EDENVILLE

Bianca Woodnick

By @silenttomorrows
Jethro Woodnick looked in despair at the sight of the second dead rat, this time brought to him by Carlos Monteverdi on a silver fish platter.

The chef remonstrated with Jethro, 'How'd you expect me to create in such a place? Who knows what sets in my aspic? What is now crispy in my pancakes. I do not make mouseakka, they do not love real ratatouille nor pasta vermincello'

All the time Carlos was remonstrating, Jethro was going Shhh, shhh, shhhhhh, shhhh. He had managed to keep the first dead rat a secret from his beautiful, sometimes caring and usually direct talking wife, and wanted to keep it so.

But hearing the noise Bianca Woodnick appeared from the office; her face tuning from a cloud of confusion to a full blown raging storm of, 'What the hell is that disgusting thing doing in my hotel?'

'Ring for the rat catcher immediately she cried, if this gets out it could ruin us'

'It was in my pantry Madam'

Bianca misheard, 'In your panties, that's disgusting, why didn't you leave it there?'

'Ahh, MEN!' She shouted, turned on her heel one hundred and eighty degrees, and left the heinous scene.

Carlos said, 'Ah, er...'

Jethro just stared at the rat with his mouth wide open.

Bianca was still fuming when she entered her office. She was the brains behind the Eden Grand and she more than often got frustrated with the incompetence of the people around her. The chocolate fountain had worked perfectly until Jethro had decided to make it a hazelnut special night; that clogged it right up.

Then last summer she'd asked that Spanish chef to create a Mediterranean night for the guests. Paella, Tapas and lemon mousse. All was going well till he brought in a whole cooked moose with an array of lemons on its antlers. It scared the children. She'd had to spend a fortune on free drinks for the guests to dampen that blunder down.

Still, eleven a.m. Tennis lesson. The hotel had six tennis courts and a private instructor to hire. He was popular, especially with the ladies but Bianca had her regular weekly slot and she enjoyed the workout. As she turned the corner towards the courts she could see Ronaldo helping out a swooning young blonde, laughter, and help with hands on rackets. Good for business but still she felt a sharp spike of jealousy towards them both.

Ronaldo looked up and before Bianca was at the edge of the court he had let the young lady escape his grasp and ended the lesson with smiles, checking of time pieces and goodbyes. Bianca spotted Ronaldo look at his watch again and say something else to the girl; a date for later she guessed.

'Hello Mrs. Woodnick. So good to see you again, you're looking well.' Ronaldo looked her up and down.

'And you're looking' Bianca winked. Come on, I could do with a good work out. I'll serve and you can receive me.'

'Of course Mrs. Woodnick. Anything you want.' He smiled, his teeth were as white as a polar ice cap.

'Game on'.