“Uh-huh.” Anna acted nonchalant, like she hadn’t already heard about this little soiree. “That sounds nice.”
“Yeah.” Marley looked slightly concerned. “I would’ve had her invite you too, Anna, but I didn’t want it to be uneven, you know? Like a fifth wheel. Hey, that reminds me, I found a guy for you.”
Anna cringed to think of Marley dragging in some weary, bedraggled businessman from her LA flight. “A guy for me?”
“Yeah. He’s a pilot. Really good looking. And single. And fun.”
“Then why aren’t you interested in him?”
Marley smirked. “Because I’m interested in Sean, silly girl. Remember?”
“Oh . . . right.” Anna turned away, trying to hide the emotions churning inside.
“Anyway, I told Warren—that’s the handsome pilot—I told him all about you when we were in Bangkok and he is dying to meet you.”
“What on earth did you tell him?”
“Just that you look like Nicole Kidman’s younger sister.” Marley tweaked a strand of Anna’s hair. “And that you’re really sweet and nice.”
Anna rolled her eyes.
“Well, if you’ll excuse me, Anna Banana, I need to go shower and make myself beautiful, and I’m just not sure I can accomplish all that by 7:30.”
Anna smiled. “I think you already look beautiful, Gnarly Marley.”
Marley laughed. “Yes, well, I need to feel beautiful too.”
Anna made a point to stay out of Marley’s way as she beautified herself for her “date” with Sean. Okay, Anna knew it wasn’t actually a date. Not really. But then it might turn into a date before the night was over. Anna wondered what it would feel like with the lanterns and things Marley had described. Would it be romantic enough to inspire a relationship between Marley and Sean? Why was Anna even allowing herself to go there?
“What do you think?” Marley asked as she finally emerged wearing a short red dress that showed off her legs as well as her curves.
“You definitely look hot.” Anna thought perhaps she looked a little too hot—like she was showing off a bit too much. But no way was Anna going to say that.
“Thanks, dahling. Hopefully Sean will think so too.”
“Have fun.” Anna felt slightly sick inside as she said this. Because honestly, the last thing she wanted was for any of them to have fun tonight. Yet that made her feel even worse.
“You look tired,” Marley said as she slipped on a pair of high-heeled sandals. “Which reminds me, you can have Tia’s bed tonight.” She laughed. “Imagine—Anna Banana, the bed-hopper—who back home would believe it?”
“Hopefully no one,” Anna said dryly. “Since it’s not really true.”
“My little straight stick.” Marley patted Anna on the cheek as she reached for her small glittery purse. “That’s why you’ll make such a good roommate for me. I know you’ll never do anything regrettable. Good night, Anna Banana.”
“Good night, Gnarly Marley.”
As Anna sat down on the love seat, she wondered about what Marley had just said. Anna would never do anything regrettable. The little straight stick. Oh, she knew Marley meant no harm, but it stung just the same. It was like being told she was no fun. Like she didn’t know how to be spontaneous, or that she was a wet blanket. Maybe it was true. Maybe Anna was all of those things. But Anna had learned long ago that it was dangerous to take risks. She’d seen both her parents make horrible, stupid mistakes with no care for the future—theirs or hers. She refused to repeat them.
For the next several days, Anna was determined to block out everything but work. Her plan was to keep her nose to the grindstone and do everything within her power to ensure that the opening of the Rothsberg hotel was a huge success. Or at least a success on her end of the hospitality chain, because even if it killed her, housekeeping would be run like a well-oiled machine.
By Wednesday afternoon, all the rooms were set up and ready for guests. All the linens were impeccably in place, the soaps and toiletries were arranged on their sleek metal trays, beverage bars were stocked, everything in each of the rooms was shining and clean . . . perfect.
On Thursday morning, Anna distributed the maids’ uniforms, explaining what was expected of them as far as appearances went. Then she spent the rest of the day doing training sessions. Oh, sure, the maids already knew how to make beds and hang towels and fold a proper point on the toilet paper. She wanted them to start practicing efficient time management, to take turns with various cleaning tasks to prevent injuries, and to help each other in flipping mattresses or moving heavy furnishings to clean more thoroughly. More than any of this, she wanted to impart to them the importance of practicing real hospitality.
“I know the guests who stay here will be strangers to you,” she told them at the end of the day. This was their last meeting before the big opening tomorrow, and she’d even provided treats to sweeten up her final pep talk. “I want you to pretend that these guests are your most respected family members. Imagine that the guests you’re caring for are your beloved grandparents. Make their stay at the Rothsberg as special as you can. That means smiles and polite greetings. If they ask for something, you make sure they get it ASAP. I expect every guest here to be treated like royalty. Is that clear?”
She looked at the maids and could see that some of them, like Bianca and Justine, were not really getting this. “Imagine that this hotel is your home and that you’re entertaining important dignitaries—people you want to treat with great care and respect.” She paused for emphasis. “I don’t want this to be your motivation, but a hotel of this caliber—a boutique hotel—is known for having guests who leave generous tips.”
Okay, now she had gotten their attention. “I have mentioned this before, but my policy is that your tips are yours to keep. If you’ve serviced the room well enough that a guest leaves a tip for you and your partner, then you’ve earned that tip. If you’ve serviced a room for a full week or longer, then you need to share your tip accordingly with the maids who serviced the room when you weren’t working.” She paused again, making sure they were still tracking with her. “I expect you all to be fair about this, and I do not plan to monitor your tips. Understood?”
There were a few questions and some discussion, and then she told them all good night. Being the head of housekeeping felt a bit like being a parent. At least she assumed it was like a parent might feel. She wanted her maids to do their best. She wanted them to take pride in their jobs. She didn’t want them to bicker or do anything to embarrass her—or the hotel. Yet she knew that they were only human. They would probably make some mistakes. It would be up to her to fix them.
As Anna walked home, she felt a real sense of anticipation. Tomorrow would be the first big day. Sure, they wouldn’t have full occupancy, but according to the Newmans at yesterday’s staff meeting, they were nearly 75 percent full. That was impressive.
“There you are,” Marley said as Anna came into the apartment. “Don’t you ever check your phone?”
“It’s been a pretty busy day.” Anna reached into her bag, extracting her phone only to discover it was dead. “Looks like I need to charge it.”
“Well, Elsie enjoyed our little dinner party last week so much that she’s planned another one for tonight.”
“Oh.” Anna nodded absently. “But it’s not even the weekend.”
“I know. It just worked out better for Elsie and some of the other guests.”
“Well, it’s a lovely evening. I’m sure you’ll all have a good time.”
“You’re invited too.”
Anna was surprised. “Really—I’m invited?”
“Yes, and since I couldn’t get ahold of you, I went ahead and accepted on your behalf.”
“Oh, you did?”
Marley grinned. “Hey, it’s free food. Elsie is a fabulous cook. I already got a jar of fabulous olives for us to take—as a hostess gift, you know. It’s an expensive Greek brand, but I think it will go nicely with the
Greek food that Elsie is making.”
“What time is this little shindig?”
“Seven thirty. I already had my shower, and the other girls are gone, so you can have a completely uninterrupted shower.”
“Wow, this is a special day.” She paused on her way to the bathroom. “Is this supposed to be a dress-up event?”
“Sort of. I mean, I plan to wear a dress and you should too. Hey, while you’re in the shower, maybe I can find something for you.”
“Knock yourself out,” Anna called. “You know the limits of my wardrobe.”
It was a little past 7:00 by the time Anna and Marley were getting into a taxi to take them over to the Bronx where Max and Elsie lived. “It takes about twenty minutes,” Marley explained to Anna after she told the driver where to go. “Unless there’s traffic. In that case, we’ll be elegantly late.”
“I don’t know about this dress.” Anna looked down at the light blue sundress that Marley had finally proclaimed as “perfect.” “It feels a little short and skimpy to me.”
“Oh, Anna, you’re such a little old lady. In fact, that dress is so much better on you that I’m giving it to you. Consider it my contribution to banishing the old lady.”
Anna frowned at the uncomfortably familiar words. Marley had been calling her an old lady for most of her life. She didn’t think it amusing at thirteen and perhaps even less now.
“Besides, that dress is longer than this one.” Marley smoothed her red-and-white striped dress. “It’s been a hot day and it’ll be a warm evening. We’ll be outside with no AC. You’ll be glad you went with a cool dress. Just relax.”
“I am relaxed,” Anna told her. “I’m just not used to showing this much leg.”
“Well, with your legs, you should show them more often.”
Anna laughed nervously. “Who all is coming to this party anyway?”
Marley held up two fingers. “Vincent and Denise, for starters. Elsie wanted to have this tonight as a celebration for tomorrow’s opening.”
“The Newmans are coming?” Anna asked in alarm.
“Yeah. What’s wrong with that? Max and Vincent are good friends. Elsie had been wanting to have them over.”
“I know they’re friends. I just didn’t realize my bosses would be there tonight.” Anna frowned down at the gauzy blue dress, wondering if it looked more like a nightie than a dress. “I just hope I’m dressed appropriately.”
“Oh, Anna!” Marley shook her head. “You look like a Greek goddess.” She held up the bag with the olives in it. “You’ll go with the Greek olives and the food.” She laughed.
“So . . .” Anna braced herself. “Who else is coming?”
“Well, Sean, of course. And a few others.”
By the time they got to the Bronx, Anna felt like a bundle of nerves. Why had she agreed to come tonight without asking about the guest list first? As it turned out, they were elegantly late. Denise and Vincent, looking comfortable in summery clothes, were already there, chatting casually with Sean and Max. Greetings were exchanged and Anna tried to act calm, but she felt like it was a thin veneer that everyone could easily see past.
Anna went to look for Elsie, finding her busily arranging some interesting concoction involving grape leaves. “Can I help?” Anna offered.
“Thanks, Anna, but most everything is done.”
“It looks amazing,” Anna told her.
“It’s called grape leaves Aleppo,” Elsie told her. “Hopefully it will taste amazing too.”
“This terrace is absolutely beautiful,” Anna said. “The lanterns and flower boxes and everything. It’s perfectly charming.”
“We love it too,” Elsie said. “Everyone in our apartment building has helped make it special up here. We all take turns using it, and since no one had reserved it for tonight, I thought, why not?” She lowered her voice. “Besides, I kind of owed the Newmans a dinner. Thought this would be a good way to celebrate with them.”
“Great timing.”
Elsie called out to Max. “Time to check those kabobs.” Elsie set the grape leaves plate on a little table that already held some other things, including a pretty platter of colorful veggies and olives and a large bowl of hummus. “Appetizers,” Elsie called out, and the others drifted over. Anna filled an appetizer plate for herself, but after briefly greeting the Newmans and Sean, she casually wandered over to the edge of the terrace, pretending to check out the view as she was actually attempting to gather her wits. Just exchanging those few words with Sean had been unnerving. Looking into his eyes was almost painful. She knew she was being silly, and that she had to get beyond this. Taking several deep breaths, she reminded herself that she was a grown woman—not a schoolgirl.
“Are you all ready for the big day tomorrow?”
Anna turned to see that Sean had joined her. “Yes,” she said crisply. “I am.”
“That’s great.” He made a congenial smile. “It must’ve been no small task to put all those rooms together as well as to get your housekeeping staff ready.”
“It’s certainly kept me busy.” She turned away, looking out over the other rooftops as if they were extremely interesting.
“I feel really good about the staff I’ve hired.”
She turned to look at him, knowing that he was probably making small talk for the sake of the Newmans and feeling irritated by it. “Excuse me,” she said curtly. “I need to speak to Elsie about something.” She walked away. Okay, she knew it was rude and immature, but it was simply a survival tactic on her part.
Before Anna made it back to Elsie, Marley came over with a tall blond guy in tow. “Hey, Anna, I want you to meet Warren. Warren, this is my good friend Anna.”
“Warren the pilot?” Anna immediately regretted her words. How juvenile. At least she hadn’t said “the handsome pilot,” although he was handsome enough. Besides that, he was a good diversion—a good excuse to keep a distance from Sean.
“Some people call me that.” Warren grinned as he shook her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Anna.” He winked at Marley. “You didn’t exaggerate. She does look like Nicole Kidman.”
Anna waved her hand. “Marley always says that. You’d think I paid her or something.”
Marley laughed. “Now there’s a thought.”
As Anna and Warren stood there visiting, Marley eventually slipped away, going over to join Sean and the Newmans. Anna realized now that it was a smaller group than Marley had insinuated earlier. Just eight people and, it seemed rather clear, four couples, since Marley had obviously partnered Anna with Warren. When it was time to sit down for dinner, they were placed next to each other, with Marley and Sean directly across.
It wasn’t as if Anna minded being with Warren. Certainly he was pleasant enough. And not hard to look at either. But somehow, seeing Marley sitting next to Sean and chatting so intimately with him—well, it was still rather irksome. Anna felt like she’d been duped. Even so, she did her best to keep a smile pasted on her face, making her best attempts at table talk and looking forward to when this evening was over.
Fortunately, a number of talkative personalities were present and Anna didn’t have to be overly chatty. Much of the talk centered on the opening of the Rothsberg tomorrow. Several toasts were made to the success of the hotel. But as the evening progressed, Anna found herself saying less and less, and although she tried not to, she was subtly studying Marley and Sean, trying to gauge their interest level.
Sean, as always, was being the perfect gentleman—attentive and personable and thoughtful. Marley was clearly infatuated with him. If Sean made a joke, she laughed, perhaps too loudly. If he asked for something, she was the first one to jump for it. Anna wondered if Marley realized how silly she looked.
Anna did her best to make polite conversation with Warren when there was a lull or if he asked her a question—and he asked her a lot. She could tell he was probably a good guy, but she didn’t feel any serious interest in this relationship. Yes, he was good looking, but he
was not her type. She could feel it deep inside of her. Despite his attentiveness, she had no intention of leading him on. When Elsie stood to start clearing the table, Anna quickly offered to help. Efficiently stacking an armload of plates, she followed Elsie over to the makeshift outdoor kitchen.
“This must’ve been a lot of work bringing everything up here,” Anna said as she set the dishes in a plastic tub of soapy water.
“Max did most of the packing up the stairs, and he promised to pack it back down.” Elsie smiled. “I’m just the cook.”
“And an excellent one.”
“Thanks. Want to help me get dessert?”
“Absolutely.”
“I left it in the apartment,” Elsie said as she led the way back downstairs, “so the ice cream wouldn’t melt. Plus I chilled the plates.”
“I barely saw your apartment when Marley and I got here earlier, but it looked really cute.”
“I love it,” Elsie said as she opened the door for Anna. “I’ve lived here about six years. Max had another place, over in the Village, and we could’ve lived there, but I just couldn’t bear to leave here. Not only is this apartment bigger, but we’ve got the terrace. I don’t mind riding the subway. It gives me a chance to chill and catch up on my reading. So Max sublet his apartment to a friend, and that’s where Sean is staying right now.”
“That was handy.” Anna looked around the charming apartment. “You have a real knack for decorating, Elsie.”
“Thanks!” Elsie handed Anna a carton of vanilla ice cream and a metal scoop. “How are you at making ice cream balls?”
“I’ll do my best.” Soon she was dipping relatively round ice cream balls and setting them next to generous servings of baklava. She watched as Elsie artistically drizzled strings of honey over the whole concoction. “That looks yummy.” Elsie placed four servings onto a tray, and Anna offered to take them up.
“Great. I’m going to make some coffee.”
“I’ll come back for the other four,” Anna told her.
“Oh, that’s okay. You stay up there and enjoy the others.”
Once Upon a Summertime Page 20