Garden of the Moongate Read Online Free PDF Page B

desk. Muttering to himself, he shoved open the door leading to the stairs, slammed it shut behind him, and was gone.
    "I thought Deb had more sense," Ric said aloud, then turned his attention to the three uniformed men who were ambling down the hall from the elevators. All of them were young, no more than teenagers, and one had a toothpick dangling from his lips, but he tossed it into a sand-filled ashtray when Ric met them in the center of the lobby.
    Though Allendre couldn't hear, she watched with some amusement as the three hastily straightened their blue uniforms and their expressions changed from lazy insolence to respect. And when Ric inclined his head toward the hotel entrance, they trotted away obediently to escort the waiting guests inside.
    "Where are your bags, Allie?" Ric asked rather wearily.
    "Outside. I left them when I came in to look for a bellman. They'll bring them in, won't they?"
    Nodding, he turned toward the desk again, beckoning the older girl. "You, what's your name?"
    "Loretta, sir," she answered squeakily. "Loretta Smithers."
    "Well, Loretta, you handle the desk, since that dress you have on isn't a total disaster." He shook his head at the other two clerks. "Both of you live in the staff quarters?" he asked patiently, and when they nodded, he added, "Go change to white blouses and dark skirts. When you come back, Loretta can go change, too. From now on, come to work dressed neatly, or don't come at all."
    "Yes, sir," they sang out as they darted away.
    "Now, Loretta, check Miss Corey in, and when the other guests come inside, try not to keep them waiting too long. Call the bar and have them send a couple of waiters up here. The least we can do is provide some refreshment to compensate a little for their inconvenience."
    "Very good, sir," Loretta said, giving an oddly satisfied little smile. Then she glanced past Ric and inclined her head. "There's Miss Hopkins now, Mr. Shannon."
    As both she and Ric turned, Allendre watched Debra Hopkins lift her hand in a lazy wave as she strolled down the long east hall toward them. Tall and boyishly slim, clad in a poppy-red jump suit, she had short chestnut hair styled softly around her face and big hazel eyes that, at the moment, saw no one except Ric.
    "Patrick," she drawled rather nasally, "you infuriating man." Planting a lingering kiss on his mouth, she draped a long bare arm across his shoulders. "Why didn't you tell us you were coming?"
    "Would I have found things running a little more smoothly if I had told you, Deb?"
    Still clinging tenaciously to his shoulder, Debra leaned back slightly to examine his face. "You sound a little angry. Is something wrong?"
    "Is something wrong?" he repeated softly yet impatiently. "Yes, something's wrong! Deb, I hardly recognize this place! What's going on here?"
    With a dramatic sigh that sounded very phony to Allendre, Debra rested her cheek briefly against Ric's shoulder. "Well, you know Uncle Lawrence has been ill. I've been doing all the work myself, but I guess it's just too much for me to handle. I'm so glad you're here, Ric. I need you. I've tried, but…"
    "I'm sure you've tried, Deb," he relented slightly, obviously because she seemed to be on the verge of tears. "But answer one question. Why on earth did you hire that bum Cooley as assistant manager?"
    "Oh, but Gerald's not a bum," Deb protested laughingly. "He happens to have a college degree."
    "I don't care if he has a hundred degrees; he's still a slob," Ric replied, his voice low, his words clipped. "The guests certainly don't care about his education. They only want someone efficient, which he isn't, and someone with decent manners and professionalism, which he certainly doesn't have. I just can't imagine what made you think he would ever make a suitable assistant manager."
    "Oh, please don't fuss at me, Ric," Deb whined, wriggling closer to him. "I did the very best I could, really I did. Say you're not really mad at me."
    "We'll talk about this later,"