Lunch at the Beach House Hotel

by Judith Keim

  Dawn was making a valiant effort to break through the cloud cover as Will drove me back to the hotel. Pink and orange mingled with gray above us while branches covered lawns in an array of ghostly shapes and, in a few instances, spread across roads. Hibiscus and other blossoms hung their heads on bushes, drooping with an abundance of wetness, their colors muted.

  As he drove through the gates of the hotel, Tim slowed to assess the damage. The electricity was back on. We, like others, had branches and palm fronds strewn about and unhappy, wilted flowers, but no severe tree damage.

  Tim dropped me off in my driveway. I thanked him and walked around to the back of my house.

  The pool cage screen was coated with water, giving it a glass-like appearance, but it stood tall and unbent. Thankful my house hadn’t been damaged like the hotel, tears of relief stung my eyes. My house, my precious little house, was in good condition.

  In the kitchen, I made a cup of coffee and then went about straightening up. When I opened the door to Liz’s room, I expected to find a mess. But it was surprisingly tidy. Even the bedcovers had been pulled up hastily before Tina left for the hotel. I shook my head. She was a person of such contradictions.

  After moving patio articles and plants back outside, I headed to work. I’d get some rest after I made sure things were in good shape there.

  At the hotel, I saw that the staff had cordoned off the lobby area, where a housekeeper was sweeping up broken glass along the sliders leading out to the patio and swimming area. The carpet inside was wet. One of the women was trying to soak some of the wetness up with towels. Another was wiping down furniture.

  I found Consuela and Rhonda busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Paul had arrived and was about to go out and help Manny with the landscape issues. Guests were eating in the dining room.

  “Hi,” said Rhonda. “You saw what happened to the lobby?”

  “Any other damage?” I asked.

  “We’ll need to replace a few other windows, but everything else seems fine at first glance. I thought the sliders would be protected where they sat beneath the overhang. We’ll have to think about those hurricane shutters.”

  My mind spun with figures. Another expense we didn’t need.

  “How is Tina?” Rhonda said to me. “And is everything okay at your place?”

  “I can’t believe it. My house survived without any real damage. And Tina came through the surgery very well. I’ll pick her up this afternoon.”

  Rhonda gave me a worried look. “Does this mean she’ll stay with you until she recovers? That could be months.”

  “I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I don’t see how Tina can be in the movie now, even if she wanted to change her mind.” I sighed. “We’ll have to wait and see. I found out Liz isn’t coming home for Thanksgiving, so I’ve got the space for Tina until Christmas, when Liz will be here.”

  Rhonda frowned. “What do you mean Liz isn’t coming home for Thanksgiving? She always comes here.”

  “Robert made a deal with her. In exchange for paying her tuition, she had to agree to go there for Thanksgiving.” The words left a bitter taste in my mouth.

  “That bastard,” muttered Rhonda. “He’s such a jerk.”

  “Don’t I know it,” I agreed.

  “Aw, don’t worry, Annie. At least she’ll be here for Christmas. Say, why don’t we put Tina here in the hotel? That way she’ll have help whenever she needs it.”

  “Good idea. Being here at the hotel might be safer for her. There’d always be someone around to protect her. Her agent wasn’t happy when she found out the movie Tina was supposed to be in was no longer a consideration. Heaven knows what her mother will say.”

  Turning to the work at hand, I met with Ana and the other housekeepers. Now that the storm had moved north, we were left with the clean-up. Staff needed to remove all the tape from windows and doors, and then they’d have to sweep off outside patios and balconies before they could restore furniture to them.

  Manny and Paul were working outside taking down the window boards and installing them over the broken sliders in the lobby before cleaning up the yard and hauling away debris. Unfortunately, it would take a while to replace the glass that had been broken in the sliders.

  Tim was collecting lanterns and storing them to be used for the next storm, and then he’d help move the furniture outside.

  Later, I went to check on the spa. Troy came over to me. “Everything came through in good shape here.”

  “Great. I think I have your first client. Tina fractured her leg. She’ll be needing some physical therapy and massages.”

  He smiled. “Any more news on that important wedding?”

  “The wedding is going to be January 5th. So the week following New Year’s Day will be very busy here. I suspect a few soothing massages will help everyone.”

  By then, I’d need a massage of my own.

  When I picked up Tina from the hospital, it became apparent she’d need special care. Wearing an adjustable splint on her leg, she struggled with the crutches she’d been given. With help from the nurse’s aide, I got her into my car. She leaned back against the passenger’s seat and let out a long sigh. “I’m so tired.”

  “Rhonda and I have set aside a room for you at the hotel—the room closest to our office. That way, if you need anything at any time of day or night, you’ll have it.”

  Tina gave me such a stricken look, I flinched.

  “But I want to be with you,” she said.

  “I honestly think you’ll be more comfortable at the hotel. It’s where I spend most of my time.”

  The disappointment on Tina’s face disappeared. “Okay, I can do that.”

  I pulled up to the front of the hotel.

  “Do you want a wheelchair?” I asked Tina, helping her out of the car.

  “No, I want to do this myself,” Tina said.

  Rhonda met us at the front of the hotel, next to the discreet ramp beside the front steps.

  As Tina inched her way up the ramp, Rhonda and I walked on either side of her. Once through the front entrance, Tina sat for a moment in the lobby area to catch her breath. Then she headed to the room we’d set aside for her.

  By the time she made it to her room, Tina’s face had gone pale.

  “You rest here,” I said sympathetically, helping her to lie down on the bed.

  “What can I bring you?” asked Rhonda.

  “How about a Diet Coke and a hamburger?” Tina said, giving us a look of defiance. “It doesn’t matter now. No movie. No diet. I’m done with all that.”

  “Does your agent know?” Rhonda said.

  “No, but I’m about to tell her my decision is final, that I’m not reconsidering it like she asked.”

  Rhonda and I exchanged glances, and then I said, “Okay, we’ll send in a tray. Anything else we can do?”

  “Yes. Ann, will you stay here while I talk to my agent? She sometimes scares me.”

  “Sure,” I said, finding her remark very telling. No wonder Tina felt so bullied. Both her agent and her mother were apparent monsters, thinking only of themselves.

  Tina took out her phone from the purse I’d carried inside for her. Giving me a worried glance, she punched in the number and waited for a response.

  I studied her. The pain medicine had softened her features, making her appear even more vulnerable.

  As Tina told her agent about the accident, I listened carefully.

  “No, I’m not going to be in this movie,” said Tina firmly. “They’ll have to find someone else. No, I don’t care who they get. In fact, I don’t care if I’m ever in a movie again.”

  Through the phone, I could hear the agent’s angry shouts.

  “What’s happened to me?” said Tina. “I’m getting a life of my own. Not the one you want me to have or the one my mother wants me to have. But the one I want for myself.”

  More shouting from the agent echoed around Tina.

  “The owners? Ann and Rhonda have d
one a wonderful job here. Don’t you go badmouthing them or the hotel, or I’ll tell everyone about some of the crap you put me through. Goodbye.”

  She clicked off the phone and buried her face in her hands.

  I went to her and put an arm around her shaking shoulders. “Are you going to be all right?”

  She lifted a tear-streaked face. “I think so. But, Ann, my agent is really mad. She says she should never have sent me here, that I’ve changed.”

  I sat down on the bed next to Tina. “So she doesn’t like the fact you’ve changed. How do you feel about that?”

  All anguish left Tina’s face. “I think being here might have saved my life, being with people who care and talking to someone like Barbara.”

  “Good, I’m glad,” I said. “We won’t worry about the rest right now.”

  “But, Ann, she told me she’s going to make you pay by telling everyone not to come here.”

  I caught my breath. “She wants to give us some bad press?”

  “Yeah, but she won’t. She did some really bad stuff to boost my career. She knows I could ruin her.”

  I forced a calmness into my voice. “All right. We’ll let it go for now. Let’s concentrate on getting you well. I’m going to leave you so you can get some rest. If you need anything, call the front desk, and we’ll take care of it.”

  When I went to find her, Rhonda was in the kitchen talking to Jean-Luc. I signaled her to follow me to the office.

  She groaned as she sat down. Patting her stomach, she said, “I think this baby is going to be big. I can’t imagine waiting another five months for him to arrive.” There was a glow to Rhonda that was charming. “So, what’s up, Annie?”

  I filled her in on Tina’s conversation with her agent.

  “It’s her mother I’m worried about,” said Rhonda. “Who knows what she’ll say about all this. She’s already threatened us.”

  The phone rang. As if we’d called her forth from an Ouija board, caller ID identified someone named Marks with a California number.

  “I’ll take it,” said Rhonda. “We’re not putting up with any bullshit from her.”

  I listened as they exchanged greetings . Then I watched outrage paint Rhonda’s face in bold strokes. She handed me the phone. “You talk to her, Annie, or else I’m going to lose it. She’s trying to blame us for everything.”

  “This is Ann Rutherford speaking. May I help you?”

  Tina’s mother went into a tirade filled with expletives.

  When I was finally able to break into the conversation, I was as angry as I’d ever been.

  “Stop right now,” I said in a barely controlled voice. “Your daughter defied our instructions to stay inside during the storm. If she had listened to us, she might not be in this position. What arrangements she may or may not make concerning the movie is of no concern to us. She’s an adult who can make her own choices.”

  But Tina’s mother wasn’t ready to give up. “I’m going to sue your hotel and take out ads in all the papers to expose you for ruining my daughter’s career.”

  Through gritted teeth, I said, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. We know too much about your ruining your daughter’s life to make it worth your while to threaten us or try to smear the hotel’s reputation. Believe me, if you went forward with a plan like this, you would not be happy.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Tina’s mother said and abruptly ended the call.

  I hung up and turned to Rhonda. “Do you think she could actually hurt our business?”

  Rhonda shrugged. “But remember, she’s not the only one in Hollywood who knows this hotel. Vaughn’s reputation is much better than hers. He can help us if any problems come up.”

  I unclasped my hands. “You’re right. But it’s important for us to keep the hotel’s reputation intact. It’s how we built our business.”

  Rhonda shook her head. “I’m tellin’ you, Annie, if that broad does anything to hurt us, I’m going to report her to the authorities. How any mother could treat her daughter the way she does is beyond me. It’s criminal. That’s what it is.”

  “Absolutely,” I said, unable to shake the image of a girl’s innocence being shattered.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Two nights later, at the end of a long evening watching over local guests at a birthday celebration in the small private dining room, I went to Tina’s room to check on her.

  She was propped up in bed watching television and munching on cookies that we offered to guests at night. She glanced at me and turned her attention back to the television.

  “How are you doing?” I said.

  Tina sighed. “My mother called. She told me I could sue you for a lot of money. She said you should have trimmed those palm trees. She said you should be waiting on me hand and foot and that she’s going to tell everyone not to come here.”

  I blinked in surprise. “Sue us? Trim the trees? Wait a minute! You were asked to stay inside my house until the storm calmed down, which you didn’t do. And you know very well, Tina, we’ve welcomed you here and given you good service even at the most difficult times.”

  Tina’s face crumpled. “I don’t want to sue you. It’s my mother. God! She gets me so uptight with all her demands.”

  I placed a hand on her shoulder. “Listen, I know you’re upset. Why don’t you get some more rest, and I’ll see you in the morning? We can talk then. Dave is on night duty at the front desk. If you need him, he’s here for you.”

  Tina gave me an apologetic look. “Ann? I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah, me too,” I replied, still shaken by how quickly Tina’s whole demeanor could flip. And I wondered how far her mother would go to sue us.

  When I returned to my house, it seemed eerily empty. I decided to soak in the tub to try and loosen the tension in my shoulders. It had been a helluva day.

  I was drying off when my phone rang. Vaughn.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” he said in the deep, sexy voice his viewers and I loved so much.

  I smiled, wrapped my towel around me, and took a seat on the side of the spa tub. “Hi, darling. I miss you a whole lot.”

  “Yeah, miss you too. But, Ann, I’m not going to make it to the hotel for Thanksgiving. Ty has asked me to come to San Francisco. He’s going to propose to June, and he wants me to meet the Changs.”

  “Oh no! I was counting on seeing you!” I took a moment. “But I’m happy for him and I liked June when I met her.” My tone was hollow with disappointment. First Liz, now Vaughn opting out for the holiday. After all that was going on, it seemed too much.

  “Wish you could go there with me,” said Vaughn.

  “Me too, but I can’t leave the hotel at the busy holiday time. Besides, I’ve already promised Rhonda I’d be here to help entertain the parents of Angela’s boyfriend. I have a feeling both Rhonda and Angela are going to need all the help they can get.”

  I explained what I meant, and then I told him about the storm and Tina’s injury.

  “You know Tina’s mother,” I said. “Do you think she could hurt our business? She told Tina to sue us. And she’s threatened to spread rumors about us.”

  “Tina’s mother is well-known in the business as the kind of conniving person she is, so I don’t think anyone of substance will take her seriously. Besides,” Vaughn said, “a number of stars have come to the hotel and loved it.”

  “You’re right,” I said. “I should have more faith in the reputation Rhonda and I have worked so hard to create for the hotel.”

  We chatted for a while longer. I treasured this time with him. But after we hung up, a flood of disappointment surged through me. Sometimes running our small hotel seemed overwhelming. My time wasn’t my own. I was forced to give up things I really wanted to do. More than that, I was constantly worried about succeeding.

  A chill hung in the air when I went out to the beach for my early morning walk. I zipped up my lightweight jacket and headed down the sandy stretch, letting the movement of my body warm me
.

  The sun rose like a smiling face. Optimism filled me. The worry that had trailed me evaporated, making me feel better about things. Ty’s asking his father to be present in his life now seemed sweet. And Tina’s becoming upset at her mother’s pushiness seemed helpful. Still troublesome was the upcoming visit of Reggie’s parents. I headed back to the hotel with a fresh determination to protect Rhonda from being hurt.

  Before checking on Tina, I went to the spa where Troy was supervising final arrangements with the young girl he’d signed up to do manicures and pedicures.

  There was a clean, tropical feeling to the space. A citrus odor filled the air. In a back corner, two massage rooms were set up. A bathroom, complete with shower sat between them. And in another private area at the opposite end of the space, two chairs with spa tubs and tables for doing nails were in place. There, Tammi, the girlfriend of one of our part-time waiters, was opening boxes of polishes and gels. She looked up at me and waved me over.

  “This is so nice! My customers can’t wait to come to the hotel to get their nails done.”

  “Great. Remember, they will be eligible for a discount on our lunch menu.” Dorothy Stern had suggested it, and Rhonda and I liked the idea.

  Before leaving, I spoke to Troy about Tina. He agreed to work with her on becoming better adjusted to crutches and to talk to her about keeping her body active during recovery.

  When I went to check on Tina, the room was empty. I found her in the dining room, eating a healthy, low-calorie breakfast.

  “How are you?” I asked, taking a seat at her table.

  “Much better. I talked to Barbara. I’m going to have a session with her this morning. I need someone to drive me there.”

  “Of course. Paul or Tim will be happy to do so,” I said, pleased with her attitude. “Troy is going to work with you on handling your crutches and keeping your body healthy while you heal.”

  “Okay,” Tina said agreeably.

  “And if you’d like a pedicure, Tammi is dying to get started at the spa,” I added.

  Tina’s face brightened. “That would be great!”