you visit their rooms at just the right time. Have a nice smile for them. Offer to do something extra. They’ll remember you if they need someone for their personal household. They might recommend you to your supervisor as an excellent maid. Being extra nice to your boss won’t hurt either. If there are jobs in other parts of the hotel, he will favor the employees he likes. Be one of those employees. Opportunities are out there, Meri. Sometimes you must pull them in your direction.”
Meri thought about her supervisor. She knew he kept a close eye on her. “My superior, Monsieur Monville, watches me carefully and smiles at me. Do you think I should talk to him?”
“No, Meri! Don’t be too bold. You can smile back, maybe. Or ask if there’s anything you can do to improve your job performance.”
“Is that what you did to get out of your awful job?”
“I was lucky and a patron noticed me—one who worked at the Embassy. He liked me. Not just my looks, but my attitude. Men like women who are eager and happy to work for them.”
The two women continued their walk in silence. Meri considered Siri’s advice. I will approach work with a friendlier attitude tomorrow and smile more at Monsieur Monville.
Meri’s days (and nights) were soon to become much less predictable.
§
Meri waited outside Monsieur Monville’s office. She twisted the hem of her uniform apron. By the time he called her in, the fabric looked as if a small child or animal had been chewing on it.
“Come in, Meri.” Monsieur Monville swept his arm in an exaggerated gesture of welcome. His smile confined itself to his tight lips.
Meri marched into his office, her downcast head contradicting her confident stride.
“Have a seat,” he commanded more than offered, again with an overly animated motion. “I have been meaning to speak with you for some time,” he said as he plunked into his stately leather chair. His rotund midsection seemed too heavy a burden for his legs to bear, so he let himself fall into his lush chair rather than sit. He sits like a woman ready to give birth. Looks like one, too…
“Monsieur?” Meri let out a poof of air, relieved the ornate, ponderous wooden desk separated them. She noticed beads of sweat forming on his upper lip and around his ample forehead—where, she imagined, hair used to grow but now had retreated.
“For the last week or so, I have noticed a change in you…in your, shall I say, disposition?” He mopped his forehead with a monogrammed handkerchief.
Silence.
Meri began twisting her apron hem again. She could hear the sound of her heart beating in her ears.
“You seem more content with your work. Am I right?”
“ Oui, Monsieur.” Ka-thud, ka-thud, ka-thud. Her heart beat faster. What is he really asking me?
“When I see such a, shall I say, drastic change in attitude in an employee, I am curious about why. There are several explanations for such a change—some of them good and some of them, shall I say, not so good. It is my responsibility to find out which is which. For the good of the hotel. You understand?”
“ Oui, Monsieur.” Non, Monsieur, was what she actually thought. Meri didn’t expect this. Siri said nothing about having to explain her attempts at being more positive as a ploy to get a better job or higher wages. What should I tell him?
“So, Meri, I’m pleased you seem happier in your work, but I am confused about what makes you more content in the last week or so.”
“I enjoy my work, Monsieur.” Meri focused on her lap, smoothing and twisting her apron hem repeatedly.
“Meri. Your work has not changed. Or has it? Have you found a way to enjoy your work more by bending some of my rules?”
“ Non, Monsieur!”
She continued to avoid his face. Ka-thud, ka-thud, ka-thud-thud-thud. Her heart raced. She thought her ears or her heart would burst.
“Look at me when you are speaking to me!” Monsieur Monville’s voice changed from lilting to
Meri thought about her supervisor. She knew he kept a close eye on her. “My superior, Monsieur Monville, watches me carefully and smiles at me. Do you think I should talk to him?”
“No, Meri! Don’t be too bold. You can smile back, maybe. Or ask if there’s anything you can do to improve your job performance.”
“Is that what you did to get out of your awful job?”
“I was lucky and a patron noticed me—one who worked at the Embassy. He liked me. Not just my looks, but my attitude. Men like women who are eager and happy to work for them.”
The two women continued their walk in silence. Meri considered Siri’s advice. I will approach work with a friendlier attitude tomorrow and smile more at Monsieur Monville.
Meri’s days (and nights) were soon to become much less predictable.
§
Meri waited outside Monsieur Monville’s office. She twisted the hem of her uniform apron. By the time he called her in, the fabric looked as if a small child or animal had been chewing on it.
“Come in, Meri.” Monsieur Monville swept his arm in an exaggerated gesture of welcome. His smile confined itself to his tight lips.
Meri marched into his office, her downcast head contradicting her confident stride.
“Have a seat,” he commanded more than offered, again with an overly animated motion. “I have been meaning to speak with you for some time,” he said as he plunked into his stately leather chair. His rotund midsection seemed too heavy a burden for his legs to bear, so he let himself fall into his lush chair rather than sit. He sits like a woman ready to give birth. Looks like one, too…
“Monsieur?” Meri let out a poof of air, relieved the ornate, ponderous wooden desk separated them. She noticed beads of sweat forming on his upper lip and around his ample forehead—where, she imagined, hair used to grow but now had retreated.
“For the last week or so, I have noticed a change in you…in your, shall I say, disposition?” He mopped his forehead with a monogrammed handkerchief.
Silence.
Meri began twisting her apron hem again. She could hear the sound of her heart beating in her ears.
“You seem more content with your work. Am I right?”
“ Oui, Monsieur.” Ka-thud, ka-thud, ka-thud. Her heart beat faster. What is he really asking me?
“When I see such a, shall I say, drastic change in attitude in an employee, I am curious about why. There are several explanations for such a change—some of them good and some of them, shall I say, not so good. It is my responsibility to find out which is which. For the good of the hotel. You understand?”
“ Oui, Monsieur.” Non, Monsieur, was what she actually thought. Meri didn’t expect this. Siri said nothing about having to explain her attempts at being more positive as a ploy to get a better job or higher wages. What should I tell him?
“So, Meri, I’m pleased you seem happier in your work, but I am confused about what makes you more content in the last week or so.”
“I enjoy my work, Monsieur.” Meri focused on her lap, smoothing and twisting her apron hem repeatedly.
“Meri. Your work has not changed. Or has it? Have you found a way to enjoy your work more by bending some of my rules?”
“ Non, Monsieur!”
She continued to avoid his face. Ka-thud, ka-thud, ka-thud-thud-thud. Her heart raced. She thought her ears or her heart would burst.
“Look at me when you are speaking to me!” Monsieur Monville’s voice changed from lilting to
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