Page 18

A hundred and fifty grand a year? Just to be able to come here? That’s insane. “So it’s like an all-inclusive?” I say. One of the girls back at the garage went to an all-inclusive in Jamaica for her honeymoon. Everything was free once you got there. She said she and her husband had the time of their lives.

“The exact opposite,” Akira says, who seems to know everything I don’t about the Colorado Club. “You pay the membership, then you have to pay for everything else on top. So drinks, food, your room—everything.”

“I don’t get it,” I say. “Why would you do that? Why wouldn’t you go to Aspen and not spend a hundred and fifty grand a year to come here?”

Akira just laughs. “Because the people who come here only want to mix with other people who are as rich as them. They want the slopes to themselves. They want caviar on every menu. They want waitresses dressed by Hugo Boss. Millionaires go to Aspen. Billionaires come to the Colorado Club.”

“You should really get a job in the marketing department,” Eden says. “You make it sound like heaven for VIPs.”

“That’s what it is. A roped-off section of heaven.”

“And we’re lucky enough to work here,” I say on a laugh.

“Until we land rich husbands and become guests ourselves,” Eden says on a wink.

“I heard the real big fish is the owner of the place. He’s a multibillionaire apparently,” Akira says.

“And about a hundred years old, no doubt,” I say.

“Even better!” Eden says, and dissolves into laughter. “The only problem is, he might never be here. Someone that rich probably doesn’t get involved in like, running the place.”

“Apparently this guy is here,” Akira says. “One of the reception agents thinks he’s gay. Or hopes he is. Apparently he’s in the gym a lot. He’s got quite the bod, by all accounts.”

“Does he wear a ring?” Eden asks. “How old is he? I need details. Is he definitely gay? Is there flexibility?”

“Flexibility?” I ask, unsure what she’s talking about.

“Like is he bisexual?” Eden asks. “I could make that work.”

“We need to go,” I say, not wanting to tumble down that particular rabbit hole. “We’re meeting Hazel in the lobby. Maybe we’ll get to see the owner on our tour.”

“If I see him, I might propose on the spot,” Eden says.

“Sounds like an excellent way to lose your job,” I reply.

Eden mutters something and we make our way out of the locker room. We head to the main lobby, where we’ve been told we’re going to start our tour.

“I’m Hazel,” a tall Black woman says. “I’m heading up your induction today. Any problems with your uniform, fill out the form you received over email.”

Akira puts up her hand. “If we’re not open yet and there are no guests around, why are we wearing uniforms?”

Hazel mostly covers up her irritation. I’m not sure if she’s been asked the question a hundred times and is sick of it, or she just doesn’t like questions. Either way, Akira doesn’t seem to notice.

“If you’re in member areas, you must always be in a uniform. No excuses. Yes, you’re training, but it’s best to start as we mean to go on. The uniform helps create a mindset of professionalism and service.” She doesn’t invite any further questions. “We’re going to start with a tour and I’ll give you some information about the resort and our expectations in terms of our approach to members and service.” She pauses and winces slightly. “There will be pop quizzes along the way. I wanted to tell you up front so you don’t get a shock.”

“You’re going to test us?” Eden asks.

“Yes. The service we provide to members needs to be consistently first class across the entire resort, so there’s an expectation for all staff to share a baseline of operational knowledge. The tests help us ensure consistency and understanding. They also help us understand how well senior management are communicating.”

I’m not sure what she said, but I’m starting to feel real pressure and we’re only three minutes in.

Hazel takes a step closer to us. “Look, we’re not trying to catch you out. That’s not the aim. We just want you to know the resort well and be able to communicate with members properly. If they want to know what time the slopes open, we want you to be able to say,The lifts are manned twenty-four hours a day and lighting is available on the green, blue, and red runs on request.”

“Oh, so it’s not like… questions about the menu?” Akira asks.

“It will be that too, but the members here will have huge expectations of you, so you’ll need to know about the entire resort.”

Because they’re rich, I think. The richer they are, the more power they have. The more they expect. I always thought Frank was rich, but although his house was in a great neighborhood and he didn’t look at prices in the grocery store, he wasn’t the kind of rich that could spend a hundred and fifty grand a year just to get a chance to book this place.