Chapter 11: A Pyrrhic Breakthrough

With less than twelve hours notice, Dennis worked his magic and got them on a flight out of Chicago at 6:30 AM. Sarah slept most of the flight since she had to get up at 2:30 to get dressed, then commute to the airport from her home in the suburbs. The flight was non-stop from Chicago to Vegas so she was able to get a few hours of rest.

Dennis drank multiple cups of coffee on the flight. Sarah had asked him to pull together the latest customer survey numbers. She wanted to make a positive presentation to her hotel managers and get them excited again after the rough times they weathered the past few weeks.

Sarah slept through the announcement that they were on final approach and only stirred when the wheels touched down and her head bumped slightly on the backrest.

“Wake up, we’re here,” said Dennis quietly.

Sarah stretched the best she could and looked at her second.

“You look awful. You didn’t get any rest, did you?”

“A little,” lied Dennis. “But I did get your PowerPoint updated and you’re ready to go for our meeting later this morning.”

Sarah twisted in her seat, trying to stretch her lower back. Dennis had traveled with his boss enough to know that her lower back tightened painfully on flights of more than two or three hours.

“Face the window,” he instructed.

When Sarah turned, he made fists with each hand and put them against her lower back. He slowly rotated his wrists and he pushed firmly into her back. Sarah moaned in release as she felt her muscles loosen and the pain subside.

When Sarah sat back in her seat, Dennis reached into his bag and passed her pain killers.

“Here, take these, too. We’re going to be on the move all day, and another flight tomorrow.”

Sarah took them and swallowed them without a drink.

“Ugh, how do you do that?” asked Dennis.

“Practice!”

Dennis had reserved transportation from the hotel in an assumed name. When possible, Sarah liked to experience their hotel’s services from a paying customer point of view. Their driver was an older gentlemen that had a knack for being professional and causal at the same time. He loaded their luggage and took his place behind the wheel while chatting them up about their flight and their plans with their time in Vegas.

At the hotel, he opened the door and got their bags. As he handed over the luggage he said, “Enjoy your stay, Mrs. Ooverest.”

Sarah was shocked.

He continued, “One should know the leaders of the company one works for, no? You never know when one may grace the inside of your limousine.”

Sarah smiled. “Thank you,” she looked at his name tag and added, “Luis. I’m sure you give great service to all your fares. I’m proud to have people like you on the team.”

Luis smiled and cupped Sarah’s hand that was shaking his with his second. “And I am proud to work for a woman that treats her employees with respect. I’ve heard the rumors. Other executives can become verbally abusive in the board room. But not you. Even when upset, you keep an even keel. I speak for the majority of the staff when I say we truly appreciate that about your character.”

Sarah gently pulled her hand free. “Thank you. That means a lot.”

Word that their CEO had arrived spread quickly and a well-dressed woman strode across the driveway toward the car.

She shook Sarah’s hand and said, “Sarah! One of your famous, unannounced visits. Welcome to the Voyager.”

Sarah said, “Jill, thanks for meeting us, but you know that wasn’t necessary.”

“Are you kidding? Word spreads faster than Internet gossip when you are spotted. I bet half the cleaning staff are running through every empty room to check for anything amiss.”

“I’m glad to see the staff back after the strike. Have there been any problems?”

Jill shook her head. “No, none at all. Once the deal was offered, the mood changed overnight and we’ve been running as if nothing happened.”

Jill turned and welcomed Dennis, too, and then escorted them into the hotel.

Dennis booked adjoining rooms with a view of the strip. The rooms were immaculate and the staff was attentive. Sarah hoped they were just as accommodating with all guests.

The hotel managers all arrived on time. Like the previous meeting, Sarah started by thanking them all, profusely, for making an effort to attend. It was last-minute, but with all that had happened she wanted to see them in person.

She concluded her PowerPoint with heartfelt thanks.

“As you can see, all of our numbers are trending up. There doesn’t seem to be any lingering effects from the strike. Now we just need to continue focusing on what we’re doing well and get those satisfaction numbers to their targets by the end of the year. At the rate we’re going, I think it is doable and look forward to a celebration in a few months.”

There was applause from everyone around the table. It wasn’t polite hand taps, but earnest claps that seemed to show that all of her hotel leaders had bought into her strategy. Sarah gave the floor to Dennis, who in essence managed the video call with others from Chicago to cover more detailed aspects of the business. Sarah sat in back and watched her team. They were engaged and she dearly hoped that one of them was not the mole. If she was honest with herself, she knew that was not likely. It was someone in the room, or someone with a direct connection to one of these people.

After the meeting Jill had a lunch hosted in the conference room. It gave the hotel managers time to mingle with each other, as well as with Sarah. Jill was the last to leave the conference room.

“It seems like we’re on the right track,” Jill said. “Thanks for choosing the Voyager. I know you try and stay and different hotels with each trip, but this time it meant a lot. To me, personally, and I know to the staff.”

“You’ve got a good group here,” said Sarah. “Give Luis a bonus and a salary bump. He did an outstanding job.”

“He is one of the best. Will do.”

Jill offered wishes for a safe return and left Dennis and Sarah in the room.

“Did you get a car?” asked Sarah.

Dennis held up a set of keys as his answer.

“Good, let’s drop our bags, change, and get going.”

Forty minutes later Dennis pulled to a stop behind Va Va Voom. They followed the same path as their last trip to the strip club and were presently escorted into JJ’s office.

“I’m surprised to see you again so soon,” stated JJ without getting up from behind his desk.

Sarah and Dennis took seats.

“Things are moving quickly. Obviously, the strike is over, but we have other leads that are being aggressively pursued. From what I understand, tomorrow will be a big day. Internally. You won’t hear any news, but it should be the first step at shoring up our problems.”

“Then why are you here?” asked JJ. “If you are going to make a move, why tell me?”

Sarah returned his level gaze. “Two things. One. I honestly do not know what will happen tomorrow. William called a meeting and implied it will be big. Before that meeting I want to know if you’ve heard anything new that I should know? And two, if the problem turns out to hit my company directly, publicly, I want to know if I can count on you for behind-the-scenes support here in Vegas?”

“And why would I do that? What do I get in return?”

JJ reached for a cigar.

“Does that mean you’ll come dance for me on Professional Ladies Night? Maybe a three-month engagement?”