Sometimes if you have big dreams, you have to do weird jobs. Today, I’ll take you inside the star-studded world of doing room service at a Holiday Inn off the Jersey Parkway.
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Story performed by: Aaron Calafato
Audio Production: Ken Wendt
Original Art: Pete Whitehead
Additional Vocals: Cori Birce
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7 Minute Stories Season 2 is made possible by Fishbowl.
Yes it is, Cori.
We're not just saying that. Erin, can you tell everyone a little bit about what you've been doing on Fishbowl?
Yeah. I've been doing the Fishbowl live talks about storytelling and podcasting. It's been great.
And I may or may not jump in and occasionally interrupt him, and try, and redirect him. And it's really fun and probably a little annoying for him. But I also have been using Fishbowl for career questions that I have that I would maybe be a little embarrassed to ask if people knew who I was.
Yeah, it's the anonymity factor.
Yeah. It's so awesome to be able to just confidently ask quick question about something that I should probably know or that someone assumes that I know and get the right answer.
That's the thing. Posting, sharing, participating in the conversation, anonymously in these bowls. It's unlike any other networking app because it's freedom. It's freedom. When you post, you don't have to water down your comments for fear of getting fired. It's really empowering and we'd love if you join us there.
Absolutely. So to do that, go to joinfishbowl.com/7ms. That's joinfishbowl.com/ the number 7ms and download the free app today.
You're listening to 7 Minute Stories with Aaron Calafato. Visit our website 7minutestories.com—that's the number 7minutestories.com to see the awesome new merch available this season. Choose from stickers, koozies, T-shirts, tote bags and more. I have to say, the tote bag is my favorite. This episode—Room Service.
I took a deep breath as I stood in the elevator as it made its way slowly to the third floor. And all I could smell was the food. It was so intense. I think it was like a cheeseburger, a couple of cheeseburgers, and some appetizers. But the way it steams sitting on the tray, it just filled up the elevator and I just couldn't tell if I was hungry or nauseous.
And (Ding) doors open. I pushed the tray out and I head down to the room that I have to deliver this to, because I was working room service. Weird late hours at a Holiday Inn of the New Jersey Parkway. Now look, I said it. Weird hours, weird jobs. Weird hours, weird jobs. That's how it goes.
But it was a great job for me at the time because I was training as an actor. I had this dream to be a creative, and it's hours were perfect for me. I could work really late, and then I could go in during the day by train in the New York and I would take acting classes. And so while it was strange, it also fit my dream. And so I figured I can endure this.
But over the months, and months, and months, these room service visits got stranger and stranger. This room, I could just feel was going to be strange. So I'm pushing the cart and I make my way to the door. And right away, I hear laughing in the background. But it's that feeling of like my stomach dropped. Not because it was jovial laughing, it was mischievous laughing.
There's a difference in the tone when you hear laughing behind a door that you just feel like it's not like it's a party I want to join. But I had to knock on the door because I'm the room service guy. And so I knock really hard, that's part of the policy. I go (knocking sound). And I go, "Room service."
The laughing quiets down, I hear (rustling sound). And the guy, slick back hair, he clearly has contacts in his eyes, more chest hair than I've ever seen pushing through a robe. And luckily his robe was on, but he was tightening it with the string. And he goes, "Hey, the food is here." I said, "The food is here." He goes, "The food is here." I go, "Food's here." We did this for a couple of minutes.
And he goes, "Thanks, man. I got some cash, just wait a second." So I'm holding the door open, and I see two women. They're in robes, too. And they're looking at each other, looking at me—weird things are going on. And the guy comes back and says, "Hey, you want to come in?" And I said, "What?" He said, "You want to come in to the room? Just stay awhile."
And I'm like, "Yeah, I'm good." "You sure?" "Yeah, I'm sure. I don't think I want to come in." He goes, "Okay, well, at least stay for a drink." I said, "Really, that's a very nice offer, but I got a lot of other rooms, and I don't want to get in trouble. You know how it is, managers." I'm trying to play this thing off and get out of here.
He goes, "All right, well, if you're not going to have a drink, you're not going to come in," he goes, "If you're going to deny my hospitality, then—and he holds up this lot of cash—he goes, "If you want this cash tip, you got to do me one favor." I said, "What's that?" He said, "You got to give me a fist bump." I said, "What?" He said, "Give me a fist bump." And I'm like, "This is weird, but I really needed that cash."
So I put my foot against the door to jar it open so that it couldn't be closed. And I slowly reached, and I snatched the cash from his hands. I lightly fist bumped him, and then I pushed the tray with the food into his stomach. And then I sprinted down the hallway. And I could hear him in the background, "Hey, where you going?" I'm sprinting. I hit the elevator. I'm hitting that button. I'm like, "Please, please, open doors."
I see them come out of the room. I jump into the elevator, and the doors close. (Ding) and I'm heading back down. That was just one night. One instance of many at this job that I did doing room service. And as I'm going down, I literally said a prayer. I was like, "God, just give me a sign that I'm doing the right thing here. Like, maybe this whole acting, creative thing and doing a job like this, maybe this is not good for me. I need a sign that I'm on the right path."
And I swear to you, as soon as the elevator hits the ground level and the door is open, my manager comes up to me. His name is Vince. And he says, "Hi, Aaron." New Jersey, not Aaron. "Hey, Aaron." "Hey, what's up, Vince?" "Hey, look. I got a very special assignment for you."
I said, really? He goes, "Yeah. Now, I can't tell you who it is, but I can tell you, she's a VIP." I said, "Really?" He goes, "You know what a VIP is?" I said, "Yeah, Vince. It's a very important person." He goes, "Bingo."
And then he goes on to tell me that this room requires a lot of preparation. And that I'm becoming very valued at the hotel and they wanted to give me the assignment. And on top of that, the guest has already pre-left a $300 cash tip. And I'm like, "This is amazing. So he gives me the room number—I got the tray, all these supplies—and I go up to the top. It was like the penthouse suite or whatever. It was like the fourth floor.
And even though it was the Jersey Parkway, it was the best view. And I looked at this room as I'm in there. I'm preparing, I'm sweeping, I'm dusting, I'm cleaning, and it's beautiful. And there are all these requirements, certain candies I had to put out. And I had to elevate the bed at a certain degree, because apparently, this was an entertainer. And the way they slept affected the way they breathe, and their vocal cords, and all this stuff. All these very detailed things I had to do.
And I remember wanting to put as much effort to earn that $300 as I could—put everything I had into it. And I finished the room, it took me about an hour. And I thought to myself, "Man, what's it like to be on the other side of this thing? Not the one preparing the room, but being the one to go to the room that someone prepares." And I thought, "Maybe this creative thing at the end of this, there is fruit. I just got to stay the course."
And I took one long look at the room before I exited. I go down the elevator, and I met by Vince again. And he whispers to me, "You want to know whose room you just did?" I said, "Yeah."
He said, "You know the movie Grease, the blonde? I said, "Yeah." He goes, "Olivia Newton John. That's whose room you just did." I said, "Whoa." He said, "Yeah. And Aaron, that's the closest to stardom you're ever going to get. And I said, "Thanks, Vince."
And I heard a (Ding) in the background—from the kitchen—and I knew a new room service order needed to be taken up.
7 Minute Stories is created and performed by Aaron Calafato. Audio production by Ken Wendt. You can connect with Ken or inquire about his audio production services at media216.com. Original artwork by Pete Whitehead. Find out more about Pete's work at petewhitehead.com. Special thanks to our partners at Evergreen Podcasts. And lastly, I'm Cori Birce. Make sure to tune in next week for another story.
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