THE MOMENT
"What a mess...," Julio sighed to himself. He glanced at the already brown-red murky water in his mop bucket, then back at the red-brown sludge stain by the banquet table. As far as food fights went, he'd cleaned up messier ones; and, he was glad that it was halted before it got worse. But, his appreciation for the brevity of the food frenzy came with annoyance that it happened at all. The hotel had 'Food-Fights' on scheduled evenings and this wasn't one of them. It shouldn't have happened at all. He rinsed the mop in the filthy water and wrung it out before trying to clean up more of the slime.
As he swabbed the black marble floor his mop bumped something hidden beneath the tablecloth. He crouched for a closer look and found a sticky hand-held camera with a broken lens. His annoyance took on a new layer. Now, he had to interrupt his own work to make sure the camera got back to whichever production it belonged to.
He took the camera straight to his boss' office. The direct route took him through the lobby where the contestants and crew from both shows sat waiting. The hotel was usually an upbeat, if not jovial place for its guests; but, both teams were sullen with their mood bringing down the vibe. Julio considered asking them about the camera's owner; but, he decided that he didn't want to deal with accidentally making things worse for them. They seemed to be a sensitive bunch, despite the fact that they were at fault for the mess left behind. He let the guests continue to sulk as he continued to Alicia's office.
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Julio heard a raised voice as soon as he reached the office. The door was closed; but, the yell still came through. Julio's annoyance grew again. Now, he had to babysit the camera until the meeting finished. He couldn't leave it out in the hall. The Lost & Found was pointless because it sounded like at least one of the production teams was being expelled from the hotel. He hoped it was both of them. If nothing else, it did bring him a small joy to know Alicia was in there explaining how she could very much do whatever it was the stranger objected to.
Alicia was a wonderful boss that always supported her workers. She gave the teams plenty of warnings about their childish behavior as soon as it started on the first day. Three days later, and after the latest incident in the dining room, it seemed like she was putting her foot down so to speak. As much as he hoped both teams would leave, he knew Alicia was still running a business. He briefly considered which team he'd prefer to allow to remain in the hotel in case she asked for his opinion. Out of the two groups, the 'Face your Fear' show seemed more respectful of the hotel. The 'Blind Romance' show was only interested in using the place as a backdrop.
Fortunately, Julio did not have to wait long. Only a few minutes after he arrived, the doorknob jiggled. Then, a man in a disheveled suit walked out while trying to straighten his tie and smooth over his hair. Alicia, the pale woman with long black hair exited behind him and she smiled at Julio as soon as she noticed him.
"I was just about to call for you," she said. She held up a finger to pause their conversation and turned her attention to the gentleman; he still had something on his mind.
"My crew will behave...," he said. "...I hope that means there won't be any more incidents?" Alicia smiled and shook her head.
"There are no guarantees in life," she replied. "But, if all of you follow the rules, and keep the cameras to designated areas the rest of your stay should be uneventful. You can, of course, leave any time you wish."
"Can't afford to film anywhere else...," he shook his head. "Unless...," he let the comment hang, but Alicia shook her head.
"I would be happy to reimburse you; but, if we're going to start picking nits, I'd have to charge you extra for damages. Your team has affected our reputation among our guests and created extra work for my employees. That's without mentioning property damages and that horrible mess in the dining hall. I'd have to charge you more than you've already paid; it's easier for both of us this way."
"But that wasn't one of my guys!" the man protested; but, Alicia simply raised an eyebrow at him. He seemed to think twice, then nodded. "Thanks, I guess..," he sighed and wandered off.
"You were already here," Alicia turned to Julio. "Did you need something?" she asked. He nodded and showed her the camera.
"Found this under the table," he said. She glanced at it briefly, then smiled at him.
"You may keep it if you like. If not, dispose of it. Do you still have much to go in the banquet hall?" she asked.
"Yeah," he nodded and gestured with the camera. "Got distracted," he said.
"I see," she nodded. "I'm going to impose on you and ask that you give the rest of the hotel your personal attention. We're having a very special guest this weekend and you have that magic touch that your staff hasn't quite achieved."
"As you say," Julio nodded. She was asking him to work harder and longer than he planned; but, she always rewarded him when she made special requests.
"Please tend to my office first, then finish the banquet hall. After that, make sure everything is sparkling and perfect. I need to go evict the crew of 'Blind Romance'...," she said.
"Your office..?" Julio asked as he peeked past her through the open door. He saw a pair of well-dressed legs laying on the floor.
"I tried evicting both crews," Alicia shrugged. "Both directors agreed that one of them should be able to film in the hotel, so I let them sort it out between themselves," she added with a giggle. "You'd think after what happened in the banquet hall they might have thought it through a little more. Oh, that reminds me," she was already walking away; but, she stopped.
"Thursday night's Food-Fight has been canceled," she said with a mischievous smile. "Apparently, out of two-dozen people, not one of them considered what 'food' would be in a hotel for monsters."
Julio chuckled at that. He'd been there when the unsuspecting crew member ran into the hall and yelled 'FOOD FIGHT' while the other crew was trying to film. He remembered thinking it meant extra work for him as the guests rushed at the human and parts started flying.
"Oh, Ms. Alicia...," he stopped her one more time.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Who will be the special guest?" he hoped it wasn't yet another camera crew wanting to exploit the hotel's 'spooky' atmosphere. Alicia's smile brightened the hallway in a way he'd only rarely seen. Whomever it was apparently filled her with immense joy.
"Ark's coming home!"