“Get out of here, you filthy old man!” they shouted as they shoved him out of the hotel. Only later did they find out who he really wasbut by then, it was too late.
The young receptionist, immaculately dressed and polished, blinked in surprise at the sixty-something man standing at the front desk. His clothes were worn, and he carried a faint but unpleasant smell, yet he smiled warmly and said,
“Miss, could I trouble you for a luxury suite, please?”
His bright blue eyes flickered with something familiarlike Emily had seen that gaze somewhere before. But before she could place it, she huffed and reached for the panic button under the desk.
“Im sorry, but we dont accommodate clients like you,” she said coolly, chin lifted.
“Like me? What exactly does that mean? Are there special rules I dont know about?”
He looked genuinely offended. Not a vagrant, certainly, but his appearance… left much to be desired. There was a lingering odour, something fishy, like a forgotten takeaway left out for days. And here he was, daring to ask for a suite!
Emily just scoffed, sizing him up with a mocking glancehe couldnt even afford the cheapest room here.
“Please dont waste my time. Id like to shower and rest. Im exhausted.”
“Ive made myself clearyoure not welcome here. Try another hotel. Besides, were fully booked.” Then, under her breath, she added, “Dirty old man, thinking he belongs in a suite…”
David Whitmore knew betterthere was always one room held back. He opened his mouth to argue, but security was already on him, roughly twisting his arms and shoving him onto the pavement outside. They exchanged smirks, chuckling like he was some delusional pensioner reliving his glory days.
“Grandad, you couldnt even afford the budget room. Piss off before we count your bones for you!”
David was stunned by their audacity. Grandad?! He was only sixty! If it werent for that blasted fishing trip, hed have shown them exactly who they were dealing with. Part of him wanted to teach them a lesson, but he didnt have the energy for a fight. Getting arrested wasnt an option. So he swallowed his pride and silently promised himself: if he ever owned this hotel, theyd be the first to go.
His attempt to return ended the same wayanother threat to call the police. Muttering under his breath, David trudged to a park bench. How had it come to this? Hed just wanted a quiet fishing break, but everything had gone wrong. The fish werent bitingjust the odd tiddler he tossed back. Then the rain came, and on the way home, he slipped near the riverbank, ending up knee-deep in muddy water. By the time he hauled himself out, his clothes were ruined, and his keys were gone.
His daughter, Lucy, was away on business, so he couldnt even get into her flat. Hed meant to surprise her, but she was already packing for her trip. If hed known, hed have waited. Hed even taken time off work just to spend a few days with her.
“Sorry, Dad. Promise me you wont mope?” Lucy hugged him and kissed his cheek.
“Mope? Im going fishingwhat else would I come here for?” he joked.
“I thought you came just to see me,” she pouted, then grinnedshe knew he was teasing.
But he hadnt charged his phone before heading out. Stupid, in hindsight. Hed assumed he could wait at the hotel until Lucy got back. Instead, they wouldnt even let him inside. Since when did appearance dictate service? He wasnt drunk, he wasnt a nuisancejust a bit muddy and smelling of river water. Was that really grounds to treat him like rubbish?
Staring at his dead phone, David sighed. No friends or family in the city. No locksmith would help without proof he lived therethe flat was in Lucys name. The phone stayed stubbornly silent.
“What now, grandad?” He chuckled dryly. No one had ever called him that before. Grandad? He was in his prime! His employees wouldve choked laughing.
A woman on the bench beside him snapped him out of his thoughts. Middle-aged, kind-faced, she offered him a warm pasty. Grateful, he acceptedhis stomach had been growling for hours.
“Youve been here all day. What happened?”
David told her everythingthe fishing, the rain, the lost keys, the hotel rejection.
“Doubt Ill find them now,” he sighed. “Probably at the bottom of the river. Never thought Id end up like this. All because people judge by appearances.”
She nodded sympathetically. She worked at a nearby bakery and had noticed him sitting there, ignored by passersby.
“I could tell straight away you werent some drunk,” she said. “You dont give off that vibe.”
“God, no,” David chuckled. “Health matters, especially at my age. But today, I got called old and thrown out of a hotel. SorryMaggie, was it? Could I borrow your phone? Need to find somewhere to sleep. Dont want to bother Lucyits late.”
“You can stay with me if you like. Ive got a spare room. Clean up, rest, call Lucy in the morning.”
“Seriously? Id be so grateful. Ill repay your kindness, I promise.”
David was genuinely moved. Maggie was the first person all day whod shown him decency. He vowed silently to return the favour someday.
After closing the bakery, she led him home. Her cottage was small but cosy. A hot shower and borrowed clothes later, he devoured the meal shed prepared. It wasnt the luxury he was used to, but right then, it felt like heaven.
“Youve got a good heart. Thank you for taking the risk,” he said before bed.
In the morning, Maggie handed him her phone, and David called Lucy. She was livid when she heard how hed been treated. Storming into the hotel, she demanded answers.
“We couldnt accommodate someone like that,” Emily defended, playing the victim. “You shouldve seen the state of him!”
“Like a man who needed help? He wasnt drunk or dangerous! Every one of you can hand in your notice. Hospitality means respect.”
The staff exchanged confused glanceswhy apologise to some “pathetic old man”? Then David walked in: clean, composed, every inch the businessman. Emily palednow she recognised him from the financial papers. Too late for regrets.
Security stammered apologies, but Lucy was unmoved. None of them stood a chance.
“Dad, Im so sorry. Ill hire a manager who actually understands basic decency.”
Emily begged for forgiveness, but the damage was done. No amount of regret would fix it.
When David suggested Maggie for the manager role, Lucy agreed instantly. He explained the hotel was Lucysa gift to launch her careerand hed never stayed there before. Lucy had dreamed of a place where everyone was treated with dignity, and Maggie embraced the vision. She proposed partnerships with budget stays for those who couldnt afford luxury and even offered to train staff in kindness.
Lucy knew shed found the perfect manager.
After a few days with his daughter, David returned home. He laughed recounting the ordeal to friends, but the memory stung. That fearof being alone in the cold, ignoredlingered.
And he found himself thinking of Maggie often. Theyd only spent one day together, but something warm had sparked between them. Hed loved his late wife deeply, but life went on, and the thought of growing old alone weighed on him.
Finally, David made a decision. He handed the business to a trusted partner, sold his flat, and bought a new oneclose to Lucy and Maggie. The latter smiled when he told her, delighted theyd see more of each other. They took things slow, but when he invited her to the theatre, she said yes with a blush.
Lucy just raised an eyebrow, grinning. Shed noticed the spark between them ages ago. And she was genuinely happy to see her dad smiling properly again.
