ISAAC
“And this is your room,”my tour guide said, making me snort when he opened his arms and wiggled his fingers as if revealing a grand piece of art. Reggie was enthusiastic. “Or should I say, five-star accommodations.”
“Thanks. Room works just fine for me,” I said, smiling and taking in what would be my living space for the next few weeks. It was nicer than places I’d rented, but not nearly as nice as some of the places I’d stayed in before. Then again, when you were selling your company, and potentially your bod, to people at a high rate, you got used to seeing how the other half lived. Still, I had to admit the resort was at least trying to live up to the reputation and pictures online because the room looked like the one they advertised as the place ‘guests,’ as they called them, stayed. And apparently, they didn’t offer rooms based on how much a person was willing to pay. Not only did they say everyone was treated equally, but apparently, they were dedicated to making sure of it.
“I’d give you the tour, but I’ll leave that up to your Guide,” Reggie explained. A Guide was apparently an employee designated to be a companion, mini therapist, and tour guide. I’d yet to meet mine, but Reggie assured me they were meticulousin their selection process, trying to ensure that Guide and Guest were compatible. “But the pad next to your door lets you communicate with the system, or if need be, a person. There are different modes, but the one most people use is for privacy, which means no one can enter your room. Mind you, your Guide or any of the administrative staff, like myself, can access the room, but they have to use an override code. It’s not done lightly, and you’ll be alerted if the override disengages privacy mode.”
I chuckled. “It’s nice to know someone won’t walk in on me while I’m changing without a warning at least.”
Reggie grinned. “It also lets you set up a schedule, so if you want to have privacy at certain times, you can. You can look up when things are happening and sign up for them, or even vote on upcoming meals. Unsurprisingly, the food thing is a lot more popular than daily scheduling.”
“Food is fun. Organization? Not as much,” I said as he sighed. “You designed the system, right?”
He cocked his head. “Sort of? I led the team that designed it, and I’m the one maintaining it. How did you know?”
I smiled. “You seem eager to explain the system, and there’s a note of pride you can’t shake. It’s the same attitude people have when they’re showing off without trying to.”
Reggie laughed. “Alright, alright, yeah, I’m a little proud.”
“Be proud of it. I can’t say I know a lot about computers or programming, but I know enough to know that creating an intricate system like that from the ground up is hard work and takes a lot of time,” I told him. “So feel free to brag.”
He grinned. “Don’t let Marc hear you say that or he’ll start waving at you to stop.”
“Marc?”
“Ah, Mr. Shepherd. The original investor in the resort who oversees everything.”
“I thought you did that.”
“Well, as Operations Manager, yes, I am supposed to oversee everything, but he does as well, and he deals with the outside administrative work. I try to handle everything to do with the people and the systems, and he handles the messier side.”
“Business?”
“Business,” Reggie confirmed gravely, as if Mr. Shepherd’s job was an ugly necessity he wouldn’t wish on anyone. To be fair, I wouldn’t blame him. I knew how ruthless and tight-fisted people with money could be. Mr. Shepherd was either very good at dealing with that echelon of society, or he was exceptionally stubborn and well-connected.
A beep from the device on the wall made us turn, and when the door opened, I cocked my head in interest as a well-built blond man entered. Reggie grinned at him, but the man only rolled his eyes and flashed me a smile. “Hi there, I’m Luka.”
“My Guide?” I wondered, keeping my curiosity about their interactions to myself as I shook Luka’s hand. It was ingrained in me to read a situation as it was unfolding. It was also ingrained in me to find what someone was happiest or proudest of, just as I had done without thinking when it was obvious how proud Reggie was of the system. You didn’t make your living and build a reputation as an excellent companion for the night or weekend by not learning how to read, or even manipulate, people into liking you.
“That’s me,” Luka said. “Don’t get too excited, though, I’ve only helped one other guest, and the results were mixed depending on who you ask.”
Reggie sighed. “Don’t mind Luka. He’s a sweetheart, and he’s good at what he does; he’s just dramatic.”
“I prefer honest,” Luka said with a shrug.
“I’m not worried about how experienced you are,” I said with a smile. “You wouldn’t be the first inexperienced guy I’ve had to deal with.”
Luka blinked. “What?”
I looked between them. “Uh...do you not know what I’ve done for work over the past few years?”
“No,” Luka said with a laugh. “There’s a policy that Guides are only given minimum information about their guests. So any health issues or allergies, or if there’s anything significant we need to avoid, like helping someone with combat-related PTSD avoid loud noises. Otherwise, I don’t know much except your name, age, and... that’s about it, actually. Reggie knows, but he’s not going to tell.”
“I will not,” Reggie said with a grin.
“Interesting. Why?” I wondered.
Luka looked at Reggie, who shot him a meaningful stare, making Luka roll his eyes before speaking. “The intention is that it fosters a more organic way of building a relationship between us. We both know the same about each other, so it puts us on an equal footing. Not surprisingly, a lot of people are unnerved by the idea that someone might know a lot about them before you’ve barely learned their name.”
