HEART FOR HIRE ✓

Fifteen

As expected, Hotel La Grande is anything but ordinary. As soon as the Uber parks, there is a man dressed in black pants and a plain white shirt who welcomes me.

I do not need to remind you that I am in no way dressed up as a person who is meeting a multimillionaire woman neither do I look like I belong to a class that visits such hotels.
I only wore a short body hugging dress I bought downtown for a few dollars, flip-flops and didn't bother to style my hair or apply any make-up.

Mrs. Thompson should dislike me if she reads books by their covers - which is exactly what rich women do.

"Welcome to Hotel La Grande," the man ushers me out of the Uber, his eyes slightly widening at my outfit. Don't worry mister, that's the reaction I'm hoping for. "Do you have a reservation?"

"I do. It's under Marble Thompson."

"Who are you? How do you know Mrs. Thompson?" the man can't seem to understand why a casual dressed woman like me is talking about.

Somehow, I feel like it is not his job to question people and doubt them because of what they look like. He probably looks like most ordinary men when he isn't in his work outfit.

After explaining to him who I am and what my business with the rich woman is, he finally leads me to a private room. Excellent. Won't she kill me in there when nobody is watching?

Without bothering to knock - because that would taint the bad image I'm trying to portray, I push the door open.
I'm faced with a middle aged woman, my mother's age mate almost - who is currently fifty two - sitting at a ridiculously long table. Alone.
No bodyguards, no lackeys, no minions. Just herself.

Her hair is permed, her face with minimal make-up but I can't get a clear view of her dress or shoes.
That doesn't take my attention though. Instead of an angry look I was expecting, the woman smiles at me, warmly inviting me to take a seat.

This is not part of the plan.

"Hello Mrs. Thompson," I greet, making sure to drag the chair on the floor as I'm pulling it out to take a seat.

"Mrs. Thompson is reserved for the office, my dear. Call me Marble or mum, whatever you find comfortable. After all, you will be part of the family soon."

Mum?

Without waiting for me to reply, not like I was going to say anything anyway, she resumes conversation.
"You have no idea how happy I was when I heard that my son finally found someone. My son is the only child I have left, it kills me to know that he does not take care of himself if I don't force him. Luckily enough, he got you."

"Thank you Mrs- Marble."

She just waves me off. "Don't thank me. I have to thank you and I brought you something to show my appreciation."

A gift? Why is she not disliking me? I'm dressed like a common person. I didn't knock. I haven't done anything right.

She hands me a wrapped gift which I open and all words are stolen from my mouth.
The latest iPhone is in there.

"I was out of the country recently and a friend gifted me that. I have no use for it, so, why not give it to you? You youngsters know how to use those, don't you?"

I should say something insulting maybe? I should refuse the gift. What do I do?

"I'm afraid I can't accept this Marble."

She frowns. "Why not? Don't you like the color? I can have it repainted for you!"

"Oh no, it's not about the color." Think of something you idiot. Say something. "It's just that I don't like using iPhone. I am more of an Android user, Samsung to be exact."

She doesn't look to be convinced, so, I take it as a chance to make her hate me some more.
"I mean, I work hard everyday. I work at a theater where I have to clean, make snacks and help with costumes. If I own an iPhone, I'm most likely to break it out of my clumsiness. Besides, electricity normally goes out at my apartment, so, I need a phone whose battery can last longer and iPhone won't do that for me. I'm sorry."

I expect a long lecture about how Android phones are for poor people and all that rich people talk. She should be fuming with anger or something because I just rejected a gift she got from an outside county.

"You seem to have quite an interesting kind of thinking," she says instead. "I must say that I agree with you. In fact, I also own an Android phone."

She holds out a version of Infinix and my eyes widen. How did my plan fail? Are we now bonding over Android phones?

"Well apart from other reasons, I use Android because it's user-friendly. I'm a high school graduate with no university degree, it gets challenging some times."

Now she should hate me, right? If she can't hate me for my job, she will hate me for my education level.

"You are very right," my eyes widen. "iPhones can be quite challenging. Don't worry, I will have a Samsung imported from China within a month."

"Uh -" I start to remind her if she has forgotten about the part where I told her that I am not a university graduate but she interrupts me.

"Edmund spoke so highly of you and after seeing you, I know that you have the capacity to challenge my son. I don't want a daughter-in-law who will sit around and spend money, I need one who will challenge my son to be better as well."

"And you think I'm the right one? Just by meeting me for a few hours?"

"I also know that a brand of fruit juice you proposed yesterday is in the process of being implemented. Of course, I do not doubt you at all. Let's order some food."

After the meeting, I dial Zion's number immediately.

"How did it go?" he asks

"I think we have even a bigger problem."

Warning: these aren't in any way my personal views on electronics devices and therefore, I shouldn't see any debates about iphone and Samsung in this chapter. The views are entirely Natalia's and you can attack her if you want.
Thank you!