Less than twenty minutes later, a black SUV stopped beneath the hotel entrance.
Marcus stepped out.
Tall, sharply dressed in a navy suit, he crossed directly toward Walter.
“Dad, are you alright? Who did this to you?”
Walter placed a hand on his son’s arm.
“I’m fine, son. I only asked them to verify my room.”
Rosa came outside.
She looked at Marcus and the SUV.
“Wonderful. Now his son’s here too.”
Marcus slowly turned.
“Were you the one who had my father escorted out?”
Rosa folded her arms.
“I keep people like him from disturbing actual guests.”
Marcus stared at her.
“He told you he had a reservation.”
“Look at him. Does that look like someone staying in one of our suites?”
Marcus stepped slightly in front of Walter.
“You might want to apologize while you still can.”
Rosa glanced at the SUV and laughed.
“A fancy SUV doesn’t suddenly make you important.”
Marcus adjusted his cuff.
“Please, keep going.”
“Take your father somewhere he won’t embarrass the hotel.”
Marcus’s expression barely changed.
“You really don’t know who you’re speaking to, do you?”
Rosa smiled.
“Important people don’t show up looking like him.”
Marcus took out his phone.
“Go ahead,” Rosa said. “Call anyone you like.”
“That’s exactly what I’m doing.”
She pointed toward the driveway.
“Try another hotel. You’re not staying here.”
Marcus scrolled through his contacts.
“You’ve made yourself perfectly clear.”
Rosa looked at Walter’s coat again.
“Good. Maybe your father will finally understand.”
Marcus lifted the phone.
“Richard. Your manager is humiliating my father in your lobby. Come down now.”
Upstairs, hotel director Richard Lawson was in a management meeting.
His phone vibrated.
When he saw Marcus’s name, his expression changed immediately.
“Marcus? What’s going on?”
“She refused to verify his reservation and had security remove him.”
Richard stood so quickly his chair rolled backward.
“She actually did that?”
“Come down here and let her explain it herself.”
“I’ll be there immediately.”
Back downstairs, Rosa laughed.
“You seriously called Richard?”
Marcus said nothing.
“Perfect. He’ll personally send both of you out.”
Walter looked at his son.
Marcus remained calm.