One Lousy Wish
If given the chance, would you make lemonade?
A Celebration of Valentine's Day
by
LC Cooper
* * * * *
"One Lousy Wish"
Copyright LC Cooper 2011
This free ebook may be copied, distributed, reposted, reprinted and shared, provided it appears in its entirety without alteration, and the reader is not charged to access it.
* * * * *
"Teresa, Mr. Exton in room 713 called again. Get these to him right away!"
"Yes, Mr. Davis, I'll take care of it."
"Excuse me, Mr. Davis ... um ... by any chance was the man you talked with on the phone, Peter Exton?"
"I am sorry, Miss??"
"Evans. Cheryl Evans. I'm checking in."
"Welcome to The Kristabella, Mrs. Evans. Unfortunately, I can't give you that information, but I would be glad to talk with you regarding your accommodations, our amenities, and local social events. After checking in, could I interest you in a tour of our spa? I can provide you with a voucher for a complementary first treatment."
"No, no thank you. Please give me my room key so I can be on my way."
"Certainly, Madam, one moment, please, our computers are a little slow today."
"Seems to be the theme here. The package I booked at The Falconesse resort was oversold and my room was given to another couple before I arrived. I wasted most of the afternoon arguing with the manager because nothing else is available for this weekend. Then, the transfer shuttle that brought me here stopped at each tourist attraction along the way. I am worn out! I thought this was to be a peaceful, enjoyable weekend. Apparently, that's not the way this company operates."
"Ah, yes, I apologise for this error, Mrs. Evans. To compensate we have booked you and your husband into the Penthouse Suite. A butler has been assigned to your room for the duration of your stay. Similarly, concierge services and an open bar are always available on your floor."
"My, you are certainly generous, but I may be enjoying all this by myself tonight. I have no way of telling my husband, Sean, I am here at The Kristabella. His mobile phone was stolen yesterday. He thinks I am still at your Falconesse resort. He won't arrive for another three hours. We have dinner reservations at the Tampiato?"
"Excuse me for interrupting, Mrs. Evans. As part of our effort to make yours a pleasant stay, I can arrange for a limo ride to The Falconesse to meet your husband. From there, the limo will take the two of you to The Tampiato. What time is your reservation? I will have Pierce, your driver, pick you up an hour before, which is early enough to get you to The Tampiato in time for complementary hors d'oeuvres and cocktails."
"I appreciate your attention to detail. Our reservation is for 7:30. Although my husband won't be happy at all with the forced change to our accommodations, there is no doubt you are doing your best to make up for your employer's failures."
"Hmm ? Will there be anything else?"
"I know you've done your best to compensate for your company's incompetence, but it's still not good enough. Well, this was to be my Valentine's Day surprise for my husband. Instead of enjoying a romantic candlelit dinner together, most of the meal will be spent calming him down - not the easiest thing to do. The timing for this screw-up couldn't be any worse."
"Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience. We will do everything in our power to make your stay a pleasant one. Here are your two keys for Penthouse Suite 1212."
"Yeah, thanks. Give me a second to gather my stuff and answer this call. Hello? Who is this?"
"Hi, Cheryl, it's Sean."
"Oh! Hi honey, you surprised me. I didn't recognize the number."
"It's because I'm using Becca's phone."
"She's with you? Where are you?"
"I am in her car, on our way to a trial. Where are you? I stopped by home, as you asked, and found this cryptic note on the dining room table ? something about meeting at The Falconesse resort tonight. What's going on?"
"You are still three hours away, yet you're going to a trial? Really? This close to the end of the day? And on a Friday, no less? You were supposed to be on the road to meet me here."
"No, I told you I had this trial. Why are you at The Falconesse?"
"Actually, I'm at a sister property - The Kristabella. Happy Valentine's Day, Sweetheart!"
"Uh?"
"Sean, this is when you say something equally romantic or at least utter a thank you. What's wrong?"
"My, oh my, I was not expecting this. Spending Valentine's Day with you was not my plan."
"What's going on, Sean? You're worrying me."
"It's over, Cheryl."
"What's over? What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb! You knew I was having my lawyer draft divorce papers,. You damn well knew it!"
"Don't do this, Sean - not today, not this weekend ? please."
"Ever since you found out about Becca, you haven't stopped making my life miserable. You knew this was coming."
"I was, and still am, mad at you for cheating on me, dammit! I threw this weekend getaway together hoping you and I could reconnect. I am willing to forgive you, Sean. We can work this out."
"Work this out? You kicked me out of our house. Oh, wait a minute, I see what's going on here. You don't want to be alone on Valentine's Day. Once again, your feelings take the centre stage. What about mine?"
"I am not that petty, Sean! I planned this little vacation as an opportunity to share our feelings and spark our relationship. It doesn't have to die. I am concerned about your feelings. My purpose for this weekend proves I still care."
"My assistant will serve you with the divorce papers on Monday. Make sure you are back in town to get them."
"Sean ? hello, Sean?? I don't believe this - he hung up on me! Sean! Answer the phone, Sweetheart. Please answer the phone."
"Mr. Davis, I was unable to get Mr. Exton in #713 to answer the door. I knocked several times before using my key. He is in the room. The security-bar lock prevented me from getting in."
"Thank you, Teresa. Mr. Exton may be asleep or in the shower. I will call him in a few minutes to see if he still wants the towels. For now, place them on the concierge desk. Mrs. Evans, is there anything else I can do for you? It sounded like a terrible phone call."
"Do you know a good divorce attorney? Apparently, I need one right away."
"Oh, I am so sorry."
"Wow, what an absolutely lousy day! Looks like I won't need that limo tonight after all. I am heading to my room and calling it a night."
"I understand, Mrs. E?"
"Call me Cheryl. I need to get used to being called something other than Mrs. Evans. I can't believe this day."
"Your penthouse suite is on the house for the rest of the weekend, if you wish to stay, Mrs. E?um, I mean, Cheryl."
"You are too kind. I am sorry for being so short with you earlier. This was my last chance at saving my marriage. I wanted everything perfect for tonight."
"Trust me, I understand. Here is my card. Call me on my direct phone number with any requests, and I will take care of them personally."
"Thanks again. Guess I'll call it a night. Oof!"
"Oh, excuse me, Ma'am, I didn't mean to run the luggage cart into you. Are you alright?"
"I am fine, don't worry about it. Say, aren't you Teresa - the woman who was behind the front desk, talking with Mr. Davis a few minutes ago?"
"Yes, Ma'am, how can I assist you?"
--
"I SAID I AM COMING! Would you PLEASE stop pounding on my door?"
"It's the concierge, Mr. Exton, with the towels you requested."
"A little late for that isn't it? I got tired of waiting?and?took?my?shower?oh my God! Cheryl? Is that you?"
&
nbsp; "Yes, Peter, it's me."
"Come in! Come in! Oh, my gosh, it's so good to hear your voice again. I knew it had to be you! Come here and give me a hug!"
"Mmm?after all these years, Peter, you're still so charming."
"Thank you. What a wonderful surprise! You'll never believe this, but I have been thinking about you a lot lately. Can you stay for a while and talk, or do you have to get back to work?"
"No, Peter, it's fine. I don't work here. A strange thing happened when I overheard the conversation at the front desk about a guest who needed more towels. I had a flashback to when we were a couple. You would aggravate me so much when you showered. You used three towels; one to stand on, one to dry your hair, and the third to dry your body. It's funny now, but boy, it bugged me then."
"Some things never change, do they?"
"I guess I'm not surprised - old habits die hard. Anyway, I slipped the concierge a twenty and brought the towels up, hoping it was you!"
"It is so good to hear your laughter again - and you still have that gorgeous smile. Wow, this is fantastic! I can't believe we are sitting here talking."
"I agree! My mind is sort of numb, like in a foggy dream. This is the most bittersweet day of my entire life."
"How so?"
"Would you believe fifteen minutes ago, my husband called to remind me he wanted a divorce? I set up a romantic weekend at The Falconesse?"
"Um, you must have taken a wrong turn somewhere, Cheryl. You do realize you are in The Kristabella, don't