Escape
Anyna's debut party was to be held in Prestigio Hotel, right in the heart of the city.
Something that my parents commended me for. We owned that luxury hotel.
The Ruiz family chose Prestigio as venue because of my friendship with their daughter. It wasn't the only five star hotel in the area and Prestigio was probably not their first choice. But knowing Anyna, she must've had put her foot down on the topic and chosen our hotel.
My family had always bemoaned the fact that I wasn't more sociable when all the children of their business associates went to the same school. Until I and Anyna became friends. The Ruiz name had been around for two centuries and that was enough to make them more than the blue bloods they were. My parents stopped pushing me to attend social gatherings. They focused on grooming my friendship with Anyna and her family. It was also a good thing the Ruiz family liked me. They thought I was a good influence on their rebellious daughter. How I wish that were true.
And today, on my best friend's debut, I was a guest.
But my mother insisted that I also oversee as an executive manager for Anyna's event. It was mainly making sure the event organizer's team and the hotel staff communicate effectively and ran the event as smoothly as possible.
It was to show the Ruiz family that we see this as a personal favor between our families. We already had a few minor problems but they were resolved pretty quickly.
One of the Hotel's middle staff management even gave me a Staff Pass as per my mother's orders. It was an all-access card for the hotel facilities given to managers in-charge during big events because normally, we had a line of authority to follow for every facility and just getting permission from every person in charge could take hours. It was a preventive measure.
"Miss Porter," it was three hours before the event when a pale-looking staff approached me.
He was fidgeting and I quickly realized there was a problem, I quickly pulled the man aside, "Yes?" I asked lowly.
Fifteen out the hundred and fifty bottles of our drinks were gone. One of our staff dropped a box and the bottles of wine shattered.
Four out of the five exec are busy with their own thing. The head was in last minute meetings with the event organizers. They were going to throw a fit if they found out about this.
We immediately went down to the back entrance. The scene that greeted me wasn't a good one. Three people stood at the back of a delivery truck. And the driver was already screaming at our hotel staff, gesturing angrily at the mess of glass and expensive wine on the floor.
"It's okay, sir. I'll handle it from here." The truck driver jumped at my voice nefore he whipped around and looked me over.
The young girl, about my age, trembled at the sight of me. "M-Miss Porter, I didn't—"
"What's your name?" I asked.
"L-Lucy, Ma'am."
I calmly glanced at the wine bottles on the floor before gesturing to her, "Okay Lucy, clean this up quick and keep it a secret from the other organizers. I'll handle it from here. Same with you." I looked at the guy who called me from upstairs.
Their eyes looked like those would fall out of their sockets. I understood that if this was the others, these two would be fired without another word.
The delivery person started to complain. "Miss, those are Dom Perignon Brut—"
"I know," I pulled out my credit card from my purse. "I'll pay for the damage. Can you confirm if there are still available stock?."
The man looked at me as if I was crazy so I moved the card closer to his face, "Isla Euodia Porter, at your service."
Upon hearing my name, it was no surprise that he scrambled to take my card. He quickly swiped my card on the portable payment machine.
"Let me confirm, Miss" He called their store as I waited in silence. "Miss Porter, there are ten available bottles in our local branch, there are six in the branch an hour from here. I'm afraid the delivery schedule is full in the other branch... but I could deliver the ten."
"We'll take all six bottles. I can have one of the hotel staff pick it up in an hour. Thank you."
"Yes, Ma'am."
I pulled out the Staff Pass and turned to the staff who called me. His name tag read Toby.
"Toby, take one of the hotel service vans and pick up the wine from their other branch. Ask the delivery person for their address. He didn't have to be told twice and took the Pass from me.
"Lucy, keep this a secret. Have Toby report to me immediately when he returns. I need to return upstairs to change for the event." I'd already turned my back when she called my name.
"Miss Porter, t-thank you. Thank you very much!"
She looked too young to be working full time in our hotel. Did it make sense that that hurt my heart? I smiled softly, "Be more careful next time."
It was a whirlwind after that. The makeup artist complained that we hadn't got much time as he ordered me to shower. As one person did my hair, and another my face, a third person came in to gave me fake nails. A grueling process that took almost two hours, shy one hour before the event.
"Miss Porter, Miss Anyna Ruiz has requested for you." I nodded at the staff before waving off my artists. Anyna was staying in one of our most expensive family suites and when I entered, she looked up at me.
Anyna was bedecked in a royal blue ball gown. The sweetheart top was studded with real Swarovski crystals and the skirt was made of shimmery material. She had to travel to France twice for the fitting of this gown. Her blonde hair was pulled up into an elegant bun held in place by a diamond tiara. In her ears were two half-carat diamond studs and aside from that, her only adornment was a ring on her left hand. My eyes widened when I realized that was her engagement ring. She immediately covered it with her left hand.
"Hi," she said weakly. Anyna looked drawn and tired. Even the makeup failing to mask her paleness.
I smiled at her encouragingly. "You look gorgeous, Anyna!" with that gigantic ball gown, I didn't know how I was going to hug her. Even with her obviously distraught state, this girl was gorgeous and I couldn't help but feel excited for her. She just turned eighteen and she was definitely the star of today's party.
Seeing my legitimate glee, she laughed. "I'm scared already! Stop it!" Anyna gestured for me to sit beside her on the lounge chair and she linked her arm through mine.
"You look like a lady! Who would've thought that?" I teased.
She laughed, "You too! You don't look like a prude today. Which is as it should be considering you'll be with me in most photographs and I positively abhor anything that ruins my pictures."
A knock sounded before I could answer. "yes?"
A staff poked his head in. Toby! I gestured him inside. Anyna was quick to raise an eyebrow. Toby was already handing back the Staff Pass to me.
"We got it, Miss." I nodded my thanks. The staff was gone and Anyna was quick to ask.
"Who was that?" Suspicion laced her tone and I laughed.
"It's one of the hotel staff. I told you Mom put me as one of the executive managers for your event. Like a birthday gift for you."
She pointed to the card, "And that?"
"Staff Pass" I showed her, and she took it from my hand. "In case of emergency during the event." So I ended up telling her about what happened with Lucy and the delivery guy. How I gave Toby the staff pass to take a delivery van to the branch. Anyna's eyes widened at my story.
"Isla, Dom Perignon--!"
"That's why keep it a secret. I... it's just too sad. She looked to be our age."
Anyna's frown of disapproval greeted me. "I told you not to be too nice to everyone! It's their job, Isla. If they can't do it well it's good call to fire them! That's how it goes!"
Another knock sounded and this time, Anyna's makeup artist came in. When she saw me almost sitting on my best friend's gown, I was quickly ushered out and told to return to the event hall.
It took one step into the hall to be wowed. Everything was covered in deep blues and silver. All the tables were covered in silver silk and for the centerpiece were glass bowls of blue roses. There was a gigantic crystal chandelier hanging twenty feet above the center of the hall and it was refracting light in every direction. They left a stage in the center for the dance floor. The lighting manager was already preparing the spotlight and the ushers were busy leading dignified personalities into their designated seats. In one corner, I see they hired an orchestra already playing a soft tune and the waiters were already serving the visitors champagne.
Everything seems to be going well. So I went to my designated table, that with my family.
"There she is!" my mom pointed to me from the crowd of people she was with. Her own circle of friends. Obediently, I came to my mom and kissed her on the cheek, "I was just telling them how you are a part of the hotel team who organized this place." I flushed. The organizer Anyna hired did most of the planning . Our hotel was simply the support staff who followed their lead. I wasn't even the leader of our hotel staff.
"I didn't do that much mom," I awkwardly answered.
My mom rolled her eyes and her acquaintances laughed, "don't be shy darling! Isn't she too modest?"
When they dimmed the lights, everyone went to their seats. Dad was talking to his own associates somewhere from the back before coming to sit beside mom. But twenty minutes in, I noticed that the emcees were frantically talking to each other.
"What's going on?" Dad asked.
I realized his eyes were on me. "I-I'm not sure." I stood and saw a waiter coming my way. I waved for him to wait for me by the wall and I went to him.
"Is there a problem?" I asked.
Panic was contained in those eyes as he wiped sweat from his brow.
"Ma'am, y-you see... the celebrant... is missing. Miss Anyna Ruiz, the heiress, I mean."