Chapter 13: La Paloma
1245 Words
The interview was scheduled for ten o'clock.
By nine-thirty, Reina was already regretting every decision that had led her to this moment.
Including applying.
Especially applying.
A knock sounded on her bedroom door.
"Miss Hernandez?"
Ross.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Ross stepped inside carrying a tablet.
Like always, he looked as though he belonged on a security detail rather than in an office. Tall and broad-shouldered, he easily stood over six feet tall. His dark hair was cut short, though streaks of gray had begun appearing near his temples over the years. A neatly trimmed beard softened an otherwise serious face.
Most people found him intimidating.
Reina never had.
His brown eyes were steady and kind, and despite working for Carlos for years, Ross somehow remained one of the most patient people she had ever met.
"Your driver is ready."
Reina groaned.
Ross remained unimpressed.
"I can take the subway."
"You can."
"Then why am I not taking the subway?"
Ross looked down at his tablet.
"Because your uncle specifically instructed me not to allow that."
"Allow?"
Ross ignored her.
"The car is waiting."
"Traitor."
"The word you're looking for is employee."
Reina laughed despite herself.
Five minutes later, she was seated in the back of a black sedan making her way through Manhattan.
The city blurred past the window.
For the first time since returning to New York, she wasn't thinking about school.
Or housing.
Or bills.
She was thinking about La Paloma.
Not just the memories waiting inside.
The building itself.
Years ago she'd only seen a beautiful hotel.
Now she found herself noticing the symmetry of the entrance, the stone façade, and how every detail seemed designed to make guests feel welcome.
The closer they got, the quieter she became.
By the time the hotel appeared in the distance, her chest felt tight.
Nothing had prepared her for seeing it again.
The gold letters still gleamed above the entrance.
The revolving doors still turned endlessly.
Valets still hurried between arriving vehicles.
Guests still came and went carrying expensive luggage.
Nearly five years later, it looked exactly the same.
Reina stared.
The driver pulled to the curb.
For several seconds she couldn't move.
Because suddenly she wasn't almost eighteen.
She was twelve.
Standing beside Vidal.
Listening to his laugh.
Watching him tease Uncle Carlos.
Listening to him tell her that people were people whether they wore designer suits or paint-covered overalls.
The memory hit hard.
Hard enough that she almost asked the driver to take her home.
Instead, she reached for the door handle.
For a brief moment, she wondered whether Uncle Carlos had ever asked what she wanted.
He'd offered her a place to stay.
Made sure she had transportation.
Helped in all the practical ways that came naturally to him.
But he'd never asked whether this was the life she imagined for herself.
The thought lasted only a second before guilt settled in.
Maybe he didn't know how.
Maybe every time he looked at her...
He saw the woman he'd lost.
If that were true...
Maybe distance was easier than grief.
One step.
Then another.
The moment she crossed the threshold, the familiar scent of fresh flowers and polished marble greeted her.
The lobby was just as beautiful as she remembered.
Crystal chandeliers.
Marble floors.
Elegant furniture.
She caught herself studying how every space flowed into the next instead of simply admiring how expensive it looked.
For a moment she simply stood there.
Taking it all in.
Not because it was impressive.
Because it felt like him.
Vidal.
His laugh.
His smile.
One of the happiest days of her life lived inside these walls.
That was why she wanted this job.
Not because it was glamorous.
Not because of the pay.
Because it felt like a connection she wasn't ready to lose.
A woman approached from behind the front desk.
She looked to be in her early forties, with shoulder-length dark hair and warm brown eyes. Laugh lines framed her smile, giving her an approachable quality that immediately eased some of Reina's nerves.
"Reina Hernandez?"
Reina immediately straightened.
"Yes."
The woman smiled warmly.
"I'm Anna Russo."
Relief flooded through her.
For some reason, Anna's smile made the entire situation feel less intimidating.
"It's nice to meet you."
"You too."
Anna gestured toward a hallway.
"Come with me."
As they walked through the hotel, Reina struggled to focus on the interview.
Every hallway felt familiar.
Every corner triggered another memory.
Her twelfth birthday.
Her father.
The way he looked that day before either of them knew how little time they had left.
At one point Anna paused outside a conference room.
"Nervous?"
"A little."
Anna laughed.
"Good."
Reina blinked.
"Good?"
"The people who aren't nervous usually worry me."
That earned a small smile.
Anna opened the door.
"Come on."
The interview itself wasn't nearly as terrible as Reina expected.
They asked about school.
Customer service.
Scheduling.
Organization.
Then Anna glanced down at Reina's résumé.
"I noticed you're starting NYU's architecture program."
Reina nodded.
"I am."
Anna smiled.
"So why hospitality?"
That question was harder.
Because the truth sounded ridiculous.
I want to work here because it reminds me of my father.
Instead, she smiled.
"It's temporary while I'm in school."
Anna nodded, waiting.
"But I've always liked places that make people feel welcome."
She glanced around the hotel.
"I think good design makes people feel welcome before anyone even speaks to them."
For a moment, Anna simply looked at her.
Then she smiled.
"I like that answer."
The interview lasted nearly forty minutes.
When it finally ended, Anna stood and extended her hand.
"Thank you for coming in."
Reina shook it.
"Thank you for meeting with me."
"We'll be in touch soon."
The words should have felt discouraging.
Instead, they didn't.
Because regardless of what happened next, she had done it.
She had walked through those doors.
Faced the memories.
Taken a step forward.
As Anna escorted her back toward the lobby, Reina slowed.
Just slightly.
Her gaze drifted across the hotel one last time.
The chandeliers sparkled overhead.
Guests moved through the lobby.
Employees hurried between assignments.
Life continued.
Just as it always had.
She found herself wondering who had designed the lobby.
And whether one day someone might walk through a building she had created and feel exactly the way she felt now.
A strange sense of peace settled over her.
For years she hadn't returned.
Partly because life moved on.
Partly because some memories were easier to leave untouched.
Now she realized something.
The memories hurt because they mattered.
And maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.
Three days later, her phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Reina? This is Anna Russo from La Paloma."
Her heart immediately started racing.
"We'd like to offer you the position if you're still interested."
For a moment, Reina forgot how to speak.
She'd gotten the job.
The knot she'd been carrying since returning to New York loosened.
She smiled.
"I'd love to accept."
Anna laughed softly.
"I had a feeling you'd say that."
After confirming her start date, the call ended.
Reina stared at her phone for several seconds before texting the two people she knew would answer first.
Reina: I GOT THE JOB.
Within seconds—
Sofia: I NEVER DOUBTED YOU.
Brittany: Congratulations.
A second message appeared.
Brittany: Please don't clean toilets forever.
Reina burst out laughing.
For the first time since returning to New York, she couldn't wait for Monday to arrive.
- Writer
