Edie grins. “I thought he was Shelly Carpenter.”
“The post comes out tomorrow.”
“Another reason why you have to stay,” Edie says. “You have to.”
“Okay,” Alessandra says. Her eyes mist up. “Thank you for…I don’t know, showing up here, being tough but cool.” The corners of her mouth lift a bit. “I raised you well.”
Edie pulls the manila envelope out of her backpack. “I’m giving you your money back, by the way.”
“No!” Alessandra says. “I cheated. It’s yours.”
“You’re great on the desk,” Edie says. “It’s yours.”
“I’m not taking it back, Edie. I don’t deserve it.”
Edie pulls the cash out and riffles the bills. “How about we split it, then?”
Alessandra releases a breath. “Fine.”
Fine. Edie counts out two thousand dollars and slides it toward her friend. She thinks about her little spy club with Zeke and wonders if she has any obligation to tell him about this.
She decides not. It’s a desk thing.
25. The Last Friday of the Month: August
Lizbet and Edie are in Lizbet’s office at 11:58—and at 11:59, Lizbet taps on her Instagram icon. As soon as her phone says noon, she visits the Hotel Confidential account and refreshes, but all she sees is the review from the Sea Castle Bed-and-Breakfast in Hyannis Port.
“Come on, Shelly,” Lizbet says. She turns to Edie. “Has she ever been late before?”
“Hit refresh again,” Edie says.
Lizbet inhales, then hits the refresh button.
On her screen is a picture of Zeke and Adam, framed inside the grand front doors, both of them waving and smiling; Lizbet sees the potted flowers on the steps and one wide rocker and fireplace table on the front porch. She blinks. This is real? This is their hotel? Those are their bellmen? Because it feels like a figment of Lizbet’s imagination. A manifestation.
Edie, who is holding her own phone, shrieks—and Lizbet reads the caption.
She leaps out of her chair and grabs Edie and the two of them dance around the office. Lizbet’s eyes blur with tears; she can’t believe it, and yet she knew, she knew they would do it. In her heart, she knew. She used to think that meeting JJ and running the Deck was her dream come true—but no, it’s this. This is what she was meant to do.
“We did it!” Edie shouts. “We! Did! It!”
Adam and Zeke come running in; Adam is on the phone with Raoul, who has just seen the review at home. Alessandra slips in and Lizbet gives her a hug, because any way you look at it, they couldn’t have gotten five keys without her. Lizbet texts Mario: FIVE KEYS!!!!
Adam says, “Has anyone read the actual review yet?”
“No!” Edie says. “Let’s all do it at the same time. One, two, three—”
“Wait, I’m not ready,” Adam says. He scrolls. “Okay, go!”
They click on the link.
Hotel Confidential by Shelly Carpenter
August 26, 2022
The Hotel Nantucket, Nantucket, Massachusetts
—5 KEYS
Hello, friends.
I’ve been reviewing hotel experiences for nearly fifteen years and never once have I been tempted to use the word best. It’s not an appropriate qualifier for a hotel. How can one compare the Siam in Bangkok to Auberge du Soleil in Napa to the Dulini River Lodge in South Africa? The answer is, one can’t; though all exquisite, they’re different species.
However, after a recent visit to the Hotel Nantucket, I find myself struggling for a word other than best. I have, for the first time, awarded a property five keys, and there’s no doubt in my mind that this coveted fifth key is well deserved.
The Hotel Nantucket, originally built in 1910, has survived a fire, financial difficulties, and owners with poor taste. It fell into severe disrepair and sat on the market for over ten years until it was purchased by London billionaire Xavier Darling.
As you know, friends, the most important quality for me in any hotel is a sense of place. Unlike the three other luxury properties on Nantucket—the White Elephant, the Nantucket Beach Club and Hotel, and the Wauwinet—the Hotel Nantucket isn’t located on the water. It claims a full block of Easton Street, which is easy walking distance from the cobblestoned streets of Nantucket’s downtown. The lobby is a large, airy room that blends historical elements （the building’s original oak beams, an authentic whale boat that serves as a chandelier） with modern （comfy chairs, ottomans, tables laden with books and games）。 Unlike some other lobbies I’ve visited, the lobby of the Hotel Nantucket is one people gravitate to. The hotel’s simple but extraordinary continental breakfast is served here every morning between seven and ten thirty （don’t miss the percolated coffee or the almond croissants）， and while I was in residence, a young chess prodigy played with any guest brave enough to challenge him. Often, a crowd gathered.