The Hotel

by Pamela Kelley

  “Well, maybe I’ll take my business elsewhere!” Davina stood in a huff and glared at Paula. But Paula called her bluff.

  “That’s your choice, of course. We hope you’ll decide to stay. Let Hallie and Mia know what you decide to do.”

  “Thanks, Paula,” Hallie said.

  Paula walked back to her office and tried not to smile. She knew that Davina wasn’t going to cancel her wedding. There was nowhere else that she could get on such short notice. Instead, she would likely continue to terrorize them. But once it was over, they’d never have to see her again.

  Hallie came up to her office twenty minutes later.

  “What did Davina decide?”

  Hallie smiled. “What do you think? She’s not going anywhere. She calmed down after you left. Said she thought about it and understood.”

  “Good. Has she had her tasting yet?” All brides were invited in for a formal tasting of the menu options. It was usually a really fun night for the bride and groom and usually the mother of the bride and maybe the maid of honor or best man.

  Hallie made a face. “No. That’s next Thursday night. Poor Nick.”

  Paula laughed. “It might not be that bad. Nick’s food is amazing. Maybe she’ll actually relax and enjoy herself.”

  “One can only hope,” Hallie said.

  Chapter 11

  “Good morning, ladies. Where did you end up going last night for dinner?” The two older women had asked Andrea for restaurant recommendations the night before.

  “We went to Mimi’s Place, and you’re right, it’s wonderful,” Beverly Higginbottom said.

  “Best swordfish I’ve ever had,” her sister, Jane, added. The two women were visiting for a week from upstate New York.

  “I’m so glad you enjoyed it. How can I help you today?”

  “We wanted to ask your advice about the Whaling Museum. Is it really worth seeing? We’re heading into town for the afternoon and trying to plan our day.”

  Andrea smiled. “It’s definitely worthwhile. It’s one of the places I suggest that everyone visit when they come to Nantucket. Give yourself plenty of time to go through it all. There’s a lot to see, and it’s fascinating.”

  “Good. Thanks, Andrea.”

  As the two ladies walked off, a message popped up on the computer screen, from Paula.

  “When you finish up today could you please pop by my office for a moment? David and I want your advice on a new project we are working on.”

  Andrea’s first reaction was irritation. The last thing she felt like doing was helping Paula. But still, she was curious what she might possibly need to know. She typed back that she’d stop by.

  And an hour later, when Marco came on to relieve her, Andrea made her way upstairs and stopped outside Paula’s office. The door was ajar, and David was in there with her. They were deep in conversation, so Andrea didn’t want to barge in. She knocked lightly. Paula looked up, saw her, and waved her in.

  “Thanks for coming.” Her cousin sounded nervous.

  Andrea felt like snapping that it wasn’t like she had a choice. But with David sitting there, she bit her tongue and instead said, “What’s up?”

  “So, Grandfather wants to do a Taste of the Town event. David and I have been working on that today. We had lunch at Mimi’s Place, and they agreed to participate. I talked to Peter at Bradford’s Liquors and he’s going to handle the wine tasting. We’re putting a list together of restaurants to invite and wanted to run it by you and see if you had any additional suggestions.”

  “Let me take a look at the list.” Andrea thought it was a great idea and something she’d love to attend, but she wasn’t about to admit that to Paula.

  She looked over the list. It had all the usual suspects, well-known restaurants that they’d all been going to for years.

  “These are all good, but let’s add some of the new ones. There are some great new spots that you might not know of yet, but they’re very good.” She mentioned a few names and Paula jotted them down. “I’d also add Oath Pizza and the restaurant at the airport.”

  “Oh, I forgot about that one,” Paula said.

  “What do you think of the idea?” David asked. He looked genuinely curious about her opinion. Andrea had enjoyed chatting with David when he’d introduced himself to her, until he mentioned Paula. She sighed.

  “It’s a good idea. I’m sure it will be a huge hit. Good luck with it.” She turned to leave.

  “Andrea…”

  She turned back to look at her cousin. “Was there anything else?”

  “No. I just wanted to say thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Goodnight.”

  Andrea walked home, changed into her sweats and went for a run along the beach. Nothing else relieved stress better than a good run. She’d been having a relatively good day, until her cousin wanted to see her. It still burned her that her grandfather thought that Paula, mousy little Paula who liked to hide in her cave of an office, would be a better choice for general manager. She’d looked scared to even talk to her. Andrea ran faster, harder, and forty-five minutes later when she returned to her house, she was exhausted and feeling calmer. She’d feel even better after a hot shower. Maybe she’d see if Hallie felt like grabbing a bite to eat somewhere downtown. She wasn’t in the mood to cook.

  After a long shower, Andrea was relaxed and in a much better mood. She changed, dried her hair and made her way down to the kitchen. Her cell phone was on the counter and there was a notification that someone had called. She listened to the message and it was from Elaine Humphrey, the recruiter.

  “Hi, Andrea. I’ve got a good one for you! Boutique hotel in Manhattan needs a new general manager, ASAP. Call me.”

  New York, not Boston. Andrea was a little disappointed but called Elaine anyway. She picked up on the first ring.

  “Hi, Andrea. This one is right up your alley. The Alexandria hotel is uber luxurious, a small hotel in a great area. When can you meet with them?”

  Andrea was startled. “They don’t want to start with a phone interview?”

  “Nope. They loved your resume and want to meet in person. How soon can you go?”

  Andrea thought about her schedule. She had this coming Sunday and Monday off.

  “I could do Monday.”

  “All right. Stay tuned. I’ll put a call in and get back to you asap.”

  “Thanks, Elaine.”

  Andrea looked up the hotel online. The Alexandria really was exquisite. It was small, only one hundred rooms, and the location excellent, close to everything. She supposed it might be fun to go there and check it out, even if she didn’t want to pursue it further after meeting with them. And maybe she’d fall in love with it. It wasn’t like she’d have to stay in Manhattan forever. Maybe a year or two, and it would be a good resume builder.

  Elaine called back just as Andrea was about to walk out the door. She had an interview at The Alexandria Hotel on Monday.

  Hallie agreed to go to Millie’s, their favorite spot when they were in the mood for Mexican. It was right on the beach and the food was so good.

  They sat upstairs where the views were better. Andrea ordered a margarita and Hallie went with chardonnay. They both ordered the same things—a scallop and bacon taco and a fish taco—and some guacamole and chips to share while they waited for their food.

  “So, how was your day?” Hallie asked as she reached for a chip.

  “It was fine until Paula wanted to speak to me. I had to report to her office before I left for the day.”

  “Why? Is everything all right?”

  “It’s fine. She wanted my opinion for the event they are working on. Do you know about that? The Taste of the Town in mid-July?”

  Hallie looked surprised. “No, I hadn’t heard about that. What is it?”

  Andrea explained it to her. “So, Paula wanted my opinion on the list of restaurants they were thinking of inviting.”

  “That’s what she wanted to talk to you about?”
<
br />   Andrea nodded.

  “Well, that’s a good thing. She wanted your opinion. Maybe it was a way of breaking the ice with you. I know she hates that you’re mad at her.”

  Andrea sighed. “I’m not really mad at her. It’s just frustrating, you know?”

  “I do know. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault. I’ll get over it, eventually. What do you think of the idea?”

  “For a Taste of the Town? I think it’s fantastic, actually. I bet it will bring a lot of people to the resort and get it on more people’s radars. Involving the restaurants will help spread the word, too, and it seems like it could be great marketing for them. This was Grandfather’s idea?”

  “That’s what Paula said, yeah.”

  “He really is pretty savvy. Especially for someone his age,” Hallie said.

  Andrea took a sip of her margarita and ignored that comment.

  “So, I have some news. I’m flying to New York Sunday night. I have an interview there Monday morning.”

  “You do? For a GM role?”

  Andrea nodded. “At The Alexandria Hotel. Have you heard of it?”

  “I have, actually. It’s really exclusive if I recall.”

  “It’s a high-end luxury hotel,” Andrea confirmed. “I looked it up online and it’s gorgeous, same level of quality as The Whitley.”

  Hallie smiled. “Well, that’s good! I suppose it doesn’t hurt to check it out, right?”

  “That’s what I figured. I’ll fly in Sunday night and stay at the hotel, get a feel for the place and zip home after the interview on Monday. No one will even notice that I’ve gone.”

  “I hope it goes well, but I hate the idea of you moving so far away,” Hallie said as the server brought their tacos to the table.

  “I’m honestly not sure how I feel about it, either. But I’m going to go and check it out. So, on a different note, how’s it going with your bride from hell?”

  Hallie laughed. “Davina really is the devil. I had to call Paula to come explain to her that we couldn’t simply refuse to rent out the hotel the night of her wedding.”

  “She seriously asked for that? Wow.”

  “Yes, and threatened to leave. But Paula handled her well. She just said it wasn’t possible. And of course, Davina didn’t cancel. Where else would she go last minute?”

  “Mia must have been horrified,” Andrea said. Mia coordinated a lot of weddings with them, and Andrea didn’t know how she put up with people like that.

  “She wasn’t happy with her. And she felt bad that we had to get Paula involved. But Davina didn’t listen to either of us. It was crazy.”

  “Well, hopefully that’s the last of your issues with her. Everything else is settled now, right?”

  “Not quite. We still have the tasting coming up. But that should be fine. Everyone loves the food here.”

  For once, Andrea was glad not to be general manager so she wouldn’t have to deal with nightmare clients like Davina. Pretty much everyone that came to the concierge desk was in a good mood and appreciative for the help they received.

  “Good luck with that,” Andrea said.

  “Thanks. Hey, speaking of Mia, she mentioned that she and her sister, Izzy, are having a cookout Saturday night and that we should come. Sounds like there might be a good-sized crowd there.”

  “That sounds fun. I don’t have any plans. They live right on the water, too, don’t they? Those condos on the wharf?”

  “Yes. It’s Mia’s condo but Izzy is staying with her for a while. She had a baby not too long ago and she’s expanding her store, Nantucket Threads.”

  “I love her store. I bet she’ll do well.”

  “Mia told me she’s doing even better than they anticipated. She’s been working with a consultant to build her online store and that’s been really busy.”

  “I’m not surprised. Online sales are booming, and people love Nantucket. I’ve often thought that we could do more with that at The Whitley. We could sell the monogrammed bathrobes and slippers online as well as the sweatshirts we sell in the gift shop.”

  “That’s a great idea. You should mention it to Paula,” Hallie said.

  “I’m not mentioning it to Paula!” Andrea snapped.

  “Sorry, of course. Maybe to Grandfather, then. I bet he’d be interested. It’s a great idea.”

  “Hm. Maybe I will. We’ll see.” Andrea wasn’t feeling especially generous toward either her cousin or her grandfather at the moment. Her good idea could wait.

  Chapter 12

  “Let’s go to Mia’s cookout. We don’t have to stay long. It’s a gorgeous day and there should be quite a few people there that we know.” Lucy was sitting in Paula’s kitchen, drinking coffee and nibbling on a maple glazed donut. She’d popped over as she often did on Saturday morning to catch up with her sister.

  “I don’t know if I’m really in the mood for a big crowd,” Paula said. She often felt intimidated in large gatherings.

  “Don’t be silly. What else are you going to do? Besides, I’ll be there, so it’s not like you won’t know people.”

  “I know. I’m sure Andrea will be there, too. I’m just not sure I want to deal with that.”

  “I really wouldn’t worry about Andrea. She’s not going to pay you any attention. You know your cousin. She loves a party and will be flitting around talking to everyone.”

  “That’s true.” Paula glanced out the window. It really was a perfect day. The sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. And it was warm.

  “All right, I’ll go. You’re right. I’m sure it will be fun. We should probably bring something. What are you thinking?”

  “I was going to make potato salad. People always like that at cookouts.”

  “Maybe I’ll make some brownies.”

  “That sounds good. I’ll swing by around six and we can head over.”

  Paula ran errands the rest of the day, did some laundry, made brownies, and around five thirty started getting ready to go to the cookout. She decided on jeans and a pretty floral top in shades of pink and blue. Lucy came by a few minutes before six and they headed out.

  It was always challenging finding somewhere to park downtown, especially on the weekends. Lucy had to drive around for a while before she saw a space open up a few streets over. The downtown area was packed with people walking around shopping and heading to various restaurants or to the waterfront and the ferries. Lucy parked and they walked over to Mia’s condo, which was right on the wharf. Paula had seen these condos from a distance and always thought they looked lovely, but she’d never been inside one before.

  They could hear voices as they approached Mia’s unit. Lucy knocked and a moment later, Mia’s sister Izzy opened the door.

  “Paula, Lucy! Come on in.” She glanced at the food they were carrying. “Thanks for bringing that. You can set it down in the kitchen. Are those homemade brownies? They look amazing.”

  Paula smiled. “Yes, thanks. It’s an Ina Garten recipe, lots of butter and chocolate.”

  “My favorite kind.” Izzy led them to the kitchen, and they found room on the counter to set the potato salad and brownies down. “There’s wine and beer, help yourself to whatever you’d like to drink. Will’s outside on the grill so wander out to the deck whenever you get hungry. He’s making his famous Juicy Lucy burgers and hot dogs.”

  “What’s a Juicy Lucy burger?” Lucy asked.

  Izzy grinned. “It’s out of this world delicious. Seasoned meat with lots of cheese in the middle of the burger.”

  “I think I have to try one of those,” Lucy said.

  Paula and Lucy poured themselves glasses of chardonnay, made their way out to the deck and said hello to Mia. Hallie was there, too, and Marco. Paula looked around but didn’t see any sign of Andrea.

  “Is Nick here, too?” she asked her cousin.

  Hallie shook her head. “No, he’s working tonight. You know how busy Saturday nights are in the restaurant.”


  “That’s true. I know he has someone that covers now and then.”

  “He does, but he tries to save it for something he really needs the time off for. He’d have fun here, but he doesn’t really know Mia and Izzy like we do.”

  “Who is that tall guy talking to Mia?” He looked familiar to Paula, but she couldn’t quite place him. He had dark hair and a smile that lit up his face.

  “That’s her next-door neighbor, Ben. He was at the hotel last year for his sister’s wedding. It was one of the biggest I’ve ever done. They live in Manhattan, Upper East Side. It was a spare-no-expenses wedding.”

  “Right. That’s why he looked familiar.”

  Mia looked up and saw them, and waved them over. She gave them both hugs and introduced them to Ben.

  “Paula and Lucy both work at The Whitley where your sister was married,” she said.

  Ben smiled and shook both of their hands. “Great to meet you. My sister’s wedding was something else. It’s a beautiful spot.”

  Paula nodded. “Thank you.”

  “I’m also Mia’s next-door neighbor—well, part of the year.”

  “You live in Manhattan, too?” Paula asked.

  “I do, but I love it here. During the summer months I mostly work from here and only fly back occasionally if it’s a meeting I can’t get out of.”

  “What do you do?” Lucy asked.

  “Real estate development, mostly. I have some buildings I’ve bought and rent out or bought and flipped. And I do educational training stuff. That I can do online, so it’s what I focus on more when I’m here.”

  “You’re here for the season now?” Lucy asked.

  “I am. I’m going to do everything possible to avoid leaving this island for the next few months.”

  “Ben!” Someone hollered from the living room. “You gotta come see this!”

  Mia laughed. “You’re being summoned.”

  He grinned. “Sounds like I am. I’ll be back.” He left to go see what his friend wanted, and Lucy immediately turned to Mia.

  “What’s Ben’s deal? Is he single?”