Page 37 of Sweeter than Honey
“Of course,” I say, standing up from my desk. I wonder what it could be. Maybe a new project, or something for the witch conference. I’m extremely behind on the planning since my week off.
I follow her down the hallway and onto the elevator. She presses the button for the fourth floor of the hotel, where the residential suites are. I recall there’s a prestigious businesswoman who recently checked out. Perhaps her suite needs to be refurnished after her departure. Regular guests are always requesting very specific things, and it’s not unusual to make room alterations for them, especially the more expensive ones, like our residential suites.
“I just…I wanted to say sorry about my mother the other night,” I tell her, as the doors chime shut. “She’s a little…blunt.”
“Nothing to apologize for,” she says. “I did want to ask, however, whether she is living with you.”
“Oh, no,” I reply. “She lives in a senior’s residence. We moved her there after my dad died. She had a little trouble keeping the whole house, and my apartment is just too small for the three of us.”
“Good,” Renata replies, simply.
The doors chime again, and we get off the elevator. The hotel floor hallways are gorgeous, especially the floor of the residential suites. It’s a bit wider than the hallway of the other suites, since there are larger pieces of furniture to move in and out. As I suspected, we walk toward the newly vacated, three-bedroom, two-bathroom suite at the very end of the floor. It’s one of my favourites.
Renata takes a keycard from her pocket and opens it. It’s a bit strange that she doesn’t use her master key. We both have one, which unlocks all of the hotel rooms. That card looks like it’s a regular room key, like a guest would have.
We step in, and I take a moment to absorb the beautiful entryway of the suite. This one takes up two floors, so the entryway also has a carpeted staircase, with a gorgeously finished wooden banister, and a generous closet for jackets and boots. We step through the hallway and into the living room, one of the biggest rooms of the suite. It has a massive, flatscreen TV that my mother would die for, and a suedesectional couch that I’m sure Eli would enjoy bouncing on. It opens onto a large terrace.
To my surprise, Renata hands me the keycard.
“I had a safety fence installed around the pool,” she tells me with a smile. “For your little one, so he doesn’t fall in. And your mother is welcome anytime. There’s another TV in the third bedroom, so she can stay in that one if you’d rather have her out of the way.”
I take the card. Its veneer is silky, so unlike my own staff master key.
“Um, I’m sorry,” I say to Renata. “I don’t understand what you’re…”
“This suite is for you,” she clarifies. “And your son, and anyone else if you…” she raises her eyebrows.
“Oh! No, it’s just me and Eli,” I respond. “But you…” I look frantically around the suite, which is at least five times the size of my current apartment, andmuchnicer than even the house I grew up in. “You can’t be serious…”
“Lily, have you even known me not to be serious?” Renata asks, with a coy smile. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of it earlier.”
I shake my head. “But this is much, much too generous.”
“Of course it’s not. This is a hotel, if there’s one thing we have in abundance, it’s accommodations. I can’t have you living in that little apartment. I need you nearby, and well-rested. This way, you can use the daycare, and you don’t need to worry about commuting.”
I can’t believe it. I look around the incredible living room and into the adjacent kitchen.
“This isamazing,” I breathe, almost at a loss for words. “You have no idea. My kitchen is so small, I’ll even be able to cook properly again…no more fruit loops for Eli…”
“Don’t be ridiculous, you won’t be doing any cooking,” she says with a frown. I turn back to her, confused. “When you’re hungry, call down to the kitchen and they’ll prepare something. I told them to comp everything. You’re my assistant, and I need you by my side. You should be well-fed and taken care of.”
Her words almost bring tears to my eyes. “This…this means so much, Renata…” I’m so emotional, I forget to use her last name. “It’s been so long since someone did something so nice for me. I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything,” she says. “Just enjoy your new suite. It’s your’s for as long as you want it. I’ve already asked the receptionist to coordinate a moving company for your things.”
“Thankyou,” I whisper. “Really, thank you.”
She moves toward the door. “I’ll let you look around, then you should head directly home. You must have had a long day back. The moving company will give you a call tomorrow morning to make all the necessary arrangements for your things.”
I nod, unable to believe my luck. As soon as I hear the click of the door, I squeal in delight, and immediately start floating through the suite, imagining myself here. In the year and a half since I’ve worked at the hotel, I’ve never,everimagined I could actuallylivein one of these gorgeous, impossibly chic rooms. It’s a dream come true.
The last place I find is the primary bedroom. It has a view of the lake and an en-suite bathroom with a huge bathtub and a rain shower. The bed is incredible, a California king with sheets of soft cotton. Eli, me, and my mom could all share this bed and there would still be space (although I may let mom stay in the senior’s home).
I kick off my shoes and jump into the bed, pressing my face against the plush bedspread and satin pillowcase. I roll around for a little while, soaking in the joyful moment.
Her words wrap me up, softer and warmer than any thick hotel duvet.
I need you by my side. You should be taken care of.