4 - Landon
Landon
I was standing by the front doors of the hotel, awaiting our newest VIP guests, when from the corner of my eye, I noticed Adriana hurrying toward me from the direction of the kitchen. She seemed flustered and somewhat upset, but by the time she reached me, her face was stoic.
“Problem?” I asked, but she shook her head.
“It’s handled,” she insisted.
I wasn’t sure I believed her, but whatever it was, I would deal with it later.
The doors slid open to reveal Dahlia Monroe, her fiancé, Forrest Kingsley, and his mother, Celeste. Beside me, I immediately noticed Adriana’s cheeks turn red. I wondered whether she was reacting to the famous singer’s arrival or to something else.
I stepped in front of her, reaching out my hand in a welcoming gesture before offering them a small bow.
“Welcome to The Pacific,” I said with a smile. “I’m Landon Klein, General Manager, and this is Adriana, our concierge. She’s here to make sure you have everything you need. Don’t hesitate to reach out to either of us whenever you need to.”
Adriana smiled and nodded silently, but I could still see in her eyes that there was something bothering her. It was certainly strange. When I’d left her after the Reggie incident, she had seemed completely fine to me. What had happened in the time since that could have rattled her like this?
“Dahlia Monroe,” Adriana said tentatively, smiling at the gold-drenched woman in front of her. “Big fan. And…”
She glanced from Forrest to Celeste, and it was obvious that she had absolutely no idea who either of them were.
Clearly, she hadn’t bothered to learn either of their names from the brief she had been given.
That was something that she would have to address quickly if she wanted to keep working here.
“Forrest,” I said, stepping forward to shake his hand and cover Adriana’s faux pas.
“You’d be delighted to know that our golf course has recently been reworked, and all our carts replaced.
And Celeste, I have instructed our chef to ensure that not a single peanut will be present in the kitchen for your entire stay. ”
“Good,” Celeste said, and I was relieved that she seemed not to have noticed Adriana’s mistake. “Speaking of which, I’m absolutely famished. It was such a long flight.”
“Forrest insisted that your chef is one of the best,” Dahlia added, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “So I thought we’d give him a shot for the wedding, you know?”
“I’m sure he’s grateful for the opportunity,” I answered smoothly, though I was ready to bet Nolan would have told her to shove that shot somewhere else if he’d heard her explanation. He knew how good he was, and he had no patience for anyone who doubted it.
But that was why he almost never interacted with guests.
“Please, follow me,” Adriana said suddenly, her face now bright and enthusiastic. “We’ve prepared the private dining room for your arrival.”
She walked ahead and the guests followed, with me making up the rear.
I was surprised that she’d pivoted back to her usual confidence so quickly.
She walked as if she knew exactly where she was going in life, with her shoulders straight and her head held high.
That had been one of the reasons I’d liked her during her interview.
Instead of every other over-starched collar and stiff upper lip that had walked in here, Adriana seemed to truly believe that she could do anything, and that was an attitude that would carry her far in this line of work.
“We’ve used the silk covers, as you requested,” Adriana said over her shoulder to Dahlia. “And only silver cutlery, nothing gold or aluminum. We wouldn’t want the wrong metal to affect the taste of your food.”
“Finally, someone who understands!” Dahlia exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “Everyone always says I’m crazy.”
“The Pacific prides itself on quality,” Adriana said as she reached the end of the hallway to the private dining hall. “After all, whatever is worth doing is worth doing perfectly.”
“I’d have to agree,” Forrest drawled, and I was glad to hear him speak. From what I knew, he was a man of few words; so, the fact that he’d said anything at all must have meant that he liked Adriana.
Adriana led the group to the table, and I moved myself swiftly into place to assist in seating them. I went to pull a chair out for Celeste, but Adriana had the same idea at the same time.
My fingers brushed over hers, and an instant electric jolt rushed through my body. Surprised, I paused for a moment and gave Adriana the opportunity to fully pull out the chair. She hadn’t skipped a beat. Had she not felt the same energy run through her?
I swallowed and straightened, moving fast to grab a chair for Forrest while Adriana handled Dahlia’s.
I pushed that strange feeling as deep down into my soul as I could.
I was nothing if not a consummate professional, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to allow any kind of inappropriate thoughts to put that in jeopardy.
“Our chef has prepared an incredible selection for you,” Adriana said, though there was a slight tightness in her voice. “The amuse-bouche should be out shortly.”
“Seriously?” Celeste’s tone was instantly disappointed. “Why did we go through the effort of making this booking if nothing’s ready on time? The amuse-bouche shouldn’t be out shortly. It should be here now. Where were you trained?”
“My apologies,” I quickly said, looking up to the door just as Nolan appeared with an assistant and the first dish. “Ah, here it is now. Our signature Oscietra caviar cloud, with the requested golden leaf from the atelier in Florence. It pairs beautifully with our single-vineyard blanc de blanc.”
Nolan presented the dish with a flourish, as he always did, but I noticed the silent nervous glance he received from Adriana, who was helping to place the wine on the table.
He completely ignored her. Clearly something had happened between the two of them.
That was just great. As if I didn’t already have enough to deal with today.
“Oh, how lovely,” Dahlia said, smiling as she looked over at Forrest. “Isn’t it so pretty?”
He nodded and gave her knee a little pat, but Celeste seemed less impressed. “That’s your pairing? Honestly. I hope the rest of the courses are better than this.”
She rolled her eyes, and Dahlia glared at her. “I think it’s perfect. You haven’t even tasted it.”
“Of course, we have a variety of options if this particular set is not to your liking,” I commented, preparing myself for a tasting full of complaints. “Though I must insist that our chef is a true artist, and I believe his suggested menu will make for a beautiful reception.”
Nolan said nothing, simply walking off to prepare the next course. That was good. If he opened his mouth, it was possible that things would escalate. Adriana watched him go, her shoulders pulled tight, then turned her attention back to the guests.
“Delicious!” Dahlia declared as she tasted the caviar, and Forrest nodded in agreement.
Celeste pulled one corner of her mouth to the side as if she were working incredibly hard to stay furious. “It’s fine. Not quite what I envisioned for my son’s wedding, but it’ll do.”
Clearly, she was the type to find something wrong with everything, but she wasn’t the first guest like that in my hotel, and wouldn’t be the last. I was also hoping that she didn’t have a particularly huge say in the wedding’s menu; in the best case scenario, it was mostly Dahlia’s opinion that mattered.
“I believe you have a more oceanic theme for your wedding,” Adriana said, diffusing the tension as she looked toward Dahlia rather than answering Celeste’s criticism. She had good instincts.
“Oh, yes,” Dahlia said, clapping her hands together. “It’s going to be on a private beach. I’ll be arriving by helicopter.”
“I told her sand would be going everywhere, but it seems she doesn’t care,” Celeste said in my direction, as if she expected me to agree. “In any case, I suppose the bride’s opinion trumps all.”
“Mother,” Forrest warned, looking at her with darkened eyes. “Please.”
Celeste rolled her eyes. “In any case, what’s next, then?”
Nolan appeared on cue, this time announcing the course himself. It was one he was well-known for, and something that he was particularly proud of. “Norwegian King Crab mosaic, paired with Chablis Blanchot Grand Cru.”
It was meticulously arranged on the plate, a true work of art.
Dahlia’s eyes widened, Forrest seemed mildly impressed, and Celeste’s expression only soured.
Adriana took the wine from Nolan to pour it, and I noticed a muscle jump in his jaw.
What the hell had happened between the two of them?
It looked like Nolan was about to declare war, and Adriana seemed unable to look him in the eye.
She reached for Celeste’s glass, and her sleeve brushed against the woman’s shoulder.
“What are you doing?” Celeste snapped, almost jumping out of her chair as if Adriana had decided to pour the wine over her head.
“My sincerest apologies,” Adriana answered smoothly, without skipping a beat. “It won’t happen again.”
“You know it won’t,” Celeste growled at her. “Honestly, where were you trained? Is this your first time in this position?”
She turned her anger on me quite quickly after that. “Do you often hire incompetent employees? You know I won’t have some inexperienced nobody ruin my baby boy’s big day. I want only the best. You should be aware of that. Was it not in the brief?”
“Mother,” Forrest warned again, his tone low and firm. I found it interesting that most of his words were spent addressing her behavior. I was certain he’d barely ever speak at all otherwise. “You are making a big deal out of nothing.”
“Just stating the obvious,” Celeste shrugged. “Well, Mr. Klein?”
I smiled politely at her. “How about a bottle of our finest champagne, to cleanse the palate?”
Celeste seemed to think about that for a moment.
Adriana used the opportunity to finish pouring her wine and move away, taking a position behind Dahlia instead.
She glanced toward the doors leading to the kitchen again.
Another sign that there was something up between her and Nolan.
I wondered if I would actually need to address it, or if they could sort it out themselves.
Whatever the case, I’d keep an eye on it.
The last thing I needed was my employees infighting.
“Okay, I suppose that could help,” Celeste finally said with a slow and certain nod. “And you won’t be charging us for it, will you?”
“Absolutely not,” I answered. “It’s on the house. Adriana, would you be so kind?”
She looked up at me, and it was almost as if she froze for a second at the request. One more glance toward the kitchen, and she seemed to steel herself. Then, she nodded at me and walked off, though more stiffly than she usually moved.
“Oh, this is actually really good,” Dahlia said, pulling my attention back to the table. “I can taste the… Citrus, right? In the wine?”
“Well done,” I confirmed. “You have an impressive sense of taste, Dahlia.”
“Forrest had me take this whole course at a winery,” she said with a giggle. “I had no idea what I was doing, but I guess some of it stuck.”
“I’m glad he’s teaching you a bit of class.” Celeste looked Dahlia’s way with a disapproving expression. “It’s about time. Though you are right about this dish. It is acceptable.”
If Nolan had heard that description, we’d hear about it all day.
“Wonderful,” I said, putting my hands together. At this point, Adriana returned with the champagne, perfectly positioned on ice. She carefully carried it to the table and placed it in the center. “I would suggest a glass of this before the next course.”
As I spoke, I felt a vibration in my suit pocket. “Excuse me for a moment.”
I nodded toward Adriana to follow as I walked out of the private dining room and checked my phone. She watched me nervously as I read the message.
“Well, it looks like I am needed at the pool,” I said with a sigh. “The wedding party is all yours. Don’t screw it up.”