Prologue:
Whispers grew louder amongst those in certain social circles. Excitement was palpable. Chatter increased as business travel was returning to normal.
Apparently there was a new place for like-minded individuals to meet and express themselves. Somewhere they wouldn't be judged. Somewhere they could be themselves and try something new.
Business women admiring the bare breasts of hotel employees. Depending on the amount of money being paid, there was plenty of oral contact as well. Mouths on nipples. Tongues on labia. These were side gigs, but truth be told, any of the hotel employees would have done this for free. The money was a goodwill gesture.
In the mix of it all, a mafia enforcer named Claire was sent to the hotel to visit the owner, who was suspected of skimming cash after a thorough review of financial documents.
Claire's judgment was respected and her experience was vast. She had the coldness to kill. But she had the intelligence to make smart business decisions.
On the first morning of her visit, before dealing with the owner, she stopped by the cafe near the lobby. There were more hotel guests than she expected. As she drank her cappuccino, she noticed a few women looking her over.
"Are you... part of the entertainment?" a business woman asked with the utmost discretion, when no one else was listening.
For her part, Claire knew there was a sexual innuendo to the question. Was this the first time Claire had ever been approached by a woman? No. She was (figuratively) dressed to kill at all times. In another life she could have been a fashion model.
It was what made her so effective at her job. Her looks were disarming. No one ever suspected her. But the cold gaze in her eyes showed she meant business when necessary. The right glance from her could send a shiver down a man's spine if she wanted. Only if she wanted.
"I might be the entertainment," Claire said, going along with it. "Tell me everything you know. And don't hold anything back. I'm dying to hear these details."
Over cappuccinos, Claire learned that the woman was traveling for business to inspect real estate. She also learned that certain female employees here put on secret shows in hotel rooms. It was an all-women affair. A side job, of sorts.
Intrigued, she needed to know more. Perhaps killing the owner was unnecessary. Maybe a new opportunity was presenting itself.
Perspective: Nouri & Her Restaurant
Nouri owned and operated a popular Middle Eastern restaurant on the second floor of the hotel. Her pride and joy for the last several years.
With everything re-opening, she was glad to rehire some of her employees. With more time and customers, she'd eventually be able to hire everyone back. That was her goal. To care for her employees again and see her restaurant filled with customers, enjoying the food of her heritage.
She was surprised by the personal request to meet with the hotel owner at night after her restaurant closed. Usually everything was handled with managers and people in between. Rarely did she meet personally with the owner aside from when he ate at her restaurant.
When they met at the top floor office, Nouri was shocked to see the owner in a state of anguish, smelling alcohol on the man's breath. They stood by the window together and eye contact was purposely avoided. The hotel owner stared through the window, with redness and dried tears around his eyes.
"I see your business is doing well," Mr. Decker said, sniffling with his head hung low. "That's good."
Even though she could tell that her boss was broken up about something, she was hesitant to ask. Their relationship was strictly professional and she wasn't sure if it was appropriate to pry into her boss's personal life at this point.
"Thank God, business is returning," Nouri replied, wondering what was going on.
"Are you ready to work a full-schedule after returning from maternity leave? I've obviously never given birth so I have no idea what it's like."
"I'll be fine. Frankly, our daily service is less than half of our usual capacity. So it's a manageable workload for me."
She tried to be perky about it. She hoped that her positive outlook would help lift her boss's spirit, but that was a stretch.
"Do you need to make some extra money?" he asked with a cracked voice. "Whatever your finances are, everyone could always use more cash, right?"
"What's going on? You seem..."
"I need you to do a catering job tonight," he said. "Just you. Keep it a secret. I'll pay you generously."
It was the first time Mr. Decker looked in her direction that night and she could see a bruise forming under the man's eye. A punch to the face? Who could have done such a thing and why aren't the police here?
"What happened?" she asked, gulping.
"Don't ask. If you want to be helpful, bring drinks and desserts to room 875 tonight at 10 pm. Enough for several people. Make a good impression on my behalf, please."
It had been a long time since Nouri worked that late, but since this was serious, she agreed. Her basic assumption was that it was trouble with the bank or investors, since like everyone else in this line of work, the past year was a financial nightmare.
But that didn't explain the bruise under Mr. Decker's eye.
***
When her staff went home after cleaning the kitchen, Nouri gathered an assortment of drinks and pastries, putting them on a cart. A variety of fruit smoothies, milkshakes, French and Middle Eastern pastries. She was still wearing her white chef's jacket and her long hair was tied in a neat bun. It was the same composed look she maintained throughout the day, because as the boss, it was her job to set the tone.
The hotel was quiet at that hour. Only a few staff members could be seen in the lobby and no guests were in sight.
Nouri went up the elevator to the executive suite, once again assuming that VIP members wanted the pleasure of being served by the restaurant owner, instead of by a regular attendant. She'd done these kinds of meet-and-greets before, where she put on a smile and explained her dishes to the wealthy. These were usually at the behest of the hotel owner and she always felt pride for being acknowledged.
When the elevator door opened, she put on that same smile. Nouri pushed the cart down the hall and knocked on the door. She waited a moment as she stood upright and presentable.
Answering the door was a woman named Abigail who'd eaten at Nouri's restaurant the previous afternoon. Late 40's, dressed down in a casual business attire, and relaxed after having a few drinks. They both shared a startled look. Neither of them expected to see each other.
The striking thing was, the sound of pornography was playing in the background. It was so brazen and casual that they were both embarrassed by it.
"A pleasant surprise to see you here," Abigail said, stepping back. "I had no idea you were part of this."
Nouri gestured to the cart. "I have fruit drinks and pastries here. May I come in and serve?"
"Oh, sure. I didn't know anyone ordered it."
"Courtesy of the hotel owner. Am I interrupting something?"
There was talking in the background and a slight moan -- in addition to the porn video playing -- which only added to the tension between them.
"Please, come in," Abigail smiled.
Room service attending was outside of Nouri's duties, but she loved the personal touch of serving guests. This was the first time she'd ever brought food to the executive suite alone. The previous times she had employees with her to set up buffets for private parties.
The executive suite was a big place with many rooms. The background conversations were soft, as if there was something to hide.
In the living room, Nouri saw a woman in a hotel uniform top, bare from the waist down facing the wall and bent over, shaking her butt. No panties, shoes, nothing below. Her bare butt was pointed outward and jiggling from the dance. Her top was open and nipple showed from the side.
It was Janin from the receptionist area. A young woman with a trademark hair bun and painted red nails. Surely this was against hotel policy for an employee to engage in brazen sexual acts with the guests.
Two female hotel guests were watching this from the couch, unphased that Nouri had entered and 'caught' them in the act.
On the big screen tv, pornography was playing. It was a lesbian sex scene. Upon closer viewing, it was an orgy between female porn stars. The volume was high.
Down the hall, she heard faint moans from the bedroom. Sex? Most likely it was. What on earth was going on here? And why did Mr. Decker send her to this place alone? Everyone knows that sex romps happen in hotels, but this was unusual. Everyone here was a woman. Professional in their own ways.
Nouri blushed so hard. This was against her moral values. Refusing to look anymore, she put her head down, and without asking, she placed the fruit drinks and desserts on the table.
"These are delicious," Nouri said, moving quickly. "Everything was made today with love and care."
She enjoyed speaking from the heart regarding her food, but again, she could hardly bring herself to look anyone in the eyes.
Abigail replied, "Thank you. I know how this seems. It's my first time here and I know it's not for everyone. I'm sorry you had to see this."
"It's fine. We're all adults here."
She placed her pride and joy on the table for the guests to consume at their leisure. Then she flashed a graceful smile to the hotel guest she was speaking with, careful not to look at Janin who was still bent over, shaking her ass for the other women.
Politely declining to accept a generous tip, Nouri placed her palms on the handle of the cart so she could leave. It was natural that she felt aroused from the situation, but she refused to let anyone know it.
"Stop," a commanding female voice said. "Turn around."
Demanding guests are part of the service industry, but this was different. There was unshakable confidence of a woman who sounded like she could get whatever she wanted.
Nouri turned to look at the other woman, who stood in the living room to observe the night's action. This woman was tall and lean, with a tight ponytail and a cold gaze. Nouri felt herself being visually appraised by this woman, as if being meat displayed at a market.
The woman said, "Leaving already?"
"I was asked to bring drinks and desserts. Everything else that's happening here is none of my business."
"You're wearing a chef's jacket," the confident woman said.
"I own the restaurant on the second floor. I'm also the head chef."
"Who told you to come here?"
"Mr. Decker asked me to bring this. It's free of charge, if that's what you're worried about."
