Once Upon a Summertime (9 page)

“You didn't communicate with me when you decided
not
to hire her. Why should I communicate with you when I decided
to
hire her?”

Anna gasped. Were they arguing about her?

“Perhaps there was a reason I
didn't
hire her.”

“Such as?”

“This isn't the time or place,” he said more quietly, almost as if aware she was behind the partially open door. She stepped back even farther, holding her breath and hoping they were finished and that they'd get back to whatever they were doing up here.

“I disagree, Vincent. There's no time like the present. Are you saying you don't trust me? You don't think I'm a good judge of character?”

He chuckled. “Yes, dear, I think you're a marvelous judge of character. You picked me, didn't you?”

“Then why are you questioning me about this?”

“You left me out of the loop, Denise. And to be perfectly frank, it just doesn't feel like you thought it through very carefully.”

“You mean like how you carefully
thought through
the young man you just hired—without consulting me?”

“He comes with fantastic references, Denise. And you already met him last week. As I recall, you were fairly impressed. Remember?”

“But you didn't even ask me if I approved.”

“Well, I guess we're even then.”

“Okay then. I don't want to hear another word about it.”

“Still friends?” he asked quietly.

There was a short quiet spell, and Anna hoped that perhaps they were hugging—making up. She hated to think that she'd been something they'd fight over. Even more than that, she hated to think that Mr. Newman was opposed to her working for them. She would prove to him that his wife hadn't made a mistake. She would prove that despite her unimpressive references, she was worth taking a risk on. She
would show them she was a keeper. Even if she had to work night and day, seven days a week, she would do what it took to surpass their expectations.

Suddenly Mrs. Newman started to giggle.

“What's so funny?” her husband asked in a slightly indignant tone.

“I was just thinking, maybe I do approve of your choice for our head manager after all. Now that I think about it, that young fellow was very easy on the eyes. Dreamy, in fact.”

“Oh, brother.” Mr. Newman made an irritated groan. “Try not to drool all over that new Persian carpet, okay?”

“I'm just saying . . .”

“I've got to go, Denise. Our new manager is already on his way over here. I promised to meet with him to go over some things.”

“Tell him hello for me,” Mrs. Newman called out in a good-natured, teasing tone.

Anna remained behind the door, listening as Mr. Newman made his exit and then as Mrs. Newman started to joke with another woman—probably the designer, Valerie—about the hot manager her husband had just hired. Satisfied that they wouldn't know she'd heard their whole conversation, Anna eventually meandered out of the bathroom. She checked out the second master bedroom, seeing that although it wasn't completely furnished yet, it was nearly as nice as the first master. Then she went out to where Mrs. Newman and the designer were intently discussing something in the kitchen.

“The penthouse is beautiful,” Anna said as she joined them. “This kitchen is fabulous too.”

Mrs. Newman introduced her to the designer. “Well, it will
be even more fabulous when this is fixed.” She pointed to the pale granite that topped the large island. “See this crack?”

Anna leaned forward to peer at the gleaming surface, observing that it was marred by a fine line. “Oh, yeah. That's too bad.”

“The challenge is that we can't get this exact same granite,” Valerie said sadly. “To match the other counters.” She waved her hand behind her.

“Does it have to match?” Anna asked. “I mean, you often see something different on an island.”

“That's the obvious solution,” Mrs. Newman said a bit irately. “One we'd like to avoid.”

Valerie slid a pair of very similar-looking granite samples in front of Anna. “These are the options.”

“Valerie likes one of them, and I like the other.” Mrs. Newman turned to Anna. “Let's pretend you're the tiebreaker, Anna. Which one do you prefer?”

Feeling like she was taking a test, Anna studied the two pieces of stone. One was cream colored with veins of gold. The other was cream colored with shiny metallic flecks, also of gold color. She mentally compared these with the dark walnut kitchen cabinets. “I like this one.” She pointed to the piece with the gold veins.

“Aha!” Mrs. Newman picked up that piece. “That is why I hired you, Anna. You agree with me.” She handed it to Valerie. “This is our choice.”

Feeling almost like she'd won the lottery, Anna beamed at her new boss. “I think it might even be prettier than the original granite.” She pointed to the existing countertop. “More classic and timeless looking.”

Mrs. Newman patted Anna on the back. “Feel free to keep
looking around the hotel, Anna. Get a feel for the place. I'll expect to see you here Monday morning at 9:00.” She pointed to Anna's suit. “Eventually you'll be in uniform, but it's okay to dress casually for a few days. Think comfort. And walking shoes. We have a lot of ground to cover next week.”

“Sounds great.” Anna smiled brightly. “Thanks again for giving me the chance to prove myself to you.”

“I have high expectations,” Mrs. Newman said in a no-nonsense tone.

“I won't let you down.” Anna told them both good-bye and, feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves, let herself out of the penthouse suite. Because she suspected there were surveillance cameras running in the hallway, she controlled herself from doing a Snoopy happy dance as she waited for the service elevator.

Remembering Mrs. Newman's invitation to look around, Anna decided to check out some of the guests' floors on her way down. She stopped on the ninth floor, but seeing no one around and all the doors closed, she went on down to the next and then the next. Finally, on the fifth floor, she discovered signs of life. Seeing some of the guest room doors open, she decided to sneak a peek.

The first one had workers doing some installations. Seeing a housekeeping cart in front of another open door, Anna decided to investigate. She poked her head into the room to spy a pair of women making up the king-sized bed. Suspecting they were some of the maids that had already been hired, Anna approached to introduce herself.

“Can we help you?” a short, stout, gray-haired woman said in a slightly abrupt tone.

“Are you lost?” the other one asked.

“No, I'm just looking around. Are you maids?”

The short woman rolled her eyes as she fluffed a pillow. “Well, we ain't doing this for the exercise.”

“I'm sorry,” Anna said. “My name is Anna Gordon, and I've just been hired as head of housekeeping.”

Both the woman sort of came to attention, as if they were being called on the carpet. “I'm Velma Martellini,” the older one said. “This is Cindy Snider.”

Anna shook their hands. “Pleased to meet you both.”

“What can we do for you, Ms. Gordon?” Velma asked respectfully.

“I just wanted to see a room,” Anna explained. “I don't mean to interrupt your work. I saw the door open and thought I'd check it out. I was just meeting with Mrs. Newman and she encouraged me to look around. I don't officially start work until Monday.”

“Feel free to look,” Velma told her.

“The rooms are real pretty,” Cindy said as she smoothed a white sheet. “I never saw linens this nice before. Really first class all the way.”

Anna walked around, checking out all the details of the well-appointed room. She examined the layers of curtains on the big window, the pair of comfy-looking easy chairs and ottoman, the small dining table and matching chairs, the lovely reproduction pieces of old-world style furnishings here and there, the rich-looking paintings, the luxurious linens. The room was perfection. She went into the bathroom, admiring the lavish use of travertine going halfway up the walls. Instead of a tub, there was a roomy walk-in shower with a pair of showerheads. Everything was clean and new and fresh looking. It would fall upon her shoulders to ensure
that it remained this way—all sixty rooms plus the penthouse suites. Was she really up to the task? She had promised not to let Mrs. Newman down—and she intended to keep that promise.

“Excuse me,” she said as she exited the bathroom. “Have you been instructed on how to clean the travertine in the shower yet?”

Velma frowned. “No. Does it need cleaning? No one's even used it yet.”

“I mean for the future.” Anna smiled. “I know some of these surfaces require special products. I was just curious if you'd been informed about it.”

“No one told us how to clean it,” Cindy told her. “I guess you'll have to do that.”

Anna smiled. “Yes, of course. You keep up the good work. I'll see you on Monday. Don't worry, we'll have meetings and classes and things. I want all my maids to fully understand what's expected.”

“A lot of maids don't speak English,” Velma told her.

“Yes, I expect that. I'm sure we can figure things out.” Anna headed for the door. “See you next week.”

As Anna rode the service elevator down to the housekeeping area, she felt relieved to see how different these New York maids were from the ones she'd left behind at the Value Lodge. Oh, she knew that could all change overnight—especially if the housekeeping staff was mismanaged. But she intended to do her best to keep her relationships with them professional and positive and productive. Another kind of three
P
s. She should probably make note of this. Perhaps she should carry a notepad with her. As she went to her new office, she remembered the iPad she'd purchased to use on the job at
the Value Lodge. Her plan had been to install handy apps on it to make notes and all sorts of useful things. Of course, it hadn't taken her long to realize she had little need for such efficiency there. Thankfully, she'd brought the device with her to New York. Once she charged it up, she'd start putting it to use.

Anna was just leaving her new office
when she heard the sounds of male voices coming her way. Thinking it was some of the maintenance guys and looking forward to getting to know all the employees on a friendly first-name basis, she waited in the hallway. To her surprise, it was Mr. Newman and a tall man in a dark suit.

“Miss Gordon,” Mr. Newman said cheerfully when he got closer. “I hear that my wife has placed you on staff. Congratulations, and welcome to the team.” He reached out to shake her hand. “Now may I introduce you to our new head manager, Sean O'Neil.”

Anna felt her eyes growing wide as she stared at the young man by Mr. Newman's side. “Actually, I believe we've already met,” she confessed.

“Really?” Sean tilted his head to one side. “When was that?”

“Oh, that's right.” Mr. Newman nodded. “You're both friends of Max Ferris. I almost forgot about that. Small world, isn't it?”

“Actually, I'm friends with Max's sister Marley,” Anna corrected. “But I remember Sean from growing up in Springville—back when he and Max were friends.”

“You're Anna Gordon,” Sean exclaimed as he grasped her hand, firmly shaking it. “Yes, I do remember you. My apologies.” He tipped his head with what felt like approval. “But you must admit that you've changed some, Anna. Grown up a lot since the last time I saw you.”

She made a shy smile. “So have you—I mean, changed some. Although as I recall, you were always tall.” The truth was, he looked surprisingly similar to how she remembered him. He was still incredibly handsome—just more refined and polished in his stylish charcoal suit, crisp white shirt, and burgundy tie. Sean O'Neil, with his wavy brown hair and sparkling blue eyes, still had the kind of looks that would make some girls weak in the knees. Obviously, he had caught Mrs. Newman's eye.

“Well, it's great to see you again. I'm glad you'll be on my team.” Sean beamed at her, giving her the feeling that he really meant it.

Anna braced herself as she took in a quick, steadying breath. “It's good to see you again too, Sean. Congratulations on the job.” She was trying hard to act natural, as if it didn't sting a little that this good-looking small-town boy had actually beat her out of the job of head manager. Or had she beat herself out of it by having no references? Really, she should simply be thankful she even had a job.

“Thank you, Anna. I interviewed with Mr. Newman earlier this week. I was eagerly waiting to hear back from him.”

“I had to finish interviewing the other candidates,” Mr. Newman clarified.

“I was so relieved to get the phone call this morning.” Sean grinned at his new boss, then looked back at Anna. “Since I'm staying nearby, I rushed right in to fill out the paperwork.” He laughed as he nudged Mr. Newman with an elbow. “I guess I was afraid you might change your mind.”

Mr. Newman chuckled. “No worries there, Sean. I talked to your previous boss on Thursday—by the way, he begged me
not
to hire you.”

“Not to hire him?” Anna felt confused.

“That's right.” Mr. Newman winked at Sean. “Mr. Donnell even asked me to send you packing back to Ireland.”

“Ireland?” Anna asked.

“I managed a boutique hotel in Dublin,” Sean explained to her. “A little bigger than the Rothsberg, but not nearly as nice. It was actually pretty run-down when I went to work there four years ago.”

“Your previous boss told me that you played a big part in rescuing that hotel.” Mr. Newman patted Sean on the back. “I expect great things from you, son.”

“And I expect great things from the Rothsberg. I can't wait to get to work.” He turned back to Anna. “I don't officially start until Monday. How about you?”

His enthusiasm was contagious. “Same here. It is exciting, isn't it?”

He nodded. “Here we are, two small-town kids who grew up together, working for this outstanding New York hotel.” Sean turned back to Mr. Newman. “Go figure.”

“Max is the one who told me about Anna,” Mr. Newman explained.

“Our buddy Max should get a headhunter's fee,” Sean teased.

“Well, Max and I have become good friends. I'd told him how I hoped to get some applicants from beyond the New York pool.”

“Did you get a managerial job too?” Sean asked Anna.

“That's right.” Although she was grateful that Mr. Newman hadn't told Sean that she'd interviewed for the job that he had just snagged, she wasn't that eager to admit she'd been hired as head of housekeeping. Still, she reminded herself, it was better than nothing, and it was a start. “Mrs. Newman hired me as head of housekeeping,” she confessed. “My degree is in business management and hospitality, but I don't have nearly as much experience as you. I'm still building my résumé.”

“Excellent,” he said. “It'll be great experience for you. As head manager, I can assure you there's no position more important to me than the head of housekeeping. It makes my job easier to know the maids are being managed efficiently.”

Anna knew he meant this as a compliment, but a small part of her felt slightly offended. As absurd as it was, she couldn't help feeling he was looking down on her. “Well, it's good to know that the hotel will be in such capable hands, Sean.” She made a polite smile. “I look forward to working with you.” She excused herself and ducked back into her office as they continued on the tour Mr. Newman was conducting.

Okay, she had absolutely no reason to return to her office, but it was a place to make a quick retreat. After waiting about ten minutes to be sure they'd continued merrily on their way, she finally slipped out. Seeing no one around, she hurried toward the employees' exit that Mrs. Newman had shown her earlier.

Anna had no idea why it galled her that Sean had been hired as the head manager, but it did. Truly, he had far more experience. Plus he had come with high praises after turning around a boutique hotel in Dublin, Ireland. Oh, if only she had something like that to her credit. Besides his stellar professional references, Sean seemed incredibly sure of himself. Not an arrogant, obnoxious sort of sureness either. In his defense, he had an easy kind of confidence—a charming, likeable quality. An especially good quality in a hotel manager. Obviously, he was the best man for the job. Even so, it irked her. And then it irked her that it irked her.

As she walked back to the apartment, she analyzed her antagonistic feelings toward Sean O'Neil. Why was she so aggravated at the handsome young man? What had he done to deserve such resentment? By the time she was putting in the security code to the apartment building, she thought she knew the answer. It was simply because he was the kind of guy that everything came to so easily. Sean had always been attractive and athletic and admired. As Anna unlocked the door to the apartment, she wryly considered those three
A
s. Sean could've been the president of his own triple-A club.

Sean O'Neil had lived a charmed life. Although his family wasn't wealthy, they did own a successful tire business in Springville, and from what Anna could tell, they lived comfortably. The O'Neils had always been well liked and respected. As had Sean. Anna felt fairly sure that about half the girls in her high school had been secretly crushing on Sean O'Neil. Certainly she and Marley had, but being three years younger, they'd never really had a chance.

Anna kicked off her shoes and sat down on the love seat,
pondering whether or not it was long enough to sleep comfortably on. But instead of testing out the love seat, Anna continued obsessing over Sean. She was still ruminating over how some people—like Sean O'Neil—just seem to be born under a lucky star. From what Anna had observed back in high school, whatever Sean had wanted had come his way, whether it was sports or girls or even the car he drove. Sean had been the golden boy. So why was it surprising that he could waltz in and take the job that Anna had so desperately longed for? Oh, that's right, he had references. From Dublin, Ireland, no less, where he'd turned a hotel around. That had probably come easily to him as well. How silly was it for her to be this jealous?

“Hello there.” A tall, blonde woman dressed in a short, silky pink robe emerged from the bathroom. “You must be Marley's friend. Emma?”

“Anna.” She smiled. “I got in yesterday afternoon. No one was here, so I've kind of just made myself at home. Hope you don't mind.”

“Not at all. I'm Sophie.” She sat down on the love seat, picking up a fashion magazine from the cluttered coffee table and casually flipping through it. “Kara and I share the other bedroom. She's already left for work. I don't have a flight until tomorrow night. So I'm just vegging out today.”

“I just interviewed for a job at the Rothsberg hotel,” Anna told her.

Sophie looked over the top of her magazine. “How'd that go?”

“I got the job,” Anna said brightly. Of course, even as she said this, she realized that she hadn't gotten
the
job. Just
a
job. A job managing maids.

“Congratulations!” Sophie gave her a thumbs-up. “It looks like it's going to be a pretty swanky hotel. What'll you be doing there?”

Anna explained about being head of housekeeping. “It's a managerial position,” she told her. “It will look good on my résumé. Maybe someday I'll get a higher-level management job, but for now, I'm happy just to have a job.”

“Yeah. You were lucky to get it on the same day you applied. That doesn't always happen. Not in this city.”

“That reminds me, I promised to call Marley with the news.” Anna extracted her phone from her purse and headed to the bedroom for privacy. First she called her grandmother. “Your prayers worked,” she cheerfully announced.

“You got the job!” Grandma exclaimed.

“Yes, well, it wasn't exactly the job I was interviewing for—”

“But it's in management?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

“Oh, honey, I'm so happy for you. To think our little Anna is going to work for a fancy hotel in New York City. Oh, I can't wait to tell my friends. They'll be so impressed. Especially after they've heard about you being let go from the Value Lodge.” Grandma laughed. “Next time I run into Sharon or Rich, I'll just casually let it drop that you're working for a fancy-schmancy New York hotel. That'll get their goat.”

Anna described the penthouse suite in detail to her grandmother. By the time she finished, Grandma was even more impressed than she'd been earlier. “I'll send you photos,” Anna promised. “Maybe after I've been here awhile, you can come out and visit and stay in one of the rooms.”

“Imagine me staying in some swanky New York hotel.” She chuckled. “When do you start work?”

“I promised to go in on Monday.”

“You go to work on Monday? But aren't you coming home on Tuesday?”

“I might have to change my flight. It sounds like they're going to be super busy the next couple weeks. They plan to open in late June.”

“Goodness, that's just around the corner.”

“I know.”

“What about your clothes and things? Do you need anything?”

Anna considered this. “I'm not sure. I'll have a uniform for work, but I still might want a few things.”

“Well, you just make me a list and I'll send them to you.”

“Thanks.”

“Where will you stay?”

Anna looked around the tiny bedroom. “I'm not sure. Marley said I could sleep on their couch for a while.”

“Well, that's something you're used to doing. But I do hope you find better accommodations eventually. Maybe they'll let you stay at the hotel.”

“I doubt that. But don't worry. Something will work out. I'm just so happy to have a job. I still have the rest of today and all of tomorrow to see a bit of the city too.”

“You'll have your days off to explore too,” Grandma pointed out.

“That's right.” Despite her earlier reservations, Anna's joy returned to her. “I'll become a real New Yorker.”

They talked awhile longer, then Anna said she should call
Marley with the good news. “I really owe her a big thank-you for telling me about the job and everything.”

They said good-bye and Anna called Marley. “I don't want to disturb you at work,” she said quickly. “But I promised you I'd call.”

“That's okay. I'm due for a break. What's up?”

Anna shared her news, and Marley let out a little whoop of joy. “This is going to be fabulous, Anna. You and me in New York together. I can't wait to get back there.”

“How's your mom?”

“Much better. She's actually here at the café today. I told her that I might even see if I can move my flight to tomorrow evening. Flying standby on a Sunday night is usually pretty doable. I wouldn't mind getting home with a couple of vacation days still left.”

“You're not going to believe who I ran into today.”

“You mean besides the Newmans?”

“Yes. Besides them.”

“Let's see . . . My brother? Elsie?”

“No. Although I did meet Elsie yesterday. She's sweet.”

“Who then?”

“Do you remember Sean O'Neil?”

“Are you kidding? Of course I remember him. For years I imagined myself walking down the aisle with him. Sometimes I still entertain that daydream.” She laughed. “Last I heard, Max said he was living in Ireland. Dublin, I think. In fact, I'd been hoping to be on a flight that got laid over there—I was going to look him up.”

“Well, he's not in Ireland anymore.”

“Tell me!” she exclaimed. “Where is he?”

“He's going to be working at the Rothsberg.”

“No way!”

Anna held the phone away from her ear as Marley let out a happy squeal. “Seriously, our Sean O'Neil? The guy I used to practice writing ‘Mrs. Sean O'Neil' for?”