Page 15 of A Prague Noel

Ondrej and I exchanged a look, and I wasn’t sure what I was seeing in his expression. He took the glass from me and hustled toward the bar.

"So, how long have you all known Ondrej?" I asked as I stood ill at ease in a circle of strangers.

"Since we were kids," Andel replied. "He's always been the serious one among us, “so don’t take anything personally.” There were nods of agreement around the circle.

“Prague is a big city but a small town, too,”Jáchyminterjected. “Sometimes it feels everyone knows everyone.”

I thought of the anonymity of LA and thought that sounded both comforting and terrifying.

Brigita leaned closer to me. “Hotel Novák means a lot to all of us. We all basically grew up there.”

Her comment caught me off guard and I glanced around the group. They were all staring at me expectantly as though I was supposed to have a prepared response.

I nervously cleared my throat.

“That’s very special,” I said. “I’m from such a big transient city it feels like you don’t know anyone for very long.”

“That is no way to live,” Andel said.

“Maybe not. But I think it’s the reality of modern life,” I said.

“We all want to preserve it’s legacy. The hotel,” Brigita went on. She seemed hell-bent on making a point here.

I nodded. “I get that. And I respect it, truly. My job is to find a way for the hotel to thrive while preserving that legacy."

"That's a nice sentiment, Sienna. But in the end, it's all about the bottom line for your company, isn't it?"

I turned at the sound of Ondrej’s voice. He was right behind me, holding two fresh beers. He extended one to me.

“Thank you,” I said, taking the beer. His words stung a bit, but I couldn't blame him for his skepticism. "It's a business, yes. But businesses are made up of people, memories, experiences. I'm not here to strip the Hotel Novák of its soul."

A silence fell over the table, everyone seemingly pondering my words.

“Let's hope that's true.” Ondrej sipped his beer, but his eyes stayed locked on me.

“I’m not. Going to strip it.” My face was getting hotter by the second, so I buried myself in my beer. Ondrej just smirked. “I also didn’t come over here to talk business.”

“Why did you then? Come over?” Ondrej said.

I stared at him hard for a moment before shrugging. “The free beer, of course.”

He smirked then turned back to his friends.

The conversation shifted then, moving away from the hotel and into lighter topics - stories of Prague, shared memories, and plenty of good-natured ribbing. I listened, chimed in when I could, and laughed at jokes I only half understood. Despite their initial chilly introduction, they seemed like a friendly, funny bunch. Ondrej’s smiles didn’t come easily, but even he spared a few laughs now and then. Our laughter mingled with the pub's chorus, a melodious blend that softened the edges of our professional facades. In the amber glow of the bar, the weight of our earlier encounters dissolved into the hoppy tang of our shared beers.

“What is Los Angeles like?” Andel asked me.

I bobbed my head, trying to think how to describe my frantic home. “It’s electric. It’s massive and sprawling and chaotic. But it has its own charm. It’s the home of Hollywood, of course, so there’s an element of glamor everywhere you go. But it’s—” How did I put it into words, this pressure cooker feeling I’d been having lately? “I guess it can be a bit much. There is a lot of pressure to succeed and be somethingextra.”I paused and saw them all staring at me with such curious intensity.

“Sounds stressful,” Ondrej finally said.

I sighed. “It can be.”

“You should stay in Prague. Much better for the soul,” Andel said, grinning.

The words were clearly a joke, but they sparked something in me nonetheless—a small vision of what that dream might look like. A tiny euphoric wave washed over me at the idea of packing it all in and moving this enchanted land.

I snapped back to attention when I realized someone had said something to me.

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