Blissworld
"Oh we heard from Corporate that we were getting a new girl but they didn't say you'd be so PRETTY!"
Dee's first encounter with the spa world on the other side of the counter was certainly overwhelming. Sure, she'd been to the spa plenty of times. Not this one, because the W Hotel was way out of her budget and her mother always got her a gift certificate at Christmastime for the Mandarin. Most of the spas she frequented were small and homey, not so--sleek.
She'd been to the W before, a few times now. A very failed New Year's Eve date (Very failed. Friendship very ruined. Guilt never going away for that one.), a couple of talks with Brian Wallach, the CEO, Owner, namesake of Wallach Industries...or was it International? She couldn't remember. It was almost comical when you thought about it, that one of the biggest movers and shakers of Boston industry and society would have anything at all to do with a little, mousy yoga instructor--except that Brian was actually Bruce Wayne and Bruce Wayne was actually Batman and Princess Sparklepants/Wonder Woman/Diana trusted Batman/Bruce/Brian with her life and then some--and Brian and Bruce shared the same space on a constant basis now. With her at least sharing Diana's memories, it was easier to talk to him. He understood what she was going through (even if she was still wary of this 'lifting of the veil' business. If it happened, it happened, Dee was still plenty fine with being herself with Di just in the background). It was strange to think that his wife was the famous (or infamous depending on who you might talk to) Catwoman; it was a little trippy but Dee liked Veronica and she knew that Brian was happy with her and Diana could be as wary as she liked, it was still the Dee Show running their shared body the majority of the time and if Dee was happy then it was a good thing.
She knew this 'job offer' had to be a sort of favor from Brian to Bruce. At least, that's the way she would have seen it if she was in his 'shoes' as it were. From everything she gleaned from Diana's memories of Bruce Wayne, they weren't just fighting partners or part of a team of superheroes. Diana considered Bruce a friend and she suspected that the reverse was true. And she couldn't see Bruce not looking out for said friend. Even if it was to convince Brian to give Dee a job in his hella swanky spa as a 'concierge'. It actually wasn't much different from her current job. She was supposed to keep the front of house neat and clean, make sure all the varied complimentary treats and refreshments for the guests were stocked and fresh, sign said guests in for their appointments and help promote the spa to people staying at the hotel. It was a job for 'a people person' and apparently Dee fit the bill to a tee.
It wasn't easy, not at first. It was the first time she'd been separated from Cricket for months now, her faithful pet who had become trusted companion and who helped her cope. There were little tendrils of panic that licked at the back of her head when she was being shown around the expansive space, afraid to look at strangers even with their smiling faces. Those men had smiled at first, HE smiled at first--but Bruce would not let anything happen to Diana so she had to trust that Brian would have the building safe. Of course he had the building safe. He was Brican Wallach for crying out loud, he wasn't going to let some monster's goons storm in and take her or anyone else for that matter. She was going to be safe. No-one was going to take her and put her in a smelly warehouse with water and God only knew what else dripping from the ceiling, or let them shock her with wires--
It was a busy Saturday with all she had to learn. The Point Of Sale system with its varied touch screens, to remember to always offer the clients the chance to purchase products that had been used during their sessions for use throughout their stay and for home, how to schedule appointments for W guests as well as others calling in. The same skills she had used when she worked for ProEx scheduling followups and sessions. She knew how to do this. This was easy. Well, easier than she expected. Dee fell into the routine of scribbling notes then following instructions as she once had not all that long ago. It wasn't difficult to smile and say 'Welcome to Bliss Spa, how can I help you today?'. It wasn't as difficult as she expected to go upstairs into the lobby at the Concierge desk and work with the staff there to book guests for treatments or to explain in those checking in for the first time about Bliss being 'one of the many wonderful amenities you can find here at the W'.
You're pretty and you have a great smile. Everyone's going to listen to what you have to say for a few minutes at least. Just be yourself, you're doing just fine. Her boss was older, had been managing spas and nail shops and the such for twenty years. You're a natural, just keep that pretty smile on your face and they'll just roll in. You're a nice girl, people like that.
Dee almost scoffed but--before all of this had happened, all of the flipping back and forth and the attacks and the kidnappings and the sleepless nights and the strange powers--that's what people always said in her evaluations. 'Dee, you're so personable, people like being around you, you have a great personality, people like it when you work with them.' That Dee, she thought, had gone away. Maybe though not so much.
She buried her face in Cricket's shaggy coat when she got home, happy to see him, happy to let him take away the anxiety she'd held in during the day. Of course, she couldn't have him with her in a place that needed to be neat and sanitary--but wasn't this part of the reason she took the job? Not so much for the money, but to try and get back to the life she had before everything started to happen? "Oh, I have so much to tell you," she said to the golden retriever as she picked up his lead. "Let's go for a walk, you like that don't you?"
