Page 54 of My Lucky Star
Chapter 18
Aria
ITOOK A DEEP BREATH, trying to prepare myself for whatever waited on the other side of the door. So far, I’d only sent emails and occasionally answered a phone call. Never once had I received multiple visitors from Hollywood. Did Americans always arrive several hours early?
I plastered on my widest smile as I yanked open the door. “Hello! You must be from Golden Age Pictures? I’m Aria.”
A petite woman in her thirties with a perfectly styled short, black hair offered her hand, along with a brilliantly white, big-toothed smile. She would have made an incredible cartoon character. “Aria! Hi, I’m Lindsay. We talked on the phone. I’m so glad we found you! And I’m so sorry we’re late. We’ve been going around in circles, getting lost all over town.” Behind her, a group of men and women leaned on various pieces of filming equipment. A minibus with taxi signs pulled away from the curb.
I froze, my brain scrambling to find solid ground. “You’re not late. I thought you were arriving tonight at eight.”
“Yes! Eight in the morning! Did I not write that in the email? I’m pretty sleep deprived.”
A cold feeling crept up my spine. Had I misread the email?
“I’m so sorry. Sounds like there’s been a miscommunication. We still have the previous guests in the house, but they’re checking out very soon. Then we’ll bring the cleaners in and get everything ready for you.”
Her face fell. “Oh, f-f-fargh.” There was a burst of laughter behind her back, and she shot a look over her shoulder. “I’m not putting a dollar in the jar!” The guys standing behind her exchanged sneers.
Turning back to me, she pushed her palms together as if begging for mercy. “How bad is it? Are there any rooms that are ready to go? We’ve been travelling for hours, and everyone is exhausted!”
She gestured at her crew members, who smiled at me politely, albeit weakly. I did a quick head count – seven. If some of them shared rooms, they would fit into the unoccupied ones for now. It’d be dusty and musty, but I hadn’t spotted any evidence of mice or other wildlife.
“Come in, let’s figure this out.” I opened the door and let them inside the reception, quickly picking up a pair of trainers strewn across the floor, cursing Cem’s careless style. I was sure now that he’d folded his clothing at the waterfall to make a point.
The film crew poured in, erupting in a loud conversation about the historical features of the staircase and how to best hide or replace the ugly reception desk.
“Okay,” Lindsay raised her voice to silence the group. “Let’s get settled into our rooms and then meet down here in one hour to go over the location.”
I hurried past them, blocking the stairs and smiling like my life depended on it. “As I told Lindsay, there’s been a wee miscommunication. The previous two guests haven’t checked out yet, but I’ll make sure they leave within an hour. In the meantime, I’ll show you to the vacant rooms and maybe you can share until we get those two rooms cleaned and ready for you?”
“As long as I can take a shower by myself,” one of the older guys grumbled.
“Maybe you can take turns?” I suggested, immediately regretting my sharp tone. But seriously, did he have to be such an ass? I wasn’t suggesting they shared shower cubicles.
I led them upstairs, pointing out the vacant rooms. The crew members negotiated between themselves on who got what, eventually withdrawing into their respective rooms.
Sighing with relief, I hurried back downstairs. I found both Cem and Emir at the reception desk, discussing something in hushed tones. Cem had discovered another maroon bathrobe to cover himself with, this one even smaller.
The men lifted their heads in unison, targeting me with four chocolate brown eyeballs. I raised my finger to my lips and crossed the floor softly, then ushered them both back into the kitchen so we could talk freely.
“What is going on?” Emir hissed as soon as the door closed.
From somewhere deep inside, I coaxed on a reassuring smile. How did the hospitality workers handle these curveballs? I felt out of my depth. “There was a wee mix-up. I swear they said they were arriving at 8 p.m. not 8 a.m. but it doesn’t matter. I have to sort this out.” I forced myself to meet Emir’s thunderous glare. “I need to take you to the Airbnb early. Or, if it’s not ready, we need to go somewhere else for a bit. I’m so sorry.”
“That’s okay.” Cem hopped on a barstool, his tone light. “We can go to the aquarium. Right, Emir?” He winked at his brother.
