Becky is not.
With all this going on, I still have to go into work. Where I work with the public and have to smile and cover up the circles under my eyes with enough makeup to scare tiny children. To be fair, I’m better at my makeup than that. I’m not exaggerating about the circles, though. When Becky doesn’t sleep because she’s worried, none of us sleep well.
So when I stopped in at Jake’s Halal truck, on my way into work that morning, Jake spotted my exhaustion a mile away. “Baby’s still sick, huh?” he asked as he was cooking up my rice and chicken.
“Actually, she’s getting better. Becky is still not okay, though.” I dug in my purse for the cash, as the cold February wind slapped my cheeks. I appreciated it trying to wake me up.
“I have a sister whose like that. Every time one of her kids gets sick, she loses her mind. Can’t eat, can’t sleep. Nearly makes herself sick. The kids get better and she has to take a few days off to recover.” He shook his head as he loaded up my to-go box. “And my mother is nagging me to settle down to that?”
I chuckled. “Your mother just wants more grandkids.”
“She’s got enough.” He handed me the box inside a plastic bag. “Good luck today.”
“Thanks.”
The sidewalk between the entrance to my place of work and Jake’s truck was not crowded and this was a good thing since I was stumbling-around exhausted. It’s mostly the weather. Bitter cold and lots of wind. The wind is sharp off the East River, and it keeps everyone who doesn’t have to be outside inside. To me, this morning, all that cold felt nice.
The heat when I walked into the Azur Regent would have normally felt like a really pleasant contrast, and I would have enjoyed the warmth seeping into my cold cheeks. But today, all I could think was that heat was going to put me to sleep.
I work the front desk at this little boutique hotel on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York. It’s a nice, quirky place with great staff and interesting clientele. Life is rarely boring at the Azur Regent. And most of the time, I really like my job. I get to meet all sorts and hear stories from all different parts of the world. Because we’re not as fancy as say the Waldorf but a bit fancier than some of the cheaper places in Midtown, we are a pretty busy place most of the year.
Except for the beginning of February. The beginning of February was a really slow time for the Azur Regent.
Which made this week at work even more difficult. If I’d been busy, I wouldn’t have noticed being exhausted quite so much. But on slow days…
Miguel Diez, the morning front desk clerk, gave me a hand wave from behind the reception desk, some of his attention on the computer under the raised front of the wooden desk, some scanning the lobby. Which was dead quiet. Usually, this time of day with checkouts still underway and check-ins just around the corner, the place was hopping.
The lobby today had exactly two people sitting near the huge front window, sipping to-go cups of coffee from one of the franchise coffee places a few blocks away. I prefer the coffee I get from Mr. and Mrs. Oligante across the road at the bodega, but to each their own. The lobby’s wooden floors were polished to a shine, the tourist brochures were neat in their rack next to the glass and wood front door, the fireplace was of course empty but for some flowers—it was fake but it added to the ambiance. All was well. Just quiet.
I stopped at the desk before heading back to the breakroom with my food. I worked the afternoon shift, handling check-ins more than checkouts, and I still had fifteen minutes before my shift started. But I always liked to get the story on what was happening in the hotel, so I knew what to expect.
“Jake sent an extra scoop of rice just for you,” I told Miguel, raising my bag with my lunch. “I think he’s feeling sorry for you working so hard in here.”
Miguel snorted and closed the computer screen. “Off my feet,” he said with a sigh. He crossed his arms and leaned against the lower counter behind the desk. “Nothing new or interesting at all going on. The guests in 408 are extending their visit another two nights. We were able to keep them in their same room. Otherwise, everyone due to check out this morning is already checked out. And no one’s been in too early. Maria says she’s got Yolinda and Vicky giving some of the rooms a deep clean since they’re empty.”
“You know, I know this is normal for this time of year. It happens every year. But the owners are still going to lose their minds at having empty rooms. You’d think they’d know this pattern by now. By St. Patrick’s Day the place will be buzzing again.”
“At least you’ll have an easy shift. That makeup is only going so far with those circles.”
I rolled my eyes. “Gee, thanks. You know just what to say to a girl.”
He snorted. “How’s Lilith doing?”
“She’s almost recovered and back to getting some sleep. Becky, on the other hand, is not so much. And when they don’t sleep, I don’t sleep.”
“You should take a day or two. It’s not like we’re being overrun.”
I shook my head. “I’d rather be out of the apartment at the moment. When I’m there, it’s a constant stream of WebMD’s most unlikely but still possible explanations for Lilith’s stuffy nose. I’d rather force my eyes open at a quiet desk than listen to another day of that.”
“Poor Becky. My cousin’s sister-in-law, who has germaphobia, turns into a nurse when her kids get sick, and turns their entire house into a sterilized hospital.”
“Cold and flu season must be fun for her.”
Miguel nodded, his mouth pursed. “I can’t help with the circles, but let me know if you need help with those nails. My girl has some openings later in the week.”
“Is this because I got you extra rice?”
Miguel took immaculate care of his hands and always had perfectly manicured nails. He didn’t share his nail care provider with anyone normally because he didn’t want her booking out and not being able to get in himself. I figured I must have looked really ragged that he was willing to share her with me.
“Might be,” he said. “Or maybe I just don’t like seeing the state of your hands right now.”
I laughed, which felt good, and took my food to the back after one last scan of the lobby. The two people drinking coffee ignored me and Miguel, leaning close as they chatted. There seemed to be some intensity to that discussion but also a lot of smiling so I assumed it was a good conversation. Good for them. I liked happy people in my lobby.
I did not fall asleep into my lunch, but only because I’d moved my lunch to one side when I put my head down on the breakroom table. Otherwise, it would have been a face plant in the spiced chicken. Miguel would have been very disappointed if I’d messed up his rice snack.
Benjamin Smith shook me awake. I blinked up at him. Benjamin was our best bellhop and had worked at the Azur Regent for years too. Usually, he was too busy to turn up in the breakroom this time of day. But slow for the front desk was also slow for the bellhops.
“How long was I out?” I asked, pressing my fingers to my eyes and trying not to screw up my makeup by rubbing them.
“Not too long. Shanda covered for you so you could get an extra ten. We all get it. Plus it’s not like things are going crazy out there.”
“Thanks.” I covered my yawn with my hand and winced. “The nap helped. But I think I’m gonna need a week of sleep to make up for this.”
“Could be worse,” Benjamin said, grinning. “You could be listening to Becky’s new medical diagnoses.”
I groaned as I cleaned up my food. I noticed the extra scoop of rice was gone. Miguel had taken his food and left all without waking me. That was some impressive food acquirement.
By the time I reached the front desk, I’d managed to wake myself up enough I wasn’t going to drop to sleep again. Fortunately, I wasn’t working the desk alone. I shared this shift with Shanda White and we got along like a house on fire. On these slow days, that gave us lots of time to chat and I could use some non-baby related gossip.
