by Marilyn Turk
After breakfast, Lexie returned to the residence to use the phone and called Russell at the hotel.
“Hi, babe.” He always sounded like he was smiling.
“Hi, Russell. You have time for me today?”
“I think I can work you in. Something exciting happen last night?”
“You might not think so, but I’d still like to see you.”
“Music to my ears. Would you like to come to the hotel for lunch?”
“Sure. Noon? I’m working again tonight.”
“Perfect. See you then.”
Lexie hung up the residence phone, then returned to the hospital and made her way to the library. She opened her books and began studying for her tests, getting so engrossed she forgot the time. When her stomach growled, she remembered lunch and checked the time. It was already a quarter past noon! She’d have to hurry, but she had to change clothes first. What a frustrating rule that she couldn’t wear her uniform off the hospital grounds. She raced upstairs to her room, grateful it was on the second floor so she didn’t have to wait for the elevator.
She thought about calling Russell to tell him she was running late but decided not to take the time and practically ran the blocks to the hotel, dashing into the lobby out of breath. She peered into the dining room and scanned the tables searching for Russell but didn’t see him anywhere. A waiter approached her. “Can I help you find a seat, miss?”
“I’m looking for the hotel manager, Russell Thompson. Has he been in here?”
The waiter nodded. “Yes, he was sitting over there about fifteen minutes ago, but someone came and got him. You might check at the front desk and see if they know where he is.”
Lexie went back to the lobby and waited for the desk clerk to finish with a customer before he came over to her. “May I help you?”
“Have you seen Russell Thompson? I was supposed to meet him for lunch.”
“Ah, yes, ma’am. He left a note for you.” The clerk reached beneath the desk, withdrew a piece of paper, then gave it to her.
“Lexie, sorry I had to leave. The hotel owner called an unexpected meeting with all the managers, and I have to attend. Will make it up to you later.”
What would she do now? She might as well return to the residence and get ready for her shift. She left the hotel and headed back. But as she neared the diner, the craving for a club sandwich propelled her inside. Since she was alone, she opted for one of the two seats that were empty at the counter. The waitress came over, took her order, then returned with a glass of Coke. As she sipped her soda, a gentleman sat down beside her. She glanced over and almost choked on her drink.
The same man, the one who’d introduced himself as Cal, was sitting next to her. Why did she keep running into him? She thought about leaving, but she had already ordered her sandwich. Besides, she was hungry.
He took off his hat, placed it on the counter, then turned to her with a surprised look.
“So we meet again.”
Lexie offered a smile, hoping he didn’t notice the blush that her warm cheeks confirmed.
“How are you today … did you say your name was Cal?”
“You have a good memory. And I believe your friend said your name was Alexandra. Is that correct?”
“That is my given name, yes, but most people call me Lexie.”
The waitress brought Lexie’s sandwich and turned to Cal. “What’ll you have, hon?”
“Coffee and…” He looked at Lexie’s sandwich, “I’ll have one of those.”
“Club sandwich? Coming right up!”
Lexie bowed a second to bless her food, then took a bite.
“Didn’t your friend, Penny, I think, say you were both nursing students?”
Lexie swallowed and took a sip of her drink before answering. “That’s correct. We’re students at Bellevue.”
“So if I may ask, why did you decide to be a nurse? Is that something you’ve always wanted to be?” Cal’s sandwich arrived, and Lexie welcomed the chance to formulate her answer.
“Maybe it’s because my mother was ill.” She paused, not wanting to divulge the nature of her mother’s illness.
“It’s a tough profession.” He drank some coffee. “I saw a movie about nurses a long time ago.”
“You did? Which one?”
“Let’s see. Oh, it was called The White Parade. My little sister wanted to see it, so I took her.”
Surprised, Lexie faced him. “I saw that too. I forgot about it because it was so long ago.”
“So maybe it influenced you, huh?”
Lexie pondered the idea. “Maybe it did, but I didn’t realize it. Did your sister become a nurse?”
“As a matter of fact, she did.”
“Does she live here?”
Cal paused, his gaze drifting off. “No, she lives in Canada.”
“You’re Canadian, then?”
He ran his finger around the inside of his collar as if it were too tight. “No, but my family moved there a few years ago. My uncle is there.”
The man seemed uncomfortable, and Lexie was afraid she’d overstepped herself. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”
His broad smile returned. “Oh no, you didn’t. I was just thinking it’s been a while since I’ve spoken to them.”
“You live on Long Island?” Seeing his puzzled look, she said, “You know, I saw you on the train from Long Island.”
“Oh, that. No, I was visiting friends there.”
“Actually, I was, too, in East Hampton.” Lexie bit her tongue. Maybe she was giving this stranger too much personal information. She didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. “My fiancé and I were there visiting friends.”
Cal lifted an eyebrow. “Your fiancé? I suppose that is the man I saw you here with yesterday.”
“Yes, that’s him. He’s the manager at the Martinique Hotel.”
“I thought he looked familiar. That’s where I’ve been staying.”
“Oh. So you don’t live here?” There she went again being nosy. Why else would he be staying at the hotel?
“No, I’m just in town a few days wrapping up some business. Then I’ll be going to work at the Aluminum Company in Massena.”
“I thought maybe you were in town to sign up for the army or navy.” The expression on Cal’s face was curious, like she’d suggested something very unusual. She looked down at her watch, then jumped up. “I’m sorry. I need to get back to the hospital.” She reached into her purse for money to pay for her lunch, and Cal put his hand over hers. “I’ll get this.”
“That’s really not necessary,” she said, pulling her hand away to get her money out and put it on the counter. “But thank you anyway.”
“All right.” He put on his hat and stood. “It was very nice talking with you, Alexandra, or Lexie.”
“You too,” she said and dashed out of the building. As she hurried down the sidewalk, she mulled over the conversation she had with Cal.
So his sister was a nurse? How interesting. Why hadn’t he seen his family for a while? She wondered who he had been visiting in the Hamptons. Maybe it was someone she knew. If not, the sisters probably did. Maybe some of the men he was with were the people he’d visited. He sure did act strangely when she suggested he was joining the military. Well, what he did was not her concern, even though he was a nice man. Too bad Penny hadn’t been there to talk to him since she was the one who wanted to meet men.
Scenes from The White Parade flitted through her mind as she remembered the movie. She recalled the nurses struggling with their duties and relationships. Was the movie realistic? In some ways, she remembered the situations as similar to those they faced at the hospital. But the movie had seemed so dramatic when she saw it. One part that stood out in her mind was when the main character, played by Loretta Young, had to make a choice between love and her job. Lexie would never allow that dilemma in her own life. Even though the instructors at Bellevue were unmarried, and a few former instructors had resigned to ge
t married, that choice was no longer necessary. In today’s world, a woman could have both, even if managing each was difficult.
Like studying too late and missing lunch with your fiancé. Lexie could kick herself for that. Good thing Russell was such a nice guy. Some guys might get peeved, but not him. Too bad Penny couldn’t find some nice man like Russell. She smiled remembering Penny’s warning to keep tabs on Russell so some other woman wouldn’t snatch him away. Russell wasn’t like other men, and he certainly wouldn’t be attracted to someone like Penny. Thank God, Lexie could trust Russell. He was a loyal, God-fearing, moral man, and he had his priorities straight. She worried that working at the Martinique wasn’t as fulfilling for him as being manager of the Jekyll Island Club had been. Hopefully, he would come to like his new job as much as his last.
Chapter Eleven
Russell strolled up to the front desk, exhausted from the meeting he’d been in.
“Anything I need to handle?”
“No, sir, not at the moment.” The desk clerk finished tallying a bill. “Oh, yes, that young lady came by looking for you.”
“Beautiful blue eyes, blonde curls, about this tall?” Russell held his hand shoulder high.
“Yes, sir, that would be the one. She blew in here pretty fast and canvassed the dining room before she came to the desk.”
“Yep. Sounds like Lexie. Late again. Guess she was sore I wasn’t here waiting for her.”
“Disappointed, I’d say. She left the hotel when I told her you had to leave for a meeting.”
Russell blew out a breath. That’s the way things were going with he and Lexie these days—never enough time for each other. He leaned over the desk and turned the registration book around. “How are we doing on vacancies?”
“A few checked out, but just as many checked in. We’re still full.”
Russell rubbed his chin. His business wasn’t slowing down any, that’s for sure. And now that he’d found out the company was losing a couple of its managers to the military, he’d have even more work. He wouldn’t mind the work if he enjoyed it. But New York City was so different from Jekyll Island. The city was not a resort, and the Martinique was not a club. He hated the hectic pace of the city, so unlike the relaxed pace of Jekyll.
He lifted his gaze when a man entered the lobby and passed by on his way to the elevators. It was the same guy that Lexie said she saw on the train from Long Island. Russell nodded in his direction. “Say, you know who that man is?”
“No, sir. I don’t think the room he’s in is registered in his name.”
“Wonder how long he’s staying?”
The desk clerk shrugged. “I saw him with some other men this morning, but they left.”
Russell scanned the book again, trying to figure out which rooms had changed in the last twenty-four hours. But there were too many rooms and too many people for him to know. Which was another thing he didn’t like about the hotel. At Jekyll, he knew everyone who came to the hotel, as well as the island. And they knew him too. He was important there. Even if he wasn’t one of the club members, he was their “go-to” man. He had everyone’s respect because they knew he handled his responsibilities with skill and professionalism. Anything they needed, he could provide, or would at least try to, and the members appreciated him for that.
Here at the Martinique, only his employees and the owner knew who he was. Yes, there were a few customers who came in more than once—just some regular business travelers who he’d become familiar with. But others, like the stars who stayed when they performed on Broadway, didn’t even give him a nod. Russell, your pride is showing, he admonished himself. He should be content just having a job after the Jekyll Club Hotel closed. He should be thankful to be near Lexie so they could see each other occasionally. Well, that’s one thing he was thankful for. Seeing Lexie, even if it wasn’t as much as he wanted, added joy to his life and made his job more bearable. Still, he just didn’t feel like he was making a difference, doing something that made the world a better place.
Two servicemen walked into the lobby and up to the front desk. He straightened and spoke to them. “Good afternoon, gentlemen. Do you have reservations?”
The two young men seemed barely old enough to be out of high school, if indeed they were. They looked at each other and shrugged. “Do we have to have reservations?”
Russell smiled, thinking how innocent they were, how unprepared for the world they were about to defend. “It would be a good idea. Most New York City hotels are staying booked these days.”
He turned to the desk clerk. “Glenn, see if we have anything available.”
The clerk looked at him with raised eyebrows but perused the reservation book anyway.
“I’m afraid we don’t, sir. Not at this time.”
The young men were crestfallen. “Oh, okay. Do you know someplace else we can go?’
Russell had an idea and turned to the clerk. “Say, Glenn, why don’t you call the McAlpin and see if they have any vacancies?” The McAlpin Hotel, at twenty-five stories was larger than the Martinique’s nineteen and was owned by the same company. Russell knew from the meeting he’d come from that the hotel had vacancies.
“Yes, sir.” The clerk phoned the other hotel and determined there were indeed rooms available. “They’re holding two rooms for you,” he said to the men when he hung up the phone.
“Gee, thanks,” one of them said. “Where is it? We’re new in town.”
Russell picked up a pad of paper and drew a map for them. “It’s only a couple of blocks south of here. You won’t have any trouble finding it.” He tore off the paper and handed it to them.
When the men left, Glenn turned to Russell. “That was real nice of you. You go the extra mile to help people.”
“Shouldn’t we all? The Golden Rule, you know.”
“What’s that?”
“Treat others the way you’d like to be treated yourself.” Hadn’t everyone heard of the Golden Rule?
The clerk’s forehead creased in thought. “Ah, yes, that’s a good thing to remember.”
“Sure is, Glenn. So let’s try to treat all our patrons that way.” Russell slapped the desk with his hand for emphasis. “Our hotel should have a reputation for the good service we give, don’t you agree?”
“Yes, sir.”
The phone rang, and Glenn picked it up. “Hotel Martinique. How may I help you?” He winked at Russell, who smiled his approval. Then he handed the phone to Russell. “For you.”
Russell leaned against the desk, propping his elbow on the top. “Russell Thompson, at your service.”
The USO was on the other end. He chatted with them a while before they asked if he could play piano for their dance Friday night. Russell accepted the offer, happy to know the dance would be at the Martinique. Maybe Lexie could come, too, since it was so close to her.
Karl entered the hotel room to find Henry pacing the floor.
“Where have you been?” The fellow conspirator puffed out his words with ever-present cigarette smoke.
“I went out for lunch. And some cards.” Karl held up the deck of playing cards, frowning at the overflowing ashtray on the nightstand, and strode to the window to make sure it was open as far as possible. “Don’t you get tired of this room?”
“Sure I do, but I don’t want to take any unnecessary chances.” Henry glanced anxiously at the window.
“Like I do, you mean?” Karl crossed his arms and leaned against the wall nearest the fresh air.
“Yes, like you do.” Henry pointed at Karl. “Oscar told us to stay low while we wait for our supplies.”
“Oscar is not my commanding officer.” Karl frowned at the notion.
Hands on hips, Henry walked over to face him. “But he is our leader for the operation here.”
Karl shrugged but stood his ground. “He’s our contact person, nothing else. He does not decide what I do with my time.”
“Don’t underestimate him, Karl. Oscar can be a dangerous man to
cross.”
“Yeah? What’s he going to do to me? Kill me? How will that affect the operation? Wouldn’t that create more attention than we want?” Karl’s anger threatened to take over the good mood he’d had when he arrived at the room.
Henry backed down, but Karl had a suspicion the man struggled with the situation.
“Henry, let’s go downstairs for some coffee. You need to get out of here before you go crazy.”
Henry flashed an apprehensive look. “I don’t know. I…”
Karl strode to the door and grabbed the knob. “Come on. I’m buying.” He offered a slight smile to his edgy roommate.
Scanning the room as if searching for an answer, Henry finally nodded. “Well, all right.” He grabbed his hat off the table. “But just downstairs, nowhere else.”
Karl grinned as he opened the door wide. “So I guess a walk in the park would be out of the question?”
Henry took a step back, surprise in his eyes.
Motioning with his hand to come on, Karl said, “It’s a joke, Henry.”
They took the elevator down to the lobby and passed the front desk on the way to one of the hotel’s restaurants. When Karl saw the hotel manager near the desk talking on the phone, he remembered that the man was Alexandra’s fiancé. Not a bad-looking fellow, dressed well and seemed pleasant enough. He caught some of the phone conversation as they walked past.
“Yes, the beach at Amagansett was hopping when I was there Saturday. Never saw so many coast guard personnel around there before.” He paused while he listened, then continued. “Yes, I know there’s a station there, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen so much action around it. I figured they were conducting some type of training exercise. I saw them digging in the sand, like hunting for buried treasure.”
An alarm went off in Karl’s head. Buried treasure? Did they find anything? He followed Henry to the farthest table in the restaurant, choosing a seat that faced the lobby. He wanted to keep an eye on this fellow.
When the man hung up the phone and walked away, Karl noticed a slight limp. What was wrong with his foot or leg? Had he been a soldier? The girl didn’t say anything about it. And with all the rampant patriotism going on in the country, she might have bragged about his service or his injury.