I lay back on the couch, listening to the dial tone for the front desk to answer. I had a bone to pick with Abby. The girl had told me all day, every day, those were the hours I was allowed to come looking for her. Just come by the front desk and ask for Abby, she had said. Just holler if you need anything.
She'd come inside my suite without permission. She'd gone out of her way more than once to come look for me. The one fucking time I walk my ass all the way to the front desk because I actually want to talk to her and she's not working?
Flakiness. I wasn't paying an arm and a leg at this fucking place so I could be ignored by the people who were there to help me. Besides, what if it had been an emergency? I don't know, like, I really needed someone with knowledge of the hotel and island to tell me where to go, somewhere real, not a tourist trap.
The point was she had said she'd be there, and she hadn't been.
Yesterday had almost been a good day. I had gotten up while it was still morning and had felt for the first time that I was ready to do something. I had gone to the front desk and guess who I didn’t see? When I’d asked for her, the girl who was there instead told me that it was Abby’s day off, and that she would be able to take care of whatever I wanted since Abby wasn’t there. I’d spent the day alone in my suite, and it was her fault.
“Good afternoon. Thank you for calling Four Seasons Lanai; you're speaking to Abby. How may I help you?" she finally said, picking the phone up.
"Where the fuck were you yesterday?" I asked. She was quiet for a second.
"Mr. Stone?"
"I told you not to call me that. Why weren't you at your desk yesterday?"
"I had a day off yesterday," she said.
"Didn't you say I could ask for you whenever I wanted? What the hell."
"The front desk was still staffed. I'm sure you didn't come down here and find an empty desk."
"That's not the point; I was looking for you," I said.
"I can't imagine what I could have helped you with that another member of staff wouldn't have been able to," she said. "There isn't a question you could have asked that Stephanie wouldn't have been able to answer for you."
Stephanie. That girl I'd met at the desk the day before who had told me that she wouldn't contact Abby for me because it was her day off. All day every day. She had said all day every day.
"You told me I'd always be able to find you."
"Was it really that serious, Mr. Stone? Because I know I remember you telling me to mind my own business and leave you alone." I shut my eyes, sighing. She was still mad at what I had said to her.
"And because of that, you're gonna stop doing your job? Aren't you supposed to give me things when I ask for them? I'm the guest here. I want to do something today." I heard her huff angrily.
"The island adventure center is located on the third floor. Whether you want to explore by air, land, or sea, we have something for everyone," she said, like she was reading it off a prompter.
"No. I know all that shit, you gave me the pamphlets. I want you to take me somewhere."
"Tell me what time you will be ready to leave, sir. One of our hotel drivers will take you anywhere on Lanai."
"You, Abby. I want you to take me."
"This hotel is nearly at capacity; you are not the only guest. I can't leave work to take you into the city – especially when there are drivers whose job it is to do exactly that."
"Whoa. Guess all those five-star ratings raving about the service in this place were bullshit. The staff is cold, and the girl at the front desk doesn't give a fuck," I said.
I heard her sigh. She was getting frustrated. All she had to do was cut the crap and just take me where I wanted to go. If she wanted to fight, then we could do it there.
"Mr. Stone, I really- Please hold for a moment,” she said.
The sound became muffled, and I heard her talking to someone else. It was a man’s voice. I couldn’t really make out a lot of the words, but I heard the important ones. Something about it was her job to make sure I was happy – exactly what I had told her. She came back on the line.
“Since you’ve made a special request, we can accommodate you today,” she said stiffly.
“What? Are you going to get in trouble if you don’t take me?” I asked, smirking.
“Please come to the front desk when you are ready. All the arrangements will have been made. Thank you,” she said, ignoring me. She hung up.