Change My Mind

by Ali Parker

  “I’m a guest and I’ve asked you for turndown service. What do you do?”

  He scratched his belly. “Turn down the TV?”

  I thought I heard a whimper from Chase. I pasted a smile on my face. “A turndown service would mean you go into the room and fold the blanket back part way. Basically, you are making the bed ready for the guest to sleep in. We have mints that you’ll place on the pillows.”

  “Why in the hell would I prepare the bed of a grown man or woman?”

  “Because that’s what we are offering,” Chase answered.

  “That’s stupid. Who’s going to turn down our beds?”

  “You are,” I snapped. “Now, another service you will be providing, should the guest request it, is room-service delivery.”

  “Oh, you have got to be shitting me,” someone said.

  My eyes widened as I spun around. “Who said that?” I snapped. “You’re playing the role of Santa. Keep the language clean at all times. That was outlined in the contract. We are not scarring little kids.”

  “Sorry,” he muttered.

  “Now, you’ll go to the kitchen and push the room-service cart up. All of this needs to be done in costume. You will also be expected to escort guests to their scheduled spa treatments if they ask. Some of you will be on duty on the photo set. That is something you should all be familiar with. You’ll sit and smile for as many kids and people that come through the door.”

  “Are we supposed to wipe their asses as well?”

  “Again, language. Get in the habit of keeping it clean. You should know, cursing, shouting, or doing anything else that is inappropriate in front of the children will result in your immediate termination.”

  “Oh, she’s a tough one.” Someone chuckled.

  “She’s not the one you have to worry about,” Chase said, quickly coming to my defense. “I understand some of you are out of work. We’ve made a deal with your union to bring all of you on, along with some pretty hefty benefits. I would appreciate it if you could all take this seriously. We want to give our guests an experience they won’t forget.”

  I looked out at the faces staring back at me. That seemed to settle them down a bit. I cleared my throat, knowing there was still more to cover. “Guests will have the option to buy gifts from our gift shop. They will leave a door hanger on their door with anything they request. It will be your job to fulfill those requests, whether it be delivering something at a specific time or providing laundry service.”

  “Laundry service?” one of them gasped.

  “You won’t actually have to do the laundry,” I explained. “You’ll take the laundry bags to the laundry room downstairs and return it once it is cleaned.”

  “Why do I feel like we are playing gopher instead of Santa?”

  “It’s a concierge service,” I said again. “You are essentially a butler.”

  That was the wrong thing to say. Chase held up his hand once again. “Thank you all. We need to bring in the next group. You have your room assignments. Please, I beg you to review the information in the packet. You will need it all tomorrow. This is important.”

  They filed out of the room, giving us a brief reprieve between groups.

  “It will be okay,” I assured him.

  He looked at me with doubt. “Why are they all so surprised by what the job is? We provided the information to them well in advance. They signed contracts stating they read the material.”

  “I think they were all so desperate for a job they didn’t bother reading the details. They probably thought they were just going to sit all day.”

  “All of them?”

  “We’ll be okay. There is a learning curve. They’ll settle down and understand what they are supposed to do.”

  He rolled his eyes, turning his attention to the next group coming in. I would like to say the second group was better. It wasn’t. It was just as bad as the first.

  Chase went through the various scenarios once again, doing our best to keep everything in laymen’s terms. I got the distinct feeling none of them were excited about the job. I wasn’t sure if it was a pride thing or a stubborn thing, but there was definitely a current of disgruntlement.

  “Thank you all for coming,” I said, trying to stay upbeat. “Find your rooms and then please, join everyone in the main lounge for drinks and appetizers.”

  “We can’t keep up our girlish figures with appetizers alone.”

  “You’ll have plenty of food,” I assured them.

  I looked over at Chase. He had his phone in his hand and was rapidly texting. The group left, giving us a few minutes alone. “What was that about?” I asked, nodding at his phone.

  “I sent a text to Jake to get with the bartenders and the rest of the staff. These guys are not allowed more than two drinks. I don’t trust them to stay sober.”

  I hated to admit it, but he was probably right. “Good plan. Ready for the next group?”

  “It can’t get any worse, right?”

  I cringed. “Don’t say that.”

  We managed to get through the rest of the orientations. We walked back out to find Cori, Parker, and Jake had fled the lobby. We found them in the office drinking coffee.

  “Holy shit,” Cori exclaimed. “I feel like I’ve just barely escaped a firing squad. I thought Santa was supposed to be jolly.”

  “They aren’t actually Santa,” Chase shot back.

  “I know that, but do you trust them not to scare people with those shitty attitudes?”

  Chase looked at me. “She does.”

  “In hindsight, I think it would have been better to bring them in a few days early for more training. However, we are in it now. We need to stay positive. Each of us here in this room will set the tone for the rest of the staff, including those Santas.”

  “We’ll do that,” Parker said with a nod. “We’ve got your back.”

  “Thank you. Tomorrow is going to be wild, but if you can, keep your ears to the ground. Listen to the way the Santas are talking to guests. I expect some corrective feedback. We’ll get through it just fine.”

  I was putting on a show. I did not feel the least bit positive. I was terrified about what tomorrow held in store. All I could do was hope they read through their packets and understood their job descriptions. It wasn’t all that difficult. If any of them gave me any shit, I was calling their union head and giving him a piece of my mind. Hopefully, he could get them under control.

  “I need to take care of a few things. If anyone needs me, I’ll be in my office.”

  I quickly excused myself. I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. Chase was counting on me to make things happen. It was a little difficult to be responsible for a group of men that clearly had no respect for me. They might assume I was some weak woman, but I would show them how tough I could be.

  Chapter 24

  Chase

  I barely slept a wink all night. So many different scenarios ran through my mind, making it impossible to relax. We worked hard to try and anticipate every problem that came our way, but there were so many more possibilities.

  When the sun crept up over the horizon, I was already dressed in one of my best suits. I combed my hair, adding plenty of product to keep it in place. I needed to present myself as a dignified owner, not some young playboy.

  I left my room and traveled the halls on every floor, making sure everything was perfect. When I walked into the lobby, I was met with a gleaming floor with plenty of sparkle from the glistening chandeliers hanging from above. The tree was lit up, casting a warm glow throughout the area. It really was beautiful. I hoped the guests that arrived today could appreciate the beauty.

  Jake joined me in front of the tree. “It’s awesome,” he exclaimed. “Truly awesome. I know yesterday was hectic, but I think today will be much better. The Santa thing is unique and fun.”

  “I just hope it all works out as planned.”

  He smiled and patted me on the back. “It’ll be fine. I’m going to c
heck on a few things.”

  He walked away, leaving me alone with the tree once again. I would never grow tired of looking at it. I allowed myself another five minutes before it was time to get down to business. It wasn’t long before the first guests started to arrive.

  At first, the general consensus was one of excitement. I walked around the lobby, listening to the squeals of delight from children meeting their Santas for the first time. I had more than one parent come up and personally thank me for offering such a unique experience. I caught a few glimpses of Harper throughout the afternoon, but I never got the chance to tell her how proud I was of her.

  “Chase,” I heard Jake say my name.

  I turned away from the couple I had been chatting with. “What is it?”

  He looked nervous. “I think you’ll want to come with me.”

  He led me to the edge of the reception desk where a woman wearing a Chanel dress was tapping her long nails on the smooth surface. Her hand gripped a little boy’s. I looked at the boy and saw tears streaming down his face.

  “Hello there,” I greeted. “Can I help you with something?”

  “Yes, you can tell that deranged Santa I will not tolerate him making my son cry.”

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “My son wanted to touch the man’s beard. He refused. When my son asked again, the man had the audacity to scold him.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, not entirely sure it was the Santa’s fault. “I’ll speak with him.”

  “I want a different Santa assigned to our room. One that knows how to handle children.”

  I looked at Jake. “We’ll take care of that right now.”

  “You better.”

  I smiled and let Jake handle her. I had just made my way back over to the complimentary bar when another employee was grabbing my arm and dragging me off to deal with another angry customer. Again, it was a complaint about a Santa farting. I once again apologized and moved on. What started out as a positive upbeat mood quickly changed.

  I heard the chatter all around me. The Santas were pissing off more people than they were pleasing. My grand opening was going up in flames. I couldn’t stand to listen to any more of the garbage. I went into the lounge that was relatively empty. There were a few men taking advantage of the peace and quiet away from the chaos in the lobby.

  I sat down and ordered a scotch. I didn’t care if anyone saw me drinking. I sipped the alcohol and mulled over what I would do now. If the Santa thing didn’t get under control, shit was really going to hit the fan. I couldn’t afford to have guests canceling their reservations or checking out early. I happened to glance up and saw a familiar face. Oliver Rock.

  The man was extremely wealthy and very well known in New York. He was one of the most infamous people in Manhattan. I wasn’t aware he had a reservation. That was a good sign. I just needed a few more guests like him to give a positive review and I could pull myself out of the Santa crisis.

  I took my drink and moved down the bar to sit next to him. “Oliver Rock,” I greeted.

  He looked at me and offered a small smile. “Ah, the man of the hour. Is your father here?”

  “No, he doesn’t do much with the business anymore. This is my venture.”

  “Ah, I see.”

  “What do you think?” I asked him.

  He took a long drink from his glass before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “If I had known it was going to be a circus, I would have canceled my reservation. I didn’t know you were doing the gimmick thing. Santa seems a little pedestrian.”

  It was like being punched in the gut. “I see.”

  “If you’re going to offer luxury, that’s what one expects, especially with all the hype surrounding this place. What the hell is a Santa concierge?”

  “It is a way to connect guests with a fantasy.”

  He scoffed. “I could almost deal with the ridiculous Santa fiasco, but the wine list is garbage. The alcohol is bottom shelf. I can’t even get a proper drunk on. I haven’t dared check out my room. I’m sure I’ll be sleeping on sandpaper sheets and stepping on filthy carpets.”

  “I’m sure if you hurry, you can cancel your reservation and not lose your money,” I said in a hard voice.

  He looked at me, his eyebrows raised. “I see your customer-service skills are on par with your ability to run a luxury resort. I give it a year before you are filing for bankruptcy.”

  He slid off his stool and walked out. That was about the worst possible conversation I could have had. “A double,” I said to the bartender.

  “Coming right up,” he replied and moved to get my drink.

  My liquor wasn’t bottom shelf. The guy was an asshole. The wine list had been curated from wineries in Napa Valley. They weren’t thousand-dollar bottles, but they also weren’t cheap. I took my drink, sucking it down to try and dull the pain.

  A hard hand slapped me on the back, nearly making me choke on the alcohol. “Why are you hiding in here?” Nick asked.

  I looked up at him and frowned. “Because the alcohol doesn’t complain.”

  “Not usually right away. But it will often come back to haunt you the following morning.”

  “Yeah, thanks for that.”

  “What’s going on?” he asked, taking the seat next to mine. “I thought this was a day of celebration. You’ve been looking forward to this for a while.”

  “Everything is wrong. I thought I was on to something unique and exciting. I imagined my resort being booked a year in advance. I was expecting the Santa thing to be such a hit I was going to offer it at our other hotels.”

  “And?”

  “And it’s a fucking disaster. I can practically see my fortune dwindling in front of my eyes. I expect to be giving refunds tomorrow morning. I’m probably going to be sued eight times over because a Santa burped and ruined a child’s image of what Santa should be.”

  He chuckled but stopped when he saw my expression. “It can’t be that bad.”

  “It is worse than bad. There could be nothing worse.”

  “That’s being a little dramatic.”

  “No, it’s accurate. Oliver Rock was just here. He laughed in my face. You know he’s going to go back to his elite group and make fun of this place. I’m going to be the laughingstock of the hospitality industry. I’m never going to be able to show my face again.”

  “Hey, it’s not that bad,” he insisted.

  “Not that bad is a step above horrible.”

  “I think there is a bit of a learning curve with something like this. You can’t actually expect things to go perfect on opening day, especially with how much you added to the mix. You went all out.”

  “I went all out with the expectation it would pay off. It was a gamble and I’m afraid I lost. I let an idea get away from me without thinking it through.”

  “It could still work out,” he said.

  “Maybe, but I don’t see how. I think it can only get worse from this point forward. The idea was good. I liked it, but I think the execution was off. It wasn’t necessarily anyone’s fault, but it should have been planned better.”

  “It’s been a few hours,” he said. “You don’t know how the weekend is going to go. Give your team a minute to get their legs under them.”

  “It’s too late. We set the tone and it wasn’t the right one. All I can do is try and rein it in. The damage is done. The cleanup and recovery come next. I just hope we can hold on to the bookings we have. If not, this will all be for naught.”

  “I’m sorry,” he finally said. “I know you had a lot riding on this. If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”

  “Thanks, but for now, I’m going to take a walk and clear my head. I need some fresh air.”

  “All right,” he said.

  I got off the stool and walked out the side door. I stepped outside and inhaled deeply. The cold air made me cough at first until my lungs adjusted. I strolled down one of the sidewalks, doing my best to avoid making eye c
ontact with anyone I saw. I did not want to hear any more complaints. I didn’t want to hear about how awful the Santas were.

  I really felt everything else was okay. I knew the rooms were plush and the bedding was top of the line. It wasn’t sandpaper. The carpets were soft and fluffy and the furnishing comfortable and modern. All of the elements were there. I just failed to tie them together. I was kicking my ass for not being better prepared.

  Yesterday when those men showed up, I should have known the only way it could end was badly. None of them were serious about the job I hired them to do. I felt they were being way overpaid before I met them. Now, I knew they were. They were lazy, arrogant, and piss poor at being jolly. I didn’t even want to imagine what the customer-service team was going through right then. They were trained in how to deal with upset guests, but I had a feeling I would be losing a few of them in the coming days and weeks. I didn’t pay them enough to deal with that many complaints.

  I thought about Harper. There was no way she could be getting through this without hearing feedback from the guests. I should probably go find her and assure her it wasn’t her fault. The idea really was good, but we missed the mark. Maybe she could help me come up with an idea to save the weekend. We could figure out a way to put the Santas on short leashes complete with muzzles.

  The image of leashed, muzzled Santas popped into my head. “Oh, that’s not at all traumatizing,” I muttered.

  Chapter 25

  Harper

  I stood with my back pressed against the wall, my hand over my mouth as I tried to control my emotions. I had fucked up. That was all I could think. I had royally fucked up.

  I had tanked Chase’s resort. He said so himself. He was so upset, and it was all my fault. I came into the lounge to find him because I wanted to get his opinion on creating some kind of scoring system for the Santas. It would help us identify those that were doing well and the ones we needed to replace before the next wave of guests checked in. I recognized the back of his head and had been ready to interrupt him when I heard what he was saying. I immediately retreated, pressing myself against the wall and hiding like a coward.