Page 54 of Don't Tell

"Mr. Nightingale…”

"Suzanne." I don't look at her. "You can go. Thank you for the early start."

She moves.

She does not look back. She walks past Roger in the hallway. Her uniform is slightly off at the collar, where she didn't get the button right. Her hair is up. Her ID badge is in her hand. The service elevator is at the end of the hall, and she walks to it, presses the button, and stands with her back to us until the doors open. She gets on, and the doors close.

Roger is still in the hallway with his mouth open.

I close the distance.

I don't raise my voice. I don't need to.

"Roger."

"Yes, Mr. Nightingale."

"Unless I explicitly request you, you don't come to this floor again."

"I was just…"

"You don't come to this floor. You don't send a memo to this floor. You don't send another housekeeper to ask a question on your behalf about this floor."

"Mr. Nightingale, I have a duty…"

"You have a duty to do what I tell you. That is the duty of every person in this building, Roger. You have forgotten what your job is. I'm reminding you."

He swallows.

His Adam's apple jumps — that little panic-swallow.

"I warned you once about how you speak to her. Have you forgotten, or would you like me to jog your memory?"

“No, I, uh…I remember what you said."

"This is the second strike. The third one will not require an apology. Do you understand the difference between an apology and what comes after one?"

"Mr. Nightingale…"

"Do you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, I understand."

I shut the door in his face.

I stand in the foyer with my hand still on the handle and the small bright sound of the latch clicking into place, and I let out a breath I did not know I was holding.

That was close. I'll have to buy this hotel by the end of the week just to keep it under control.

I dress in four minutes, getting my shirt buttoned right and grabbing my shoes, wallet, phone, and keys. I run my hand through my hair once in front of the bathroom mirror and decide it does not matter.

I take the service elevator.

I text her on the way down.