Chapter 43
Cassandra never expected her very first day at work to start with a customer dispute. It was straight into the fire, with no time to ease in.
She quickly smoothed her hair, put on a friendly smile, and walked over. “Hello, Ms. Lynch. I’m the hotel manager. If you have any needs or complaints, please let me know, and I’ll take care of it for you.”
The staff member had never seen Cassandra before, so she was a little puzzled when
Cassandra suddenly introduced herself as the manager. But then, she caught Lilian’s eye, who gave her a quick signal.
The staff immediately stepped back and let Cassandra take over.
Suddenly, Elise switched to a strong regional accent, a stark contrast to the clear, neutral tone she had used just moments before. She threw in a few dramatic eye rolls, jabbed her fingers everywhere, and fired off a rant like a machine gun.
She finished by jabbing a finger in Cassandra’s face, a bit of spit flying as her temper flared.
Lilian leaned in and whispered to the staff member, “What’s Ms. Lynch’s deal?”
The staff member answered quietly, looking slightly overwhelmed. “She’s a VIP, but she’s extremely picky. She’s always yelling at someone. Today, she’s upset because there weren’t any decorative towel swans on her bed. She thinks we don’t care about her.”
Lilian asked, “So, there really weren’t any?”
The staff member sighed. “She left the room this morning, so housekeeping went in to clean up. We usually add the decorations once we finish the whole floor, but she came back after just ten minutes. We didn’t have time.”
Lilian nodded. “Did you call housekeeping? Tell them to hurry.”
“I did, but…” The staff member pointed to Cassandra, who was already kneeling beside the bed. “The new manager just finished doing it.”
Cassandra hadn’t just made a pair of towel swans she had folded an elephant, a giraffe, a rabbit, and even two little birds. The animals sat in a neat row by the bed, looking adorable and playful.
Standing up, Cassandra spoke to Elise in the same accent, making one wonder if they were from the same hometown.
Elise looked surprised. “Wait, you’re from Windvale too? You sound just like me!”
Cassandra smiled. “My mom’s from there, and I lived there for a while when I was a kid.”
Elise’s expression softened right away. “You’re new here, aren’t you?”
“That’s right. Today’s my first day. If you need anything in the future, just let me know. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of and completely satisfied.”
“Well then, come by every day and make these towel animals for me. They look fantastic.”
Lilian almost spoke up to remind Cassandra that while a hotel manager should care for guests, she didn’t have to agree to every unreasonable request. Giving in to everything would just make demanding guests more difficult.
“Cassandra-” Lilian began, but she was interrupted.
Ryan walked over. “What’s going on?”
Lilian quickly summarized the situation and added with some concern, “It’s Cassandra’s first day, and she’s already dealing with one of our toughest guests. She might have to give up her weekends just to keep her happy.”
Ryan raised an eyebrow. “She’s as slippery as an eel. No one can take advantage of her easily.”
Just then, they heard Cassandra say to Elise, “I have days off, so I can’t promise I’ll always be here myself. I’ll teach the housekeeping team how to make all these animals, and from now on, they’ll give you a new set every day.”
Elise waved her hand, suddenly in a much better mood. “Alright. Since you’re from my hometown, we’ll do it your way. I’m going to rest now, so you can all go.”
The staff member stared in amazement. “That’s it? Ms. Lynch gave in just like that? Is it just because Cassandra speaks her dialect?”
Lilian’s eyes were full of satisfaction. “Not exactly. Ms. Lynch was only acting up because she wanted attention. Cassandra gave her more and better towel animals than anyone else, which showed how much we value her. Now, she feels important, so she doesn’t have to keep making
a scene.‘
She looked at Ryan with a smile. “Mr. Scott, you really made a good decision hiring her.”
Ryan let out a short laugh, a small grin tugging the corner of his mouth. “You haven’t seen anything yet. She has plenty of tricks up her sleeve. You’ll find out soon enough.”
He turned to leave, but then paused.
Lilian asked, “Is there anything else you need?”
Ryan ordered, “Have her make a zoo for my room too.”