Scenario Description: This takes place in a moderate-sized hotel. Keith and Kathy work at the front desk. (Mgr=manager)
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| Role | Dialog |
| Narrator | This takes place in a moderate-sized hotel. Keith and Kathy work at the front desk. (Mgr=manager) |
| Keith | Kathy, can you handle the front desk for a few minutes. I need to go speak with the manager. |
| Kathy | Sure, no problem. Have a ball! |
| Narrator | Manager’s office door is closed. Keith knocks lightly on the door three times. |
| Mgr | Come in! (Keith cracks the door open and pokes his head inside the door.) |
| Keith | Hi, Boss. Do you have a few minutes to talk? |
| Mgr | Sure, Keith, what’s on your mind? (Keith enters, closes the door, and sits down in front of the boss’s desk.) |
| Keith | I was wondering if I could take next week off. I know it’s very short notice, but I just got word that my best friend is going to get married in Paris next week and he wants me to be his best man. I can’t say no to that. |
| Mgr | How does the schedule look next week? Will we need someone to cover for you? |
| Keith | Yes, sir, I’m afraid so. I’m on the schedule for swing shift next week, five days. I was hoping you could get someone to cover for me. |
| Mgr | I’m afraid there are no spare bodies available, Keith. We are running with minimum staff right now. You may recall that we had two front desk staff quit last week to go to work for that new Hyatt Hotel that opened across the street. That really hurt. |
| Keith | What can I do, sir? I really need to take next week off. |
| Mgr | All I can think of for you to do is to ask some other front desk personnel to cover for you. They would have to work a double shift to cover both their shift and yours next week. One person can’t work five 16-hour days since that’s against company policy. You’ll have to get at least two people to stand in for you to cover all five days. We won’t exceed any working-hour limits if you can do that. |
| Keith | Thank you, sir. I’ll see what I can do. I don’t think anyone’s going to be too happy about working double shifts for two or three days. I know I wouldn’t. Thanks again, sir. |
| Mgr | Good luck, Keith. I wish I could do more to help you, but we’re just too short-handed right now. |
| Narrator | Keith leaves the office and goes back to the front desk. Kathy apparently didn’t get any new customers. She’s standing there twiddling her thumbs. |
| Kathy | All done? |
| Keith | Yeah. Hey, Kathy. I’ve got a favor to ask. |
| Kathy | Uh, oh. The look in your eyes tells me I’m not going to like this “favor”. Am I right? |
| Keith | I’m afraid so. I need to take next week off and I need someone to cover my shift for me because we’re short-handed. That’ll mean working a double shift for two or three days. Can you help out a friend in need? |
| Kathy | Ouch. You want me to work two or three 16-hour days! That sucks. What do I get out of the deal? |
| Keith | Well, of course, whenever you need to take some days off, I would cover for you for the same number of days. |
| Kathy | Hm, something tells me you’re despeeeeraaaate… How badly do you want this? |
| Keith | Uh, oh. Now I don’t like the look in your eyes. You’re going to make me pay dearly, aren’t you? |
| Kathy | (smiles sweetly) You can bet on it, sonny boy. You know how I hate to work overtime. If I cover for you for three days, you’re going to have to owe me six days in return. |
| Keith | Six! That’s… (Keith see’s Kathy standing there with her arms crossed, smiling sweetly, and slowly tapping one foot on the floor.) That’s extortion! |
| Kathy | I didn’t say it wasn’t. Take it or leave it! |
| Keith | Kathy, I thought you were my friend. I can’t believe you would take advantage of this situation like that. |
| Kathy, | Believe it, Keithy Boy. You want me to suffer for you, then you’re going to have to suffer double for me. But there’s no “extortion” here. You can simply say no. It’s your choice. Voluntary, you know? |
| Keith | So you’re going to be a fair-weather friend during my time of need, huh? |
| Kathy | That about sums up the situation. Sorry, but sometimes, life’s a bitch. |
| Keith | All right. We have a deal. But if we ever go out for dinner again, we’re going Dutch. No more freeloading off of my chivalry…and my paycheck! |
| Kathy | I can understand how you might feel that way. Okay, deal. If we ever go out again, we go Dutch. |
| Keith | Okay, now where can I find one more, um, “good friend” to cover for me for my other two days without making me pay through the nose for the favor? |
| Kathy | Well, Sally is a poor, lonely single girl who I hear is shopping around for a new boyfriend. If you talk sweet to her, she just might take pity on your poor soul and exact a minimum blood sacrifice from you. She’ll probably only want you to promise to take her to dinner, oh what, maybe 10 times—and I’ll bet going Dutch won’t cut the mustard. |
| Keith | Darn! You girls are killing me! |
| Narrator | Keith calls Sally on the phone. She is sleeping in preparation for working mid-shift tonight. She yawns. |
| Sally | Helloooo. Whoever this is, you’d better have a good reason for waking me up! |
| Keith | Hi, Sally, it’s Keith. Listen, I’m sorry to wake you up but I have an emergency situation and I need to ask a big favor of you. |
| Sally | (She perks up and comes awake immediately!) A big favor, huh? How big exactly? |
| Keith | (rolls his eyes in his head) Very big. I need you to work two double shifts for me next week. |
| Sally | Say what! Two double shifts! Are you nuts? That’s two 16-hour days! I get exhausted just working 12-hour days. Um, how badly do you need this favor, hm? |
| Keith | Oh, no! Not again… |
| Sally | Not again what? |
| Keith | Kathy just put the thumbscrews to me in return for her covering three of my five days next week. Now it sounds like you’re going to do the same. |
| Sally | Hahaha! Well, I’ll be. This just isn’t your week, is it? How many liters of blood did she extract from you? |
| Keith | About eight, I’d say. |
| Sally | Weeeellllll, maybe I can go a little easier on you—perhaps only six liters. |
| Keith | Saaaaaalleeeeeey! Come on; give me a break! |
| Sally | ‘Fraid not, sweetheart. I have the high ground and I’m not too proud to use it. Let me see what will sooth the considerable pain and suffering I’m going to have to endure. Hm… Yes, I would say that weekly dinner dates for three months should cover it! And NO going Dutch. Deal? |
| Keith | Oh, just shoot me now, please. |
| Sally | Oh, no, that would be too easy. You’re between a rock and a hard place. Only one way out—submit! |
| Keith | Okaaaaay. Deal. I’ll let you go back to sleep. |
| Sally | No, I think I’ll get up and start planning all the expensive dinner dates you’re going to treat me to for the next three months. Hurry back from your week off! I’m getting hungry already! Hahaha! Good-bye. (click) |
| Kathy | Well, how’d it go with Sally? Was she kind and understanding? |
| Keith | She’s even more cruel that you are! Just remember—what goes around comes around. |
| Kathy | Ha! We’ll see. Oh, look! Some customers! Back to woooooork… (Keith groans long and soft.) |
