Christmas eve

“Good afternoon, this is The Grand Platinum Hotel, how may I assist you?” came the voice of the receptionist from the other end of the line. Her voice tiny.

“Hello, This is Zara Valentine, I'd like to make a reservation for tomorrow,” Zara replied politely, her grip on the phone tightening.

“I'm sorry, but all of our suites have been booked for tomorrow,” The receptionist informed her.

Zara's expression fell slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. “Okay, thank you for letting me know,” She said before ending the call.

Without skipping a beat, she moved on to the next hotel on her list, dialing the number.

They picked at the first ring. “Good afternoon, this is The Royal Hotel, how may I assist you?” The receptionist greeted.

“Hi there, I'm Zara Valentine and I'd like to make a reservation for tomorrow,” Zara repeated her usual request. She sounded like a broken record.

After a brief pause, the receptionist responded, “I'm sorry, but we're fully booked for tomorrow. But