Welcome to the Inn

“Wow, would you look at this place! It’s huge.” The Grove Park Hilton rose like a fairytale castle against a mountain backdrop. A freshening breeze brought the scent of warm pine down the mountain into the parking lot.

“I don’t know, Unique. It looks awfully expensive. Maybe I should go stay on the rez with my brother, Charles.” Joanne was having second thoughts about this week long writer’s conference. She felt slightly guilty about a week away from home but Two Feather insisted that she deserved this time away to relax with her friends and work on her writing. She shuddered to herself and sighed.

“Nothing doing girlfriend”, Unique said. "No sad sighs from you. This week is paid for. I told you I’ve already booked a double for the whole week. I’m not leaving til the old credit card goes into nuclear meltdown and burns a hole in my pocket. Everyone’s going to be here. It’ll be a blast. You’ll see.”

Unique hopped out of the truck and swung her bag out of the back. Joanne climbed slowly out of the passenger seat and took a look around. She took a deep breath and reached toward the sky taking a moment to center herself. “Okay, Unique. I’m ready if you are.” She grabbed her suitcase out of the back of the truck and joined Unique.

The two friends walked slowly toward the entrance of the hotel while admiring the landscaping. They marveled at the well kept flower beds and the abundance of red impatiens accentuating the topiary that flanked the revolving doors.
“Look. Isn’t that Ray over there at the desk? Unique said as they stepped inside. “He’s so tall. Oh, my God, he’s so handsome. Come on, Joanne, introduce us. You know him.”

Joanne grabbed Unique’s arm. “Wait. Slow down a minute. Ray’s not like other people; you’ll scare him. Watch him a moment, you’ll see.
Unique glanced down at Joanne and back over at Ray. He was leaning against the concierge desk with an amused look on his face. His smile didn’t budge but his eyes never stopped moving as he took in the other writers and guests milling around the lobby and checking in. There was something about him that made Unique shudder. “You’re right, Joanne. He reminds me of something, something sinister. I know, he reminds me of a spider; a big old spider waiting in his web for his next meal.”

“A little melodramatic don’t you think?” Joanne said. “I mean he is all dressed in black.”
Indeed, Raymond K. Maestrowork was dressed in black from his tight turtle neck sweater and leather pants down to his highly polished calf skin boots.

“Well, maybe that’s it, Joanne.” Unique gave a little laugh, “My imagination running away again.”

“Unique!” a voice called across the lobby.

“Dawno!” Unique waved to her friend who was now striding across the lobby. She did a double take. “I can’t believe you’re wearing those socks!” She covered her mouth to suppress a grin. Dawno was famous for her argyle socks. This pair was bright blue with navy diamonds and red piping. “Please tell me you left the Birkenstocks and the mouse ears at home.”
”Well…” Dawno said.
“You didn’t.”
“Well…”
“You did! Oh, Dawno, what am I going to do with you? Give me a hug you goof.”
Dawno wrapped her arms around Unique and whispered, ‘It’s good to see you, Unique.” When she pulled away there were tears in her eyes.

“Dawno, what on earth?”

“Later; I’ll tell you later after I’ve checked in and taken my bags upstairs.’

Unique held her friend a moment longer and looked her in the eye. “Yes, later. Come with me now and meet Joanne. She was on her way to talk to Ray. That line to check in won’t get any shorter in the next ten minutes.”
When the two turned around they found Joanne standing alone. “What happened to Ray?”

Joanne shrugged. “He got a call on his cell phone and he stepped outside. He said he’d meet us at the Welcome Reception tonight. I think I’m going to go upstairs and rest a bit before dinner; do you mind, Unique?"

“No, of course not, Joanne. It’s been a long drive today and I think maybe I’ll take a nap later on, too."

“It was good to see you, Dawno. I’ll see you tonight at the reception, right?” Unique and Dawno watched Joanne head for the elevators. When the doors to the elevator closed, Unique grabbed Dawno’s arm and she tugged her friend toward the lounge to the left of the reception desk. “Come on, Dawno. We have some catching up to do.”

“But what about my luggage”, Dawno asked, “Can I just leave it there?”

“Dawno, believe me, no one is going to take off with it. Did you leave it right in the trail or is it out of the way?” Unique waved to a passing waitress. “If it’s out of the way and no one is going to trip over it, you can leave it there for a few minutes.”
“Now, what do you want to drink? My treat this time; it’s my turn to buy. Would you like a beer or a mixed drink? I’m sure they have some killer imports. How about a – oh, what do you call those things – the cranberry juice and vodka and soda jobbies? Does that sound good to you?”

“Oh, whatever you want; it’s too early for me to drink”, Dawno said as she looked around the Great Hall Bar. “This is some place. I feel like I’ve walked into a living history museum.”

When the waitress went away with their drink orders, Unique looked her friend square in the eye and said, “Spill it, Dawno. What’s got you bugged any way? I know you were happy to see me, but not so happy you’d start to cry. What’s up?”

“Oh, it’s probably nothing. I’m still upset over something I saw, well, something I overheard I should say. I had a layover in Dallas on the flight here. I ended up on the flight with William and his wife. I heard them really arguing, Unique. Not loud, but venomous. Man, I thought she was going to scratch Will’s eyes out. I mean, I’ve heard people fight before and she didn’t actually do anything but if looks could kill, he’d have been lying there like a puddle of wax. She was really mad at him over something. That, plus I hate to fly."

The waitress came back with two tall glasses and set one in front of each of them. Dawno tasted her drink and set it down. “I’ve just been so jittery and nervous ever since we took off from Dallas. If it had been some strangers arguing, I probably wouldn’t even have noticed. But they’re my friends – sort of." Dawno gestured with her hands and let them fall into her lap. She rubbed her knuckles and sighed.

” You know what I mean. I hate to think of them starting out on trip like this fighting with each other.”

“Well, you know our Will. He could try the patience of a saint when he has a mind to. You know how he is; he likes to aggravate on purpose.”

“Yeah, I know that”, said Dawno, “but don’t you think she would too? Especially after being married for so long; he must have done it to her a million times by now.”

“Well, you can’t let it bother you, Dawno. Drink up, girl. We have a reception to go to tonight and classes to go to this week. If you let William and his problems upset you to the point where you miss out on all the fun, I’ll scratch his eyes out myself. They’re probably making it up right now. So stop worrying and start enjoying your self. Finish up your drink and let’s go get you checked in. Your welcome package will have a class list in it and we can compare notes. We should take at least one class together, don’t you think?”