Page 37 of Badass Alien Boss

“Let’s explore the interior and walk around the exterior. Record some holograms on what’s been done. We need to visit the convention center and the pool area. And, I want to see the employee bungalows.”

“Sounds like a plan—my data tab is ringing.”

“I’ll get it. Where is it?” He slid out of bed.

“On the desk in the other room.”

He retrieved the device and handed it to her.

“This is Michaela Perine,” she answered and paused to listen. “Thank you, I’m much better this morning.” She nodded along with whatever was being said. “That’s good to know. I was a little worried.” She paused again, forming an O with her mouth. “Thank you! We appreciate that very much.”

The call ended.

“That was the general manager,” she explained. “I give him points for customer service. He apologized profusely for what happened. He said the constellation platter has been removed from the menu—even though it should have been safe—and they have reviewed and cleared the remaining menu items for humans. They are going to comp our entire stay—including food.”

“That’s great—assuming you can eat. They said the constellation platter was safe, too.”

“I’ll have to be very cautious. Eat a tiny bit and wait and see if I get a reaction.”

It still made him nervous.

Chapter Fifteen

The employee bungalows, located a kilometer’s walk out of sight of the hotel, reminded Michaela of military base housing: no frills, tiny cookie-cutter boxes packed in tight. However, the roofs looked newish, and the cabins had been painted recently. Livable, but not up to paying-guest standards.

Ruyn shot images with his data tab.

A uniformed employee emerged from a bungalow. “May I help you?” she asked. “This is the employee housing area. Are you lost?”

Michaela glanced at Ruyn. “Exploring. We’ve been admiring how well-kept the property is. Everything is so nice and updated.”

“Well, they work at it,” she said.

“The units look like they’ve been redone,” Ruyn said.

“Painted two months ago. And a year ago before that.”

“They painted twice in a year? Did it need it?” Michaela asked.

The employee shrugged. “They’re always fixing or constructing or redecorating. When they finish a project, they start all over again.”

“How long have you worked here?” Ruyn asked.

“Ten years next month.”

“What kind of renovations have been occurring?”

“Guest suites getting redecorated. They go floor by floor and then start over again. Pool cabanas are replaced every season, and—oh! The new wing on the convention center? They demolished the old wing then rebuilt it.”

“Was it structurally unsound?” Ruyn asked.

“Not that I heard. It was booked solid right up until they tore it down. It’s nice for guests to have everything current.”

“Have they always renovated often?”

She shook her head. “They had just finished a reno when I started ten years ago. Then, other than touch-ups, they didn’t do anything for years. Maybe two years ago, the ongoing projects started in earnest. They’re always redoing something now.

“I hope you haven’t been inconvenienced,” she added quickly. “We try to minimize the disruption to our guests.”