“Feel free to order something off the menu for lunch. Since you’re an employee it’s no charge.” Liz Taylor handed her a menu.
“Oh! Thanks.” Marishka flipped her pad closed to take up the menu. “Hmm…” Her gaze flickered up at the sound of glass to see a fresh drink waiting for her.
“For the work ahead of you.” Liz gave her a wink to which she smiled, taking a slow sip.
For about an hour Marishka looked over her notes in silence. The only sound heard being that of soft clicks on the skin and intermitten clinks of cutlery. There was so much to do that the main question was where to begin! Finishing off her drink she took a moment to sit back and observe…such an open area was going to be interesting enough, but she hadn’t even seen the rooms yet…She abruptly stood, plucking her pad off the table to make her way to the elevator.
The first hallway was rather…dated, but she appreciated vintage. Running her hand along the wall she waited until she stumbled upon a door that was left wide open- seemingly for cleaning. “Also dated.” Well, she could see why renovations were in order. Lifting her pad she was in the midst of taking a few pictures when the door suddenly closed behind her.
At first she thought nothing of it and kept about her business until it was time to leave and the door wouldn’t open. “Um…” Her movements grew more forceful with the door. “Shit. Shit. Shit.” Pressing her weight against the door she began to slap her hand against the frame. “Hey! Someone open the door! It’s not opening!” Just as she felt panic beginning to rise the door suddenly opened sending her tumbling into the hallway.
“You should be more careful. What were you doing in my room?” A woman with crimped bob asked, looking down at her with a cigarette in hand.
“Sorry. I was taking reference…photos for the renovation.” Marishka admitted, catching her breath a bit. “Do the doors jam like that a lot?” She asked, collecting herself off the floor.
“Often enough.” The woman admitted. “I’m Sally.”
Marishka nodded slowly. “I’m Marishka. Nice to meet you.”
“I remember Iris going on about the need for reservations, but I never thought they’d go through with it.”
“Do you stay here often?”
“It’s practically my home.” Sally replied, entering her room and closing it without another word.
“…Okay then. Good chat.” Marishka murmured.
…
When Marishka returned to the bar she settled in with a hefty sigh. “Well…there’s about a thousand things that need to be done, but I think we should start renovating the rooms first and the lobby last. It’s entirely up you and Iris whether we go from the bottom-up or top-down. We also need to updated everything to computers which means auditing and transfering all the paper files and that needs to be done either before or while the renovations are happening.” She could feel the word vomit, but didn’t care. There was just SO much.
“What’s this about timing?” Iris’s voice caught Marishka off guard.
“I was just explaining it would make the most sense to update the filing and manual systems either before or while renovating the rooms…And the lobby should be done last.” Marishka condensed it for her managers sake.
“How long until it’s all done.” Once again Iris made it sound like a statement rather than a question.
“It’ll take several weeks to transfer all the paper files since we’re going back so far, but I know of a good company that can create a system to update the systems. They’ve done it before for other hotels and could probably get it done in a few weeks.” She shrugged only to be met with silence. “The physical renovations could easily take years given how many rooms there are and how long it’s been since things were touched up.”
Once again. Silence.
Iris waited several moments before looking at Liz and then back at Marishka. “Then let’s get started.”
….
Three hours later and Marishka couldn’t even tell if time was passing. There were so. many. files. And of course she started from the beginning because right how she was also part auditor. “Interior designer? Operations specialist? Hopsitality specialist? Auditor…Why not? Why the hell not?-Right?” She turned to see nothing except more files. “Right.” She agreed with herself. “Ughh.” She was going need an assistant. Or several to help with this.
“Holding up alright?” Liz’s familar voice offered a small relief.
“Did you know the hotel opened August 23rd in 1926?” Marishka asked. “It’s been over 80 years…that’s so many files.” Leaning back in her chair she stretched audibly.
“Well I’m the bearer of good news then since your shift is over. You can go home and recharge for tomorrow.” Liz placed a glass in front of her. “For the mountain ahead.”
Marishka cracked a smile. “Who’d of thought there’d be so much drinking on the job.” She joked before taking a swig. “That hit the spot. You’re my guardian angel.”
…
The commute home was easy enough with her clicking away on her pad; oblivious to the activity around her on public transit. Looking at the pictures she’d taken she took out a stylus to start brainstorming ideas. When she got to the hotel room she wrote a note to fix the doors from jamming.
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