necessary.
“You don’t wear anything obvious with a logo on it ?” He asked this apologetically, as if he were overstepping some etiquette boundary with a question about my attire.
“I do actually, but it’s a small logo. It’s on the coveralls, sort of like a jump suit. There’s nothing on my SUV at all. Anyway, I put the coveralls on over my clothes and I only do that once I’m in the room. I don’t want to answer morbid questions any more than you want them asked.”
“Ah,” he said gratefully, “I’m sure you might pick up more business if you did, but we appreciate discretion.”
“No problem,” I said, “I count on word of mouth more than shock value and it works out for everyone. I usually bring a professional carpet cleaning machine, do you want to reserve a space so I can park myself and bring it up from the loading dock ?”
“No, no,” he said hastily, “we’ll have you parked and leave one of our own machines outside the room.” He named the model and I told him that would do the job just fine. I offered to cut my rate since I was using their equipment, but he wouldn’t hear of it.
“You normally would get to use your own machine; it’s our need for discretion that hampers you. By the way do you also clean up after celebrities ?”
I assured him, with a mixture of trepidation and enthusiasm that I would consider it. I was excited about gaining a new market stream but had read horror stories about musicians trashing their rooms. At least, hopefully, there wouldn’t be a lot of blood in those.
I ’ll need a photo emailed for each job if you want a quote beforehand,” I explained.
“Not necessary,” he said genially, “we charge their cards whatever the costs are anyway. Their managers know their clients; we receive no complaints about billing.”
As soon as I got to the hotel, valets swarmed over me as though I were royalty instead of a contract employee. I like to do everything myself, including carrying my own bags and parking, but I knew the hotel and had expected as much.
A beautiful African American girl and a Nordic looking young fellow with a slightly German accent greeted me and paged the manager immediately.
W hen a short elegant man in a suit approached, his eyes widened a bit as I turned to him before he replaced the expression with a suave mask and extended his hand.
“Forgive me for staring,” he said, “you aren ’t what I expected, although I did know your appearance was more than presentable. That’s why I had you come in the front despite your profession.”
“You aren’t regretting that I hope ?” I looked around quickly to see what other people were wearing. I seemed to fit in more than adequately. Even my supply bag from my past well-salaried life, made of Italian leather, was appropriate. It was actually once a carry on for the harried well-paid young executive on the rise I used to be.
W hile I acknowledged silently that it was worth more, even used, than a month’s caretaking salary now, I had clung to it. In situations like today where subtle class was called for, the bag and the blazer more than fit the bill.
T he hotel manager interrupted my inner musing, “Not at all, I’ve just learned in this business that voices rarely match faces—you have a lovely voice and may I say you are quite beautiful? I saw photographs in the paper when that terrible incident occurred, but they didn’t do you justice. Of course they were mere headshots of you right after--.”
“Thank you, Mr. Elliott” I said growing uncomfortable, “would you like to give me a key to the room ?”
“Christopher, please, and I’ll accompany you” he said, and over my protests he did.
I had some idea of what I was walking into, but Christopher made it difficult to concentrate as the door to the room shut behind us and we surveyed the damage. He rolled in the steam cleaner which someone had left in the hall and gave me a key card in case I needed a break. He
“You don’t wear anything obvious with a logo on it ?” He asked this apologetically, as if he were overstepping some etiquette boundary with a question about my attire.
“I do actually, but it’s a small logo. It’s on the coveralls, sort of like a jump suit. There’s nothing on my SUV at all. Anyway, I put the coveralls on over my clothes and I only do that once I’m in the room. I don’t want to answer morbid questions any more than you want them asked.”
“Ah,” he said gratefully, “I’m sure you might pick up more business if you did, but we appreciate discretion.”
“No problem,” I said, “I count on word of mouth more than shock value and it works out for everyone. I usually bring a professional carpet cleaning machine, do you want to reserve a space so I can park myself and bring it up from the loading dock ?”
“No, no,” he said hastily, “we’ll have you parked and leave one of our own machines outside the room.” He named the model and I told him that would do the job just fine. I offered to cut my rate since I was using their equipment, but he wouldn’t hear of it.
“You normally would get to use your own machine; it’s our need for discretion that hampers you. By the way do you also clean up after celebrities ?”
I assured him, with a mixture of trepidation and enthusiasm that I would consider it. I was excited about gaining a new market stream but had read horror stories about musicians trashing their rooms. At least, hopefully, there wouldn’t be a lot of blood in those.
I ’ll need a photo emailed for each job if you want a quote beforehand,” I explained.
“Not necessary,” he said genially, “we charge their cards whatever the costs are anyway. Their managers know their clients; we receive no complaints about billing.”
As soon as I got to the hotel, valets swarmed over me as though I were royalty instead of a contract employee. I like to do everything myself, including carrying my own bags and parking, but I knew the hotel and had expected as much.
A beautiful African American girl and a Nordic looking young fellow with a slightly German accent greeted me and paged the manager immediately.
W hen a short elegant man in a suit approached, his eyes widened a bit as I turned to him before he replaced the expression with a suave mask and extended his hand.
“Forgive me for staring,” he said, “you aren ’t what I expected, although I did know your appearance was more than presentable. That’s why I had you come in the front despite your profession.”
“You aren’t regretting that I hope ?” I looked around quickly to see what other people were wearing. I seemed to fit in more than adequately. Even my supply bag from my past well-salaried life, made of Italian leather, was appropriate. It was actually once a carry on for the harried well-paid young executive on the rise I used to be.
W hile I acknowledged silently that it was worth more, even used, than a month’s caretaking salary now, I had clung to it. In situations like today where subtle class was called for, the bag and the blazer more than fit the bill.
T he hotel manager interrupted my inner musing, “Not at all, I’ve just learned in this business that voices rarely match faces—you have a lovely voice and may I say you are quite beautiful? I saw photographs in the paper when that terrible incident occurred, but they didn’t do you justice. Of course they were mere headshots of you right after--.”
“Thank you, Mr. Elliott” I said growing uncomfortable, “would you like to give me a key to the room ?”
“Christopher, please, and I’ll accompany you” he said, and over my protests he did.
I had some idea of what I was walking into, but Christopher made it difficult to concentrate as the door to the room shut behind us and we surveyed the damage. He rolled in the steam cleaner which someone had left in the hall and gave me a key card in case I needed a break. He
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