A Room With A View

Chapter Four - Phineas

September 1st, Friday

Phineas Watley watched the doors close over Madeline's face. He wrung his hands and adjusted his collar. He would have to remind the doormen to keep the temperature at a comfortable 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It was much too warm inside the lobby. A light sweat was beading around Phineas's hairline, and that simply wouldn't do.

     He walked away from the service elevator, his wing-tip shoes clicking against the floor, mulling over the situation with Madeline Mills. He was rather pleased that Madeline liked the courtyard. None of the other residents had given him positive feedback. Agatha Newman had gone so far as to send him a nasty letter, threatening to toss unmentionable items from her penthouse suite onto the heads of loud-mouthed hooligans relaxing in the courtyard. Thankfully, that hadn't yet come to pass.

     Phineas's heart sank. No one had really used the courtyard, not even loud-mouthed hooligans. Phineas suspected it might be because it was awkwardly placed at eye-level with the fifth floor. Neither the residents, nor the hooligans, were voyeuristic enough to chance stepping out into the space. They had all voted for it at the building meeting, and had labored over plots and plans with Phineas (Elena Margova had even suggested which plants would be best), yet none of them seemed to enjoy it.

     Phineas rapidly tapped each of his finger pads with his thumb nail. His palms were sweaty. He had wanted to propose a new garden plot on the west side of the building, but perhaps he shouldn't. What if the residents didn't like the flowers?

     The collar around Phineas's neck was growing damp. This lobby is too warm, he thought. He threw open the doors into his marble foyer, and approached the reception desk.

     Phineas held his head high. "Ahem," he said. The doorman continued to look at the surveillance screen. Phineas's head drooped. "Ahem," he said again. The doorman slowly raised his brow to look Phineas square in the eye.

     "Mr. Watley," he said, his accent thick. "However may I help you."

     Phineas cleared his throat. His mouth felt dry. "I request that the lobby be kept at a crisp 70 degrees. It is September now, and the weather outside is cooling. I would like our residents and guests to feel comfortable when entering this...lobby." Phineas had wanted to say, "when entering our hallowed halls," but the doorman was already giving him an odd look.

     "Please," Phineas finished lamely. The doorman regarded him for a further minute, then slowly reached over to the touch screen to adjust the building's internal temperature.

     "It's done," he said.

     Phineas thanked him and walked away. The doorman's name was Simon, but Phineas's father had told him never to address employees by name. It created a feeling of friendship and camaraderie. The apartment building was a business, and therefore all relationships should be strictly professional. Still, Phineas couldn't help adding a "thank you, Simon" under his breath. He wished he could address the employees by name. There were some whose company he truly enjoyed, and he would have liked to become friends with them. But as a Watley, he had a duty to uphold the décor and decorum of the famed Watley building, and he wasn't going to be the one who let his ancestors down.

     Phineas let his feet carry him to the building's library as his thoughts went back to Madeline. She was overdue on her rent. She had always paid in full, but lately the spaces between those payments were becoming later and later. Just last month, she had gone down to his office to pay half the rent in cash, and the other half on three separate credit cards. Phineas had been so flustered, he had dropped her few coins on the floor and they had skittered away under his filing cabinet. Phineas could feel his ears turning pink at the memory. He ran a sweaty hand through his flaming orange hair and adjusted his glasses. The lobby was still too warm. Perhaps he should change it to 68 degrees. That might make his residents more comfortable.