Chapter 2 Good Face
GOOD FACE
“Would you believe I was just passing through?” Arik asked.
Her smile was still filling her face. He always could make her laugh.
She’d never forget the day he’d introduced himself to her in a class they were taking. Just an elective for them both.
He said his name was Arik without an E rather than Arik with an A. It tripped her up, sending a frown flashing across her face before he’d burst out laughing.
“I believe most things until someone gives me a reason not to,” she said.
“That’s what I always liked about you. You’re more open than most.”
She said the words but didn’t always carry the actions.
She might believe people but was still wary of them and often held her true feelings just out of reach.
“I put a good face on for the public. Are you here alone?”
“I am,” he said.
“Solo vacations are all the rage now.”
“I’ve been doing that for years.”
Her phone vibrated in her pocket. “Excuse me.” Natalie pulled out her phone, saw the text from the front desk, and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Some days keeping that chipper attitude was harder than others. “I’m sorry, I need to take care of this.”
“No worries. It was nice running into you. Maybe we can find time to catch up while I’m here.”
His eyes flickered to her left hand. She remembered the way he used to flirt with her back in college. If she hadn’t been so focused on finishing school a year early, she might have taken a chance on him.
She’d taken no chances on anyone after Davey. Not fully. But something about Arik back then just loosened the ropes on her wariness.
Wanting to go away to college had been a mistake. Big city living wasn’t for her.
Give her her island any day.
“Maybe, if you’ve got time while you’re here,” she said.
“I’ve got all the time in the world,” he said.
“I’ll be here.” She turned and walked to the front reception area where a large group of people was milling around.
There was a convention starting tomorrow and through the weekend. She loved this part of the business, but it put more on her plate.
“Natalie,” Kathleen said. “Thank God.”
“What’s going on?” she asked, moving behind the counter.
“I requested a room with a view for the conference and they said that I didn’t get it. I’m facing the back gardens.” The guest's nose was wrinkled enough you’d think a skunk just crossed their path.
“Let me see,” she said. She punched into the computer and pulled up the rooms on the two floors that were reserved for this conference.
“It looks as if your company made the reservations and there are no comments about what kind of view. All rooms at the Bond Retreat come with beautiful calming views.”
“I want to see the ocean,” the woman said, crossing her arms.
“Lisa, stop holding everyone up. You get what you get. Be happy we’re here for five days and not at our desks.”
“Yeah, Lisa. Stop always being a diva.”
Oh boy. Lisa’s face matched the crimson of her purse. “Half the rooms on the floor have ocean views. Your company reserved five rooms. Two of them have ocean views, three of the gardens. If you’d like to switch with one of your coworkers, we can do that, but they’d have to agree.”
“Just do it,” Lisa said. “I’ve got seniority over them.”
“I’m sorry,” she said calmly. “It’s not our policy to do that unless the person who made the reservations requests it or unless both parties agree.”
And the person who made the reservations wasn’t named Lisa.
“Who made them?” Lisa asked.
“I’m sorry, I’m not at liberty to say. If you’d like to call someone in your company, that’s fine, but I need to get the line moving for everyone else.”
“Oh, good Lord, Lisa.” A guy walked forward. “Can you check to see if I’ve got an ocean view? Robert Richmond. If I do, you can give it to her just so we can stop having our company look bad.”
Natalie had her fingers crossed Robert had a room to switch so that everyone could just move on. “Why, yes, you do.”
“I’ll take his room,” Lisa said, her chin in the air, nudging her coworker out of the way.
“Give it to her,” Robert said. “We’re all used to her attitude.”
She turned to Kathleen. “You can take care of this with a note of my approval.”
“Thanks,” Kathleen said, her employee visibly relieved.
The lines were moving faster now. There were three people working the desk, then another who was directing guests and taking calls that came down.
She moved out from behind the counter and toward the hall to her office. The minute she was at her desk, curiosity got the best of her and she put in Arik’s name.
Her jaw hit the floor when she saw he was here for a month! No one stayed for a month.
First, the cost of that alone, even in the off-season.
Second of all, there were other hotels on the island just as nice with amenities that would serve the same purpose if he was here for work.
She wondered what he did and searched his name online.
Not much came up on the first page and she didn’t have time to look further.
She scratched her head. What was it she was supposed to be doing when she ran into him?
Oh crap.
She jumped up and went back to the elevators, then hit the button for the executive floor. She had a meeting with Hunter.
Once she got in the elevator, she hit the button for the top floor. If she were alone, she would swipe her badge to send her right up to the floor that guests couldn’t access. But she wasn’t so had to wait until they got off.
That was one of the slowest elevator rides in her life. Or maybe it was because she was late and you should never keep the boss waiting.
“He’s in his office,” Lori said to her.
Natalie cringed and walked faster. “Thanks.” She popped her head in. “Sorry I’m late. I got called to the front desk.”
“Not a problem,” Hunter Bond said. He was a laid back boss most times, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t feel bad that she kept him waiting. Family or not. “Everything okay?”
“It is now. Just a guest not happy with the room she got her company reserved for the convention. Another employee switched with her.”
Hunter snorted. “It always happens.”
“I know. But nothing I haven’t handled before. What was it you wanted to see me about?”
“Grace got a request for Saturday with the convention. They want one-bite samplings added before dinner is served. She can take care of the food.”
“And you need me to work out the details with the organizers.”
“Exactly,” Hunter said. “Nothing you haven’t done before. I could have sent you an email.”
“Why didn’t you?” she asked, her eyebrows rising.
“Because then I wouldn’t be able to lecture you to stop working so much. You don’t need to be here for this on Saturday.”
“I’ll want to make sure it’s just right.”
It was her job to ensure that the image of the hotel was pristine. That reviews were excellent and that any issues were taken care of.
Sure, she had staff under her dealing with day-to-day occurrences, but she oversaw it all and wanted to be informed of everything, major or not.
“It’s always just right,” Hunter said. “The next few months will pick up as usual. I want to make sure you’re getting time off and not burning out on me. I need you here then, not so much now.”
She grinned. “I’m not burning out.”
“It’s easy to do. I know,” Hunter said, his head at an angle that said not to argue.
“I’ll look at my schedule and plan some time off, I promise.”
“You see that you do,” Hunter said firmly.
Only then it would mean sitting alone in her apartment.