Love, Rosie (258 page)

party
continued
upstairs.
This
gave
me
all
the
more
reason
to

employ
more
chambermaids.

The
place
is
far
from
being
luxurious
and
I’m
far
from
being
the

wonderful
host
welcoming
the
guests
to
paradise
as
I
so
desired
to

be.
The
only
way
someone
would
find
a
chocolate
on
their
pillow
is

if
the
previous
guest
spit
it
out.

The
only
reason
someone
would
wear
the
shower
cap
would
be
to

protect
their
head
from
the
yellow
water
that
runs
through
the
pipes

(though
probably
safe,
I’m
sticking
to
my
bottled
water).

Last
week
a
radio
station
rang
up
to
ask
if
the
hotel
could
be
part
of

a
competition
they’re
running.
I
couldn’t
think
of
a
good
enough

excuse
to
say
no.
People
had
to
write
in
and
explain
why
they

deserved
a
weekend
of
pampering
in
Dublin.
They
would
be
treated

to
a
night
at
the
theater,
an
expensive
meal,
a
day
out
shopping,
and

two
nights
bed
and
breakfast
at
a
central
hotel,
all
expenses
paid.
It

was
great
for
the
hotel
as
we
were
advertised
all
week
on
the
radio

and
we
got
a
good
few
guests
as
a
result.

The
people
who
won
had
the
most
touching
story
of
all,
I
was

nearly
crying
listening
to
their
story
on
the
radio.
So
I
had
the
hon-

eymoon
suite
(completely
the
same
as
all
the
other
rooms
but
I
told

Beanie
to
put
a
sign
on
the
door
to
make
the
winners
feel
special.
He

ended
up
stenciling
it
on
himself
and
spent
an
hour
with
a
black

marker
in
his
hand
with
his
tongue
hanging
out
in
concentration)

filled
with
beautiful
flowers
and
left
a
complimentary
bottle
of

champagne
for
them.
I
really
tried
my
best
with
the
room,
squeezing

enough
money
out
of
the
budget
for
new
bed
linen,
etc.,
but
there

was
only
so
much
the
meager
profits
could
get
me.

Anyway
when
they
found
out
they
won,
they
were
so
excited
they

kept
ringing
the
hotel
every
day
before
they
got
here
asking
ques-

380

Cecelia
Ahern

tions
and
making
sure
everything
was
still
OK.
They
walked
in
the

door,
took
one
look
at
the
place,
and
left
within
fifteen
minutes.

Ruby,
the
people
had
lost
their
home
,
the
husband
had
lost
his
job
,

broken
both
his
legs,
lost
their
car,
and
had
to
leave
their
village.

They
had
been
given
an
all-expenses
paid
weekend
and
could
stay
in

the
hotel
absolutely
free
and
still
they
didn’t
want
to
stay.
That’s