Surrendering His Heart

by David Horne

  “What are you talking about?” George asked with heat. “I do everything I can.”

  Ashley looked as if he physically slapped her. “I will not have that attitude, George. You can’t talk to me like that in front of another employee.”

  “But it’s okay for you to talk to me like this?” He walked away from the open doorway.

  Ashley’s chair backed against the wall with a bang. She appeared in the doorway. The lobby was void of guests. “How dare you speak to me like that? You keep it up, George, and you’ll have to find another job too.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  It wasn’t the housekeeping that bothered George. He appreciated the ability to look at a job well done. Housekeeping took time, and George welcomed the opportunity to step away from the front desk. When he returned periodically, the lobby became Raymond’s lounging space. The man lay on the couch and watched cable television. It was the disappointment of the diminished capacity he hated. Ashley had reduced him to a useful tool.

  George checked the guest ledger and resupplied the housekeeping cart.

  “I’m going up to the second floor,” he told Raymond. The man lay dozing on the couch. “You can call each of the empty rooms if you need me.”

  Half-opened and glazed eyes stared at George.

  “Just make sure you don’t call any occupied rooms.”

  Raymond stared at George. His arms folded across his chest, lying back against the cushions on the lobby sofa. His shoes pressed on the arm of the sofa. He said nothing. The camera over the front desk caught only a part of the lounging area in the lobby. It was impossible to know if Raymond sleeping on the couch showed up on video. And if his actions had no impact on Ashley, what difference did it make? George left the man to doze and went to the second floor of the hotel.

  “What are you doing?” Duncan stood in the doorway of the vacant room on the second floor. He frowned at George.

  Instead of answering directly, George held up the toilet brush and spray bottle.

  “Did Ashley fire the cleaning staff?”

  “Angel was leaving anyway. I think she just decided it was easier to leave now than wait for Ashley to accuse her of being an illegal alien.”

  “That woman is impossible. Duncan asked. “I’m interested to see what the current owners have to say about guest complaints.”

  “Ashley takes care of all that.” George sat on the edge of the bed. He’d already changed the linen and emptied the trashcans. He saved the bathrooms for last. Duncan walked into the hotel suite and looked around the room. It was spotless.

  “You’re wasting your talents on the front end, George.” He grinned.

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re feeling depressed because Ashley is making it hard on you.”

  “She’s made some comments to the new guy that really bothered me.”

  “I think I know her well enough now to think anything she says can’t be good or helpful.”

  George frowned. “I’m not sure there’s anything I can do about it. She’s closed all the doors except the exit.”

  “Any word on Carl’s laptop?” Duncan asked.

  George shook his head. “I talked to Carl earlier tonight. He said whoever took the computer hasn’t tried to turn it on yet.”

  Duncan nodded. “You know what that means, right?”

  George shook his head. “No, actually, I don’t.”

  “Carl said the computer is tracked as soon as it has a WiFi signal. If someone turns it on, he’ll get an alert.” Duncan sat on the edge of the bed.

  He sat next to Duncan for a long while, enjoying the man’s company and the scent of his mild cologne. Here was a confident man who didn’t mind sharing company with George. He had a stable head for business and somehow managed to get through the day without getting demoted or fired. But Duncan was more than just a handsome man. He had class and patience. He was a man to look up to and someone to fall in love with.

  “You manage your own hours, don’t you?” George asked.

  He turned to Duncan. Their proximity was shoulder to shoulder. He felt the temptation of lingering longer, leaning closer, and brushing the man’s lips against his. Instead of giving in, George stood and moved to lean against the dresser across from Duncan.

  “I have a schedule that allows me to come and go as I want.”

  “That does sound appealing.”

  “I think you have a lot of potential. I knew I saw a man who took pride in his work when I first got here, George. Don’t lose sight of that man.”

  George shrugged. “Maybe when the sale finalizes, I’ll feel better about the place.”

  “What do you think of the guy?” Duncan inquired. “You said it was someone in the hotel. And Elizabeth made a comment it was Dunlop on the second floor here.” Duncan thumbed toward the wall in the direction of John Dunlop’s room.

  “He’s a nice man. He’s recently divorced and maybe a little confused about his identity right now.”

  Duncan smiled lightly. “How would you know that?”

  “I’m the night auditor. I’m supposed to know what happens in the hotel.” He felt the urge to add, “If only I knew more about the thefts.”

  Duncan waited a long moment before speaking again. A man who processed facts before compiling enough data to find out the details matched the formulations in his head.

  “So, let me get this straight.”

  He stood up and wandered into the bathroom. He leaned out and asked, “You haven’t cleaned in here yet?”

  George shook his head. Duncan went into the bathroom and urinated.

  Duncan flushed and washed his hands. He didn’t use any of the towels at the sink to dry. Instead, he wipes his cleans hands against his shorts.

  “Ashley thinks she’s got a handle on this place. She thinks everything she does is for the good of the hotel, including terminating anyone who doesn’t fit as her ideal employee.”

  “I guess so.” George went into the bathroom, sprayed the surfaces after removing the complimentary soaps and shampoo. He waited for the disinfectant to do its job before wiping the surface. Duncan leaned in the doorway of the bathroom

  “I’ve had some long discussions with John.”

  “Really?” George asked surprised.

  “Oh yes,” he affirmed. “I’ve made my way around the hotel and spoke to lots of people. Hugh and Mary. I talked to Elizabeth more. I had long philosophical discussions with Carl. Sometimes it’s hard to understand his point of view when he’s too drunk.”

  George stood near the sink. He watched Duncan in the unforgiving fluorescent lighting of the bathroom. The harsh white light never lied. It showed every part of the man without contrasting shadows. He was still impressive, still active and confident. He had tight black hair with a smoothly shaved chin. A small cleft in his chin gave his face a symmetrical balance. He had soft and intelligent eyes. It was impossible to turn away when Duncan spoke.

  “I rented one of Florence McAlester’s old movies.”

  “That’s interesting,” George said, impressed more. “Was it any good?”

  “She was a very attractive woman. I think our definition of art house movies is very different from Belgium films.”

  “That’s a nice way of putting it.”

  “She made a living doing what she loved, that’s what counts.” Duncan gave George a lingering look and sighed. “Overall, you know what I hear about this place?”

  George sprayed the shower and waited for the disinfectant to do its job. “I imagine it’s not very good lately.”

  “Actually, again and again, people have nothing but good things to say about you.”

  “Me?”

  Duncan laughed. “Yes, George. You’re the reason why the long-term guests are here.”

  “I don’t believe that.” He got down on his knees in front of the tub. Up to his elbows in yellow rubber gloves, George began to scrub at the already sparkling surface.

  “Okay, let me ask you something
,” Duncan proposed.

  George stopped scrubbing and sat back on his heels. He waited. Looking up at Duncan it was hard not to imagine what lay secret in his shorts. In the position George waited, he was close enough to open the shorts if Duncan didn’t back away. Instead, he just enjoyed the proximity of the man.

  “Why are you doing what you’re doing right now?”

  George looked around the room. “Um. Because I’m cleaning the bathroom,” he replied.

  Duncan pointed at George. “That’s right. That’s your strength, George. You don’t have to clean the bathroom. It’s spotless. I know it. But it’s part of who you are. You were asked to clean the rooms. You don’t argue about it. You do it, and you do it to the best of your ability. You’re a person who takes pride in your work. You know how hard it is to find people who take pride in their work today?”

  George went back to scrubbing the bathtub. “It’s just something that needs doing.” He had no defense. It was in his wiring. A job well done was, well, what needed doing.

  “I used to like this place.” He felt the truth come out without provocation. George stopped scrubbing once more and looked up at Duncan. “I know I could find something else if I wanted. But this place is something and has the potential to be something better.”

  “You need to be manager here.” Duncan pointed out. It was a grand idea George had entertained for years. He just never thought it was possible.

  “You mentioned that before.” George sighed. “It’s just not what’s going to happen. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve taken a demotion, not a promotion.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The small things sometimes left the biggest impressions.

  Ashley gave George a smile when he arrived at work the following night.

  Raymond wasn’t on time. Ashley emerged from her office when George arrived for work. He expected her to say something about changing in the men’s room. But she must have forgotten about the complaint.

  “A guest mentioned you by name.”

  “Okay,” he said. He assumed Duncan spoke to Ashley.

  “You left your name on the housekeeping card. She said the room was the cleanest she’d ever had at a hotel.”

  “Oh,” he replied.

  “Maybe we can arrange something with you taking over for Angel since she’s gone.” Ashley was perched in her office. She’d waited for George to look in on her before she’d opened the conversation. Now he wished he just ignored her.

  “Are you asking me to take over as lead housekeeping or telling me to take over?” It was a valid question that needed a straight answer. But Ashley made a face that suggested the delivery was sloppy and salacious.

  “I thought I was doing you a favor.” She stormed back into the office. “I thought you’d want to keep working here. If Raymond takes over as the night auditor, that doesn’t leave a lot of room for you around here.”

  George frowned. He glanced around the lobby. Since there was a live feed from the camera at the front desk, anyone arriving showed up on the flat screen at Ashley’s desk. For the first time in his career, he entered Ashley’s office and closed the door.

  “We need to talk,” he told her.

  Ashley, a manager for many years, confidently sat at her desk. Her autocratic style of management left no room for empowering employees under her corporate thumb.

  “I’ll let you close the door,” Ashley said of George’s actions. “But you need to cut this short if someone shows up at the desk.”

  George nodded. He took a breath. “I have some concerns about what’s going on around here.”

  “You mean the fact we have a bunch of thieves we’ve finally gotten rid of?” Ashley needed to control the conversation. George knew if she felt threatened Ashley would interject comments to break up conversations and thought processes.

  “Look. Clearly, there’s something wrong. I get you are concerned with the sale of the hotel. I’m a little concerned too.”

  “I’m not sure why you’re worried,” she told George. “You planted your hooks pretty deep in John Dunlop.”

  “You wanted me to get friendly with him.”

  “Friendly is one thing, fucking is another.”

  It was impossible for George not to feel betrayed by the statement. He tried to remain composed, but he trembled. “I’m not doing that with John.” It was a weak statement and founded on the minutiae of semantics.

  “I’m not trying to make waves. I’m just as concerned as you are about the thefts in the hotel. But I don’t think firing everyone is the answer.” He took a quiet breath attempting not to drop his guard. “There is something to be said about how we conduct business.”

  “Don’t presume to know how to handle hotel business, George. Leave that to me.”

  “All I’m saying is this is a small town. Everything that happens in the hotel can potentially affect how people see this place. My bike got stolen. I didn’t say anything to you. But I reported it to the police. Those police officers talk to other people. Whoever took my bike knows the police are looking for it.

  “It’s the same with Carl’s computer. It’s fortunate that he takes the time to upload his work to external servers, so he’s not out his latest book. But whoever took the laptop knows by now the police are looking for it. The other thefts in the building,” he added. “You know those are something that someone from the outside could do. We’re still missing a master key from last year. No one knows about that except you and me.”

  “You still think someone from the outside took that stuff?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. But I know for certain Martese or Angel, or the housekeeping staff still remaining, had nothing to do with the stealing.”

  “What about the money from the deposit? You think someone has access to the safe?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Ashley sat smugly at her desk, listening to George’s theories. “You know it’s not the first time money came up missing from the deposit.”

  “What are you saying?” The stab of guilt and fear made him falter.

  “I’m saying since you’ve been night auditor, I’ve had more than a few times when the deposit was short. Usually, it’s only a few dollars. But this last time it was significant enough to make an example.”

  “I’m good at my job. I know what I’m doing at the front desk. I check my deposits three times. I’m not taking any money.”

  “Well, maybe it’s time you stepped back from the responsibility and let someone more qualified take over.”

  The passive-aggressive nature of the harpy made it challenging to stay balanced. Her words wormed through the toughest armor.

  “I don’t think Raymond Day is the best choice for the night auditor,” he told her. “I’m willing to take over as head housekeeping if that’s your plan. But putting Raymond at the front desk is a bad idea.”

  “If this has anything to do with his employment at the hotel before, you can forget about it. I had a conversation with him. It was a misunderstanding between him and another guest. He thought it was better to quit than worry about the guest. But that guest isn’t here anymore and I’m in charge.”

  “I heard something else.”

  But she didn’t want to hear anything more. Once her mind was made up, Ashley was an immovable force.

  Ashley waited for George to say something more she could undermine. Instead, he stayed quiet. Defeated, he opened the door.

  “I think I’ll let you keep doing the night auditor work on Ray’s nights off.” She stood from her desk, collected her huge bag and carried it out of the office. “I’m going to find someone to take over as head housekeeper. You can do it for now. But that comes with the pay scale.” She locked the door. “So you won’t make as much as you did when you were night auditor.”

  “I don’t understand.” He stared at her. “What are you doing? You’re demoting me and taking away my pay?”

  “A different job classification,” she pointed out. “You d
on’t make as much money as head housekeeper. You know that.”

  “But you just said you’re going to find a replacement. Why not let Andrada take over for Angel?”

  “Andrada quit today. That’s the reason you need to step up and help. I don’t even know if Nicole is going to last.” She frowned at George. “So.” Ashley wandered around the desk and headed for the foyer. “If you don’t like it, George, you can quit.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  A week later and George found it impossible to acclimate to the position. He barely slept during the day. He began looking at other job prospects around town. There was nothing available. The nearest department store was fifteen miles, and he didn’t have transportation. The job taking out the trash, cleaning toilets, and changing sheets held no appeal for George. But he did the job, and he did it well.

  Raymond Day began making changes to the nigh auditor routine, and it was impossible for George to do anything about it. The most insulting thing to happen was Raymond’s full access to Ashley’s office. She gave him a key to the office and Raymond spent the majority of the night sequestered in behind her desk. To add insult to injury, Ashley allowed Raymond to smoke cigarettes in the office. The only logical conclusion came when George accidentally wandered by the office quietly and saw Raymond fondling Ashley’s ample breast with his tongue in her mouth. After that vision, it all made sense.

  “How’s it going?” Duncan asked when George pushed the cart along the third-floor corridor. His room door was propped open slightly with the door security guard. The steel knob stopped the door from closing. He’d come out of the room when the squeaky housekeeping cart rolled along the hallway.

  “Okay,” George had begun wearing polo shirts and denim pants to work. He asked, “I thought I saw you on the check out list yesterday.”

  “You did.” Duncan left the door open and wandered back into his suite. He was a fastidious man who kept everything in its place. The briefcase on the counter was the only hint at his work life. He wore khaki pants and a button-down dress shirt. “But I added another week. I had some more business to take care of around here before I go home.”