Shattered (closed)

[wideeyedone]

Lily Bristol stood in the plush lobby of Thornton's offices. Her long dark hair was pinned back in a loose bun. She wore a slim fitting black pencil skirt, a white silk blouse and black heels. She knew she had the credentials for the management position she was interviewing for. She had worked in several hotel casinos all in preparation for getting this job.

She undid one more button of her blouse, she knew Thornton liked pretty brunettes. She closed her eyes at that thought. She could see her mother, Cassie Hall, dressed in her showgirl sequins and feathers. Her mother had had Lily young. Lily's father split when she a baby. Her mother left her each night with the neighbor, Mrs. Grady. She had danced and caught the eye of the casino owner. She had fallen madly in love with him, and for a time, he had showered her with money and gifts. Lily had never met him, but her mother had talked about him. And she had heard her mother fight with him over the phone, and then she had seen her mother sob in bed for weeks. Then Mrs. Grady had picked her up from school one day. Lily was suprised to see her there instead of her mother. It wasn't until a caseworker arrived that they told her that her mother had taken had a fistful of pills chased with vodka. Mrs. Grady had found her, she was already gone.

Lily shook the thoughts from her mind. She plastered her best smile on and made eye contact with the frosty receptionist. The woman sighed heavily.

"Ms. Bristol, Mr. Thornton is on a conference call. He will be with you shortly." Lily nodded and smiled.

 

[NewGame8]

Gerald Thornton hated interviewing for new employees. In fact, he very rarely did it. That was why he hired all of the HR people, and the other management types. However, this position was a management position, and he wanted to make sure that he had the right management team in place. He could not leave this to others, so, he had to do it himself. He was tired of the process, however. The only good thing was that he only had one more to do.

The conference call with members of the Casino Control Commission lasted longer than he expected, and way longer than he cared to be on the phone with them. Once again, they were discussing with him complaints by people that he was unfair in his business dealings. Once again, he reminded the CCC that business was business. Finally he was off the phone.

He pushed the button for his secretary. "Bring the candidate in."

 

[wideeyedone]

The secretary stood and directed Lily into the sumptuous office of Gerald Thornton. She met his eyes and smiled.

"Thank you for this opportunity, Mr. Thornton. Here are my resume and references. Kenny Delgado at the Grecian sends his regards." Lily handed him her credentials and took a seat across from his desk, she crossed her legs, knowing that would be the best way for her to display them. She opened her black leather notebook to take notes.

She looked the room over. Mr. Thornton was good looking and he exuded power. His suit was impeccable. The office was furnished lavishly.

"Your operation is very impressive, Sir. I have been looking over the numbers for your hotel and I have some suggestions that I think would increase the profit margin."

 

[NewGame8]

Thornton watched as the candidate walked into his office. She exuded confidence as she strode across the room toward his desk, and the self-confidence was evident as she stood before him and handed him her resume and references. She seemed quite intent on taking control of the interview. This made Thornton smile. He sat down in his large leather chair and watched as she sat across from him and crossed her legs. Thornton also noticed that she had unbuttoned an extra button on her blouse; showing off her natural gifts.

Thornton sat the resume and the references on his desk. "I am sorry Ms. Bristol, but I do not believe that I should be doing this interview. You see, I do not interview for entertainment talent. I have an entire management team that handles those hirings for me. I assume that is the position you are applying for based on the way that you have unbuttoned your blouse. I expect my management staff to dress appropriately for the occasion."

He hesitated for a minute. Then he said, "Is it the management position you are interested in?" He sat back in his chair to see how she handled this.

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily smirked. "Management is all about being adaptable. I am certainly not talent. No one would want to see me dancing." With that she did the two top buttons of her blouse. "I have found that while my business experience has been helpful, a little cleavage and a big smile has defused many situations for me at the Grecian. Big spenders like to be surrounded by confidence and beauty. I have many whales that will follow me to any casino because I know they like their steaks rare, their scotch blue label, and their show girls tall and leggy."

Lily didn't allow herself to flinch or blush. She kept her shoulders straight and her gaze on his.

 

[NewGame8]

"Ms. Bristol, if you were happy to be at the Grecian you wouldn't be sitting across from me right now. I agree that the ability to adapt is extremely important; however, first impressions are difficult to overcome if you do not make a good one. Showing some cleavage in the right situation would be a definite sign of adaptability, but it is not a good first impression in an interview for the position which you are here about."

He watched her closely. She was holding herself together pretty well so far. Thornton believed that if someone could not hold it together in an interview they would never be able to hold it together in a real-life stressful business deal.

"So, Ms. Bristol, you said that you have some suggestions for the improvement of our profit margin. Tell me what they are, and why I should follow those suggestions."

 

[wideeyedone]

"Mr. Thornton, I am happy at the Grecian. But I want to work at the best casino on the strip. Mr. DelGado is content with the size of his profit margin. I looked over some of your numbers and I think there are some ways to make improvements. "

She stood and offered a sheaf of papers filled with statistics. Some of the suggestions were simple like changing the housekeeping rotation. Others were more complex, such as a newer cheaper webhost for their online reservations. There were also some suggestions for bringing in big spenders, including some specifics on adding entertainment that would appeal to clients from Asia and the Middle East.

Lily waited patiently while Mr. Thornton looked over the papers.

 

[NewGame8]

Thornton looked over the papers that she had handed to him. Some of her recommendations were interesting. "Tell me how using less expensive web hosting will increase my profit margin... and please don't just tell me that since it is less expensive it means more profit. Less expensive very often comes with additional costs."

Thornton was impressed so far. She had overcome her gaffe with the unbuttoned blouse and was making a push to go further in the process. She was not the first female to make that mistake in an interview, but she was the first one to overcome it. Most were dismissed shortly after, because they could not handle the scrutiny. Females who interviewed with him often thought they could take advantage of the reputation Thornton had. However, business was business and pleasure was pleasure... and rarely, if ever, did the two mix.

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily smiled. "I know that sometimes you get what you pay for. But you are not getting everything you are paying for with your hosting, you are having to use additional support. This host that I have selected, does everything that you need, and it interfaces with travel websites much more easily."

Lily knew her numbers backwards and forwards. "The number one complaint that shows up on website reviews about your casino is that your front desk staff is not knowledgable. I suggest you put in place three to five concierge, depending on the business of the shift. These men and women should know all of the in and outs of Las Vegas, history, pleasure, great food, any and everything."

Lily waited to see what Thornton's reaction would be.

 

[NewGame8]

"Ms. Bristol, you continue to mention pleasure. I do not run a brothel, despite the fact that it is legal to do so in this state. The Chelsea is high end and exclusive, and although I understand that my clientele will sometimes wish some, shall we say companionship, I do not want this to be seen as a sleazy hotel casino."

He knew that was not what she was pushing for, but he wanted to continue to test her. He was impressed by her more than any other he had interviewed, and he wanted to make sure.

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily laughed. "Pleasure doesn't have to be lascivious, Mr. Thornton. I meant the best massages, the best spas, the best bakery or chocolatier. I was born and raised in Las Vegas. I want to show off the best parts of our fair city."

Lily watched Thornton for a reaction. She did her best to maintain a cool, calm demeanor.

 

[NewGame8]

"So tell me Ms. Bristol. What are the best parts of this fair city?" Thornton was not a native of Vegas but it was his adopted hometown now. He enjoyed a lot of what it had to offer, and he especially enjoyed a lot of what it brought to him.

There was only one regret he had about Vegas and that was Cassie Hall. To this day he had not forgotten her. Cassie was the only woman he had ever truly loved, and thinking of her now brought a frown to his face.

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily smiled at Thornton. "A hollywood history buff would love to be steered to Bob Taylor's ranch house. It was an old hollywood favorite. It also, is a bit of the beaten path and far from the strip for travellers that need to do business away from a casino."

She drummed her fingers on her notepad. " Chez Belle is the best high dollar spa in the city. And for swedish therapeutic massage, your casino has the best one. If a client needs a quickie high end engagement ring, I would send him to Thayer Montgomery. High quality diamonds but a very artistic jeweler onsite. In days a customer willing to pay can get something one of a kind."

Lily took a deep breath. "I know I am young, but I have learned a great deal quickly. I really want to work for you, Mr. Thornton."

 

[NewGame8]

"Ms. Bristol I must tell you that I am impressed. You have a great understanding of what the customers want and how to go about getting it for them. You are also very cool under pressure and your responses show that you are able to organize your thoughts in a stressful situation." Thornton looked at Lily and saw no reaction. He thought that she was almost too cool, but he wasn't sure that was really possible.

"Here is what I would like you to do. My secretary will take you down and introduce you to the front desk manager. He will be told that you are to have any access you desire. Your final test is to look at the front desk operation and tell me how you would improve it. I want you to include your concierge recommendations that you made earlier." Thornton hesitated and sat back in his chair.

"We will meet at the Top of the World Restaurant at 8:00 pm to discuss your plan. If it is impressive enough to me, you will be giving your two weeks notice to the Grecian tomorrow." Thornton stood up and reached across the desk and shook Lily's hand. He then called his secretary into his office and gave her his instructions.

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily felt a shiver go up her spine when she shook Thornton's hand. His grip was firm but he made no move to crush her hand like some men did.

Lily made sure to keep her posture strong as she followed the secretary down to the front desk manager. The front desk manager looked skeptical when he was told that she was supposed to have full access. With a few keystrokes she was analyzing the data in the system.

She asked questions and took notes. One of the things she wanted to incorporate was allowing guests to make dinner reservations at one of the six high end restaraunts at check in. This would keep more of the five star dollars inside the casino, that way atleast one of a customers high end meals would be in house.

She explained her concierge plans to the front des manager but he looked skeptical.

"We direct all customers to our amenities." He said smugly.

She shook her head. "You build loyalty by steering your customers to the best."

Lily spent several hours at the front desk. She was personable with the staff but all business. Then in the late afternoon, she excused herself and thanked the front desk manager. She went home to her small apartment and changed out of her business attire and into a cocktail dress. She chose her dress carefully after her gaffe that morning. She chose a white soft dress that was sleeveless but had a high neck. She wore simple diamond studs and she took her hair down. She slid into silver heeled sandals and drove to the Casino and took the elevator to the rooftop restaraunt.

 

[NewGame8]

Gerald Thornton arrived at the restaurant at 7:15 and was escorted to his regular table. He ordered a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and he sat facing the door. The Somalier brought the wine and Thornton just told her to go ahead and pour. After the wine was poured Thornton sat there alone and undisturbed.

When Lily Bristol stepped off the elevator, Thornton's personal assistant greeted her and led her directly to the table. Thornton stood up and greeted her as she arrived at the table; taking her hand and smiling at her. "I must compliment you on your attire this evening Ms. Bristol. It is very appropriate. I apologize for having the same suit on. It was a busy afternoon and evening. Please have a seat. Would you like some wine?"

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily took her seat at the table. "Thank you, Mr. Thornton. Thank you for allowing me to spend some time with your front desk staff. I would love a glass of wine." She gave him her best smile. She passed him a white folder with her suggestions inside.

"Your front desk manager did not seem very comfortable with my presence." Her voice was light but to her it was a red flag that he was so hesitant.

 

[NewGame8]

"Ms. Bristol, my front desk manager serves at my whim. If he has a set of balls he will let me know about his dissatisfaction. If he does not, then I must reevaluate his position." Thornton motioned for the Somalier to pour wine for Lily. He watched her demeanor as she sat across from him.

Thornton looked through the folder that Lily had given to him. "He smiled as he read her suggestions. "How long would it take to implement these changes, while at the same time breaking in a new front desk manager?"

He called the waiter over and they were each handed menus. Thornton sat his on the table as he waited for Lily's response.

 

[wideeyedone]

"The electronic changes, the restaraunt bookings, the server... those might take about a week. As for the concierge program, that would depend on whether you want to recruit in house or if we need to do a wider search."

Lily took a sip of wine and began to look at the menu. From time to time she looked up at Thornton to gauge his reaction.

 

[NewGame8]

Thornton was impressed with her plan. She was someone that he wanted to have on his team. She had original ideas, not the typical rehashing of the same old things. "So, Ms. Bristol, what would you like for dinner?" Thornton motioned for the waiter.

While Lily ordered Thornton contemplated what position he wanted to hire Lily for. He was thinking that she should oversee all front end operations, but then again, maybe she needed to be more involved in the overall operation. After she had ordered, and the waiter left the table he asked, "If I told you that I wanted you to oversee the entire front end of the business, would you be happy? Or are you looking for more than that?"

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily smiled at Thornton. "I am pleased that you want me to run the front end, but I am never going to satisfied, Mr. Thornton. But you need to know, I only have worked in the hospitality end of a casino. I need to learn the gaming side. I am eager to learn, Sir."

Lily took a deep breath, she was so close. She adjusted the bracelet on her wrist. It had been her mother's. It was a simple silver bangle with Cassie engraved on the inside with a small ruby dotting the i. She had to do this, for her mother.

 

[NewGame8]

Thornton watched the look on Lily's face as she contemplated what he had said to her. While he looked at her something popped through his mind. Lily looked like someone he knew...... but he couldn't place exactly who it was. He continued to look at her as she responded... still trying to figure out who she reminded him of.... but he was unsuccessful.

"I will tell you what. You give your two weeks notice to the Grecian. When you start here you will be in charge of everything to do with the front end management. Your first task will be to put together an entire proposal including cost and implementation date for your restructuring, including the changes with the concierge. Once the implementation is complete, including the training of a new front desk manager, I will determine where you belong."

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily's smile spread across her face.
"I have one small request as part of the package. I would like a small suite at the hotel. Being in charge of the front end, I need to be accessible to the staff if there is an emergency or a high roller that needs placating. I think it will help me do my job. Also, I don't have family and it is nice to be near the hustle and bustle of the hotel."

The waiter arrived with steaming plates and sumptuos food. Lily thanked the waiter and took another sip of wine.

 

[NewGame8]

Thornton looked at Lily after her request. He reached for his wine glass and inhaled the fragrance... then he took a sip. "Ms. Bristol, you ask for a suite at the hotel as part of your package, yet you make no mention of what you think you should be compensated for the job as I have described it."

Thornton watched for a reaction, then continued, "The smallest suite here at the Chelsea is $900 per night. That is over $6000 per week as that part of your "package." As the manager of the front end operation, do you feel that is an investment that will increase my profit margin."

Yes, Thornton was a bastard. Even to people he liked, and he liked what he had seen of Lily Bristol to this point, he was constantly challenging them.

 

[wideeyedone]

Lily looked at Thornton, she wondered what he had been like with his mother, she had never been one to challenge a man and Thornton seemed to want a challenge at every corner.

"Mr. Thornton, if a high roller feels he has been mistreated, do you think you will profit from him being told a manager will see him in 45 minutes when they can drive in from the suburbs or they can deal with a night manager whose normal duties include sourcing out maitenance calls and keeping the reception staff in line? You need someone in house and ready to act. High rollers are highly sought after and I don't want us to lose one over things that can be smoothed over with a nice bottle of wine, a big smile, or tickets to a sold out show."

Lily stopped for a moment and took a sip of water. For a business dinner, she would only allow herself once glass of wine.

"As for my compensation, I have done my research and I know you pay your management well. I trust that you will offer a fair package, Mr. Thornton."