by Judith Keim
I entered the office feeling good about all that was happening. Seated at my desk, I waited for Rhonda to join me. She was working with Maria and Ana on the rooms cleaning schedule – making sure all would be ready for guests checking in.
I was in the middle of reviewing the daily report when I heard a commotion outside. I rose.
A woman who looked vaguely familiar burst through the doorway, followed by Tim.
“Sorry, Ann. I tried to stop her ...” said Tim.
“You’re one of the owners? I’m here to see my daughter. Where is she?”
Tim gave me an apologetic look. “I tried to explain that Tina wasn’t in her room, that she had an appointment downtown.”
“Thanks, Tim. I’ll take care of this.” Gazing at the brightly painted woman whose clothing was embarrassingly youthful for a woman her age, the anger I felt toward her made my words sharp. “You’re Tina’s mother?”
“Yeah, so?”
“We don’t appreciate being threatened. Your daughter’s accident was through no fault of our own.”
“Where is she? I want to see that for myself.”
“As you’ve been told, she’s off the premises. I’m not certain when she’ll return. Though she’s a guest here, we don’t oversee her schedule.”
“Well, I do.” Tina’s mother glared at me. “And she should be preparing for her next movie.”
“You do understand she’s fractured her leg, don’t you?”
Tina’s mother shook her head with disgust. “That’s no excuse. She can still act with a broken leg.”
The door opened, and Rhonda stomped into the room. “So this is Tina’s mother.” Rhonda faced the woman with an angry expression that would make any person cringe.
“You talk about suing us?” Rhonda’s dark eyes snapped with furor. “You could be put in prison for what you did to your daughter! Get out!”
Aware this confrontation was only going to get worse, I stepped between them. “I’ll escort you out, or Tim will.”
Tina’s mother jerked her arm from my grasp. “I’ll do it on my own, but you’re going to be sorry. The only thing I was trying to do was to look in on my daughter. Any mother would want to do that.”
“Yeah?” said Rhonda behind me. “No mother should pimp her daughter for a role in a movie.”
Tina’s mother gave a scornful laugh. “Is that what she told you? Little liar.”
“If you hurt her in any way, you’ll answer to me or Annie here,” warned Rhonda.
“It’s time for you to go,” I said, taking hold of the woman’s elbow. Rhonda’s temper was only going to get worse.
“I’ll make you pay for this,” Tina’s mother shrieked. “Tina has to support me and her brother. She knows that.”
Though I wanted to slap the woman silly, I forced myself to reply in as calm a voice as I could muster, “Leave now, or I’m calling the police.”
This time, she didn’t resist.
As quickly as I could, I walked her through the hotel. We’d reached the bottom of the outside stairway when the hotel’s limo pulled through the gates.
I urged Tina’s mother toward the small car in the front circle she’d indicated was hers. I’d just opened the car door so she could climb inside when she turned around. Paul was helping Tina out of the limo.
Her mother pulled away from me and ran toward them, screaming, “There you are, you little liar.”
Paul stepped in front of Tina to protect her, but Tina’s mother kept trying to push him away.
“What are you doing here, Tina? You need to go back to California with me and get ready for that movie.”
Tina’s mother grabbed hold of Tina’s arm and pulled her.
“Ow!” Tina teetered on her good foot.
I rushed over and steadied her.
“Stop it right now,” I cried, glaring at Tina’s mother.
“Hello, Mother,” Tina said in such icy tones it would chill any soul. “It’s so nice you’re concerned about my well-being.” The sarcasm in her voice would have made a normal mother wince, but Tina’s mother simply stared at her.
“Get your things. We’re leaving,” her mother said, reaching for her arm.
Tina leaned away from her and then straightened. “No, I’m not leaving. You are. And if you don’t, I’m going to press charges. You’re no longer in charge of my career. I’ve hired someone to handle my finances, and if I decide to get back into movies, I will do it on my own, with a different agent.”
“You can’t do that!” her mother cried.
“I can, and I did,” said Tina.
Her mother gave her a steady glare full of disgust. “What’s happened to you? Look at you! You look ... look ... so ordinary! You’ll never be able to make it in the movies like that. You don’t have enough talent.”
My insides shriveled at the cruelty of those words. Instinctively, I put my arm around Tina. But I couldn’t erase the pain on her face. “Let’s go inside. Paul, please see that this woman leaves the property.”
I helped Tina inside and ushered her to a seat in the lobby. From behind the front desk, Tim covered his hand over the phone receiver and looked over at us. “What’s all the shouting about?”
Struggling to control the anger that still pounded through me, I took a trembling breath. “Tim, I need you to call the police and report that someone is harassing one of our guests. Paul will see that she leaves the property, but I want to make a formal report.”
Beside me, Tina was quietly sobbing. I put an arm around her shaking shoulders. “I’m so sorry, Tina. I’d hoped she’d be gone before you got back. What can I do to help you?”
She took hold of my hands. “Please, let me stay with you for a few more weeks until I can get things sorted out.”
“Sure, I can do that.” There was no way I’d let her go back to her old life in California. I tried for an encouraging smile. “You can be my family for Thanksgiving.”
Her lips formed a shaky grin that crossed her face and quickly disappeared. “Barbara agreed I’d eventually have to break ties with my mother, at least professionally. Neither one of us knew it was going to happen like this.”
“No matter when it happened, I’m sure it wouldn’t be easy.”
Tina shook her head. “I hate her, you know.”
I didn’t say a word. How could I?
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Thanksgiving approached in a flurry of pre-holiday business. The new spa packages received good reviews from the guests who took advantage of them. I waited and watched for any sign of retaliation from Tina’s mother, but nobody served us legal papers, and nothing showed up in the news about Tina’s accident.
Tina moved into my house and was much more comfortable getting around. Troy was helping her, giving her exercises to strengthen her body and massaging sore muscles when she overdid it.
As Thanksgiving grew closer, Angela kept reminding us that everything had to be perfect for Reggie’s parents. Rhonda and I decided to put them in the Presidential Suite.
“They’d better like this,” grumbled Rhonda as she walked through the suite with Ana and me, checking its condition.
“I’m sure they will.” Even the fussiest of guests fell in love with this space.
“You’ve got Reggie’s room set aside?” Rhonda snorted with irritation. “Don’t know why he can’t stay at my house. They’re all but living together at school.”
“His mother insisted that he have his own room. I told her I’d take care of it.” They hadn’t even arrived at the hotel, and I was already feeling their demanding presence.
Angela and Reggie arrived on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. After picking them up at the airport, Rhonda dropped them off at the hotel.
I noticed them by the pool sunning themselves in the unusually warm temperatures and went outside to say hello.
“How are you?” I asked Reggie.
He sat up to greet me. “Good, thanks. Glad to be away from the cold in Boston.”
Reggie reached for Angela’s hand, and they exchanged happy smiles.
“We’re going to do our best to give them a good time,” I said, dreading the visit.
Later, when Angela came inside alone, I took her aside. “What’s going on with you? The last time we talked alone, you were worried about something personal.”
She glanced around the empty hallway before facing me. “I redid the test, and it turns out I am pregnant, after all. But I haven’t told anyone,” she whispered. “I’m not that far along, and up ’til now, I haven’t been really sick. I’m not saying anything to anybody including Reggie until I know what the situation is with Reggie and me. I’d never want to force him into marrying me.”
I hugged her. I knew very well how unsatisfactory a forced marriage could be. Robert might never have married me if I hadn’t gotten pregnant.
When I went into the office, Rhonda beamed at me. “Doesn’t Angela look wonderful? It’s so good to see her. And Reggie’s been real nice to me.”
“I’m glad,” I said. Whether Rhonda liked it or not, Reggie might soon be part of her family.
“I’m fixing veal piccata for dinner. Reggie told me he could eat that.” Rhonda grinned. “Maybe there’s hope for him yet!”
I laughed. Nothing meant more to Rhonda than feeding people who loved her cooking. Will had always been one of her biggest fans.
I hung around the hotel until dinner time was over, making sure all was going smoothly. The hotel was three-quarters full. Tomorrow it would be completely booked.
Tina came into the office and sat down.
“What’s up?” I asked her.
She shrugged. “I miss my little brother. My mother won’t let me talk to him. I’m afraid he’ll think I don’t care about him anymore.”
“Is there anyone who can help you with this situation” Tina had shown me pictures of a teenaged boy with a guileless smile.
“I tried talking to the babysitter about it, but she was afraid that if my mother found out, she’d lose her job.”
“How about someone at the school?”
Tina’s face brightened. “That might work. They know I love my brother. Thanks, Ann. I hadn’t thought of that.”
She rose to leave.
“Any news about your plans?”
She sighed and sat back down. “I’ve talked to a couple of agents. The one I like told me if I quit now, it’ll be hard to come back. And if I want to change the kind of roles I’ve had in the past, it would be even harder. She told me she’d help me if I want her to, but only if I studied the craft. There are a couple of acting coaches I could work with, but I don’t know what I want to do.”
“Well, you’ve got time to think about it while your leg heals.”
She smiled. “I might even stay in Florida and do something entirely different. Right now, I need to make sure my brother is okay.”
As she made her way out of the office, I thought about the changes in her. I’d thought she might want to go back to her old ways, dressing inappropriately, acting entitled. But her mother’s mean remarks to her had apparently served as encouragement to keep her appearance more modest. She certainly wasn’t the same girl who’d arrived at the hotel a couple of months ago.
Standing beside Rhonda at the top of the hotel’s front stairway, I could almost feel her anxious palpitations. She smoothed her rose-colored caftan again and again with nervous swipes of her hands. Her colorful blond curls were pulled back into a bun at the back of her neck. Diamonds sparkled on her ear lobes and winked on a heavy gold necklace that offset her tan. She’d reduced the amount of mascara she normally wore, giving her eyes a softer look.
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt so insecure in my life,” grumbled Rhonda. “Angela made me change my clothes, re-fix my hair and do my makeup differently.” She shook her head. “I think this whole thing has all but made her sick. She barely ate breakfast this morning.”
“You look fine,” I said in a reassuring voice, as the limo with Reggie’s parents pulled through the gates of the hotel.
Rhonda grabbed my hand. “Stay with me, partner. I’m scared to death of these people.”
I hid my own nervousness. “Rhonda, they’re no better or worse than we are. Remember that.”
She drew a deep breath and tugged on my hand. “Okay. Here we go.”
We descended the stairs with practiced smiles and waited for our driver to assist Katherine Smythe out of the limousine.
Tall and thin, she straightened and gave us a smile that held a chill. Her beige suit and tailored blouse seemed out-of-place in warm, sunny Florida. I recalled Rhonda once telling me not to be so beige and silently prayed she’d say nothing to Katherine.
“Welcome to The Beach House Hotel,” Rhonda and I said together.
Confused, Katherine said, “Which one of you is Angela’s mother?”
“I am,” said Rhonda proudly, “and this is my business partner, Ann Rutherford.”
“How do you do?” Katherine shook Rhonda’s hand and then mine. “Reginald was anxious for us all to meet. I think it’s appropriate that we do.”
Rhonda smiled. “Angela and Reggie are really happy together. It took me a while to get used to the idea, but I get it now.”
Katherine stiffened. “I see we have a lot to talk about.”
It struck me then. With her long legs, sharp nose, and narrow neck, Katherine reminded me of a blue heron on the hunt, about to pluck a fish out of the water. I shook off my fanciful thoughts and turned to Arthur Smythe.
Surprisingly short, he seemed to cower under Katherine’s watchful stare. Arthur’s full head of hair formed a cloud of gray around his head. His eyes, a bright hazel, sparkled with interest.
“Hello, I’m Arthur Smythe, Reggie’s father.” He shook hands with Rhonda and then me. A frown creased his broad brow. “I thought Reggie would be here to greet us.”
“He and Angela will be along soon. They’ve been staying at my house,” said Rhonda.
“But surely Reggie will have his own room here,” said Katherine, turning to me. “You mentioned that when I called to confirm.”
“Yes, of course,” I said. “It’s all been arranged.”
“Won’t you please come in? We have your suite ready for you,” said Rhonda. “I think you’ll be pleased. Our guests really like the hotel. Right, Annie?”
“Indeed. We’re so happy to have you here,” I said trying to conquer my own nerves at their imperious behavior.
Katherine silently followed Rhonda into the hotel. I stayed behind to make sure Arthur had all their things gathered from the inside of the limo.
“Paul will get your suitcases,” I told him. “Come with me.”
As I turned to go inside, Arthur stopped me. “Any chance of sending up a bottle of Chivas Regal scotch to the room?”
“Sure. We’ll be glad to take care of it. Anything else? We’ve provided fruit and cheese and crackers for your room, along with a small dish of nuts.”
“That will be fine,” he said.
I waved Tim over and quietly asked him to get the scotch.
I led Arthur inside and up to the second-floor wing which housed the Presidential Suite. As he followed behind me, I had the uncomfortable feeling he was staring at my bum.
When we stepped into the living room of the suite, I overheard Katherine telling Rhonda they would be leaving on Friday morning, not on Sunday as they’d originally planned.
“We have friends in Palm Beach we must visit,” Katherine explained to us. “Their daughter is coming out in December, and Reginald will be accompanying her.”
“Coming out?” said Rhonda. “You’re celebrating that?”
Katherine’s “tsk-tsk” was so condescending my cheeks grew hot at her snobbery.
“I mean as a debutante at the International Ball in New York,” said Katherine. “It’s a tradition, you know, fo
r the best of families to take part in it. Unfortunately, we don’t have a daughter, so Reginald will have to represent the family.”
“Now, Katherine ...” Arthur began.
“I don’t imagine your Angela is involved in anything like that,” Katherine said to Rhonda.
Rhonda’s cheeks grew bright red. I braced myself for whatever she might say.
Her smile was as fake as Katherine’s. “Yeah, I don’t believe in all that bullshit to prove to the world that I’ve got a whole lot of money. I’d rather spend it on people who need it.”
Katherine’s jaw dropped. “Well, I ... it’s a tradition in the best circles ...”
“We’ll leave you to get settled,” I said smoothly, taking Rhonda’s arm and leading her away. Though I could sense her angry resistance, Rhonda allowed me to usher her out of the suite.
We’d begun to descend the stairs when Arthur caught up to us. “Hey, I’m sorry about all that. We have only the one son, and Katherine is overly protective. She doesn’t mean to be that way. She’s simply worried about Reggie committing to anything too serious at this stage in his life.”
He gave us an anxious look. “How about that bottle of scotch I ordered?”
“We’ll send it up right away,” I said.
“It’s on the house,” said Rhonda. “You must really need it.”
Without waiting for me, she headed on down the stairs.
“Maybe you can help smooth things over,” Arthur said to me. “I promised Reggie I’d keep an eye on his mother. He’s not like her at all.”
“We’ll work together to keep things nice. But, Arthur, there’s no need for this kind of thing. Nerves or not.”
“I agree,” he said. “I love my boy and would do anything for him, believe me.”
“Then don’t hurt him or Angela,” I warned him. “And don’t make it a contest. I assure you Rhonda has many friends in high places because of all her involvement in charities.”
Tim headed toward us carrying a bottle. I knew from the label it was one of our most expensive brands.
Arthur held out his hand. “Thanks, I’ll take that, young man.”
Still disturbed by the exchange between Katherine and Rhonda, I headed downstairs to the office. Angela’s pregnancy would be devastating to Reggie’s mother. An unkind person, she’d make Angela’s life miserable.