Page 2 of The Other Side of Paradise (Story of Paradise #2)
“I’d just tell the managers how much you were all heart-eyes looking at Miss Stella Bell and they’ll understand.
” The phone rang on the desk, and he clapped a hand on my shoulder, picking it up off the receiver.
“Guess I’ll take this and stop bullying you for now.
But I look forward to hearing if you get Stella’s number. ”
“ Get her number? To do what with, embarrass myself in text?”
He smiled at me, letting that say everything—answered the phone and turned away, and I scowled at him before turning back to the older couple approaching the desk, and I put on my customer service smile and handled the situation while I watched the clock tick on and felt my feet ache from standing on them since six this morning.
Which meant I was already tired and grouchy enough even before a woman tried, as matter-of-factly as anything, to redeem her Hilton bonus points for her stay. Which posed the small problem of that this wasn’t a Hilton.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but we don’t have any Hilton partnerships, so I’m afraid we can’t accept the points,” I said, infinite-patience voice fully activated even though infinite patience itself was not activated in the slightest. The woman scowled at me, an older woman with wispy white hair and a frame no taller than mine.
“Well, call it whatever you like,” she said. “But I’d like to redeem the points, anyhow.”
“Er.” I blinked, putting on a thin smile. “Yes, well, of course. It’s just that that’s a different account, with a different company, so… do you happen to have one with us?”
She waved me off. “Why would I? It’s my first time being here.”
“Well, welcome,” I said brightly. “I’ll be happy to help you set up an account to start accruing bonus points now—”
“Oh, spare me,” she said. “I’m not about to let you upsell me while I’m just trying to redeem my own points. I’m using these.”
“Ma’am—” I caught myself, breathing in once and out once, repeating my mantra of one more hour left, and I renewed my smile. “Of course, I’d love to help you with that. I just… well. The points aren’t for our company. They’re only valid for Hilton brand hotels.”
“So call them,” she said, like I was the one missing out on the obvious. “Work it out. I’m not going to a Hilton. I’m going here.”
Just when I’d started thinking I’d make it to clocking out without some weird bullshit happening. I tapped at my screen, just to look at something other than Problem Guest number seventy million for the morning. “Can you give me the name you’ve booked under, ma’am?”
“It’s under my daughter’s name, Elizabeth Bell. We’re all staying here.”
Ah—Jesus Christ. Stella’s family. I locked up, and it took everything I had to keep a straight face, pretend like I was normal.
I desperately did not want Stella getting involved in this, not when I’d shut down at her being around.
“Ah… yes, I see your reservation here,” I said absently, and see it I did—twenty-one people all under one reservation. “Could you give me your name?”
She frowned. “Am I not on the reservation?”
“I’m sure you are, ma’am, I just need your name.”
“It should be right there.”
I was going to pull my hair out. Did she think the names had pictures? That her name would light up when she was standing nearby?
Somebody else stepped in to my rescue, though—a woman with long, brown hair pulled back into a neat pony, all very sleek, put-together.
All the things I wouldn’t be in a million years.
She put a hand on the older woman’s arm, with a, “Grandma—it’s been so long,” and the grandma turned instantly into big smiles, turning to the woman with a hug.
“Oh, Ryan, honey, it’s so nice to see you. Did you and Shane have a nice flight? Check his bags for anything… special? ”
Yeesh. Hoped beyond hope Grandma here was trying to wink-wink-nudge-nudge about an engagement ring and not a sex toy. Could have gone either way with that tone.
The two of them made small talk for a minute before the older woman gestured to me with a, “Speaking of trouble, the lady here has been saying my reward points don’t apply here, so I have to say, I’m not off to a good start here.”
I stiffened, but Ryan squeezed her arm and said, “Tell you what, I’ll see what I can figure out while Dad’s getting my and Shane’s stuff to our room, and you can go see Daniela and Nicole, okay? They just got here right before Shane and I did.”
I felt a breath of relief when Ryan sent her grandmother away, and I straightened, ready to try handling the situation, when Ryan gave me an apologetic smile.
“Sorry about that. Grandma’s just had a long trip and she doesn’t travel often… what was she trying to do?”
I shifted into a smile, but my stomach dropped at the sight across the lobby—a door opening and Stella stepping back inside, a drink in hand, together with a man who looked like her brother.
Based on the ages… Ryan must have been Stella’s sister or cousin.
I wasn’t going to put this whole sudden urge to be nice to Ryan under a microscope.
I wouldn’t have liked what I’d have seen.
Still, my voice came out impossibly polite.
“She was just trying to redeem her travel rewards for an upgrade,” I said, “but they’re with a company we don’t have any agreements with, so unfortunately we’re not able to accept the points. ”
Ryan smiled dryly. “And you didn’t wave your hands and change the company policy?
Unbelievable. Well, she just wants a little something nice to make the vacation special.
I’ll get some chocolates and flowers delivered to her room and tell her it was upgraded.
Do you know a good place for that in the area? ”
I laughed awkwardly, suddenly feeling inadequate. “You’re kind of better at my job than I am. I can order that and credit it to your room if you want—you know, save yourself the trouble of running around and all.”
“That’d be perfect. Ryan Bell. My boyfriend Shane Austen and I are staying in suite 36. Is there somewhere I can put in a good word for your service?”
I thought I might cry. Turned out just one good guest was enough to turn the whole day around. Who knew? Maybe I would, if there ever were any good guests.
I gave her one of the check-in cards with the review your stay that we were supposed to find a way to hand out but I never did, gave her my name, and gushed how I’d happily provide her with whatever little thing she might have needed and to ask for me by name—I wanted to pretend it was because I was grateful she’d helped me, but I knew full well it was because I was hyperaware of Stella’s presence in the room.
What, like being sweet to her family member would get me a date? Right. That seemed likely.
But I’d barely given Ryan her parting, “Enjoy your stay, Ms. Bell,” as she left, before I flicked my gaze across the lobby and had my heart stop at the sight of Stella, engaged in a conversation with someone who looked like a cousin, but it was right at the moment she’d looked at me, and our eyes locked, and I think my stomach fell out of my body.
She smiled. Just that—a quick flash of a smile and then back to the person she was talking to—but my god, it hit like a truck. Was that just what happened when you were hot? You could change the course of someone’s entire day just by smiling at them?
Ms. Bell being the last words out of my mouth suddenly felt different. Wished I could help a different Ms. Bell enjoy her stay.
Ugh—Jesus, I was fully off the deep end with this. I was not thirsting over the guest. Not me. Not now. Not like this. No way, no how. I’d walk into the ocean and drown before I did that. Not in a million years.