CHAPTER ONE
Scarlett
Friday - Current Day
Shoes, shoes, shoes, whereare you? I’m going to be so freaking late today, and I can’t be late. Not again today. No, no, no. “Brenny? Sweetie, have you seen my Jimmy’s?”
I’m storming down the hundred-year-old oak floors that are colder than an exposed pair of balls hanging out in the middle of the snow. I peek into the spare room, but there’s nothing except a perfectly tidy room with an overly priced futon and a side table, complete with healthy, living flowers—no thanks to me.
I make my way to the small galley kitchen, finding Brendan poking at a bowl full of fresh fruit while thumbing through this week’s edition of US Weekly. “Shoes? Have you seen my Jimmy’s? I’m going to be—”
“Are you aware that you are running late every single morning? I’m only mentioning it to save you from the act of saying it out loud every day. I know you’re late. It’s five minutes to seven, and you can’t remember that you left your shoes by the front door where you dropped them last night as you limped in, complaining about the pain in your feet.”
I curl my lip into a snarling pout. “What crawled up your butt this morning?” I ask.
“I’m just trying to meditate for a bit before my shift starts, and your crankiness offsets my mood.”
“I’m not cranky,” I argue.
“Okay, well you’re full of tar-like stress. It’s sticking to me.”
I slouch my shoulders and sigh as I eyeball my shoes by the door. “Well, I apologize for disturbing your meditation.” I race to the door and slip my shoes on. “By the way, you do know what meditation is, right?”
“It’s the act of becoming one with your soul while releasing negativity to allow space for an abundance of positive vibes.”
“And you do that by reading a trash mag?” I ask.
He looks at me like I’m crazy. “Um … yeah?”
“Well, whatever flips your switch.” I prance over in my heels and give a peck on the cheek. “Love you, schnookums. Have a fabulous day.”
“Love you, more, babykins. Remember what I said yesterday, don’t look Dick in the eye when you get to work, and everything will be okay. I’m sure no one will notice you’re twenty minutes late again.”
I blow Brendan another kiss and fly out the door. Just as I make it to the bottom step, I hear the bus rumbling along.Shit, I can’t miss this one.
Somehow, by the luck of whatever is up in heaven and still watching over me, I make the bus, and settle into a free corner where I can wedge my body between a seat and a handrail.
Don’t look Dick in the eye … I just realized what he said. That should be a meme or something. It’s a good rule for life. Nothing good could ever come out of looking a dick in the eye. Although, I’ve been there, done that, and learned the hard way.
There are five stops between Matthewson Street and Firebank Avenue, but at least my stop is just a block from the hotel, even though it feels more like three blocks in these heels.
Oh look, I’m only seven minutes late today. So, that’s something. Maybe Dick will notice my improvement?
Crap, Dick is behind the desk, which means Devin left on time, which means it was brought to Dick’s attention that I wasn’t here on time, again. Devin hates me. I’d probably hate me too after an overnight shift, but I’ve never been rude to him. On the contrary, I try to kiss his ass. It doesn’t work, though.
I drop off my coat in the back room on one of the four hooks along the wall that’s covered in employee reminders and laws, including a memo about cleaning our hands after we use the bathroom. That flyer continues to concern me. Every day since it has been posted, I wonder who complained. Who realized this was an issue, and how many people forget to wash their hands after using the bathroom? My thoughts return to the present moment as I remember Dick is out front waiting for me.
I should not look him in the eye, but it’s hard to avoid when he’s staring at me with arms folded over his chest. I’ll just punch into the computer and pretend like he’s not there. All will be well, and he can go on his merry little way, checking up on housekeeping.
“Scarlett,” he says in his purposeful, unnaturally deep voice. “You’re late again.”
“Sorry, the bus—”
“Nope, the buses can’t be blamed for tardiness. May I remind you how imperative it is for you arrive at work on time? We have guests who need to check in, and it’s unfair to the other employees that have worked overnight shifts to cover for you when you can’t manage to arrive here when you’re supposed to.” He only notices the negative attributes of my work ethic. I have been here for years and know everything about this hotel like the back of my hand. The guests love me. I’ve even received the Employee of the Month award many times, no thanks to Dick and his tardy guard.
Yikes. He’s seriously pissed today. Dick tends to be stiff around his employees, but apparently, we’re beyond that. “I’m so sorry, I won’t let it happen again.” What else am I supposed to say? It’s hard getting up at six in the morning to get here by seven. I feel like a zombie before the caffeine settles, and I skipped coffee this morning just so I could be here close to on time. This world just needs fewer expectations. Or maybe, Dick just needs to find a VaJane.
“‘Sorry’ isn’t going to cut it anymore, Scarlett. Management and I had a meeting last night and—”
