Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
NYROBI
Aweek into working at Stylez Grand Stay and I could finally say I knew what the hell I was doing.
I still wasn't as fast as Ariel, but I had stopped needing her to tell me what came next. I could walk into a room, look around and already know where I wanted to start.
Even Tia had stopped checking behind me as much.
I took that as a good sign.
"You missed a hair."
I froze.
Ariel started laughing before I even turned around.
"Bitch, where?"
She pointed toward the bathroom floor.
I bent down and looked.
Sure enough, one long strand of hair was sitting beside the toilet.
"You saw that from over there?"
"I got housekeeping eyes."
"You got annoying eyes."
"Pick it up."
I grabbed a piece of tissue and picked the hair up.
"There. Happy?"
"Very."
"I can't wait until they put me with somebody else."
"Yes, you can."
I laughed because she was right.
As much as Ariel got on my nerves, I liked working with her. She made the day go by fast, and she didn't mind showing me something more than once if I didn't understand it.
My phone vibrated inside my pocket.
I pulled it out and smiled when I saw a text from my mama.
Mama: Bring me some chips home.
I frowned.
Me: What kind?
Her response came right back.
Mama: Salt and vinegar.
I stared at the screen.
Me: Girl absolutely not.
Mama: Why?
Me: You know why.
Mama: One bag not gone kill me.
Me: And you not gone kill me stressing me out either. Pick something else.
Ariel looked over.
"Everything good?"
"Yeah."
I locked my phone.
"My mama trying to eat shit she know she ain't supposed to have."
"That's everybody mama."
"She just got out the hospital and already acting like she forgot why she was there."
"At least she feeling better."
"Too damn good if you ask me."
Ariel laughed.
"Come on. We got one more before lunch."
We finished the room, restocked our cart and headed toward the service elevator.
When we got downstairs, Tia was standing near the housekeeping office talking to Casey.
She looked over when she saw us.
"Nyrobi."
"Yes?"
"Come here for a second."
I glanced at Ariel.
She shrugged.
"I ain't do nothing."
"I didn't say you did."
"Your face did."
I walked over.
"What's up?"
Tia handed me a folded piece of paper.
"Your thirty-day training evaluation."
I frowned.
"I ain't been here thirty days."
"It's not yours."
"Oh."
She laughed.
"I need you to take it upstairs to Casey after lunch. She'll show you where it goes."
"Okay."
"Also, you're doing good."
That caught me off guard.
"For real?"
"No, I just like lying to new employees."
I smiled.
"Thank you."
"You're still slow."
My smile disappeared.
Casey laughed.
"Damn, can I enjoy my compliment?"
"Get faster and you can."
"Yes, ma'am."
I walked away shaking my head.
Ariel was waiting near the break room.
"What she want?"
"To tell me I'm amazing."
"She definitely didn't say that."
"Basically."
"Nyrobi."
"She said I'm doing good."
Ariel smiled.
"See."
"And then called me slow."
"There go the Tia I know."
We laughed and went inside.
By the end of my shift, my body was ready to go home.
I clocked out and was halfway toward the employee exit when I heard my name.
"Nyrobi?"
I stopped.
That voice sounded familiar.
I turned around.
Kaizleigh stood a few feet away from me.
For a second, both of us just stared at each other.
Then her face lit up.
"Oh my God."
I smiled.
"Hey."
"What are you doing here?"
I looked down at my black uniform.
"Working."
She laughed.
"I see that. I mean here."
"I work for the company that handles housekeeping."
"Walker?"
"Yeah."
She shook her head.
"This is crazy."
"That's what I said when I found out whose hotel this was."
"You knew?"
"Not at first."
I laughed.
"Your husband came through doing a walkthrough a few days ago and that's when I put everything together."
"Did he recognize you?"
"Girl, no."
She laughed.
"I don't think he really saw me that day anyway,” I added.
"He was on that phone half the time."
"Exactly."
Kaizleigh looked me over.
"How's your mom?"
"She's home."
"Really?"
"Yep. Got discharged the morning after I started here."
"That's good."
"It is. She's already getting on my nerves again, so I know she feeling better."
Kaizleigh laughed.
"That's usually how it works."
"How about you?"
The smile stayed on her face, but something about it changed.
"I'm good."
I remembered enough about our conversation at the hospital to know that answer probably had more behind it, but I wasn't about to get in this woman's business in the middle of her hotel.
"I'm glad."
"Thank you."
A man in a suit walked up and handed Kaizleigh a folder.
"Mrs. Stylez, they're ready whenever you are."
"Okay. Give me one minute."
He walked away.
I adjusted my purse on my shoulder.
"I'm finna get out your way."
"You're fine."
"I need to get home anyway."
Kaizleigh nodded.
"It was really good seeing you again."
"You too."
"And I'm glad your mom is doing better."
"Thank you."
I started walking away before she called me again.
"Nyrobi."
I turned around.
"Yeah?"
"How do you like it here?"
"The hotel? Working here."
"I like it."
"For real?"
"Yeah. It's hard work, but I needed the job, and Tiffany gave me a chance when I really needed one."
She nodded.
"Tiffany's good people."
"She is."
"Well, I'm glad you're here."
I smiled.
"Me too."
"Have a good night."
"You too."
I turned and headed toward the employee exit. By the time I made it outside, I was smiling to myself.
What were the damn chances? First the hospital. Then her husband walking past me at work. Now her. Orlando wasn't that damn small.
I did the dash getting home talking to Kendra the entire ride I had to tell her all about my day.
"Girl, you met who?" she exclaimed.
I had barely gotten through my front door before Kendra started yelling through my phone.
"I already told you I met her at the hospital."
"That ain't what I'm talking about. You telling me the lady from the hospital owns the hotel you cleaning?"
"Her and her husband."
"That's some Lifetime movie shit."
I laughed and kicked my shoes off.
"Everything ain't a movie."
"You right. This sound more like one of them books you be reading."
"Goodbye."
"I'm serious. What she say?"
"Nothing crazy. She asked about my mama and how I liked working there."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"Was she nice?"
"Very."
"Husband fine?"
I stopped.
"Kendra."
"What?"
"How you even get there?"
"You said husband."
"And?"
"So I'm asking."
I laughed.
"Yes."
"How fine?"
"Girl, Google him."
"Oh, I'm finna."
I headed into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.
My mama had actually eaten the food Kendra bought instead of ordering something she had no business eating.
That was progress too.
"What's his name?" Kendra asked.
"Billion Stylez."
The phone got quiet.
"Kendra?"
"Hold on."
I laughed.
"You Googling him already?"
"Shut up."
A few seconds passed.
Then she screamed.
"NYROBI!"
I snatched the phone away from my ear.
"Bitch!"
"That's him?"
"Yes!"
"Chyyyy."
I laughed.
"What?"
"His wife better than me."
"What you mean?"
"Because if my husband looked like this, his ass would work from home."
I damn near dropped the water I was holding.
"Kendra, shut the fuck up!"
"I'm serious."
"That man probably got a hundred businesses."
"Then he can run all hundred from the living room."
I laughed so hard my stomach started hurting.
"You stupid."
"I know these women at that hotel be looking."
"Of course they look. They got eyes."
"And you?"
"I got eyes too."
"Mhmm."
"Don't mhmm me. That man married."
"So?"
"So nothing. I can say somebody attractive without wanting to fuck them."
"I didn't say you wanted to."
"Your mhmm did."
She laughed.
"Okay, okay."
I grabbed the mail off the counter and started flipping through it.
Most of it was junk. Then I saw the envelope from the electric company.
My mood changed.
"Hold on."
"What?"
I opened it. It was the same balance and same warning. Only now there was a shutoff date attached to it.
I looked at the calendar on the refrigerator.
My first check wouldn't hit until two days after.
"Fuck."
"What happened?"
"Light bill."
"How much?"
"I got it."
"Nyrobi."
"I said I got it."
"You just said fuck like somebody died."
I leaned against the counter.
"They saying they can shut it off before I get paid."
"How much?"
"Two fourteen."
"I'll send it."
"No."
"Girl."
"No. You already bought groceries and picked my mama up from the hospital. I'm not taking no more money from you."
"I didn't say you had to take it. Pay me back."
"I can call them tomorrow."
"And say what?"
"Ask for an extension."
Kendra got quiet.
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"If they say no, call me."
"I will."
"You better."
"I said I will."
My mama walked into the kitchen.
"Who you fussing with?"
"Kendra."
"Tell her I said hey."
Kendra yelled through the phone.
"HEY AUNTIE!"
My mama laughed.
"Hey, baby."
I shook my head.
"Y'all loud."
My mama opened the cabinet.
"Where my chips?"
I stared at her.
"You can't be serious."
"What?"
"I told you I wasn't buying them. You thought I was playing?"
Kendra started laughing through the phone.
"I gotta go."
"No, stay on the phone and help me explain to this woman why she can't eat salt and vinegar chips."
"Leave me out of family business."
"Bitch, you family!"
"Not today."
She hung up.
I stared at the phone.
"Fake ass friend."
My mama was still digging through the cabinet.
"Did you at least get plain?"
"No!"
"Damn."
I started laughing.
"Go sit down somewhere."
She rolled her eyes and headed back toward the living room. I looked down at the electric bill again. Two hundred and fourteen dollars shouldn't have felt like two thousand but when you didn't have it, it might as well have been.
I folded the paper and put it back inside the envelope. Tomorrow I'd call. If they gave me an extension, cool. If they didn't, I'd figure something else out. That's what I always did.