Post by Mike on Mar 13, 2007 22:39:54 GMT -5
Jeffrey, the weeknight receptionist at the Blue Moon, shrugged his shoudlers with a sigh. He looked up from his book to the annoyed-looking guest standing across the desk from him. "Can I help you?" Jeffrey asked, it sounded as if he had asked the question all day. It sounded forced, and he looked disinterested.
The guest, towel over one arm and wearing his swimsuit, was not deterred. "There is a homeless person in the pool. I want something done about it." There was that impatient stare that Jeffrey had grown desentized to a long time ago. "Is he dead?" Jeffrey asked amusedly. If there was one perk to this job, it was being able to talk back with out fear of reprisal.
Three...two...one...the look of disgust was right one cue. Jeffrey could almost telegraph it. "No, he's not dead...at least, I don't think so. He's just floating there..." The man's gaze drifted down for a moment, and then sprang up with renewed resolve. "If you're not going to do something about it, I would like to speak to the hotel manager." Yeah, that was to be expected too. Jeffrey shurgged and picked up the phone...dialled...waited...and then hung up. "I'm sorry, he's unavailable right now. If I can get your name and room number, I will tell him to contact you when he gets back in." Jeffrey looked back down at his book.
Wait for it...wait for it....there it was. The exhaserbated exhale and the admission of defeat. Jeffrey could even make out the "I'm never comin' back to this dump again," as the guest made his way back to elevator. Good, Jeffrey thought to himself. He waited until the elevator had left before getting out from behind the counter. He walked down the hallway, and down the stair to where the pool was in the basement.
Just as the guest said, there was an old man floating on his back in the water, fully-clothed. He had a content look on his face, as he laid out on the water. Jeffrey walked up to the edge of the pool. "Do you need anything, Mr. Nicholas?" He asked. The old man, without opening his eyes replied, "No. Thank you. I shall be fine here." Jeffrey nodded to himself and began to head back up the stairs...back to the desk. There would probably be another complaint about the whole thing before the day was through.
The guest, towel over one arm and wearing his swimsuit, was not deterred. "There is a homeless person in the pool. I want something done about it." There was that impatient stare that Jeffrey had grown desentized to a long time ago. "Is he dead?" Jeffrey asked amusedly. If there was one perk to this job, it was being able to talk back with out fear of reprisal.
Three...two...one...the look of disgust was right one cue. Jeffrey could almost telegraph it. "No, he's not dead...at least, I don't think so. He's just floating there..." The man's gaze drifted down for a moment, and then sprang up with renewed resolve. "If you're not going to do something about it, I would like to speak to the hotel manager." Yeah, that was to be expected too. Jeffrey shurgged and picked up the phone...dialled...waited...and then hung up. "I'm sorry, he's unavailable right now. If I can get your name and room number, I will tell him to contact you when he gets back in." Jeffrey looked back down at his book.
Wait for it...wait for it....there it was. The exhaserbated exhale and the admission of defeat. Jeffrey could even make out the "I'm never comin' back to this dump again," as the guest made his way back to elevator. Good, Jeffrey thought to himself. He waited until the elevator had left before getting out from behind the counter. He walked down the hallway, and down the stair to where the pool was in the basement.
Just as the guest said, there was an old man floating on his back in the water, fully-clothed. He had a content look on his face, as he laid out on the water. Jeffrey walked up to the edge of the pool. "Do you need anything, Mr. Nicholas?" He asked. The old man, without opening his eyes replied, "No. Thank you. I shall be fine here." Jeffrey nodded to himself and began to head back up the stairs...back to the desk. There would probably be another complaint about the whole thing before the day was through.