"Yeah, it would be neat to get some autographs," Alex smiled. Sam sighed as she flew the girls' private jet. "I hope you're not planning on turning this into a mini-vacation, Clover, because we're here on a mission."
"Yeah Sammie, I know that. I just… ooh! New York! I can't believe it! And we're staying at the Oh So Posh hotel! Maybe I'll even take in a game at Yankee stadium!" the blond exclaimed. Alex looked interested. "That sounds even better. Or maybe we could go catch a tennis game at the US Open!"
Sam rolled her eyes. "Great… now she's influencing Alex."
"And the restaurants! And the clubs! I bet this is one of the swankest clubs in the city!" Clover said. She fished out the name she'd written down on a piece of paper. "'City Speaks.' It sounds so cool!"
She and Alex chattered away about the upcoming trip while Sam sighed again and focused on flying the plane.
When she got to New York, Sam ran into trouble. Normally when they flew somewhere for an assignment she'd land the plane in a wooded or uninhabited area. Unfortunately she couldn't seem to find any spot like that in the city, unless it was miles and miles away like on Long Island or Yonkers.
"Crap! What are we going to do now?" asked Alex worriedly, hovering over Sam's shoulder and looking down at the computer screen which showed the city bright with blazing lights.
"Tell me about it! I can't afford to miss this assignment, not when I've gotten so stoked for it!" Clover said as she peered over Sam's other shoulder. The redhead rolled her eyes. "Watch and learn, Clover."
She angled the steering device down and her two friends yelped as they tumbled to the floor. The plane went into a nosedive, headed straight for the downtown core.
"Sammie, what are you DOING?" Clover yelled, trying to get up but unable to because of the speed they were traveling. Sam looked down at her and winked. "Just getting us some free parking!"
Without warning the plane leveled off and stopped abruptly. Then it dropped. Alex and Clover screamed again, covering their heads with their hands.
THUD!
Clover and Alex screamed a third time. Sam laughed, shut off the engines and took off her belt. "Welcome to Oh So Posh, girls," she said as she got to her feet and stretched. "I have first dibs on the jacuzzi."
She opened the door and hopped out of the plane. Her two friends slowly unclasped their hands from their heads, looked at each other, and sweatdropped.
"I gotta hand it to you, Sammie," Clover said later as she lazed on the room's small couch. "Parking on the roof was the best thing there is about this place."
Sam made a rude noise. She'd found that there was no jacuzzi in their room, just a regular shower (and a small one at that). When she was finished bathing and stepped out of the shower the steam had fogged up the mirror so much she couldn't see her reflection. Grumbling, she'd snapped one of the complimentary, short, white towels around her waist and stormed out of the bathroom. Alex, who had been sitting cross-legged waiting to use the bathroom, jumped up and ran inside. "Gross! It's like a tropical rainforest in here!" she complained before slamming the door shut.
"So much for our dream assignment." Clover rolled her eyes as she looked around the room. Dark wallpaper, tacky paintings and a twenty-inch TV set adorned the room. "There's no refrigerator! We can't even keep drinks here!"
"Why do they call this place Oh So Posh anyhow?" asked Sam angrily, digging for her clothes. The towel slid down a little and she hastily pulled it back up, blushing. "Oops."
Clover cackled at her. "Looks like you lost some weight, Sammie!"
"Shut up." Sam stuck out her tongue and continued to rummage in her suitcase. Just then the bathroom door opened and Alex fled outside, her hair totally frizzed. "Samantha! Your steam ruined my hair!" she cried, pointing to her coiffure.
"Now that is just gross!" Clover muttered, staring at Alex's hair.
"My steam? It's their hot water!" Sam grumbled, gathering her clothes and heading for the bathroom to get changed.
"Maybe we could complain," Clover said as they headed down to the ground floor in the elevator.
Sam and Alex looked hopefully at her. Both of them wore frizzy do's and weren't happy about it. "You think it might work?" Sam asked. Clover shrugged. "It might. Or we could just flash our WOOHP membership cards and say since we're here to save some missing kids we deserve better accommodation-"
"Oh put a lid on it, Clover. We can't blow our cover and you know it." Sam sighed and leaned back against the elevator wall. Just then the car stopped and the doors silently slid open. "At least the elevator works good," Clover sniffed.
Sam led the way to the manager's desk. She smiled at him, a fat, balding guy in a wrinkled suit. "Um… hi. My name is Samantha and these are my friends, Alex and Clover. We were booked into room 1620 but I think it's a mistake."
"A mistake?" The manager pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and peered closely at the girls. "Room 1620 you say. I seem to recall that one…"
"The booking was done by a man called Jerry," said Alex helpfully. The hotel manager nodded. "Ah yes, I remember now! He called yesterday."
"Well, um… is there another room we could stay in?" asked Clover.
The manager looked worried. "Is something wrong with your current room?"
"Oh no, no! Nothing's wrong with it –" started Sam.
"Just everything," muttered Clover under her breath. Sam dug her in the side with an elbow and went on. "Um, it's just that the room is a bit small for the three of us and the bathroom really steams up when we shower and the décor is…"
The manager chuckled, stopping Sam's recital in mid-flow. "I'm sorry ladies, but I was given strict instructions by Jerry to book you three in a room of…" He paused and checked the computer screen in front of him. "The one-star variety."
"ONE STAR?" Clover demanded, face red with rage. "He sends us to New York on an assignment and he expects us to get things done with frizzy hair and dime-store art hanging over our beds? This is crazy!"
"You mean there's better rooms in this hotel?" Alex asked in a whisper. The manager nodded proudly. "But of course! We go all the way up to the five star range, where all the celebrities stay of course. Or politicians. No, my dear, Jerry insisted you stay in those quarters. He thought it would, if I remember correctly, "Keep you focused."
"Focused, huh? I'll focus HIM when we get back home!" Clover seethed. Sam gave an embarrassed smile and grabbed her arm. "Sorry about that. Your elevator is um, very nice!" she called as she and Alex dragged the fuming Clover out of the lobby.
"So much for your dream vacation, huh, Clover?" asked Alex wickedly.
"SHUT UP!" Clover yanked her arm free and glared at her two friends. "If there's five-star rooms in this place then there's gotta be food to eat and I'm starving! And if there's no restaurant I'm going to call Jerry and give him a piece of my mind!"
So saying, Clover stormed off towards the dining area. Sam and Alex shrugged and followed.