2023-06-10 - (Night) Shift Work

The first week of the park opening is winding down, but that doesn't mean the stream of visitors has lessened. Rosemary suspects that in due time the night shift will get less hectic but even the really late hours of her shift have people with questions, comments, concerns, confusions, or last minute needs. She's enjoying staying busy though, learning more about everything operates and finding her stride.

Currently, it's about mid-shift. It's not so late that the parks are closed but late enough that people are starting to trickle back in to retire to their rooms for the night. Rosemary is seated on a stool behind the desk, working through her second cup of coffee for the evening and keeping a vigilant eye out for any customers that might be on the approach.

Picking up the late shift from the concierge service, Casey is emerging from the elevators at the end of the hallway with a ding to them. A silver hued tray moving down to his side while he is stepping out from the elevator's bright lights. Holding it against the pitch black suit trousers worn while his free hand is pushing against the bridge of his nose. Pushing away any signs of tiredness, or at least trying to stroke away the visible signs on his face.

Pivoting on his toes, Casey's feet are clicking against the polished floor while he is tuning his ears and eyes to see if anyone is around. Well any customers on their way. Seeing none so far, and his list of customer needs currently empty, he is turning to make his way to the reception desk in case anything came through between the elevator ride up and down. "Evening. Was that the last one for the day? Just a nightcap it seemed."

Rosemary straightens up some as Casey comes over, giving him a friendly smile. "I doubt it's the last one for the night, but it's the last one for now." She shrugs a shoulder. "There was someone complaining about their neighbor but I asked Jillian to check it out." She says of one of the other night shift workers. "Though Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins might need some help getting tickets to a show on the mainland." She eyes some notes she has. "I'll let you know if that need comes true."

She takes a sip of coffee, gesturing a little to the mug, "You want a cup? Might be a long night if the work starts dying down." She chuckles.

"Show on the mainland." Approaching behind the desk for a moment, Casey is crouching down a little lower to tuck the tray back away while replying to Rosemary beside him. "Did they mention what sort? If not I can leave a note for someone to get the details tomorrow morning. Unless." Glancing up from his kneeling position to Rosemary for a moment, "You'll still be on shift then?"

Back up to his feet having tucked the tray away, Casey is moving away from behind the desk to the side. Allowing his forearms to lean into the surface, propping himself up somewhat as he is glancing his eyes across to the pot of coffee. "I'll take one. Rosemary, right? I caught your name right?"

"They were still thinking about it, it sounded like. I'll be getting off around 6 AM or so? Doubt they'll be back down." Rosemary watches Casey put the tray away, picking up a resort-branded notepad to offer to him. "Probably a good idea to leave the note."

"Oh! Yes. Rosemary Huntington. Nice to meet you." Her gaze briefly flits to his name tag and then back to his face as she rises up to her feet. "Casey. Have you ever worked at a resort like this before?" She wonders, moving toward the bot and grabbing a mug to pour some for him. "Any cream or sugar?"

"I mean I wouldn't if I had their view." Cracking a wry smile at one side of his lips, Casey is reaching one hand out for Rosemary's pad while the other is moving behind the black suit jacket for the inner pocket. An expensive, silver looking pen hooked out from behind his suit jacket while the notepad is down on the counter for him to write in. Leaning over it, the top of his head is on show to Rosemary while she is looking over her shoulder towards him.

"Rose. Rosemary or Ms. Huntington?" Checking a preference first while Casey's long script is forming from the fountain pen onto the paper. "Casey Mateo, also yes. This isn't my first rodeo at somewhere like this. Or somewhere finding feet. 'though the first time I've worked in the States for a few years." Pen heading down, brown eyes up.

"First one, or headhunted out there? And no thanks, I'm good without."

The cup of black coffee is brought back to Casey, "Rosemary, Rose, or Rosie is fine." She offers up easily enough. "I worked at a few different hotels in Louisana." Which is probably where she's from judging by that accent, "But I've never worked at a theme park resort before. it's a real rush!" She seems enthusiastic enough about it though.

"My sibling is working here too. They're the one that encouraged me to apply. I'm glad I did. It's going to look good on my resume." Rosemary looks intrigued about something else Casey said though. "So you've done a lot of work overseas? Like where?"

"And from down that way?" Casey is asking. Confirming that the accent, along with Rosemary's reason for working in Louisiana, being where she's from. "If so, New York myself. Born there, though not far back we're immigrants." Reaching for the coffee, Casey is taking a hold before toasting the blonde woman. "And thanks for this. It's a real rush, but the guests are laid back. Probably because the land of adventures and dreams, rather than five stars."

A little smile touching Casey's lips for a moment before at the mere thoughts in his head. "Sibling? So there's two of you out there then? Well I best see who's the pro coffee maker." Hosting the mug closer to his lips before adding, "And yeah. Did a few years in Dubai. Tokyo. Shanghai as well. Hiltons, usually."

"Born and raised." Rosemary confirmed about Louisana as she settles into her seat and joining in that little toast. "Any time! Really, you're saving me from myself." She laughed. "Otherwise I'd be drinking the whole pot." She periodically is checking the trickle of tourists but so far they all seem to have handling themselves.

Looking back up at Casey, she flashes another bright smile. "You'll have to let me know who you think is the better coffee maker once you have theirs for comparison." She chuckled, but looked fascinated when he talked about the different cities. "Oh wow, that sounds amazing. I've never been out of the country before. Okay, well, I've been to Canada a couple times but." She waves her hand and laughed. "Maybe out of continent is a better saying. Anyway That's really cool! So you've been doing this a long time?"

"There's a set of three siblings as well around the park. Working in the family must keep the shift life a little easier." Lifting up his coffee, Casey is taking a mouthful back as his voice begins trailing for a moment. His brown eyes across to Rosemary, a smile touching his lips as he is nodding on the coffee competition.

"Never? I mean you're young, got a long time to still see the world." Leaning further into the counter, Casey is crossing one foot over the other to prop himself somewhat up. Moving his attention from Rosemary for a moment, checking on two guests walking in front of the doors on their own route, he nods, "Twenty years. I wouldn't trade it in, but doesn't come without the odd habit or three."

"Oh? I'll have to try and meet them! It's been a busy week, I've barely gotten to meet much of anyone yet outside of work shifts. I've just been wanting to fall into bed when I get off work." She laughs and looks somewhat amused. "I'm not -that- young..but you're right. I'm sure there will be more opportunities in the future for overseas travel."

"Twenty huh? Impressive! I've been about ten or so myself. Usually in the night clerk positions. Picked up my first one when I was in college and loved it so much I switched my major over to Hospitality." She admits. "Night shifts usually aren't so bad either. Far less busy than day shifts I imagine. At least once it gets even later."

"Entire major was in Hospitality so, tell me..." Casey's voice is trailing for a moment as he is resting his full attention on Rosemary, "Plans for a Head Office? Even running your own hotel or resort?"

Casey's hand adjusting the mug to allow the handle to slip between his fingers. The grip a little more while tucking his free hand down into his pocket. "And thanks, younger than me. I've ended up an old hand at this but it's the variety every day that got me."

Rosemary looks around and then leans in to speak in a conspiratorial tone, as if speaking aloud would somehow ruin the plans. "First goal is getting into Management here. And then maybe at a more established chain...and from there, who knows." She grinned. "Running my own resort sounds like an impossible dream, but that could be amazing." She sits back again, taking a sip of her coffee. "The variety is so refreshing? Like no one day is ever like the last and I really enjoy that too."

"Not a bad goal to have. Hey..." Leaning in with Rosemary's movements, Casey is allowing his tone to join her own, "HR is the other one to befriend. But be careful as well to not grab too much. The pole can be greasy climbing up and sliding down. If you get what I mean."

Casey's grey-flecked eyebrows lifting up for a moment as he is speaking with Rosemary, trailing his voice for a moment before nodding heavily. "It is. I couldn't do something in the office. Just paperwork, emails and mergers."

Rosemary is listening closely to Casey's advice, nodding in understanding, "Yeah absolutely. Good to have friends in high places but not abuse the privilege of that friendship." She smiles. She finishes off her coffee and sets the mug aside, "I'd hate to just sit in the office all the time too. At least right now. That's why I figure aiming for a managerial position would be a nice compromise. Upward mobility with plenty of room for being hands on still."

Edging a little more of a smile behind the grey flecked beard, Casey's thumb is drawing up against the side of the coffee once more. "Negotiating skills. Convincing someone to give up a booked Sunday off to cover a shift? That." Tilting his head a little, finishing back the mug before setting it down. "That might be the difficult bit Rosemary. You'll have to get some practice in on me."

Rosemary chuckled at that, "I might just." She agreed. "The one drawback to this kind of job is that it really turns you into a people pleaser to some degree. Being able to stand firm and say 'not happening' is important." She rises up to her feet now, briefly stepping off as someone approaches the front desk and having a polite, friendly exchange that results in an extra key card being provided to the guest before her attention returns back to Casey. "So what drew you to accepting the offer to work here?" She wondered. "Just something new to try?"

"It does, though not always a people pleaser. Just a." Closing his eyes for a moment, Casey is nearly wincing at his own words at the cheer cheesiness of it. "Wish maker. Guests want something, usually they don't know what or they do but don't think it is possible. So that's how we come in."

Oh he is saying that in his full as-normal voice as well.

"Just good to be back in the USA, new opportunities. Chance to put a stamp on it and, you know." Pausing for the guest, watching them taking their leave before continuing on. "I have never worked in a place like this. Usually luxury-type resorts. What bought you up to the north then?"

"Wish maker. Has a fun ring to it." Rosemary laughs.

In answer to his question, "This job. I'd still be in Louisana if I wasn't here." She admits. "Though my sibling lived up this way for a bit already so I've visited before a couple years so ago but I've pretty much never left the state. So this was a big step for me! But I'm loving it so far."

"Fun and cheesy." Casey's voice is straining a little wry note towards the end as his lips are curling up in the corners. Listening to Rosemary still, his hand setting the now empty mug aside as he is moving to stand upright a bit more. Taller, once more, fingers correcting his suit jacket hung across his body.

"You visited the park here, years ago? Or the State? First time out of Louisiana. That has to take some getting used to. Let alone missing food from back home, right?"

"The State." Rosemary clarified. "My sibling lived in town." She gestures vaguely toward the 'mainland' "But now we share one of the employee apartments."

She nods a bit in agreement. "It's quite the culture shock in a way, and I do dearly miss the food." She laughed. "Nothing quite like home cooking like that. Maybe next time I feel like cooking proper I'll make you something to try." She grinned. "I'm not half bad if I put my mind to it."

"And how you finding that living with a sibling?" Eyebrows lifting up for a moment more, Casey's fingertips are finishing to adjustment of his jacket before moving his hands down to his sides. Keeping it all well held together before nodding twice, "Why I'd be glad to give it a go. One thing, I've been a vegetarian for years. So might make things a little awkward." A brief pause, "Including no fish."

"It's not too bad. We don't see too much of each other since I'm on Night Shift." Rosemary chuckled. "But we get along alright in general." She shrugged a shoulder. "Do you share a space with anyone or do you have one of the single bed apartments?" She wondered, merely curiously. "Totally vegetarian huh? Do you eat tofu?" She asks, "I'll bet I could make a few substitutions to make something more vegetarian friendly and it'd still come out great. It's all in the seasoning."

A brief nod, the edges of his eyebrows lifting up as Casey is sharing on, "Single bed apartment, I'm too old to be sharing. Tucked in bed, herbal tea in hand. Someone would also have to put up with one of those large black with gold writing protein tubs on top of the fridge." Selling the single man in an apartment vibe there.

"Always in the seasoning and tofu is good. Got to try some of the best in Japan while working there. So careful." A teasing tone drawing out from Casey's voice, "Tough crowd I am."

"Fair enough, yeah." Rosemary agreed, chuckling. "Plus, roommates can sometimes be a hassle. I might not be as fine with it if we weren't on opposite schedules." She mused. There's a grin at his teasing. "Well I do like a challenge. We'll have to see how I do." She decides simply. "It'll be fun." There's a flicker to the lobby as a few more people start to filter in and she gives Casey one more smile. "I guess I should try and do a bit more work, but feel free to text me any time, yeah? For work or otherwise." She scrawls her number out on one of the pads and offers the paper over to him.

Laughing with the chuckle from Rosemary, Casey is glancing from her once more as the lobby is building up a little busier at this hour. A nod for a moment to the side as he is watching someone in particular move along with their suitcases. "I'm willing to give it a go."

Brown eyes moving back to Rosemary this time, the older man is reaching across to take the piece of paper from her. His fingertips folding it in half, tucking it into his suit's inside pocket as a nod begins following on. "I will, I'll drop you a text later tonight then Rosemary." The corners of his lips moving up once more, Casey's hand is tapping on the counter before taking a step back, seeing one of the guests arrive with a lot of luggage.

"I should go see about give them a helping hand. So will catch you soon Rosemary. Good to meet you."