under new management

Exhausted eyes reflect back as I give myself one last pep talk. You can see the ways I’ve attempted to hide the pain and stress away with small amounts of eyeliner and concealer. The last bit of makeup I could afford since the last stimulus check had appeared in my bank account. “Get it together, Sam. You need this job. You didn’t struggle your whole life to let some pandemic put you out on the streets.” A low growl escapes me as I fight the urge to take out my frustration on my dashboard. I’ve applied to countless positions, yet this was the only one that had actually called back. A position as a hotel manager.

At first glance, the hotel seemed … nice. It was what you’d expect of a hotel built in the mid 30’s. Despite it being located in a rather questionable neighbourhood, it was clean. The reviews on the other hand, had definitely raised my concerns, but what could I do? I’ve needed a source of steady income for almost a year now, I couldn’t just deny the one and only job offer I had. “Breathe, Sam. You got this.” With one last deep breath I left the comfort of my car and ventured into The hotel.

It was like walking into another time as I stepped foot into the doors of the Hotel. The Vintage and extravagant Art Deco style of the interior served a reminder of what the city was like back in the early days. Serving those interested in a small taste of the Lavish life. All that was left now were the ghosts of what used to be and what could have been. It was almost depressing to see such beauty go to waste.

The sounds of my heels clicked loudly, echoing in the silence of the empty lobby as I found my way to the front desk. I could hear papers rustling behind the closed door of what I assumed was the manager’s office, uncertain if the sound was manmade or caused by small creatures taking residence. Due to the uncleanliness of the front desk, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were the latter. “Excuse me?” I called out, hoping to be greeted by another human being. To my surprise, the rustling had stopped, followed by a few bangs, a slam of a drawer and the sudden appearance of an elderly man dressed as what looked to be a handy man of sorts. “Oh, well good afternoon young miss! How can I help you today?”

His presence raised my curiousity as I attempted to look behind him, wondering If there might be a person of higher employment in the office I should be communicating with, “It’s just me, myself and I sweetheart.” He offers a friendly smile, extending his work warned hand towards me, “Name’s Charlie. You wouldn’t be the Young lady looking to fill the management position, would ya?” I can’t hide the apologetic look on my face as I eagerly accept his hand, “I’m so sorry. I just thought maybe—nevermind that.Yes, I’m Samantha. Samantha Bristol. I hope I’m not too late.”Charlie laughs, looking around at the emptiness of the lobby, “I think you’re just fine, sweetheart. It’s not like there’s a line of hopefulls ready to fill this position.” I offer a small laugh before returning my hand to my side, “Why is that?” I ask, “I mean, the hotel is beautiful. I see a lot of potential in it. I don’t see why it should be so… dead in here.”

Charlie’s face lit up with what I could only describe as joy as I spoke highly of the Hotel. “It has it’s history, but I swear—“ he rests his hand on the counter in front of him, patting it “It’s got a lot of good still left in her.” I offered a small smile, “Well if given the opportunity, I’d love the chance to bring this old girl back to life.” That seemed to be exactly what he wanted to hear. “Well, we’re happy to have you Ms. Bristol. If you’d like you can set your belongings in the office, then we can begin the tour. I’ll show you the different floors. The employee quarters, get you acquainted with the building and go over the rules and duties. If by the end of the tour you’re still interested, the job is yours.”

Charlie was extremely friendly. He had a warm presence about him. Almost trustworthy you’d say, but there was something off about the job offer itself. Not once had he asked if I had any experience in management, let alone managing a Hotel. Was it that easy of a job? Were they that in need to fill the management position that they’d take anyone willing to work? I tried to push these questions to the back of my mind, not wanting to ruin the great oppurtunity presented to me. “You said I can leave my purse in the office?” I asked as I made my way behind the counter. Charlie was a gentleman and held the door open for me, gesturing to the large wooden work desk set up in the corner of the small, dimly lit room. “Feel free to set it on the desk.” He smiles, “Oh, well you’re back there, reach in the drawer and grab that binder. It’s important. It has everything you need to know.” Without even opening it, I grab it and begin to follow Charlie towards the elevators.

“We’re going to start at the very top, and make our way down. I’m going to show you the most important floors first. You know, get the big things out of the way so I’m not wasting your time.” I raised a curious brow as I followed him into the elevator, only answering with a simple “Sounds good to me.” Charlie then pressed the button for the 14th floor and the doors began to close. “Now that we’re completely alone, I’m going to need you to open up that binder Ms.Bristol.”

Charlie, the friendly old man with the comforting presence, had suddenly turned cold and stern as he stood before me. We were in such close proximity that I wanted to take no chances angering him, so I did as I was told. Upon opening the binder I was greeted by the face of a young woman; A missing person’s poster. “We are more than a simple hotel-“ he began, “We provide a special service to very wealthy clients.” Charlie moved closer, “Times are rough as ever. No money. No jobs. Everyone is struggling to make ends meet in this day in age. Tell me Ms. Bristol, what would you do if I told you you’d never have to struggle again? That you’d be paid so well that you could live comfortably for years to come.”

I listened intently to Charlie’s words, unable to lift my eyes from the missing person’s poster. I didn’t know who she was, but she looked happy.She was young with so much life ahead of her, much like myself. “What happened to her?” I couldn’t bring myself to look at Charlie just yet so I continued to browse through the binder. To my horror there were multiple missing person’s posters. Just countless young women and couples. Shaking my head I flipped to the very back, coming across a little black book shoved into the pocket . It was a warn little leather notebook bound in a single leather strap. I pulled it out and examined it, ignoring whatever Charlie was going on about . “This elevator ride is taking a little long?” I managed to mutter out as I further scanned the page.

It was just a list of names and room numbers. Some names had stars beside them, others dollar signs. It wasn’t until after I closed it that I realized a familiarity I had missed. The bottom name. I quickly reopened it and re read the name. It was the missing girl on the poster. She had a little dollar sign near her name. It didn’t take rocket science to figure out what any of it meant. I assumed the dollar signs meant these people had already been ‘paid for’ and perhaps the stars meant there was an interest.

“What would I be paid to do?” I finally meet Charlie’s gaze as I close the binder, little black book still in hand. “You simply manage the hotel.” He smiles, “The first two floors are conveniently designed without cameras. You simply provide the rooms on these levels to Ideal visitors that match the criteria you’ll find in the binder. Our V.I.P Clients will be given a list of these visitors. You ask no questions. You do your job. You get paid. That’s it. It’s a very simple job.” After what felt like an eternity in that elevator, the doors slowly slid open. I step into the hall and sighed, there was a lot to muster over. I had not yet been explained what happens to these hotel visitors, nor did I really want to know, however being paid enough to be comfortable for years did pique my interest. I’ve struggled all my life, and I wasn’t about to continue to struggle. “Give me the tour and let me try it out for a few hours. I’ll give you my decision at the end of the night.” Charlie gave a small approving nod before leading me down the hall of the 14th floor.

The tour had taken up almost an hour before we finally reached the front counter again. There was just so much to take in and contemplate, having only a few hours to make such a life altering decision. “Hello!” I nearly fell out of my chair as I was greeted by the smiling face of a young blonde woman. She carried a large backpack on her back, wallet in hand. “I’m looking for a room for two nights. I’m visiting from Canada.” I felt myself grow anxious as I continued to hold a friendly smile. ‘This poor girl’ I thought to myself. “Well welcome! I have just the room for you.” I pulled out my little black book and began to write the girl’s information down. “You will be on the 14th floor over looking the city. It’s a beautiful view I assure you. It’s the perfect room to just relax in. Sit by the window with a book maybe. It’s fantastic.” The girl smiled, excited as ever to be in a new city for the first time, traveling alone. It wasn’t long before the girl had disappeared into the elevator. “I’m so sorry…” I muttered to myself.

I sat there quietly, choking back the tears that wanted to fall. I had probably just sent this poor girl to her death and she knew nothing about it. So young, so naïve. A sudden alert popped up on my phone. A new notification from my banking app. I curiously opened it up. “What the—“ I read the numbers over and over again, unable to comprehend how or why there was $20,000 in my account. I just sat there staring at my screen, confused and full of overwhelming emotions. “Welcome to the team Ms. Bristol. We’re so happy to have you.” I shot Charlie an innocent smile before standing. I cleared my throat and straightened out my blouse, “and I’m happy to be here--” I run my hands through my hair, “here at the Cecil Hotel. Now under new management.”