Chapter 2

The morning of my first day at the hotel job was full of nerves. With Suzy’s help, I landed this position, but the journey there was still daunting. As I made my way to the building, my anxiety grew even more intense. But I was on edge when I spotted a familiar face in the lobby. It was him—the guy I had spent a wild night with a few days ago. He looked just as handsome as ever, dressed sharply in his suit. But I pushed the thought away. There was no way he could be my boss. I couldn’t imagine it. I was already thinking about quitting.

“Miss Margareth, you’re here,” the current manager welcomed me.

I smiled at her and didn’t look at the guy in front of her.

“Mr. Marco, this is Marga, she will be taking over my position starting next week. This week I’ll be the one training her before I leave the company.”

“Okay, I’ll go ahead then. Make sure she knew all the things you knew about working with our company,” then he left without looking at me.

I think he didn’t recognize me, and I was able to breathe properly when he left.

“Isn’t he hot?” Miss Cassandra nudged at me.

“Oh, kind of,” I said shyly as I looked at him walking away from us.

Miss Cass laughed at me. I’m sure everybody is amazed by how good-looking that guy was. I was amazed as well, but I should be avoiding that guy. He might think of me as an easy girl because I slept with him the first night I met him. That wasn’t who I was. That night had been a mistake, a lesson learned the hard way. I promised myself I’d never let alcohol lead me down that path again.

Throughout the week, Miss Cassandra proved to be an excellent mentor. She guided me through the ins and outs of my new role, and surprisingly, I picked up things quickly. As she walked me through the daily operations of the hotel, I found myself absorbing the information like a sponge.

“See, Marga, this is how we manage reservations efficiently,” Miss Cassandra explained, demonstrating the reservation system on the computer screen.

I nodded as I watched her deftly navigate through the software, understanding the process without much difficulty. It felt like puzzle pieces falling into place, and I was relieved that the job seemed manageable.

“And over here, you can check the occupancy status for each day,” she continued, showing me a calendar with color-coded entries.

As I observed her explanation, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of confidence. It was as if the worries that had accompanied my first day were fading away. I began to realize that I was more capable than I had initially thought.

Miss Cassandra glanced at me and smiled. “You catch on really fast, Marga. I’m impressed.”

I blushed at the compliment but couldn’t help feeling a sense of accomplishment. It was reassuring to know that I was getting the hang of things so quickly.

The next task she walked me through was handling guest complaints and feedback. As she shared her strategies for dealing with various situations, I found myself actively participating in the discussion.

“What if a guest is unhappy with their room assignment?” I asked, feeling confident enough to contribute my thoughts.

Miss Cassandra looked pleasantly surprised. “That’s a great question. In such cases, we always try to find a solution that works for both the guest and the hotel. Maybe offering an upgrade if available or addressing the issue promptly.”

Listening to her response, I realized that the principles of empathy and problem-solving were at the core of effective management. It was about finding the right balance between guest satisfaction and the hotel’s policies.

I went home tired on the last day of my training but as I opened my door I saw Suzy eating in my kitchen and chuckled when she saw me startled by her presence.

“What are you doing here?” I ask her.

“Just checking on you, good thing you gave me a spare key so I won’t have to wait for you outside your apartment,” she said as she munched on the apple that she was eating.

“Hey, Suzy! My boss was Marco,” I said, a little nervous to open my thoughts to her.

“Yeah, I knew. My friend was her sister; her sister gave you the job,” she said proudly.

“Thank you, Suzy. I appreciate everything you do but I have to be honest with you, during my first day of training I already thought of quitting.”

Her eyes were so shocked, “Why would you quit? Did Marco do something to you?”

“No, he didn’t. He didn’t even talk and look at me when I met him on my first day of training,” I said and sighed, which made her curious.

“Then why?”

I took a deep breath, steeling myself to reveal my vulnerable truth. “He’s the guy, Suzy.”

She looked puzzled. “The guy? What do you mean?”

I braced myself and let the words escape. “The guy I slept with after I got so drunk at the bar a few days ago. The guy who... who took my first.”

“NO FREAKING WAY, MARGA!” she exclaimed.

“Yes, I knew it was him, and I was embarrassed, but I think he didn’t recognize me. I wanted to quit, but I remembered Lucas. He’s sick, and I needed to work so bad so I could buy him his medicines and so I could visit him at my aunt’s house,” I said, showing her my vulnerable side.

Suzy’s expression softened as she realized the depth of my situation. “Marga, I’m so sorry you had to go through this. But I’m proud of you for pushing through. Lucas needs you, and you’re doing everything you can to take care of him.”

Tears pricked at my eyes, and I blinked them back. “Yeah, I just... I can’t let my own mistakes ruin everything now. I have to focus on what matters.”

“but he’s damn hot, isn’t he?” Suzy smirked at me.

I rolled my eyes, unable to hide my own smirk. “Yes, fine, he’s hot. But I’ve got bigger things to worry about right now. Like making sure he doesn’t remember me.”

Suzy’s expression softened as she saw the genuine worry in my eyes. “Marga, don’t stress too much about it. Focus on your work, take care of Lucas, and things will fall into place.”

I nodded, grateful for her calming words. “You’re right. I can’t let this distract me. I’ve come this far, and I won’t let a past mistake mess things up.”

“That’s the spirit,” Suzy said with an encouraging smile. “Just remember, you’ve got a friend in me. We’ll get through this together, girl.”