by Parker, Ali
“Fine. I’ll come with you.” She motioned to her shorts and tank top. “I’m going to have to borrow some clothes though. Since I’m not going on shift, I’m not bothering with going home to get my uniform, but I can’t exactly go to the hotel in beach wear.”
“Mi casa, su casa.” I lifted the coffee cup to my lips and took a long sip. The liquid had cooled some, but it was strong and bitter. Perfect. “I’ll go shower. Help yourself to anything in my closet.”
Tiffany whistled when we got to the hotel. “This is the busiest I’ve ever seen it.”
“Yeah,” I whispered. The lobby was packed. There was a queue of people standing outside the breakfast area, a throng of more guests waiting by the elevators and a small crowd clamoring around the front desk.
A thrill of satisfaction ran through me. Surely there couldn’t be cuts when the hotel was busier than ever. And I did this.
It was the most rewarding feeling I’d had in a very, very long time. But I couldn’t take all the credit. There was one person I had to thank for all this. Blake. And he wasn’t even here so I could. The feeling that followed my realization wasn’t nearly as pleasant as the one I’d had just a minute before.
Please let me get a chance to at least thank him for this. I owed him that much.
Chapter 26
Blake
That was my second night in a row in the same clothes, I realized when I woke up.
Awesome. I was becoming a hospital hermit. I was even starting to smell like the hospital. For two days, I kept promising myself I only needed another hour or so with Dad.
After the hour or two passed, I decided to stay just another hour or two. And round and round I went. Two days later and I still hadn’t gone anywhere.
I groaned and shifted on the chair next to Dad’s hospital bed. The same chair I spent the night only semi-sleeping on. A spring was sticking into my ass. I smelled like hospital and shit. My muscles were stiff.
Tonight, I really had to go to the hotel and get some sleep in a real bed. Stretching my arms, I rolled my head to the side just in time to see Danny parting the curtains to walk into the room.
“Rise and shine, Blake.” Danny had clearly slept better than I had. He was looking shiny, clean and new in a gray morning suit and a cup of actual coffee, not the flavored dishwasher I’d been drinking here at the hospital. “Wake up, little brother. It’s time to get back to work.”
“Fuck off,” I mumbled, hooking my arm over the railing of Dad’s bed and resting my forehead on my elbow. “I’m going back to sleep.”
“No.” Danny’s voice was sharp in the tiny glass bubble. I flinched, waiting for a reaction from Dad. There was none. Danny cleared his throat and shut the door to Dad’s room quietly behind him. “Get up. I’m being serious. It’s time to get back to work.”
I flipped him off, burying my head under my arm when it came back down. “Jesus, it’s only your second day in charge and I’m fed up with you already.”
Danny snorted. “You were fed up with me before I even took over.”
Forming a gun with my hand, I pretended to fire. “Right on target. What do want, Dan? What’s so damn urgent it can’t wait until Dad gets a little better?”
Finally, I lifted my head to look at him. When I saw the look in his eyes, I wished I kept my head down. The suspicion I had about what he was going to do was about to prove true.
“I had a meeting this morning. We’re going to go ahead and make some cuts at some of the smaller McAllen Properties.” I should have found someone to bet with that the cuts were going to be one of his first moves. I wouldn’t have bet on them being the very first, but I still would’ve won something.
God knew I could have used the win to help bolster me through the next few days. “Dad gave California some time, Danny. Are you really going to go against his wishes as your first act in charge?”
He shook his head. “I said some of the smaller branches. California has their stay for the next few days, but you’re going to have to go and share the bad news at the other branches. Cindy emailed you a list.”
I checked my phone. “I have over two thousand unread emails, it’s going to take me some time to find hers.”
“No, it’s not.” He crossed his arms. “You and I both know you can find her email in less than ten seconds, so find it. I’m going to need you on a plane today. We’re bleeding money at some of those branches. There’s no time to waste.”
Tired of looking up at him, I stood. “I’m not leaving today, not with Dad like this.”
I dropped my eyes to father’s frail form. Danny was quiet for a minute. “I know you don’t want to leave him, bro. Trust me, I hate to even ask you this, but one of us needs to go do it and I’m needed here.”
To his credit, he managed to sound like he really was sorry. It was a crock of shit, though. Neither of us had to be personally present for cuts to be made, but Danny wasn’t done. “The company needs this, Blake. You know what the numbers are saying better than I do and we can’t afford to be losing that kind of money. You wouldn’t be doing this for me, you’re doing it for Dad. So he has a company to come back to.”
“Are you seriously trying to use my empathy for our father by telling me I’d be doing this for him?” I asked, totally incredulous.
“I’m not trying to use your empathy against you, I’m telling you the truth. If you and I don’t do something about this, there’s not going to be much for Dad to come back to.”
“The numbers aren’t worse than they were last week. If this was what he wanted, he would’ve called me when he still could. Don’t pretend like this is for him now that he doesn’t have a voice anymore. I’m not leaving him like this.”
Danny released a heavy breath. “Dad’s going to be fine, Blake. He’ll be okay. When he gets back, I’d like to be able to give him good news.
I opened my mouth to ask him how telling Dad we’d made cuts he didn’t ask for was good news, just as the doctor walked in. He heard the last part of Danny’s sentence and smiled. “It’s good to hear you boys took my advice and that you’re staying positive.”
Danny grinned. “Our father is a strong man. This thing won’t beat him.”
Doctor Richards lifted his tablet in Dad’s direction. “We just got some more test results back and I wanted to give you the news immediately. I think your dad is going to be okay. There’s no telling when he’ll wake up, but we’re expecting it will be soon. The results look better than we expected.”
“You hear that, Blake? He’s going to be fine.” Danny repeated what the doctor said proudly, almost like he was responsible for Dad’s progress.
My brother was really getting on my nerves, but this wasn’t the time or place to get into it. Instead, I smiled at the doctor. “Thank you for letting us know, Doctor. That’s good to hear.”
“You’re welcome. It’s always a pleasure to share good news.” He walked to one of the machines, pressing buttons until the screen changed to show him some kind of information. He made sounds under his breath before turning back to us. “Everything looks good. There’s really nothing more you boys can do here for now. Your Dad is going to survive, but once he wakes up he’s going to have a lot of recovering to do.”
Elation swelled in my chest at the words. Dad was going to survive. It was the best news I could remember getting—ever. “Should we start making arrangements with a recovery clinic or something?”
A part of me hoped he said yes. If he did, I could take care of that and the cuts would either have to wait or Danny would have to do it his damn self.
“That’s not necessary just yet. We’ll have to wait until he wakes up to determine his exact state and what kind of assistance he may need. He may have to stay here at the hospital for a while longer, or he could even go home with a nurse after a few days.”
If I knew my dad, it was going to be the latter. “I’ll start looking for nurses then.”
“That won’t be necessary either, son,” Doctor R
ichards smiled kindly. “If that is the option we decide on once he’s awake, the hospital can provide you with a nurse. We have many excellent nurses who take care of our outpatients at their homes.”
Danny shot me a triumphant look that made me want to punch him in the face. Or the balls. “Dad doesn’t need us for now, then?”
The doctor inclined his head. “He’s going to need a lot of support once he’s awake. My advice to you would be to get some well-deserved rest now while you can.”
His eyes drifted to mine before he continued. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a suit that crumpled, son. You need to take care of yourselves now. That way you’ll be at your best and ready to help when your dad wakes up.”
“We need to take care of Dad’s company, too,” Danny said, locking his gaze to mine. “There are some difficult things that need to be done. We should take care of that before Dad has to. I’m sure he’s going to have to keep calm and out of stressful situations once he’s discharged.”
Doctor Richards nodded his agreement. Traitorous bastard. “He’s going to have to steer clear of anything too stressful during his recovery. Even minor things can sometimes stress out patients in his situation much more than usual. Too much stress will have him back here in no time.”
I shoved a hand into my hair. If Dad had to avoid stress, I was actually going to have to do this. “I hear you, Doc.”
Nodding to Danny, I grabbed my jacket from the floor beside my chair. I didn’t even notice when it fell. Dusting it off, I said to my brother, “Fine, I’ll pull up your list and get right on it. I’m not doing it for you, though. I’m doing it for Dad. He doesn’t need this shit between us in his life when he wakes up.”
Danny didn’t question me. He didn’t have reason to. He was getting his way, if not for the reasons he might’ve hoped. Either way, I would obey his fucking orders. “I’ll keep you updated with what’s happening here on the ground.”
“Thanks.” I hated to leave, but I would do what needed to be done. I was a good soldier that way. Hand me my weapons, and I would march off into any war for my dad. My weapon of the day was the list Danny’s secretary had apparently sent.
I would make the cuts I needed to make, but no more than that. If I was the one at the branches, at least the final call would be mine to make.
After gathering my stuff and saying goodbye to Danny and the doctor, I headed out of the hospital for the first time since the night the cabbie dropped me off. In a way, I was hugely relieved to be leaving Florida for a little while. I would be back as soon as my dad opened his eyes, but it would be nice having something else to focus on again for the time being.
When my feet hit the pavement outside, I stopped and inhaled the fresh sea breeze. It tasted like salt and freedom. My eyes drifted across the parking lot in search of a free cab.
They rested on one that was just pulling up. I started toward it, looking left and right before jogging across to where it was parking. A woman opened the door and got out.
She was dressed in all black and was even wearing a hat. We had gotten good news that morning, but I guessed it was the opposite for her.
My heart went out to her but I couldn’t help sending up a silent thank you that we hadn't received the same news she did this morning. She rushed past me and as she did, the strangest thing happened. I felt a lingering flash of familiarity.
She was gone before I could get a good look at her or pass along my condolences for her obvious loss. I hopped in her cab just as she was racing through the hospital doors.
As I asked the driver to take me to the airport, I dismissed the memory of the connection I felt to the woman. There were far more important things that needed my attention right now.
Chapter 27
Aston
Tiffany and I were both manning the front desk on Monday afternoon. With the influx of guests we were experiencing after implementing all the changes Blake had helped with and suggested, we were going to need extra front desk staff at peak times.
One person working by herself wasn’t enough anymore. I helped when I could, but more guests meant more work for me, too. I also couldn’t work our systems as fast as she could.
I was working as quickly as I could to get guests checked in, but it felt like my line was longer every time I lifted my head. It seemed like the ad I took out at the airport as well as the free shuttle service between the airport and the hotel was paying off big time.
Both of those things were Blake's ideas and I still hadn’t thanked him for either. The hotel was busier than ever and still getting better and busier yet.
At the rate we were going, I had no doubt that our mediocre numbers will have shot through the roof by the time they were reported again. I handed a key card to a sharply dressed woman in front of me and gave her a friendly smile. "We hope you have a pleasant stay. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do for you."
If all of these guests ended up taking me up on my offer to do whatever I could to make their stay more comfortable, I was going to be running around for the rest of my life. Luckily, so far the complaints weren’t increasing along with the guest numbers. I was really proud of the staff for how they were maintaining our quality of service despite having so many more guests.
Now all we had to do was to keep it up. A feat which was much easier said than done.
When Tiffany and I were finally done checking in the latest crowd of people, she turned to me with a pouty smile on her face. “I think we may have to take some of what Blake did down. I'm not sure exactly what it is that is attracting so many people, but this is too much work.”
I rolled my eyes, chuckling at my friend. “Think of it as making up for all those days you got paid without doing too much for your money.”
Tiffany laughed. “I liked those days. I miss them, actually.”
“I prefer it this way.” I told her. I wasn’t just saying it either. I was really proud of what we'd accomplished in just a little more than a week. Most of it had been Blake’s ideas, but my staff and I were responsible for building on them and getting them implemented so quickly.
We had all worked together like a well-oiled machine these last few days. We were a great team and every single person had made a valuable contribution. I made a mental note of telling Blake this when I saw him again. There wasn’t a person on my team we could afford to lose.
Though I hadn’t heard from him after he left, I was sure he would be back. Deep down in my heart, I knew that as soon as whatever situation had called him away was resolved, he would be back to see me.
Okay, so he might also be back for his suits. I learned after he left that he had never checked out, and according to housekeeping, his stuff was still in his room. It reaffirmed my belief that something terrible was happening.
If he left without checking out or even packing up his stuff, it had to be real bad. Having decided that he probably needed some time to deal with whatever it was and also knowing that he would call me back eventually, I hadn't called him again.
If he wanted to talk, he would call. In the meantime, I worried about him but I kept it to myself. The last thing I needed was for the staff to find out that Blake McAllen himself was not only a guest in the hotel, but that he left because there were problems somewhere. It would start a panic to impress him when he got back and if word of trouble spread, they would lose their focus.
No, I would hold down the fort until he got back. When I knew what was going on, I would share what I had to with the staff. The problem might not even be work related. There was no use worrying everyone when we didn’t know what was up.
There was still a lot I didn’t know about Blake. He could easily have been called away on a personal issue which didn’t involve any of us at all. I wasn’t going to read into the way he left before I had more information. It wouldn’t do anyone any good.
Pushing my thoughts about Blake away, I turned to Tiffany and started explaining why I liked the hotel being busier. As I turned
, the low male voice of a reporter on the television behind her grabbed my attention.
“In business news this afternoon, we’re talking about the McAllen Property Group,” the man said. I stilled. Something about his expression made my palms clammy.
“Is he talking about our company?” Tiffany’s eyes grew wide when she spun round to face the television.
Nodding, I replied. “I think so.”
“Turn it up,” she demanded, her eyes glued to the screen.
Being closest to the television, I reached up and hit the volume button on the side of the screen a few times. I didn’t turn it up too much, for fear that the entire lobby would hear.
Since the report was on the news, I had no doubt everyone would hear about it sooner or later anyway, but I wanted a chance to prepare for whatever was coming.
The reporter on the business news desk was a young guy, maybe my age, with short cropped blond hair and an ill-fitting suit. I wondered if the guy knew his dramatic pauses were going to give me a cardiac event if he didn't spit out whatever it was he had to say.
“The company has been in the news recently for making announcements about some big expansion plans. We already know they are expanding their footprint both at home and internationally by adding a few more properties to their growing collection, as they announced awhile back. The company also surprised investors recently when it announced plans to expand into social media."
“Get on with it,” Tiffany urged the reporter. She took a few steps closer to the television and glared at the guy the way men sometimes did while watching sports—like the reporter was a referee who made a bad call.
It would have been funny if I wasn’t even more anxious to know what was coming than she was.
“Danny McAllen, son of CEO Wayne McAllen, spoke at a news conference this morning where he shocked the business world once again by announcing that the company was kicking off a round of major cutbacks. The eventual heir to the throne of one of the major hotel groups of our time said the family was saddened by the necessity to make cutbacks at some of their branches but stated that the sacrifice was necessary in order to further the interests of the company.”