-=-=-Room Service-=-=-

Hello everyone! I just want to say a few things before the story starts. 1st, Yisa (a really great writer on Fiction Press) inspired me to write instead of just reading so THANK YOU YISA! Another thing, I'm Yisa's beta or whatever you call it =P so some things might be a bit similar to her stories like the setting (Japan) and the people (Japanese).

Last, I left out all the "chan's", "san's" and "kun's" at he end of names because I thought that that was confusing =P.

..::Chapter One::..

Loren Tasani was having a bad day.

This is the last time I am walking to work ever again, she thought angrily as she tried to step over a big puddle but instead got mud splashed viciously all over her face. Loren wiped her face roughly and scolded. She wanted to save money by not calling a taxi but it starting raining cats and dogs half way (again).

Loren was walking to Kenoshiki View Hotel, the internationally famous and all-around five-star bearer. Since it was so elegant and famous, Loren only got the job a few years back when she spent about a week planning her tear-jerking, patriotic and hear-warming job interview speech.

Loren gritted her teeth. The good that did. Now that she got the job, she spent about 4 hours on weekdays and 7 hours on weekends cleaning and working her head off. The pay was good but it had to be well earned. Holding her umbrella, Loren took a few more steps and stopped in front of the elegant glass door of Kenoshiki View Hotel. She shifted her umbrella to heave the door open but before she could set one foot onto the lush, thick carpet, her supervisor, Mr. Miles rushed her out again.

"Ms Tasani, you know my rules! I will not allow my employees looking like-"

"-dogs through the front door of the hotel. Yes sir, I know," Loren finished gloomily.

"Good," Mr. Miles smirked before smartly closing the door in Loren's face. Hmph, and a good day to you too! Loren proceeded to stomp towards the back door. The door immediately snapped open, smacking Loren in the head.

"OUCH!" she cried loudly. "Has anyone no respect for the unfortunate?!" A surprised yelp filled the air. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry Loren!" squealed her friend, Bella Menelli as she grabbed Lore's wrist and helped her up.

"It's okay." Loren replied, rubbing her throbbing head and saw little colourful stars clouding her vision. "What was your hurry? Sheesh, I could have sworn you were a blur when you jumped out the room."

"Didn't you hear?" Bella asked as they both entered the back of the hotel. "The manager and his son, who is going to take over for his father soon, are coming here to check up on the hotel and make sure everything is running smoothly tomorrow. So now Mr. Pain-the-Ass Miles is making us work even harder than ever."

Harder than ever? Loren fumed. They've been working like animals for as long as she could remember!

"So we better get to work before Mr. Miles catches us talking or heads are going to roll," Bella rolled her eyes and handed Loren her list of jobs. Loren's eyes widen as she skimmed the list. "Clean Room 217, 218 and 219', vacuum the halls in section D and E, scrub the toilets in the lower floor washroom." Loren read off the list. What?! She just did all these things yesterday! Surely they can't get dirty that fast, can they?!

As if knowing what Loren was thinking, Bella shrugged and said apologetically, "Like I said, he's making us work worker than ever."

Loren banged her head on the wall four times and it was then that she knew it was going to be a very long day.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

By the time Loren got home, it was already late in the afternoon. Loren closed the door to her house and leaned against it, drawing out a long breath. After 2 years of working at Kenoshiki View Hotel, it never ceases to amaze her how she can feel like every bone in her body was broken after each workday.

.ring

Loren shook off her shoes and limped slowly to the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Lor! It's me, Bell."

Loren sank into the couch. "Oh hi. Long day, huh?"

Bella nodded, then realizing that Loren couldn't see, replied, "Yeah, it really was. Listen, Mr. Miles told me to tell you a few things after work."

Loren groaned over the phone, "Aw, please tell me it's not about that laundry incident because the washing machine just over flowed itself, all I add was add a pint more detergent-"

"No, it's not about that but I bet he would have had a 'talk' with you if he knew about the incident," Bella interrupted then snickered.

Loren groaned again, "Ah shut up. What did he say?"

"He just wanted to make sure that the staff would iron their uniform, polish her shoes, arrive at the hotel at 7:30 am sharp and line up in order automatically in the lobby. He wants to make a good impression, you see."

"Apparently, he wants to make the impression that he can whip and train us like dogs," Loren added darkly.

"I agree but you know Mr. Miles, he hands out pink slips like a grandmother hands out candy. I'd be on my best behavior, if I were you," Bella advised.

Loren rubbed her sore head. "Hey, I'm always on my best behavior!"

Bella chuckled. "Sureeee.. but Mr. Mile wants that assistant manager position so badly, he'll fire anyone who would make a bad impression for him."

Loren looked at the clock, 4:30 pm it read. "Yeah, I'd bet. Sorry but I've got to go. I'll see you tomorrow at the View, okay?"

"Yep, I'll see you."

Loren hang up the phone but stayed on the sofa. She closed her eyes and relaxed. She planned to take a shower, go to Freshco, the local supermarket, to see her mom who worked there, come back with her in her car and prepare for her day at the Kenoshiki View Hotel tomorrow. Loren's eyes snapped open and she walked to her room. After changing out of her dirty hotel uniform and dumping it into the laundry bin, she headed out the door again.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Mom, I'll be leaving at about 7 am tomorrow, I have to get to the hotel at 7:30," Loren told her mother as she got out of the passenger seat of the car. Her mother took the key out of the ignition, "Okay then. Just remember to sleep earlier tonight. I know you always stay up and it's not healthy." Her mother scolded at Loren then added, "You know Lor, you really should get your driver's license soon. You're 17, don't you think it would be easier if you had a car to get to work?"

"No mom, I don't," Loren lied through her teeth. She actually could really use a car to get to the hotel through the rain but she knew that her mother needed the car more to get to the supermarket and she didn't exactly feel comfortable in the driver's seat.

When Loren got into her small room, she collapsed onto her bed. Lying on her back, she thought about tomorrow. She had to work more today because it was Saturday and that meant more work tomorrow because it was Sunday and she also had to get to the hotel at 7:30 am. After a few minutes, she got up and started to finish any homework she had gotten from school.

Loren yawned and stretched when she completed all her homework about two hours later. The clock read 10:05 pm. Yikes! She better set her clothes out and get ready for tomorrow. Walking to her closet, she pulled out a second, cleaned standard hotel uniform. It was a white blouse, with a maroon-coloured tie and a black knee-length skirt. She'd been wearing the same uniform everyday but she still scolded at the skirt. She hated wearing skirts but it was hotel regulation. Placing the uniform on her chair, she yawned and went to brush her teeth.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

RING RING RING! Loren's alarm clock rang loudly.

She bolted straight up from her bed frantically. "Huh?! Who's there? What's happening?" then noticing the vibrating alarm clock, she smacked it and groggily rubbed her eyes. "Aw hell, it's 6 O'clock already? Let me sleep," she said to her empty room. Grabbing the end of the blanket and pulling it over her, she rolled sideways on the bed.

OHMPH!

Loren fell off the bed. She cursed under her breath and got up, kicking the blanket out of her way. Even though her job was to keep hotel rooms squeaky clean and neat, her own room was a complete mess. As she strolled to the door of her room, she stuffed some clothes on the floor back into the closet, shoved empty food cartoons into the garbage can and grabbed her uniform.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

When Loren entered the hotel, everything was in order. Staff was getting into two neat rows, leaving space in between the middle for Mr. Miles to march up and down when he talked, like he always did, and greeters were politely nodding and talking to hotel guests that were early risers. This, Loren noted, was why Kenoshiki View Hotel was always number one.

As soon as Bella saw Loren, she waved her over. "Hey Loren, very professional," she commented as she looked Loren up and down. Not that she didn't look professional herself, since Bella always did. Loren could tell that her blouse was perfectly ironed and her black shoes were polished so well she could see herself in them.

"You're on reception duty after Mr. Miles' little talk," Bella informed her friend. Loren frowned. "Reception duty? I'm usually the person who scrub toilets around here and doesn't Hisho usually do that?"

Bella shrugged. "Hisho called in sick and we need more people out in the lobby to greet the new guests, so you're it." Loren smiled. No scrubbing toilets? No more cleaning for one day? Just sitting around and greeting people? Can it this get any better?!

"But, if anything goes wrong, Mr. Miles' blaming the workers out in the lobby and the greeters," Bella added.

Loren gulped. Oh shit.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Now listen here, you inexperienced, sick excuse of hotel workers!" Mr. Miles ranted on as he marched loudly between the two rows. "I don't want trouble or complaints from ANY of you when Mr. Montoya and his son arrives, get it? They can fire any of you scums," he continued. "And can give me a promotion," he added quietly under his breath but everyone heard and gave each other knowing glances.

"SO!" he snapped everyone back to attention, "be on your best behavior. Now, you will do anything you can to please them, won't you? You will compliment, respect them, do whatever they tell you, and suck up, ANYTHING you can do to please them, understand?" Everyone nodded, "Yes sir." Mr. Miles smiled a sick, sinister smile, "Good, now GET BACK TO WORK! They arrive in about 10 minutes and I don't want them to think the hotel workers get paid for standing around!" Everyone scrambled back to their jobs.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Once behind the reception desk, Loren immediately got to work. She checked schedules for workers, greeted guests and satisfied them with free toiletry items like expensive hotel lotions, creams, shampoos, etc. 7 minutes later, Bella came back to the desk.

"Hey Lor, how's it going?" she asked.

"Bell! You know we're not supposed to talk during work! If Mr. Miles catches us-"

Bella put up two hands. "Whoa, whoa. I just came to give you a message."

"Oh, sorry."

Bella shrugged, "No problem. I hope you had a good 7 minutes working here because Hisho's back and he's taking over reception duty again." Loren groaned then scolded. "So I'm back to scrubbing toilets?"

Bella laughed, "You were always bright."

Loren scolded at her friend one last time then walked to the lowest floor toilets. It was early, so there wouldn't be many people at the washrooms, she thought. Then she wouldn't have to knock and everything. Loren picked up some scrubs and a bucket from the closet then lunged them downstairs, all the while swearing under her breath.

"No good, jerk-face Miles bossing people around-" she stopped in the middle of a curse when she saw a uniformed man step out of the manager's office downstairs.

"Hey you!" she exclaimed at him while pulling the heavy cleaning supplies behind her. He was wearing the standard hotel uniform for the males, so she assumed he was a worker. He turned around and her heart almost stopped beating. He was very handsome with black hair and blue eyes, Loren mused, but she wasn't the type of girl to go ga- ga over a cute guy so she easily pushed all that aside.

"Yes?" he asked innocently.

Loren glared up at him since he was so much taller. She might not be the hardest worker at the hotel but she knew the rules. "I've never seen you before, you must be a new worker. But it is no excuse to not understand the rules of Kenoshiki View Hotel," she ranted on as she paced.

"You, a worker of the hotel like me, are not allowed to go into the offices and rooms of our superiors, understand?" she finished with her hands at her sides like an angry mother and the cleaner supplies on the floor beside her.

He blinked back at her. She obviously didn't know that he was the manager's son, he mused. That's just as well he thought, he didn't like people treating him differently just because he was rich or anything. It was quite funny he thought, that this girl was telling him what to do when it was obvious that she was probably assigned to toilet scrubbing duty everyday if the cleaning utensils beside her told him anything. At least she's an obedient hotel worker. He smiled and decided to play along. It could be fun, he thought since he assumed that the hotel and his father's business would be boring.

"Oh really? Sorry, I'm new, I didn't know. Maybe you can tell me the other rules of this hotel while you give me a tour," he suggested smoothly.

She looked hesitant. "Well, I don't know. I'm actually not allowed to be talking while I'm working and I have to go scrub some toilets," she said, motioning to the washrooms across from them. Then she felt bad because she remembered how it was when she was new to the hotel herself.

The boy saw that she was feeling bad so he continued, "It's my first day and I don't know anyone. I'm lost too, can you help?"

Loren bit her lip. If she continued stalling, she wouldn't have time to scrub the upper floor toilets, do all her other duties and greet the manager and his son, although she didn't know that she was talking to him right now.

"What's you name?" he asked her. Loren looked up, "What?" She was busy thinking what she should do, help this new worker like she would want to be helped when she was new or go do her work so she won't be late. He looked amused since she had to think before she could answer with her name. "It's Loren Tasani." He smiled and stuck out his hand.

"I'm René," he said, leaving out his last name on purpose so she won't know who he really was. "Thanks for helping me out."

Loren felt bad because she wasn't exactly planning on helping him because she was going to be busy scrubbing toilets but what choice did she have now that he thanked her? She'll look very heartless if she refused. Loren forced on a smile, "No prob, but I think we should go up to the lobby to greet the manager and his son since we wasted so much time already." She already started walking when he stopped her and said, "I'll come up later, I have something I need to do first." Then he walked off leaving Loren very confused.

"Hey, I thought you were lost!" she called back, no reply came.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The staff got back into two neat rows in the lobby and waited for Mr. Montoya and his son while Mr. Miles walked by every worker and whispered menacing things and warnings into each person's ear.

He got to Loren last at the end of the row. "You better behave yourself, I know about the laundry incident, Tasani," he said before he turned around and marched back up the row. Loren gulped. Someone snitched on her and she planned on finding out whom and making him or her pay later but right now, she had to be quiet and obedient.

A few moments later, a man in his fifties or so walked through the front entrance and Mr. Miles rushed to greet him. The staff clapped, doing what they were instructed to do. "Mr. Montoya, sir, so nice to see you again!" Mr. Miles gushed. Almost everyone filched at their supervisor's 360-degree change in attitude. They shook hands and exchanged greetings.

"I believe my son will be here soon, he said he had some things to tend to," Mr. Montoya said as he rubbed his cold hands together. He looked kind and warm, not like Mr. Miles at all, who looked like a scary old walking stick that made little kids cry.

In the middle of Mr. Miles' speech to Mr. Montoya, a figure walked up beside the manager. It was the man she met earlier, Loren thought disbelievingly!

"Ah, and there's my son, René," Mr. Montoya said as Mr. Miles gushed again and he introduced him to the staff. The staff clapped again like robots but Loren was too shocked to clap. New worker, my butt! Loren scolded, he tricked her and she really believed everything he said! Loren grew angry. How could she be so gullible?!

René caught her eye and smiled at her. She glared back which only made him chuckle. Mr. Miles then introduced everyone in the staff but Loren who was last in the second row. Damn, Loren thought, she always knew the old walking stick had a thing against her!

René noticed and asked, "What about her?" and pointed at Loren at the back. Loren flushed pink as everyone's attention turned to her.

Mr. Miles looked at Loren like she was a piece of trash, "Her? Well, she's not important. As I was saying-"

René looked mad now, "Well, of course she's important, Mr. Miles. Everyone in the staff's important." Mr. Miles looked embarrassed and ashamed, "Well, of course. I'm sorry Mr. Montoya. She's Loren Tasani." He gave Loren a quick glare while he said her name. Other people in the staff looked at her suspiciously.

"Hey, what was that?" Bella leaned over and asked Loren.

"What was what?"

"You know, the manager's son asking about you."

"I have no idea," Loren lied.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

After Mr. Montoya made a speech and announced that his son would be working with the staff to gain some experience and understand how the hotel works, the staff went back to work. As the staff scattered, Loren walked up to René. People were everywhere and Mr. Miles was glaring at Loren so she stood a few feet beside him and whispered while trying not to move her mouth. "You tricked me."

René pretended to look surprised. He turned around and looked at her. "I don't believe I did. You see, I am a new worker here and I was pretty clueless and lost."

What a liar, thought Loren angrily. Her face showed how she was feeling and the corner of René's mouth turned slightly upwards. "Isn't that true, Ms. Tasani?"

Loren didn't even bother to point out that he wasn't a worker yet when he was talking to her downstairs. She just chose the childish way and stuck out her tongue at him. René laughed. I wonder if she knows how cute she looks, he mused.

Mr. Miles marched over and pulled Loren aside, whispering into her ear, "That's it, Tasani. You've earned yourself a early retirement." Then he smirked, "I've been waiting to fire you for a long time now."

Loren couldn't believe it!! It wasn't her fault! She had been working at the hotel for 2 years and she was going to get fired now?

"Mr. Miles, I think there's been a bit of a misunderstanding here," René said smoothly and smiled at Mr. Miles. "Ms. Tasani as just telling me about the rules of the hotel here." Loren scolded, he was bringing back up their last conversation!

"But Mr. Montoya, sh-she was being very disrespectful to yo-" Mr. Miles stuttered.

"I'm sure she didn't mean it," René answered and looked at Loren amusingly. "Right, ms. Tasani?"

It's either this or losing your job, Loren told herself. She chose this. "Right," she said through gritted teeth.

René pretended he didn't hear her tone and continued negotiating, "Great, everything's fine then." He pulled Loren aside and added politely, "Excuse me, Loren hasn't finished telling me about the hotel rules yet." Then steered Loren downstairs, leaving Mr. Miles speechless and looking very red.