Page 28 of Sunset Cove
In her eyes, pies were exactlywhat this hotel needed. Claire saw The Grand Madrona as a family-friendly refuge, not a luxury resort. The fact that the hotel was elegant didn’t mean that it could only cater to aristocrats.
She’d have to put her foot down with Ken, but there wasn’t anything more to do on that subject now. Claire was spending the day with Gigi, learning how to take calls and book rooms.
The day flew by, surprisingly, because Gigi was happy to let Claire do most of the work. It was a great learning experience, and though Claire was sad to leave the hotel for the weekend, she was excited to have an excuse to spend time with her newly discovered nephew.
Taking a few days away from the hotel proved to be a wise choice. Claire loved having the time to get to know Marty as they spent hours talking, laughing, and cooking. They watched movies – Marty choseInterstellar, while Claire’s choice wasStar Wars– and Claire got to hear more about Marty’s life growing up.
Though she didn’t find any solutions to Marty’s legal problem, Claire suggested that they hire an attorney who specialized in espionage. Marty was hesitant to agree; it seemed like he wished the problem would sort itself out.
Her argument was that while it’d be nice if the FBI figured out they were wrong on their own, it seemed unlikely. By Sunday evening, Marty acknowledged she was right, and he agreed they needed to find an attorney.
First thing Monday morning, Claire left a message for an old coworker, asking for a call back. Then, refreshed and full of hope, she returned to the hotel for her week of housekeeping duty.
She started her day in the employee locker room. Rhonda had left her a housekeeping uniform, and Claire beamed when she saw it. She fully planned on getting her hands dirty and learning first-hand how she could help make the housekeeping team’s lives easier.
Luckily for Claire, the housekeepers were not shy about telling her what they needed. As Claire scrubbed toilets, flipped mattresses, and hauled trash, they told her about all of the improvements they’d like to see.
“Go ahead, try to push this vacuum,” Layla, one of the youngest housekeepers, said to her on Tuesday.
Claire obliged, barely able to move the heavy thing along the carpet, its wheels squeaking.
“Oh yeah, that’s awful,” Claire said. “What’s with the bag on here? It’s so hard to get on.”
“I know!” Layla said. “I think this vacuum is older than I am.”
Claire laughed. All in all, the housekeepers’ requests were entirely reasonable. They wanted new vacuums for each team, and a spare in case of breakdowns. They asked for new carts, and to have shampoo and conditioner dispensers installed in the showers.
That was Layla’s idea – she despaired at all of the plastic that was wasted with tiny bottles in each room.
“I think we can do that,” said Claire, writing their suggestions in her notebook.
The one request that would be harder to accommodate was a new hire. They explained to Claire how helpful it would be to have a part-time housekeeper to help pick up shifts during the busy season, or to cover when someone was off.
Claire thought this was reasonable, too, but was honest with them about needing to meet with Chip and seeing what the budget would allow.
They were satisfied with her response, and she set an appointment on her calendar to meet with them again in a month to make sure their suggestions were implemented to their liking.
The week went well, but by Friday, Claire was ready for a break. Housekeeping was hard work! She admired her staff – they didn’t cut corners, and really, they weren’t asking for much. Even so, she was nervous about bringing up the improvements to Chip. The man was intimidating.
Claire tried to remind herself that she was the boss, not him, but it was no use. Whenever she saw him, even just passing by, her stomach tightened.
It didn’t help that he was so handsome. Maybe that was most of it? He was tall and had those broad shoulders, and he didn’t dress like a manager, in suits and ties and things. He wore sweaters, usually, which somehow added to his ever-present confidence. Also, he had this great head of hair – jet black, with grays peppered in.
Her last boyfriend was bald, not that there was anything wrong with bald men. He had been cute, too. The only thing wrong with him was that he didn’t want to be with someone who had kids. It took him almost two years to figure that out, though, and to break up with Claire.
When she finished for the day, Chip was nowhere to be seen. She decided to wait until their evening out to discuss the changes. She took a quick shower in the employee locker room before returning to the cabin.
Marty, bless his heart, had made dinner for them both – pan-fried salmon with asparagus.
“This is so nice!” she said as she walked in. He was too much. He’d spent the week cleaning the cabin, too, giving it the deep scrub it desperately needed.
“I feel guilty sitting around all day and eating your food,” he said, setting the plates onto the little table. “I have to earn my keep somehow.”
“Please, you should be relaxing. You were living in the wilderness for weeks!” Claire sat and watched him as he dashed around the kitchen. So much about Marty reminded her of Becca. It was the small things, the things she didn’t even think about anymore – the quick way Becca used to move, or the scowl that would settle on her face when she was thinking.
Marty was like an echo of her. It dredged up old feelings and gave Claire a strong impulse to protect him – the way she never could protect her sister.
“I’ve also got a mixed rice going. I hope it’s okay that I made it?” he asked, pulling her from her thoughts.
