The Hotel

by Pamela Kelley

  “I get that. A coffee shop that’s near the wharf is The Corner Table. And if you get hungry later and feel like pizza, down at the Wharf there’s a takeout place, Oath, that is very good. If you want something sweet, stop by the chocolate shop, Sweet Inspirations. People go crazy for the dark chocolate covered cranberries.”

  “Really? Have you had them? That sounds kind of strange, to be honest.”

  Johnny laughed. “Yes, I’ve had them. They will give you a free sample and you’ll be hooked. You’ll see.”

  “Okay, now you’ve intrigued me. I will go try them.”

  “I can drop you right at that coffee shop, if you like?”

  “That’s perfect.”

  A few minutes later, Johnny pulled up to The Corner Table. Bella gave him a generous tip and headed into the coffee shop. It was busy, but she didn’t mind the line. It gave her a chance to check out the menu and decide what she wanted. When it was her turn to order, she decided on a caramel latte and a banana nut muffin and once she had both, settled into a comfy armchair. She people-watched out the window as she ate her muffin and sipped her coffee. And then she opened the book and read the first page.

  Two hours later, what was left of her coffee was ice cold and she felt the thrill that she often got when she discovered a great new book and didn’t want to stop reading. She hated to admit it, but her agent was right. The story was incredible, and it would be an opportunity that could make her career. She was excited and nervous at the same time. She knew she couldn’t pass this one up or she’d regret it. But she didn’t have to call her agent yet. She had some time. She wanted to finish the book and make sure she still felt the same way. But in her gut, she knew that she would. She could see why the book stayed on the list so long. It had crazy word of mouth. She couldn’t wait to tell her sister about it.

  But her legs were getting stiff and she needed to get up and walk around. The rain had stopped, and the sun was peeking out through the clouds. It was a little past eleven, perfect time to go do a little shopping.

  She walked toward the wharf, where the ferries came in. There was one pulling in now, a giant catamaran from Hyannis called the Grey Lady III. Bella watched as the boat docked and people started streaming off, many of them with dogs of all shapes and sizes.

  She browsed a few gift shops, filled with all kinds of tourist trinkets like sweatshirts, hats, flip flops, mugs and more. Bella was wearing the Nantucket sweatshirt she’d bought on her last shopping trip, so she didn’t really need any more touristy stuff. A window display with a pretty, floaty dress caught her eye and she stepped into another store, Nantucket Threads.

  The store was adorable with all kinds of cute clothes and shoes. The clothing was an eclectic mix of touristy sweatshirts, casual fun clothes and some really nice high-end stuff. She would definitely have to bring her sister here for some serious shopping. Bella wasn’t intending to buy much on this trip, but then she saw the cowboy boots. They were a really soft brown leather with blue and pink embroidered flowers. They were gorgeous.

  “Those just came in this week and have been popular. Would you like to try them on?”

  Bella turned to see a woman who’d been behind the register ringing up a sale when she first walked in. She was petite, with long blonde hair that fell in beachy waves and she was wearing a similar pair of boots, jeans and a tank top that fell in soft layers. It was a very pretty look. Bella wondered if she owned the shop.

  “Yes, please, I’d love to. I’m a size eight.”

  “Great, I’ll be right back. I’m Izzy, by the way. Welcome to my shop!”

  She returned a moment later with the boots for Bella to try on. They fit like a glove and Bella sighed with happiness as she looked at her reflection in the mirror and saw how cute they were.

  “What do you think?” Izzy asked.

  “I love them. I’ll take them.”

  Izzy took the boots, rang them up and put them in a big bag and handed it to Bella.

  “Are you on vacation?” Izzy asked as she handed Bella her charge slip.

  “I am. For a few months. My sister is coming to visit next week, and I’ll definitely be back then. I wasn’t planning on buying anything today. But when we come back, I want to spend more time looking around. Your store is wonderful.”

  Izzy beamed. “Thank you. I look forward to seeing you again, and your sister, too.”

  Bella left the shop and walked around for another hour. Most of that time was in Mitchell’s Book Corner, where she found two more books for her beach reading. By the time she left the store, she was hungry. She took Johnny’s suggestion and headed over to Oath Pizza and stood in line for a custom-made gluten free pizza with one of the best gluten free crusts she’d ever had.

  After she finished eating, she found a bench and opened her book again. The sun was now shining brightly, and the air had warmed up quite a bit. Perfect weather for outside reading. Bella read for about an hour and then decided it was time to head back to the hotel. She texted the concierge desk to let them know she was ready for a return shuttle, and fifteen minutes later, Johnny and his white Range Rover pulled up to The Corner Table.

  “Did you have a good shopping day?” Johnny asked as he put her big bag with the boots in the back of the car.

  “Yes. Great suggestions, by the way. You were right about Oath Pizza. I’ll check out the chocolate shop when my sister comes to visit.”

  He looked pleased to hear it. “Great, glad you liked it.”

  They chatted easily and in no time at all, Bella was back at The Whitley and in her room. She was just about to open the book again and read for a while before dinner when her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID, saw that it was her agent and debated whether or not to answer. Finally, curiosity won.

  “Hi, Jean.”

  “Bella, how are you? Are you loving it there? Is it relaxing?”

  “It was. Until you called,” Bella teased her.

  Jean laughed. “Very funny. Listen you know I’d only call if it was important. It’s about the book I sent you.”

  “I just started reading it today. You’re right. It’s very good.”

  “I knew you’d love it!” Jean sounded triumphant. Which was not uncommon.

  Bella waited for her to get to the reason for the call.

  “So, that’s why I’m calling. I know you wanted a few weeks to decide, but there’s a bit of a wrinkle. There’s another actress they are considering. Someone they didn’t think they could get, but it turns out she’s read the book, loves it and reached out to them.”

  Bella felt a wave of disappointment and realized she really wanted the chance to do this movie. “So, that’s it then? They’re going with her?”

  “Well, not yet. You’re still their top choice, but they don’t feel comfortable letting this other possibility go without having a commitment from you. They’re afraid if they wait, they risk losing you and offending her.”

  “So, they want a decision now? I say I’ll do it and it’s mine?”

  “Yep. If you say you’re in, they’ll just tell her it’s filled. But they need to know asap. By tomorrow—what do you think?”

  Bella smiled. “Tell them I’m in. But I can’t start until my two months are up. That’s non-negotiable.”

  “Excellent. I’ll tell them. Congratulations, Bella! This is going to be huge for you.”

  Chapter 10

  The next morning, after dealing with a few pressing issues, Paula and David met in Paula’s office to go over ideas for the Taste of the Town event.

  “We can use the same tent people we use for our weddings, so that’s easy enough,” Paula said.

  “And I like your grandfather’s suggestion to reach out to that liquor store and have them handle the wine vendors. It will be worth their while with the sales it’s likely to generate,” David added.

  “Peter’s a nice guy, too. I’m happy to give him the business. He’s run these types of things before.”

  “Do you hav
e some restaurants in mind?” David asked.

  Paula nodded. “I’ve been thinking about that. How many do you think we want to limit it to?”

  “I’d say somewhere between twenty and thirty would be good. Not everyone will say yes. It is an expense for the restaurants in terms of food and staff to attend. But it’s great advertising.”

  “Especially if they win one of the ‘best of’ awards. I don’t think I’ve seen one of these done on Nantucket before. Closest thing is the wine festival.”

  “Do you think there will be interest from the local restaurants? Maybe they will feel like they are busy enough and don’t need to do this in the summer?” David said.

  “I think if we can lock down a restaurant or two before we approach the others it might help. I was thinking we could ask Mimi’s Place first. They just reopened a year or so ago under new management and might still be interested in getting the word out.”

  “Do they serve lunch as well as dinner?”

  “Yes, they serve lunch.”

  David smiled. “Let’s go there now. We can have lunch and ask them in person. It’s harder to say no to someone face to face. Especially if they know you.”

  Paula laughed. “Okay, let’s go.”

  David drove, and they arrived downtown at Mimi’s Place at a quarter to twelve. Mandy, one of the owners of the restaurant, was at the front desk and smiled when she saw them.

  “Hi, Paula. Nice to see you. Two for lunch?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  Mandy led them to a table for two that was by a window with a nice view of Main Street and people walking by. She handed them each a menu. “I heard about your promotion. Congratulations!”

  Paula was surprised and pleased. “Thank you. How did you hear?”

  “Mia was in over the weekend and mentioned it. She said she’s been dealing with a difficult bride that is having her wedding at The Whitley.”

  Mia was a wedding coordinator that they often worked with and to say her current bride was difficult was an understatement. Davina was a nightmare.

  Paula smiled. “She is. I think she’s happy now. At least I hope so. This is David Connolly. He’s a consultant who is with us for a few months.”

  “It’s nice to meet you. Stacy will be over in a minute to tell you the specials.”

  “Thanks, Mandy. Do you have a minute? There’s something we want to run by you,” Paula said.

  “Sure, what is it?”

  “So, David and I are working on an event at the hotel for mid-July. We’re putting together a Taste of the Town. It will be on a Monday night. We’re thinking twenty to thirty restaurants handing out samples of whatever they’d like to highlight—a signature dish, something new, chowder, or dessert. There will also be a wine tasting.”

  “That sounds intriguing.”

  “We’re also doing awards,” David added. “Attendees will vote and we’re thinking top entree, soup or chowder and dessert. Restaurants can offer all three if they like, it’s up to them.”

  “That could be good marketing, just being there and if you win, too,” Paula added.

  “Well, it sounds good to me. I’ll have to talk to Emma and Paul, our chef. They’re both in the kitchen so I’ll go run it by them and let you know.”

  “Great, thank you, Mandy.”

  As soon as Mandy walked away, their waitress, Stacy, came over and told them about the specials.

  “We have mushroom tortellini in a gorgonzola cream sauce with toasted walnuts and also grilled swordfish with mango salsa. We also have lobster chowder.”

  “I’ll have the tortellini.” Paula loved anything with cream sauce and walnuts.

  “And I’ll do the swordfish and a cup of the lobster chowder,” David said.

  A few minutes later, Stacy returned with a bread basket and David’s chowder, and they both dove in. Paula loved the bread at Mimi’s Place. They got it from a local bakery, and it was served warm with a crispy crust and soft inside. She was happily spreading butter on it when she looked up and saw David looking at her curiously.

  “What?” she asked.

  He smiled. “I’ve just never seen someone so enthusiastic about a piece of bread.”

  Paula laughed. “You haven’t tried it yet.” She took a bite and sighed. It was that good.

  She waited for him to take a taste. “So?”

  “You’re right. It’s pretty good.”

  “How long have you been living off-island?” Paula asked. She wondered if it was strange for him to be home, or if he was liking it.

  “Oh, it’s been years. I left after I graduated from college and moved to Manhattan.”

  “Do you miss it? Or were you anxious to get away?” A lot of kids she’d gone to school with couldn’t wait to get off-island and get a job in the ‘real world’. Nantucket was like a bubble, and for some of them, a stifling one.

  “A little of both, I think. For what I wanted to do, there were no opportunities here so it wasn’t ever really an option. But yeah, I miss my family. And I do love Nantucket. It’s hard not to love it here. What about you? Have you ever wanted to live anywhere else?”

  Paula shook her head. “No. Never. I went away to college, so I experienced what it was like to live away from Nantucket. After four years, I was more than ready to come home. But, still, I lived in Boston for a few years first. My grandfather thought that was important for me. To see what it was like working at another hotel and get some good experience and also to live somewhere else. And Boston wasn’t that far. I still got home often.”

  “You weren’t tempted to stay in Boston?”

  “Not a bit. Boston was great. I had a good time there, but it’s not Nantucket. This is where I want to be, and I’m lucky that there is a good work opportunity for me here.”

  “Maybe someday I’ll come back, too. I do miss seeing my family. Especially with what’s going on with my mother. It’s hard being so far away.”

  “They must love having you here now?”

  “I think they do. My dad especially needed some support. Now that he found someone to be with my mother during the week, I think it will get easier for him.”

  A few minutes later, their meals arrived, and they were quiet for a bit. The food was excellent, as usual. Paula’s pasta was rich, and she only ate half of it and saved the rest to take home. David cleaned his plate.

  Stacy came to check on them and asked if they wanted dessert.

  “What do you think? Do you want anything?” David asked.

  “I’d love dessert, but I’m too full. You should get something, though. The tiramisu here is amazing.”

  “Really? That’s one of my favorites. If I get one, will you at least have a bite?”

  Paula laughed. “Of course.”

  A few minutes later, Stacy returned with the dessert and two forks. Paula took two small bites and let David enjoy the rest. As he was finishing up, Mandy came over to their table.

  “So, I talked with Emma and Paul and they both love the Taste of the Town idea. So, Mimi’s Place is in!”

  “Oh, thank you. That’s great!” Paula was thrilled. Now they could mention that they already had Mimi’s Place confirmed when they spoke to the other restaurants.

  Stacy brought the check and David immediately reached for his wallet, but Paula stopped him and put down her American Express card. “This was a business lunch, so it’s on The Whitley,” she said.

  David put his wallet back in his pocket. “All right, then. Thank you. I’d say it was a productive lunch. And a delicious one.”

  As they drove back to The Whitley, Paula’s phone buzzed with a text message from her cousin, Hallie.

  Where are you? Please come find me when you get back. Davina’s here and I want to kill her right now.

  “Ugh. Our bride from hell is displeased about something, again.”

  “The one you mentioned at lunch? Danielle?”

  “Davina. Yes, that’s the one. We get our share of diva brides, but she is hig
h on the list.”

  “What’s her issue?”

  “I don’t know. Hallie’s dealing with her now and I’ll go find out when we get back. She’s pretty much had issues with everything so far.”

  David chuckled. “Have fun with that.”

  * * *

  When they reached the hotel, Paula headed to Hallie’s office. She and Mia were there with Davina and all three women looked miserable.

  “Paula, come on in,” Hallie said. “I was just telling Davina that you were on your way. Davina, Paula is our general manager.”

  Paula smiled. “Hi, Davina. I hear you’re having your wedding with us.”

  “Well, I was planning on it. But I’m having second thoughts now. I just didn’t think this would be so difficult.”

  “What’s going on? How can I help?”

  “Davina wants The Whitley to only rent rooms on the Saturday of her wedding to people in her wedding party,” Mia said.

  Sometimes that made sense, if the wedding was big enough. Paula couldn’t recall the size of Davina’s wedding, but she didn’t think it was that big.

  “How many are attending your wedding?”

  “One hundred and fifty.”

  Well, that wasn’t going to work. The Whitley had over two hundred rooms. Paula decided to take a different approach.

  “We could certainly work with you on that. You are welcome to book all of the rooms. But that would probably be more rooms than you need. We have a total of two hundred and twenty rooms. Your party will fill more than half of them. We have had weddings that have bought out the hotel before. It’s up to you. But we can do that if you like.”

  Davina looked confused and then did the mental math. “I’d have to pay for all the rooms, even if we didn’t use them?”

  “Well, yes. If you don’t want us to rent them out.”

  “You couldn’t just not rent them?”

  “I’m sorry, no. If we did that then we’d be paying for those rooms and that’s not a good business decision for us. I hope you can understand that.”