6

ADAM

“You’re done for the day; I’m going to spend the night in one of the hotel rooms.” I stated this to the driver while getting down.

“Okay, boss, have a nice night.” He said as he drove away.

“Yeah, you too.” I muttered as I made my way into the hotel.

I checked the time: 10 p.m., I had a few things to cover up, and I was extremely exhausted. I needed something to keep me awake.

Food.

I hadn’t had a meal since I arrived due to obvious reasons, so I decided to stop at the kitchen first. I mean, I haven’t even had the time to meet my employees. As I  walked into the building, the thought of that lady ran through my head.

Why was I thinking of her? I had no freaking idea.

As amusing as it was, I found myself in front of the front desk, stylishly looking for her. I only saw one person, a man, and felt this slight wave of disappointment. As soon as he saw me, he sprung up.

“Good evening, Sir,” he said. enthusiastically. “I am so sorry I wasn’t able to see you earlier today; I’m on night shift.” He added apologetically.

I looked at his name tag and said, “That’s alright, Victor.”

I looked at the empty seat and asked, “Where is the other one?”

“I have no idea; she told me she was going to the restroom about an hour ago, and since then, I haven’t seen her. I’ve been trying to call her too, but no response.” He responded.

“Hmm, who is that?” I asked, leaning forward.

“Valeria works during the day but took her friend’s shift.”

I tried hard to hide my smile. “Why?”

“According to her, her friend is ill.”

How nice.

“Alright then, the moment she comes, give me a call. I’m going to be in my office.” I said.

“Of course.” He mentioned it as I walked towards the kitchen. I received a lot of greetings from the other chefs as I walked up to Kenneth.

“Good to see you, Kenneth.” I said it with a wide smile. Kenneth had been working there since I was a teenager, and he was one of the best chefs ever. Back when I was a teenager, he was a sous chef, but the moment my mom handed me this business, I promoted him; he deserved it.

“Here comes the forgotten one.” He said this, shaking my hand. “How have you been?” He asked.

“Well, as you can see,” I said, opening my arms and turning around.

He nodded; he looked impressed. “Not bad, not bad at all.”

“How about you? How are you doing?”

“I’m okay; I’m quite good.” He said it, forcing a smile.

“What’s up??” I asked, and I was concerned.

“Now that you’re back, focus on the hotel more. That’s all I have to say.” He replied.

“Yeah, of course. Is something going on?” I inquired.

He flashed that forced smile again. “I have something for you; I am thinking of adding   it to the menu. Let me give it to you before heading home.” He said as he turned around to grab a bowl and handed it to me.

“You’re a lifesaver; I was just about to ask  you for a meal. I’m so hungry.”

Kenneth laughed. “This is a special kind of soup; I call it Kenneth’s special.”

I shot him a confused look.

“For now.” He slid in.

I chuckled. I looked at the contents of the bowl; it had a lot of things in it. I saw chickens, sausages, and other things I honestly couldn’t recognize. It looked delicious, though, so I took a taste.

Wow.

“I don’t know what this is; it tastes familiar and is mind-blowing.” I commended.

“It is gumbo, but it’s an enhanced version. My enhanced version. Hence the name.”

I looked at him again.

“Okay, it is under construction.” He forfeited.

I chuckled, “Well, I’m taking this. It’s too delicious.”

“Of course, it’s all yours.” He said. I thanked him, left the kitchen, and used the elevator straight to my office.

***

After finishing the soup in less than five minutes, I looked through the numerous files that were waiting for me. I wasn’t expecting much when Ben texted me to say he had put some files on my desk. It’s obvious that he chose the incorrect wording.

I began scanning over the files, bracing myself for the onslaught of work that lay ahead of me. Ben made it simpler for me by outlining the contents of each file. The one that said “financial accounts” piqued my interest. I was so happy to see how much was made over the past 5 years because I was certain that I left the hotel in the capable hands of a trusted management team. The first several years apart were filled with positive reports, regular updates, and some degree of peace. But when I looked through the information, something unsettling came to light.

The data indicated a story of steady decline, with declining profitability and rising costs. The income, which had formerly been a steady stream, was now more like a small trickle. I scowled as I followed the graphs and charts that illustrated the decline of my finances. The hotel, which was once a sign of grandeur, is currently facing financial difficulties.

As I faced the harsh truth of the situation, worry furrowed my face. During my absence, the market dynamics changed due to the impact of new competitors and evolving consumer habits. Each line on the balance sheet seemed to underscore a chapter of financial struggle that had unfolded in my absence.

Was that why Kenneth mentioned that?

What is going on??

I dumped the file on my desk and buried my face in my palms. I couldn’t believe this. I thought things were going well. When I left for Turkey, I was updated all the time; she told me things were fine.

Was she lying? Of course not; why would she lie about this? Why would she lie about her legacy?

I looked at the file again; the decile began a year ago, so recently. What if she had no idea about it? How could I possibly tell her?

I groaned angrily.

Lots of thoughts were going through my head on what to do about this situation.

I can handle this; I’m sure I can.

I assured myself because that was the only thing I could do at the moment.

I made a mental note and set up a meeting with Ben and the rest of the management team to fully understand what I was dealing with.

I got up, walked to my mini fridge, and took out a mini bottle of Jack Daniels.

I had to head up to the rooftop for clear air.

***

VALERIA

Kenneth has always been a lifesaver, after Nicole, of course. He was the second-best person I met at the hotel, and he was also the funniest man I’ve ever met. He always found a way to make me feel comfortable.

In his mid-forties, he exuded an inviting warmth that transcended the bustling kitchen. His salt-and-pepper hair, neatly trimmed, framed a face marked by the subtle lines of experience and laughter. His expressive hazel eyes, alive with passion for culinary artistry, crinkled at the corners when he smiled. I honestly loved his smile.

Nicole always made me happy, but Kenneth made me feel like I had family. He always made me feel loved; he always offered me new dishes and remnants, and I always enjoyed them because he knew how to cook so well. Vanessa could back me on this. I envied his wife and kids; they had this perfect man all to themselves, how beautiful.

“Are you good?” He asked, stealthily placing the bottle of Jack Daniels in the plastic bag I brought. We were by the empty corner.

“Of course, why?” I asked, trying to sound as happy as possible.

“Because you’ve never asked me for a drink. Is everything okay at home?”

The real question is, has everything been okay since your parents died?

Of course, he didn’t know that.

“Yes, of course. Thank you for your concern.”

“Of course, be careful; don’t forget you’re working.”

“How can I? I’m just going to take a little and return to my seat.”

“Alright then, I’m back; I need to finish that gumbo.”

“Save some for me.” I said it with pleading eyes.

“Anything for you.” He said that, flashing me that perfect smile.

***

Before entering the elevator, I did a quick scan, ensuring that no one saw me, especially Victor. I entered and clicked on the rooftop button. I needed this alone time; hopefully, it doesn’t cost me my job.

I mean, Mr. Adam hadn’t returned. I was sure that he headed home to rest after that long flight. So, I was definitely safe.

I wanted to open the bottle in the elevator, but I remembered the CCTV; that would have been a very wrong move to make.

I have never gone up to the rooftop since I started working at the hotel. First of all, the view was beautiful. There was a restaurant that hadn’t been functioning since God knows; I saw a fitness center, but no one was in there. I saw a swimming pool; we had two swimming pools, one upstairs and one downstairs.

What??

Then, I saw the outdoor seating area. There were a few lounge chairs and sofas strategically arranged to optimize the breathtaking views offered by the elevated vantage point, which was surrounded by pottery plants that exuded this nature-esque ambiance, which I really loved. The seating area had a shading structure and string lights  as well, for obvious reasons.

I sank into one of the sofas and started drinking. I took a gulp. As it ran down my throat, the sting caused me to flinch. I took another, and another, and another, and another, and another.

Being lightweight in times like these was so nice because, in less than 15 minutes, I was tipsy, and I loved it. I leaned my head on the chair and looked at the sky, trying so hard to count the uncountable stars.

Clearly, that wasn’t working for me, so I stopped. I took out my phone and searched for my sister’s picture, the one she took the day she got diagnosed. Coincidentally, a message from Terrence came in:

Hey, are you home? I hope you arrived safely.

Most importantly, are you okay??

I smiled after reading that. It was so nice that he still cared that much, given his frustrating history.

Then, a call from Victor came in. I told him I was going to use the restroom, so why was he calling? I quickly put my phone in silent mode because I didn’t want to put myself in trouble. I checked the time and realized that I had been gone for almost an hour.

Damn, that’s probably why.

Whatever though.

I finally found the picture and started staring at it, studying her features—the features she stole from me, of course. I looked at her eyes and her smile. I took two more gulps of the alcohol.

How could she smile that way while in so much pain?

How could she act like everything was okay?

How?

I slid to the next image; it was a picture of us that same day. She was on the bed, and I leaned to her level to get that picture taken. Terrence was the one who took that photo. My smile looked forced and I looked so scared, but she begged me to take a picture with her and I couldn’t say no. From my eyes, you could tell that I didn’t know what to do, that I felt useless, and that I was thinking about what the future held for my sister. I looked at my sister; she looked happy.

How was she so happy?

There was nothing happy about that day. That day was sad. It was horrible. It was devastating. So why was she smiling? No, she was grinning.

I didn’t know that tears had welled up in my eyes until I felt one run down my cheek. I wiped it off angrily. Another one fell, then another, and another. I kept wiping them off because, at some point, the tears were uncontrollable, and I started weeping.

I took three gulps again and closed it because I was already drunk; I could feel it in my bones.

Shit. How am I going to return to work? Is that even possible?

I picked up my phone and texted Victor:

Sorry, I don’t feel so good, so I left. Cover up for me. I owe you one.

He sent me a reply, but I didn’t open it.

I got up and walked towards the edge of the rooftop with my bottle, leaning my elbows on the parapet and enjoying the perfect view. I sniffed the cool, fresh air deeply and exhaled.

Vanessa came to mind again.

My sister was in the hospital, counting on me to save her life. She had no one else in this world but me, useless me.

How was I going to save her?

What could I possibly do?

Should I get a loan and use the house as collateral?

How would I even pay back the loan?

I suggested it to Vanessa some time ago, and she begged me not to, saying she wouldn’t live with herself if I took the one thing that made her remember our parents. I promised that I wouldn’t, but with the look of things, that was my last resort. 

This wasn’t about helping my baby sister kill a roach or a bug that scared her; this was about saving her life. She was only 18 for crying out loud. No one deserved to go through that.

A tear rolled down my cheek.

Shit.

I took another gulp; at this point, I didn’t care anymore. I just didn’t care.

The gulp I just took sent shivers down my spine, which activated a certain kind of wittiness because the next thing that came out of my mouth was, “Hey! Rich people! Who has fifty to seventy thousand dollars to give out? Huh? I mean, that’s nothing compared to how much you purchase those designers’. What do you say??”

Mind you, I was screaming out of the top of my lungs at the cars driving past.

Oh Valeria.