Sage’s fingers quickly flew over the keyboard, scanning the reservations. “I apologize, Mr. Diamant. Could you let me know what day it is you’re expected? I’m not seeing a reservation in that name any time in the next week.”
“Well, of course you wouldn’t see it, you stupid fool.” Diamant was talking as if he had a huge audience, instead of a party of one on the other end of the call. “I haven’t made the booking yet. I’m making it now. Tomorrow night. Party of four. We’ll take the executive suite on the fifth floor. What time is check-in?”
Sage didn’t even have to check the reservation screen to know that the suite wasn’t available. “My apologies, Mr. Diamant, but the hotel is fully booked out until the second of January. Would you like to make a booking for that date?”
A growl came over the line. “How am I expected to attend the krakens’ party if I’m not due to arrive until the day after New Year’s Day? Do something, man. Swap some things around. Don’t you know who I am?”
Sage swallowed the lump in his throat. He really wasn’t keen on people speaking to him in such a confrontational tone, buthe also couldn’t magically create a whole new room at the Regis Hotel just because somebody was yelling at him. “I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Diamant, but the hotel is absolutely full. The earliest booking we have available is January the second. For the particular suite you asked for, that’s not available until January fifth.”
“Listen, you. I’m a personal friend of the owners. I have an invitation to their party. I demand you make me a booking, or I’m going to file a complaint about your behavior – don’t think that I won’t!”
Closing his eyes, Sage tried to focus on a calm he wasn’t feeling. “As a personal friend of the owners, I would suggest you contact them directly to file your complaint, then, sir. Alternatively, the reception manager will be available at seven in the morning. For reference, for your complaint, my name is Sage. I’m the temporary reception clerk at the Regis Hotel. My contract expires on January 1st, so I suggest you contact them before then.
“However, with regards to your booking request, the executive suite you mentioned on the fifth floor is booked until January 5th. We do have executive suites on the third or sixth floor that are available from January 2nd if you are happy to be accommodated there.”It’s not like I can offer you anything else.
“You’re telling me you can’t get me overnight accommodation on the night of the biggest party of the year? A party I have an invitation for?”
“I can’t take your booking as there are no rooms available, sir.”
“We’ll see about that, won’t we?”
Sage quickly muted his earpiece. Whoever was on the other end of the call clearly had an old rotary phone and had smashed the handset into the body of the phone. It was not pleasant.
“I’m not sure what I should do in this situation,” he said to George, who was still watching him from the door. “Do I leave a note letting Barry know that Mr. Diamant called and that he’ll be filing a complaint about me? Or should I leave his name and number so Barry can contact Mr. Diamant if a customer cancels? I didn’t think to even offer that.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. You would be amazed at how many of the guests claim to personally know the owners. The owners don’t give a shit about any of that. You’re handling things fine.”
“I should’ve offered to contact him if a cancellation came in.” Sage looked at his screen. He didn’t want to call back but…
“Honestly, don’t worry about it. This happens every time the bosses have a party – sensible people make their bookings early, and no one is going to cancel. Face it. We haven’t got the room here at the moment to squeeze in a mouse shifter, let alone anybody else. Mr. Diamant is just another one of our bosses’ friends who thinks they are entitled to anything they demand with the click of their fingers. They are not your concern, so I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“Are you sure about that?” Sage was still mentally kicking himself for forgetting about possible cancellations.
“We don’t get cancellations here.” George laughed. “It’s clear you haven’t worked in hospitality before.”
“No. No, I haven’t. Research labs aren’t run anything like this hotel.”
George just laughed as he went out to open the car door for somebody who had pulled up outside the entrance. Moments later, there was a flurry of activity as three people - it looked like two fae and a vampire from what Sage could tell - stumbled in, bottles of wine still in their hands, as they made their way tothe elevator. There were a couple of shrieks as the elevator door closed.
Shaking his head, Sage checked the screen to make sure that the mess in room 424 had already been dealt with. The job was now highlighted in green, and Sage saw that the housekeeping staff had cleared that job while he was on the call with Mr. Diamant.Thank goodness for that.
His appetite gone, Sage took what was left of his sandwich and stuffed it back in his bag. The night shift hours were catching up with him, and he was really tired. A check of the clock let him know he had two hours left to go before Barry would be back in to relieve him.
At least by working the night shift, it meant Sage had the perfect excuse to sleep through the day, which in turn gave him an equally good excuse for ignoring any calls or messages on his phone – he muted it while he was sleeping.
His parents had tried to call a couple of times, and Sage had no interest in talking to them. They clearly wanted money – they had probably wiped themselves out financially over Christmas, as was common for them, and were looking for a handout.The only time they ever get in touch with me at all is when they want something, Sage thought glumly.
But still, a workplace, even one Sage was committed to temporarily, was not the place for thinking about the shit show of his early life. He’d come a long way from when Marty’s mom was the only person who ensured he was fed. The phone started ringing again. Sage pressed the button on the phone pad and tapped his earbud. “Front desk, Sage speaking. How may I help you this morning?”
Chapter Four
Nic
“Well, that didn’t go as planned. Are you doing okay?”
Nic, still pulling himself out of the water, just shook his head as he and Luc made their way up to the house. Suggesting the visit to the Oracle did not go as planned was a massive understatement, and Nic was still trying to process what they’d been told.
Every prior visit had ended in disappointment. Some years the Oracle was shrouded in darkness, and Nic used to complain to Luc that she should put a “back in ten days” sign up or something similar. It’s not like the Oracle, who could see all, wouldn’t know they were making the trip.
