The Reluctant Heiress (A Christian Romance Novel)

Chapter 16: Getting to Know You

Shelly's first day rolled by pretty quickly.

She took her 15-minute afternoon break, and went at the designated smoking area, outside the building close to the Housekeeping Room at the basement. There was a bench used by employees. Mrs. Robinson was taking her break too.

"How ya likin' yo first day?" she asked Shelly. She was just sitting on the bench while Shelly was standing up while smoking.

"Pretty good," she replied, smiling, nodding her head in between puffs of the cigarette. "You've been here many years."

"About eleven or twelve years, lost tract."

" Why do you like it here?"

"It's a good company," she curtly said.

"It's not my business, but do you get paid well?" she asked. "Am new and hoping to be regular and just want to know if it's worth."

Mrs. Robinson looked away from her and smiled. "I love what I am doing, and I love this family. Isn't that what matters?"

"Sure," Shelly replied reluctantly. "Money matters too."

"It did in the beginning," said Mrs. Robinson so gently. Her voice even though very big, was very assuring. "But after sometime, child, you'll know it ain't everything. It don't buy happiness. It don't buy friendships. It don't buy peace."

Shelly just stood there, looking at a distance, not knowing what to reply to what Mrs. Robinson had said. Maybe, being quiet was the best response.

"When I was a youngen like you," she interrupted the silence. "I had many dreams. Some crazy dreams. I was aggressive, so much so that I did many crazy things in the name of fulfilling my them."

"Like what?" Shelly was curious.

"I'll leave that for our next break," Mrs. Robinson answered winking at her.

Shelly shrugged her shoulders. "C'mon! Can't leave me hanging like this!"

Mrs. Robinson stood up laughing, patted her shoulder as she said this. "Lesson number one. Tame your impatience."

Shelly laughed with her. 'I like her,' Shelly thought. 'She's strong and yet she's gentle. That's a mix that is challenging to balance.'

"See yah inside girl!" she told Shelly. 

Mrs. Robinson stood up and went in. After a couple of minutes, Shelly came in too and started again their training. Shelly liked how Mrs. Robinson was so patient with her even if she had committed many mistakes.

After just one day, she had mastered all the locations of the different housekeeping products. And she had learned too the Hotel de lavi way of folding up the towels. Elephants for family guests with kids. Folded fan for couples. And the next day, she will be shown the honeymoon towels: two swans kissing forming a heart shape, with rose petals strewn around. 

She had also dirtied her hands cleaning the rooms and bathrooms with Rachelle. The aim was to clean checked out room for 45 minutes or less, including changing the bedsheets, cleaning the tables, sanitizing the bathroom and sink, changing the towels and vacuuming the rug in the room.  By the 3rd room, she was a pro! And daily cleaning for continuing guests was a breeze for under 15 minutes. 

Shelly clocked out and stepped out of the building using the employees exit which was the smoking area. She passed Rachelle taking her break, sitting on the same bench where Mrs. Robinson sat earlier.

"Ba! See yah 'morrow!" Shelly waved her hand.

Rachelle waved back but telling her to come to her. "You'll be in for a big action tomorrow," she said almost whispering.

"We have a big guest?"

"Yes, we have a big guest. And that means a big fish..." she let the last word hung as she stared at Shelly, who responded with a furrowed browns and a questioning look.

"So, what does that mean?" Shelly asked.

Rachelle laughed a little bit. "I like you newbie. You are so innocent." She puffed her smoke and continued. "Big fish means big money. A mole told me that they had been having problems at the Banquet Sales. The big tips that the customers give the cat? Not given to the people."

"Good grief! How'd he do that? What does he say to the people?" Shelly asked simultaneously.

"Poor Raul, squeezed in the middle," Rachelle said shaking her head. "Diane, that mean marketing boss will get the tip when she's closing the account with the client. And then give it to Don, and Don will get his and give to Diane, and then finally give the last part to Diane who then divides it with the rest of the team."

"It's always been like that?"

"Oh, no no!" Rachelle exclaimed. "It used to be that the clients will give the tip to Diane, who will surrender it to Mr. de Lavi, and he will be the one to give it to the whole team, one by one congratulating them, especially if it was a big account like closed out parties. I used to be part of that team. Sometimes they still call me though if they are short-staffed."

"What does Ms.Telly do? Does she know it?"

"Untelling," she replied. "She's never been here on a weekend when big clients come. But I heard that she talked to the two staff who resigned, one was the one you replaced. I am sure they told her everything about the tip problem, but I am sure nothing would happen."

Suddenly Rachelle stood up,"Gotta go! Time is up. See yah 'morrow! Sundy is a big day!"

"Ba!" Shelly replied. And she walked out of the side entrance of the hotel.

'Big fish huh? Maybe I should ask to be moved to Banquet Sales,' she thought.

&&&&&&&&Author's Note&&&&&&&

What could Shelly be thinking? Why is she so interested?