The Hotel - 13

I looked out the window as soon as I got up at eight-thirty Thursday morning. What I saw, overcast skies that hid the view of the mountain peaks across the lake, worried me. I hoped it didn't presage snow. Not that there would be much of it, if Edwin was correct, but it might put off people who planned on coming to the hotel to see our show Friday night. One thing I did notice, the ground was damp. I wondered if it had rained last night after I'd gone to bed.  

 

I showered and got dressed, then went downstairs to the dining room.

"The sleeper awakens," Ramsey said with a grin when I walked in.

"I have," I replied, checking to see who else was there. The only ones missing were Tessa and Marsh. He showed up a couple of minutes later, while I was filling my plate with eggs and sausage at the serving credenza.

"We'll begin rehearsing, in costumes and makeup, at ten," I announced. "Barring any complications, we'll break for lunch and do the second act this afternoon."

"Will we rehearse again tomorrow?" Phil asked.

"Not as far as I'm concerned," I told him. "You have your parts down cold. Consider today a combined dress and tech rehearsal to work out any problems."

"Like with my lighting," Marsh said.

Noah cocked his head in question. "It worked yesterday. Why would that change today?"

"I'm a perfectionist," Marsh replied, earning him a couple of "No kidding" comments from the others.

I was halfway through my breakfast when I realized something. "Where's Tessa? Has anyone seen her this morning?"

"Probably sleeping in until the last second," Jenn replied somewhat snidely. She was sitting with Kirby and they seemed to be back to their usual selves, which was a relief as far as I was concerned.

"I'll go check and wake her up if she is," Caitlin said before leaving the dining room. She was back five minutes later, looking worried. "She's not in her room and her bed hasn't been slept in."

"How did you get in to find that out?" I asked.

"Her door was unlocked."

"That's not like her," Noah commented. "She's big on having her privacy."

I agreed. Soon after she joined the troupe she was bemoaning not making as much money as she'd expected, even though she also had a part-time job. I'd suggested she should consider getting a roommate to share the expenses on her apartment. "No way, no how," she'd replied adamantly. "People are too nosy." Then she'd smiled, adding, "I'll grin and bear it and put off buying that wide-screen TV I've been looking at, for now. Privacy is more important." A strange thing for an actress to say, I'd thought, but it was what it was.

"Maybe she hooked up with the bartender and they're still at his place," Jenn smiled maliciously.

"Since he lives here, just like most of the others, I don't think that would keep her from showing up for breakfast," I said. "She knows we're rehearsing today. I will check, however."