve completed the document have they?” It’s several pages long, and from what I’ve heard, it’s mainly the super picky guests that bother to fill it out.
Consulting her laptop again, Maria shakes her head. “Twenty percent at best.”
Hmm. Maybe they’re not as high maintenance as I thought they were.
“Looks like they’ll be out on the slopes a lot,” she continues. “Which is good, no?”
“Probably.”
“Okay, well, I’ll be in touch.”
I stand, knowing a dismissal when I hear one. But I need to make one point clear before I go. “Thanks, Maria. I’m grateful for the opportunity, truly, especially as I will be an exemplary employee and get the promotion I’m owed.”
She nods, eyeing me circumspectly. “Elias will need to confirm, but I’m sure you won’t let Stein Hotel down.”
CHAPTERTWO