Page 3 of Friction

“Good afternoon, Mr. Jameson.”

Wow. I’d never seen this guy before, and he knew my name. I looked at his name tag and then made eye contact with him. Eye contact and saying someone’s name was something I’d noticed Joel and Tristen did whenever they were talking to an employee. It was a good habit for me to get into.

“Thank you, Justin,” I replied and smiled.

By the time I got to the back of the Defender, a bellman was already there with a cart ready to assist. Tristen was looking at his phone as the bellman put my bag on the cart.

“What room is the bag going to, Mr. Elliot?” Edward, the bellman, asked.

“Joel said it’s going to room 101,” Tristen replied as he slipped his phone back in his pocket and winked at me.

That fucking winking again instantly sent the heat racing up my neck to cover my face. I stepped away from the Defender, so I wasn’t in the way and hopefully, so Tristen didn’t notice. When Edward headed toward the sliding glass doors, I looked over at Tristen and prayed that his effect of the winking had subsided. He was grinning at me. Nothing got by this guy.

“Come on; let’s get you your room key and get your stuff settled in.”

“Sounds good.”

The moment we stepped into the lobby, I began scanning the vast area looking for hints of what the party atmosphere would be like. Near the check-in desk was a large sign that welcomed guests, and beside it was another framed sign that showed the days and times of special events. I walked toward it to look it over.

“Do signs like this go up for each party?” I asked Tristen as I took a picture of it with my phone.

“Yes. As you can see, the guests arrive today up until 6:00 pm. There is a casual dinner in the restaurant from 5:00 to 7:00, and from 7:00 to 10:00 is a reception here in the lobby by the bar and the preview of the fair.”

“Will I be able to see the area of the fair before the preview?”

“Of course. You’re one of the main attractions.” He chuckled. “Let’s stop by your room, and then I’ll show you the fair area.”

The phrase “let’s stop by your room” would be stored in my memory for a while. I’d add the fantasies of what we’d do in my room later. I tagged along as Tristen went to the check-in counter and wasn’t surprised when he was immediately helped.

“Ashlie, I need a key for Cash’s room, please,” he requested.

“Of course.” Ashlie quickly typed a few things on a tablet and then looked up at me and smiled. “We’re delighted to have you here this weekend, Mr. Jameson.”

“Thank you. I’m looking forward to it,” I replied.

Ashlie set a small glossy gray folder on the counter and opened it so it faced me. She held up the room key as she tucked it into a smaller envelope. “You’re in suite 101, Mr. Jameson. If you misplace the key card, just stop by the desk and we’ll provide a copy for you.” She pointed to a paper on the top left of the folder. “This sheet will list the times for all meals as well as the evening receptions.” Ashlie pulled the paper out of the folder and turned it over. “All restaurants are highlighted on the property map for our guests’ convenience.” She slid a glossy postcard out from the folder and explained, “This references the special spa amenities. The reverse side will show you the locations around the resort that will have certain spa treatments. We’re expecting good weather this weekend, so many of the massages and such will be in the cabanas.”

“Thank you, Ashlie,” I said.

“This sheet will show you all the small businesses that will be in attendance for the fair. Your booth will be in the corner location, here.” Ashlie pointed out as she turned the paper over and tapped her finger in what looked like the prime location for a fair booth.

“Nice, thank you,” I said as she put everything back in the folder slots. She handed me the folder and the envelope with the key.

“Enjoy your weekend, Mr. Jameson. Please let us know if there’s anything we can do for you,” she said.

“I will; thank you, Ashlie.”

Tristen had been standing beside me the entire time but didn’t say anything until we moved away from the check-in counter. I put the Equinox folder in my plastic bag and kept the room key out.

“Want me to carry anything for you?” Tristen offered.

“I’ve got it, thanks.”

As we headed toward a corridor where some of the rooms were, Tristen pointed toward the outer edge of the lobby where a bunch of tables and banners were being organized.

“That’s where the small businesses and vendors for the fair will be. We’ll visit your area in a bit.”

We kept walking and turned right when we reached the hallway for the rooms. I knew there were three floors of rooms, and mine was on the first floor.