Continuing Education

[Benjamin Naifeh Atiyeh]

Grabbing my bags off the conveyor belt at the airport and heading to the hotel shuttle. I greet the lady driver and toss my bags on to the shelf and take a seat. I send a text message to Tia to let her know that I arrived in Los Angeles just fine. A few more passengers hop on to the shuttle and we pull away and head toward the hotel.

As I am checking in I ask the desk clerk to send up some extra towels and verify that there is a refrigerator. She assures me that I have a suite and that there is an adequate refrigerator in the suite. I apologized to her and let her know that my secretary made the arrangements.

I head up to my room and find that Nailah had secured a very nice suite of rooms to my specifications as usual. I start to unpack and go through my mental check list of what I need to do before the educational seminars start tomorrow.

I stop in mid unpacking and pick up the hotel phone and ask the desk clerk for the WiFi password and ask for the concierge. The Concierge picks up and I ask him to send three dozen red roses to my wife and one dozen orange to Nailah and give him the addresses. He said that it would cost extra to send to Cairo and I let him know that it was an expense worth spending.

Receiving a text message from Tia stating that she was glad that I made it there and that she missed me. I replied that I missed her as well but that this is important for business and must be done. I asked her if she had been in her office yet and she replied no. I said that she should go and check to make sure I left everything the way she liked it. I look down at my cell phone as it rings and smile to see Tia's number come up. I pick up, “Yes, dearest?”. She squeals on the other end of the phone and says that she will be on the next flight from Cairo. Then she says she has to go because the door bell is ringing.

Smiling to myself as I hang up knowing that the concierge did a quick job of sending the flowers to the house and that Tia will be with me in a day and we will spend some good time visiting Los Angeles.