41 Going to Check Out

The floor manager nodded, "She's fine. She even offered to switch shifts with me, saying she wasn't hungry and would eat later." She sighed again, "She really had bad luck, running into that kind of guest."

Alice suddenly lost her appetite and thought about work, putting on her coat and stepping out into the cold wind.

When she reached Building Four, the glass door shut out the biting cold from outside, making her feel warm inside. The carpet was soft, allowing even sharp high heels to sink into it. Alice first went to the workroom, but it was empty, so she called John's room, and it took a long time for him to pick up. His tone was unfamiliar to her, and she was distracted for a few seconds before speaking, "Mr. Williams? It's Alice."

There seemed to be a moment of surprise on the other end, followed by an 'oh'. Alice quickly explained her purpose and asked if he was available.

John hesitated for a moment and simply said, "Yes, come up please."

When she was about to press the doorbell, the door was opened. Nancy, with her head lowered, stepped out and looked at her with an embarrassed expression. She greeted, "Miss Smith" and then quickly slipped away.

Alice turned to watch her back, feeling a bit strange, momentarily forgetting that the door was already slightly ajar. The man inside called to her, "Come in."

Alice looked around; it was still far from the afternoon cleaning time, yet the suite still looked unused, emitting cold air. She had seen many rooms; whenever someone had stayed in them, they were either littered with clothes or filled with snacks on the table, messy but full of life. She felt strange and forgot to speak, She wrinkled her brow slightly.

"What's the matter?" he finally prompted her, offering her a glass of water.

"Mr. Williams, Are you going to check out?" Alice glanced at him, noticing that his gaze did not fall on her, as if he was frowning, "I would come to see if you have any feedback about the hotel, by rule."

"By rule" He suddenly smiled, "Alice, how can you always be so formal with me?"

Alice lowered her head and was confused by his words.

"If you were asking as a friend, I might feel a bit happier." John saw her fingers, white and slender, tightly gripping the cup, "I'm living in the same apartment with you now, that's all. The service at Roosevelt is very satisfactory to me."

If Alice didn't already know where he lived, that would take her breath away. Instead, she merely responded calmly and stood up, "Mr. Williams, then I'll leave." She rose but then sat back down, her gaze meeting his directly, "What happened just now?"

She was always observant, and such things flashed through her mind in an instant, connecting the events of a few days before, his hesitation on the phone, Nancy's expression… She had good emotional quotient and reasoning ability, and women were always sensitive to these subtle clues. She really didn't want to ask about such a matter, but she also feared—afraid that the young girl might not handle her emotions properly and make everything difficult to manage.

John's expression was somewhat subtle, seemed a bit lost in front of her, then quickly regained his composure with a faint smile, "You've already guessed. Why are you asking me? " He was surprised to see the intern girl come and look for him, and after such a conversation, all he could do was smile wryly. In the end, he gave her a glass of water and did not how to respond to the innocent, sweet girl.

He wanted to thank Alice for a phone call that had timely dispersed the awkwardness, and he could only say, "Miss Smith was coming up." Nancy was startled and quickly darted out. He sighed in relief and finally got out of awkwardness. But at that moment, Alice asked him what happened, and he felt more embarrassed than before.

Alice didn't say much, just sighed, "She's young, and young people don't know how to handle her feelings. You…don't mind, do you?"

He shook his head, "I understand." His handsome face showed a hint of tiredness, and after a moment's thought, he finally said, "Being young is never an excuse. "

John drove to Lemon, and suddenly found himself losing patience, unable to help but curse the dreadful traffic congestion.

Unlike the previous day, she was sitting next to him, and the air was filled with her fresh scent. He mentioned going to Per Se on purpose, knowing that the cafe was far away, and then they could spend more time together in the cozy and intimate space.

Later, without even turning his head to look at her, he knew the warmth was gradually fading, which was replaced by an irritable mood caused by hunger. He suppressed a smile and suggested they stop for a quick bite. He could see the gleam of delight in her eyes after his suggestion.

Thinking about it now, he couldn't help but feel he was stupid. After all, he had been careless. Since she was treating him, he should have suggested somewhere closer, rather than the far and expensive Per Se. Probably from then on, she would never invite him out to eat again.

A notice for the next year's mid-to-senior management position competition was posted on the staff bulletin board. It was about time, Alice glanced at it before heading to the office. Jenny hurried up to greet her, "Morning, Miss Smith."

Alice smiled in response, "Good morning."

"What position are you planning to apply for this time?" Her words held a faint hostility.

Alice smiled without answering. In fact, everyone knew that the housekeeping department manager was about to retire, and a new batch of young managers were eyeing this vacancy closely.

For the hotel, the guestroom department was still the most important. Alice's casual attitude made Jenny believe she was confident. Luckily, the administrative building was just around the corner, and Alice made an excuse about the morning inspection to get away.

She turned on her computer, printed the documents, and read them carefully.

But finally stuffed them into the drawer.

As expected, the hot topic recently was the competition for positions: the grassroots aimed for the manager, and the mid-levels aimed for the higher positions.

Even Mr. Thompson patted her on the shoulder when he saw her: "Be well-prepared." Did he mean she had a chance?