Chapter 8: A Reality Check
As David approached the Rising Phoenix Hotel, he couldn’t help but stand in awe of its design. Giant walls of gleaming glass and polished steel shimmered in the light of the late afternoon sun. Towering columns of stone, each one the size of a tree, flanked the entryway. Accents of gold and redwood lined the walls and ceiling. Walking closer, he noticed a large brass phoenix embedded in the center of the giant glass doorway. He had never seen a building so beautiful and intimidating.
Before he could enter, one of the uniformed staff grabbed one of the phoenix’s wings and pulled the glass door open for him, revealing that the glass door was nearly a foot thick. This hotel seemed to be built like a fortress.
As David stepped through the entrance, a sense of unease began to fray his nerves. As if he weren’t intimidated enough by the exterior of the hotel, the inside was just as, if not more, magnificent. The lobby’s polished marble floor reflected the beautiful gold chandeliers hanging from the ceiling more than two stories high. The hotel’s front desk looked like it was made of carved solid wood with gold inlays. Off in the distance, he could hear the muffled chatter and clinks of a bar or cafe, and there was a pleasant aroma of vanilla and lavender in the air.
With a tremor of trepidation, he approached the front desk. The receptionist, a young woman with a warm smile, greeted him politely.
“How may I assist you today?” she asked.
“I...I need a room,” David stammered, feeling incredibly out of place amidst the hotel’s grandeur.
“Certainly,” the receptionist replied, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she pulled up the room rates. “Our standard room is available at eight hundred dollars per night. Would you like to book one?”
David felt his heart drop at her words.
Eight hundred dollars per night?
He had planned to stretch his modest savings for a few days, maybe even a week, not just one night! The little bits of earnings he had managed to save and hide from Shiela were hardly enough. He had been naive to think that a hotel in the heart of the city, with a grand name like ‘Rising Phoenix,’ would be within his budget. Was this normal? Was this how much hotels usually cost?
“I...I can’t afford that,” David confessed sheepishly.
The receptionist gave him a sympathetic smile, but it did nothing to ease the sinking feeling in his stomach.
“I’m sorry, sir,” she said gently, “but that’s the best rate we can offer.”
Feeling his face heat up with embarrassment, David mumbled an apology and quickly left the hotel. As he stepped back into the fading sunlight, he felt as though he had been slapped by a cold reality. He was on his own now, with no home, no safety net, and a very small budget. What’s worse was that it had taken him nearly the entire day to walk to the heart of the city and find the hotel. The sun was setting, and he was running out of options.
Just as David was about to leave the premises, he heard a voice call out from behind him. He turned around and saw the receptionist running towards him with a look of panic on her face.
“Wait!” she called out, panting slightly. “There’s a room that’s vacant. It’s in the middle of being remodeled, so it wasn’t supposed to be available yet.”
She caught her breath before continuing.
“You could stay there for free if you’d like. Would you like to come back in?”
David was taken aback by the sudden offer. He stood there, rooted to the spot. It seemed too good to be true: a free room in a hotel that was clearly out of his budget. His mind began to race with possibilities, each more suspicious and worrisome than the last. Was this a trap? Was there a catch he wasn’t aware of?
But there was a part of him, wary that he was teetering on the brink of homelessness, that urged him to consider her offer. He was alone, with no home to return to, and didn’t know if he could find another place by nightfall. The prospect of spending the night on the streets was becoming more real by the minute.
He looked at the receptionist, her face genuinely concerned. He took a deep breath. What did he have to lose?
“Alright,” he finally said, managing a slight smile. “I’ll come back in.”
Upon David’s acceptance of her offer, the receptionist swiftly regained her composure. Her face, previously marked with worry, now bore a professional demeanor. She nodded at David and motioned for him to follow her back into the hotel.
As they walked back through the entrance and into the lobby, the receptionist politely offered him a beverage and guided him towards the elevators, treating him like an honored guest. She listed the hotel’s various amenities, making sure that David knew of all the services and perks that were now available to him.
This was so unbelievably different from what he had been accustomed to while living under Shiela’s roof. There was no beratement, no condescension. He was shaken by the kindness he was being shown and relieved he wouldn’t have to sleep on the streets. Despite the uncertainty ahead, being treated with dignity and respect gave him the comfort he desperately needed in that moment.
Copyright © 2024 by A. J. Knight
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