Angie adjusted the strap of her carry-on bag as she stepped off the plane at San Francisco International Airport. A cool bay breeze greeted her, a welcome change from the stale air of the cabin. She had a long week ahead of her--twelve-hour days at least, networking events, and the endless schmoozing that came with being the Vice President of Human Resources at a major tech firm. But it was part of the job, and Angie had always been good at it.
Her husband of 25 wonderful years Alan, had dropped her off at the airport that morning. "Seven days, Angie," he'd said, pulling her into a tight hug. "That's a long time." She'd laughed, patting his back. "I'll call you every night, I promise. And it's not like we're apart that often. You'll survive." She kissed his cheek, then headed in the airport to board the plane with the excitement of doing something different, excited for the challenge of the week a head but, a little guilty for leaving him behind.
The first two days started off with a bang, meetings, presentations, and setting up the logistics for the rest of the week. Angie was in her element, commanding rooms with her sharp wit and no-nonsense attitude. But when the day came for Maria to arrive Angie was very busy but she knew she had to make time to met up with her. Maria had only been with the company for four months, fresh out of college at 26, but she'd already made an impression. Angie had taken a liking to her--bright, eager, and with a quiet confidence that reminded Angie of herself at that age.
The plan had been simple: Maria would attend the seminars Angie had handpicked for her, a chance to learn and network. But when Maria texted her from the hotel lobby, Angie's stomach dropped. "There's no reservation here for me. What do I do?"
Angie had hurried down to the lobby, her heels clicking against the marble floor. Maria was there, her face flushed with panic, clutching her phone like it might offer some solution. "I've called every hotel in the area," Maria said, her voice trembling. "Everything's booked. I don't know where I'm supposed to stay."
Angie's heart had sunk. She'd double checked with the office to ensure Maria's arrangements were made, but somehow, they'd fallen through. She approached the front desk, hoping for a miracle, but the attendant just shook his head apologetically. "I'm so sorry, ma'am. We're fully booked for the week."
Angie looked at Maria, who was trying so hard to keep it together, and sighed. "You can stay in my room," she offered, the words came out of her mouth before she could stop them, she nervously cleared her throat and said "All I have is a king size bed, but it's big enough for two."
Maria didn't have time to really think about it, she didn't know Angie that well but she had no choice.. she nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Angie. I--I really appreciate it."