Beating Hearts [Knight's Rest #1]

03

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Mr Whittaker?" He asked politely. The task of changing a light bulb was pretty simple and he was in and out of the room within two minutes.

"No, thank you, Mr Knight." The man smiled genuinely.

"Sorry about the bulb again." He rubbed the back of his neck. A nervous trait.

The man smiled and waved him off. "Don't worry about it."

"Alright, I'll see you at breakfast then." He nodded and walked away just as Mr Whittaker began closing the room door.

Thelonious was never much of a smiler – or a people's person for that matter – and that was just something his customers would have to get used to. It hadn't proved to be a problem thus far.

Seeing as he was already up, he might as well make his rounds. Opting to take the stairs down to the main floor instead of the lift, he made a mental note to hit the gym later that evening.

Hours passed and everything appeared to be in order. All the staff had arrived on time, breakfast was over and done with and Macadamian, the chef and a dear friend of his, had already started preparing lunch. The cleaning staff had already been round to all the rooms; the day had started off on the right foot.

There were six rooms that had been booked prior, one for the night and the rest of variations from three days to ten. A further nine bookings were scheduled for tomorrow. Neither accounted for the few walk-ins that they seemed to receive throughout the week.

It was turning out to be a good weekend.

Thelonious stood behind the reception area, his eyes skimming over all the figures on the computer screen. Their profits had spiked significantly over the past few months so he was able to add a good chunk of it to the savings. The rest would go towards paying everyone's salary and investing back into the hotel.

He had never really excelled at school, but it was always in Maths where he shined. The one subject that he had actually bothered to pay attention to regardless of the withering old lady that had been appointed to teach him and his fellow students.

Numbers made him feel comfortable. Prepared, even. There was always one correct answer and if not, you could easily determine how many possible outcomes there would be. There was always a right or wrong, never an in-between.

Things were just easier that way.

The bell sounded, forcing him out of his reverie.

Tearing his eyes away from the computer screen, Thelonious looked up to be greeted with a familiar face.

"Miss Bright, nice to see you again." He greeted her politely. The closest he got to a smile was the slight twitching of his lips that the lady had noticed. She was a regular so she was used to his mannerisms, accepted them even. "Back for business?" He asked politely, attempting some light conversation.

It didn't hurt to be friendly.

Miss Bright smiled and rested her arms on the counter. "Yes, business. Is my usual room free?" She asked.

He was thankful that he no longer needed to make any more polite conversation. Frankly, he did not have the patience for it but according to the others, it was normal human conventions which unfortunately, he had to abide by if he wished to remain the owner of a semi-successful business and avoid falling under.

He nodded in response, his fingers already typing away at his computer. "How many nights can I book you in for?" His eyes remained on the screen.

She pursed her lips, thinking about it. "Put me down for five for the moment. But I'll let you know if that changes."