Without a Hitch Part 2

My apologies for the late post, I had something going on yesterday. Without further delay, part 2. If you missed it, go back and read part 1: https://shannonmccauley.com/2022/09/11/without-a-hitch/

Back at Mike’s cab service two people sat eager to hear that call, James and Penelope. Their boss, Niles passed the call to James. He eyed Penelope with disgust. Penelope’s father had been one of the lightest fingered men he ever knew, but Niles had no reason to think Penelope shared those talents. There would be no nepotism here, not on his watch. She would not get this call. This was too big a coup to send a mere woman on. This required a man’s finesse. James smiled at her smugly. With a wink and a tip of his hat, he was gone.

Penelope was angry, not with James mind you. Truth be told Penelope and James admired each other and had been flirting for months, never acting upon it, much to her dismay. But she deserved that call. Hadn’t she put in her time and honed her skills as much as he had? If she never got the chance to show Niles her skills, he would never know. It was time to show Niles that she was her father’s daughter. She left the garage in a huff.

Back home, Penelope plotted a coup. “I am not one to be trifled with am I boys?” she said to her parrots, Jasper and Riggles. “I learned at the hands of the best and I will not be told no!” She put on her most expensive looking suit and her nicest fake fur and grabbed only her briefcase, “Rule number one: never bring more than you need.”   After surveying herself in the mirror, she said “Not a bad job eh fellas?”  They whistled in response.

Taking the tube to Piccadilly, Penelope headed into the Athenaeum. Remembering her affirmations, she whispered to herself, “Rule number two: Be confident, own it.”

 She walked to the front desk and assumed her poshest attitude. “I believe you have a reservation for me?” 

The clerk behind the counter looked at her. He would bet his weekly bar tab that she was a wildcat in bed. “And you are? Miss eh?” he said, staring at his computer screen and tapping a few keys. Penelope hoped she had timed this correctly.

“I am MS. Sotherton,” she said.

“I don’t see your name here Ms. Sotherton., I …” but he was interrupted when Penelope’s cell phone rang.

“Oh bloody hell, excuse me,” Penelope said, and reached into her briefcase to answer the call. “I am at the Athenaeum. No, you clod! They cannot find my reservation! I don’t care if your wife is in labor with your fifth child. I will have your job for this Alfred. You were supposed to make the reservations. Well sure you can say you did but they aren’t here are they? Oh, stop blubbering you fool and act like a man. You will get by. Tell your wife to go out and get a job then…”  her voice escalated loud enough to draw some minor attention.

The front desk clerk was embarrassed. His manager lurked nearby. He had to do something; He didn’t want anyone losing their job over this, not the guy on the phone and certainly not him. It would be his third warning this month. He smiled because the other two were for a little tuck and roll in the maintenance closet with Libby.

“Wait, here is it madame. I found it. Our bellhop will be glad to show you to your room. So sorry, someone must’ve entered the date wrong, I will have a word.”

“See that you do!” Penelope said in a huff and she told the imaginary Alfred his job was quite secure.

“Bags madam?” asked the young bellhop.

“Oh no, I am only staying one night, and I sleep in the nude.” She told him and chuckled with delight as his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

He took her to a room on the eighth floor, which was ideal as the Presidential Suite was on the tenth floor, at the top of the hotel. She noted the fire escape doors as she left the elevator. There were no cameras in the halls. This would be her easiest job yet. She thanked her bellhop and tipped him graciously. It was going to be expensive making herself noticed in this place, but the pay off would be well worth it.