Fillings & Sun Freckles

Xiao Mei. Cleaning tartar from the base of a tooth. He needs a filling. The patient kept trying to chat about tennis while she worked away.

“Hush. Mr Fontaine. I am cleaning your teeth,” she said. Since you clearly won’t…

She had heard bits about Nadia’s best friend Alice. They had run a hotel together. Alice had died, and that her sister Katherine lived here in France too. Losing a best friend sounded fucking rough.

Nadia hid it well most of the time – But Xiao Mei felt like Nadia was a fake. Like she was acting as two different people. A uber mega slut. And then a nurturing housewife. It was hard to tell which one came first.

The patient started on Nadal’s smash – Xiao Mei gave him the evil eye.

Nadia had a lot to owe Xiao Mei. She was a lot better with organisation and education. With her help, Nadia joined a hotel management course. It was a two year course. Didn’t know if she was even going to be in France for the next two years.

École Royale de Management Hôtelier – 7th arrondissement. Nice clean district. Better than the grime of the 19th. This hotel was nothing like The Pony. Long white marble floors and high chandeliered ceilings – there was an echo of guests and staff discussing reservations and caviar. The Pony was a mere board house in comparison.

A beautiful middle aged French woman ran the program. Professor Delphine Arnaud. She had long brown hair and a thin tall frame. Round spectacles.

“What is hospitality? Go on dears– raise your hand. Don’t be shy,” she smiled.

“Service.” “Comforting guests.” “Greeting people.” – were some answers. Nadia sat at the back quietly. Kindness.

“Ah yes… Very good, those are all part and parcel. But at its heart, hospitality is emotional architecture. We build invisible structures of welcome, warmth, and memory in the minds of our guests. It is about the way you make someone feel. We are empathy professionals.”

They had a tour of the hotel. It was beautiful. Nadia gulped. There were about forty people in her class. She was relieved that age wasn’t a problem.

“Before your next class I want you to visit any hotel lobby in Paris – sit for 30 minutes. Feel it out. What do you feel? How do the staff make you feel? The best hotelier can make magic in our hearts. I believe that. And I hope you come to see this by the end of this course…”

Nadia stepped out afterwards. Walked along the pavement. The sun freckles dancing on her body through the trees. The sky was blue. The air was crisp. She looked around. Nobody was looking at her. She felt free.