Even After All

Part Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

Dylan looked up at her and tried to smile, but it was a weak effort.

                “What’s wrong?” Mattie pulled out the seat opposite him and dropped down to his level.

He tossed half a dozen printed emails across the table, “Paul won’t accept any of these offers and we’re running out of time.” He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, the only offers that matched what Paul would accept were a from a couple of hotel chain companies, each planned to install an existing manager, each would see her ousted, out of work and the way things were for her fairly desolate. There were other jobs, he could find her one, but they were just starting to get on, him trying to help her in that way would upset everything. And then he’d head off back to New York leaving her to fend for herself. This was against everything that he’d planned. He at least wanted to leave with the air clear between them. He’d hoped they could be friends.

Everything was in jeopardy.

                “Is it that bad?” She reached for the papers and rifled through them, glancing over the names and profiles is was a few minutes before she looked up.

                “The only ones that meet the price...” he tossed down the papers individually as he spoke, “these two make Costrel look like Mother Theresa, these three are chains...ALL will want their own manager inside, they’ll bring in someone to replace you.”

Mattie slumped back in her seat, “ah...but everyone else?”

He sighed, “there’s no reason for anyone else to be replaced. Not yet anyway.”

She nodded, “good, then you must take the best of these offers.”

He watched as she gave her a brave smile, standing to leave the room, the hint of tears already in her eyes. “Matilda, don’t go.”

She waved a hand to brush him off and continued towards the door. Standing he rushed to put himself between her and it, in her path. “Don’t rush off. I’m waiting on a few contacts. We’re going to sort this; I’m not leaving you in the lurch. It’s not fair.”

She stared up at him, eyes glittering with tears, “you can’t plan everything around me, there are almost two hundred staff here, THEY are the priority, not me.”

He grasped her upper arms, “YOU are this hotel, that was my major finding to Paul. You are the lynchpin, the major cog in the engine. The staff need you. So don’t sell yourself down the river. This hotel in structure and function is nowhere near where it should be, but you’ve managed to drag it higher that it should be, that has been blatantly obvious.”

She sighed, “look the important thing is that the place sells. I can’t influence that.”

                “Don’t give up on me, on this. Ok?”

She nodded, “I’ve got some calls to make. I’ll see you later.”

Dylan glanced back at the table awash with numerous papers that he needed to decipher, trying to find that one miracle that made this all right.

It was supposed to be her weekend off. Mattie was calling in to work the following morning, Saturday for just a few hours. Other than that her time was her own. And for the first time, she didn’t feel pressured to work in her hospitality job, suddenly, whilst a long way from being flush with money, she had a lot more security than a couple of weeks earlier.

So when Andy called her that afternoon she turned down the chance to work at a wedding in Ealing.

                “No?” He was surprised.