Side Squeeze (Jasper Falls 6)

She got it. This woman didn’t want her contacting her husband. Message received loud and clear.

“I…” Boundaries were one thing, but Mariella refused to come off as incompetent. “I’m sure there will be adequate training for situations such as the one you described that will help any manager subdue an unhappy guest. Once I know the hotel’s policies, I doubt there would be much need to contact or involve Mr. King.”

“As your supervisor, he might want to stay informed—"

“I think we’re getting off on a tangent.” Mr. King mercifully redirected the conversation and neutralized the hostility Mariella sensed radiating from his wife. “I wouldn’t hire a manager I didn’t trust to make the proper decisions, and a daily email will be more than enough communication, once our staff is fully up and running. Also, Mauricio is a great sounding board, and if there’s ever a complication too great to solve between two directors, with the hotel’s policies in place, I’d hope someone would contact me. In all my companies, I pride myself for being available to any level employee.”

She appreciated him defusing the situation. It wasn’t easy being the target of someone’s hate. Nor was it fair. She could have held Perrin just as responsible for her humiliation, but Mariella thought Bran deserved the majority of the blame. They were both victims of the same cheating asshole.

Perrin obviously moved on and married a better, handsome, incredibly successful man. Mariella had no one. She hadn’t even been with anyone since Bran. Couldn’t Perrin see she was the winner of this stupid rivalry and back off?

“Do you expect any conflicts between your personal life and holiday events?” Mauricio asked. “Guests often book weddings and parties over holidays, like New Year’s Eve, Passover, Labor Day, and so on, to get better rates.”

Glad for the simpler question, Mariella smiled. “I don’t have a personal life.” She blanched the moment the confession slipped out. “I mean, no, that shouldn’t be a problem.”

Perrin had her so rattled, any attempt at sounding remotely sophisticated had gone out the window. Mauricio smiled, as if she’d made a cute joke, and Perrin’s eyes narrowed. It hadn’t been a joke, just brutal honesty. But maybe playing it off as a joke made her look like less of a loser.

Already exhausted from pretending she belonged there, Mariella questioned if she even had a shot at this point. Whether Mr. King thought her suitable for the job or not, she bet Perrin had the final say, and there was no doubt the woman would have plenty to say about her husband hiring her nemesis.

Deferred to simple honesty, Mariella gave them the humble truth. “Look, I still live at home with my parents because I have student loans to pay off. I’m single, so I’m excited to start a career. I want that sort of meaningful commitment in my life. I don’t have kids, or a husband, or pets, so if there’s ever an emergency at the hotel, or an event that requires my presence, I shouldn’t have an issue being here.”

“Well, we wouldn’t expect any of our staff to totally sacrifice their personal life for their job,” Mr. King joked. “We want happy employees, which is why we offer a great personal package. But it’s good to know that you’re available if needed. I appreciate your flexibility.”

And Mariella appreciated his easygoing manner. “I’m only right down the road, and I rarely travel out of town.” How could she with the oppressive debt of college looming? She needed to start paying off her loans.

This was the first job she’d found offering a competitive salary with benefits. Not only could she chip away at her debt, she could eventually afford her own place.

“Suppose a guest approaches you because they’ve been locked out of their room.” Perrin’s thumb clicked the top of her pen. “The manager has a master key. What do you do?”

Mariella wondered if the boss’s wife sat in on all the interviews or just hers. “First, I’d ask them to accompany me to the lobby where I’d run their name and information through the system.”

“How would you know if they were giving you their real name?”

“I suppose I could ask for their identification, but if they don’t have their key, they might not have their wallet. I guess I’d have to trust my instincts. If everything checked out and I didn’t suspect any shifty business, I’d create a duplicate key.” It wasn’t like Jasper Falls had A-List celebrities or government officials visiting on the regular.

Mr. King nodded, appearing satisfied with her answer. “Such procedures and policies are outlined in the company manual.”

All of Perrin’s questions revolved around her obvious distrust for Mariella. Luckily, Mr. King appeared unfazed and continued to describe some of the aforementioned policies.

Mariella’s mind flashed to the man upstairs. Thoughts of Harrison led her to thoughts of Bran. She truly had a terrible track record with men.