Where the Lotus Flowers Grow (7 page)

His hand reached for mine, but I pulled away before contact.

“I’m sorry. I am.” He shook his head. “God, I can’t believe I said that.”

“Why? It’s the truth.”

“It’s me being a complete dick is what it is.”

I understood why he’d snapped. It wasn’t to lash out at me, but to protect himself. I employed the same exact methods. I shouldn’t have pressed. Each of his movements had been a clear warning, a plea even, to step lightly.

He offered me an apologetic smile. “It’s the funny thing about childhood. You think it’s the worst of times when you’re living it.”

“And the best of times when it’s over.” I finished his thought. “Very Dickensian, sir.”

“Please don’t call me ‘sir,’ especially when I’m referring to you by your first name.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Will you tell me something she wrote?”

“I’m supposed to ask you questions, remember?”

“Questions about the hotel, but we’re not doing that, are we?”

“No, I suppose we’re not.”

“Motherly advice is something I’ve never had.” Unless it involved whitening creams or the proper way to apply kohl. “If you share the words with me, I’ll pass them on. They’ll go into the universe and then maybe, one day, you’ll hear them again. You’ll see what I mean about words not dying.”

“Your persistence surprises me, Miss Costa.”

It surprised me, too…my persistence and my lack of resistance. “Sorry, sir. We can move on.” I folded my hands in my lap and waited for him to ask me something.

“Here’s one I rather like. It’s the story of two roads. There are only two roads in life. The high road and the easy road. The high road is difficult, full of jagged rocks and pits and steep curves, but the journey is worth it. The easy road is smooth and straight, but it’s also paved with regret. Always travel the high road, Liam. Always the high road. That’s what she wrote.”

“Good advice. Do you follow it?”

“I wish I could tell you I did, but I don’t always.”

“Maybe there’s a place where both roads intersect.”

I hoped a place like that existed because being with Liam Montgomery was both easy and difficult. Which path did I want more? Or was there even an open path for me to choose? The way he looked at me said yes. But all the ways of the world said no.

I jumped as Liam’s phone buzzed, the harsh sound sawing through the thick tension in the room.

He glared at the screen. “Excuse me, please. I have to take this.” He answered the phone and told the other person to hang on the line. I wondered if it was a bird calling him.

“I’m going to go now.” I stood and walked toward the door. As I turned the handle, his husky voice coiled around me, almost pulling me back into the room.

“Next time I order room service, don’t make me do it four times, Miss Costa.”

Thankfully, I wasn’t facing him, because I smiled so wide, my jaw protested. “Yes, sir.”

Liam

Stephen argued we needed to execute the contract soon. The lawyers had signed off, and the buyers were anxious. I stared at the vacant chair across from me the whole time he spoke. At least he was sober.

“I’ll call you tomorrow, Stephen.”

“What? No, we need to talk about this. We have—”

“Fuck. Off.”

I slammed the phone on the bed. It bounced three times before landing on the pillow.

Why the hell did I tell her all that stuff? Details I had never told anyone. The girl was calm and chaos rolled into one. Every time she called me ‘sir,’ it was a reminder our relationship was imbalanced and improper. Still, the fucking term turned me on. I had slapped it back in her face, hadn’t I? I’d stung her with my words…and guess what?

Words. Don’t. Die.

The girl, both subservient and rebellious, was becoming more of a mystery to me. How brave was she? She’d lost her entire family and moved to a new city on her own. Although my stepmother, father, and Stephen weren’t exactly loving people, at least I’d had a home. I had a fucking emergency contact, and I didn’t have to worry about supporting myself.

She had no one. Yet, somehow that made her stronger. The questions I had asked Mary harpooned straight into inappropriateness. They discredited my reputation as an honest businessman. But she’d turned the tables on me.

Get your shit together.

Maybe I needed to take Mum’s advice. Take the high road and not order room service tomorrow night. I’d forget about her. Forget the way her body moved as she walked across a room. Forget her long limbs and soft curves. I’d forget about her pouty lips and silky hair. Or the way she parted her mouth or the crimson blush that settled over her face when I flirted. I’d forget how hard I was, too. Well…some things couldn’t be ignored.

* * * *

I spent the next day convincing myself I’d forgotten all about her. Even as I dialed room service, I blamed it on hunger. Yeah, I was hungry all right.

I didn’t know what to expect this time, but I sure as shit didn’t expect Mary’s anger. I got a full dose as she rolled the cart past me so fast I had to get out of the way.

“How are you?”

“Pissed off, sir.” She turned back to me, hands on her hips. “Is that the right term?”

“Oh yeah, you nailed it.”

She dropped the cloche on the table, its silver platter clanging as it landed. “May I get you anything else, sir?”

“An explanation perhaps. What has you so upset?”

“Are you planning to demolish the fountain?”

It was the last possible thing I expected her to bring up. “Yes. It’s an eyesore.”

“The stones are crumbling, but the inside structure is still intact. If you take it down, the flower will die.”

“Why is the flower so important to you?”

“It’s a lotus flower.”

I had no idea how that answered my question. “Yes, I’m aware. If you care to make a valid argument, please do. I’m willing to listen.”

“It was a present to me.”

“From who?” I hope to God it wasn’t from the bastard driver I sacked.

“When I left the orphanage, the sisters gave me a packet of seeds and told me to plant them wherever I was. Like you, I didn’t appreciate the gift. When I arrived here, I threw the seeds in that stupid fountain and never thought of it again.”

“But it blossomed.”

“Yes, a single flower took root. It should not have. I never took care of it. But it grew anyway. It’s not much, but it’s a tiny miracle. At least it is to me. They are the most special flowers in the entire universe. Did you know that?”

I raised my hands. “I did not. Tell me, Mary, why do they hold such a prestigious place?”

“The Buddhists believe they are a symbol of purity. I do, too.”

“Purity?”

“They grow in darkness and muck, in the dirtiest places possible, but when they emerge from the water, they are clean and pure. They symbolize resurrection, because even in darkness, there is light.”

“That’s a sweet sentiment, but you aren’t convincing me.”

She crossed her arms. “You’re such a bully.”

I held back my laughter, but I couldn’t suppress my smile. How did she manage to look so damn beautiful when she was angry? “We’re progressing from ‘sir,’ but I don’t really care for the term ‘bully.’ Can we negotiate something in between?”

She swiped a wisp of hair from her forehead. “Everyone who works here loves that flower. Not just me. It brings them some small joy to walk past every day. Even Prabhat likes it, and he never likes anything.”

“Mary, I don’t want to take anything away from anybody, but you can’t call me a bully because I want to remove a dilapidated old fountain that is a haven for mosquitoes.”

She sighed, staring out the window. At the very spot where I first saw her at the same damn fountain we were arguing about. “Every morning, I lay out candles around the perimeter. I make sure they stay lit throughout the day. It keeps the mosquitoes away.”

“I see.”

“I remove any litter. I can’t do anything about the stones, though.”

“I’ll have the flower relocated.”

“You’ll kill it.”

“If it survived once, I’m sure—”

“It’s strong, but delicate. You can’t change the habitat without destroying it.”

“Then we’ll plant a new one. Okay?”

“Don’t you think it’s special how one seed hung on? How it beat all the odds?”

I think you’re special, Mary. That’s what I think.

“I’ll take it under advisement. Can we move on now?”

Her shoulders slumped with defeat. “Yes, sir.”

Fuck it.
If fixing a stupid fountain made her happy, then I’d do it. I moved to her. Her spine straightened. I placed a hand on each of her shoulders. Her breathing changed. The pale moon cast her face in a soft glow. I inhaled her scent…spiced vanilla and citrus. God, I wanted to run my nose against her Audrey Hepburnesque neck. “Okay, Mary. We won’t get rid of it.”

“Don’t do it just because I want you to. Do it for the right reasons.”

“What other bloody reason do I have? You think I believe in resurrection and purity? Trust me, neither of those concepts are high on my list. But it means something to you, so in turn, it means something to me. That…that is the right reason as far as I’m concerned.”

“Why am I the right reason?”

I didn’t have an answer. Hell, I couldn’t even make sense of it myself. “You just are.”

She fingered her cross. I almost wondered if she’d hold it out toward me to repel my sinful thoughts. I pulled my hands back. As quick as an autumn wind, she changed directions.

“It’s your birthday tomorrow, isn’t it?”

“How did you know?”

“Prabhat is throwing you a party.” She clamped her hand over her. “Shit. It’s a surprise party.”

Although I hated the idea, I chuckled at hearing her swear.

“Don’t laugh. It’s not funny. I just ruined it.”

I pulled out a chair for her. She eyed it warily.

“Please sit. Our supper will get cold.”

“You’re treating this romantically.”

“Romantic? You have no idea what romance is. It’s certainly not your coming to my room, all cloak and dagger, with a room service cart. This is just a business dinner.”

My words must have done more harm than good because she looked hurt.

“Do you often have business dinners with maids?”

“Stop.”

“Stop what?”

“Stop making this about what we do. We’re two people having a conversation. If you don’t want to be here, then you’re free to go.”

“I want to be here.”

I exhaled in relief. “Good, but you have to promise me you’ll check all those doubts and fears at the door. Can you do it?”

“I’ll try, sir.”

“Works for me.” I fetched a bottle of water for her

“Thank you.”

I slumped into the other seat. “You know what’s not good, though?”

“What?”

“Surprise parties. I’ll tell Prabhat to cancel. Don’t worry, I won’t tell him how I found out.”

“He’ll be upset.”

I wanted to tell her I didn’t give a fuck about Prabhat being upset, but my stomach grumbled. “Let’s eat.”

She took two plates from the tray. I opened the dome and ladled out lamb stew. We tore pieces of buttered naan and scooped it. “Are you afraid of Prabhat, Mary?”

“Yes.”

“Has he treated you unfairly?”

“No. He is my boss. Everyone is afraid of him to some degree.”

“You shouldn’t be afraid of him.”

“Please don’t cancel it. They are allowing us to work extra time. It may not mean much to you, but there are a lot of people counting on those wages.”

“Who says that doesn’t mean anything to me?” I sighed, wanting to get off this stupid topic. Our time was limited, and the last thing I wanted was a debate. “Okay, Mary. I’ll attend and act surprised.”

She relaxed a bit. “Thank you.”

I downed a bottle of Kingfisher. I preferred Guinness, but it wasn’t bad. She explained how the lamb was seasoned with fresh spices and cooked over a low flame, simmering for hours. She moaned after her first bite, closing her eyes, her mouth chewing slowly. It was fucking delicious…and the lamb was good, too.

My hand twitched as the light caught her hair. I wanted to touch it, but I also wished to draw those strands. I imagined what it might look like loose, flowing against her back, tangled between my fingers.

“Why doesn’t anyone here know you speak English?”

She stared out the window. I tapped the pencil against the blank paper. Blank paper and a fine lead point…so many possibilities. I never took notes with a pencil. In fact, I hadn’t even realized there were a few in my briefcase until I pulled out the legal pad. It was a subconscious choice on my part, but what my brain couldn’t comprehend, my hands did.

“It didn’t seem important. No one ever asked me.”

I wanted to bring up the fact that Prabhat had asked her point blank the other day, but I thought it better to muzzle my curiosity on that issue. This was my time with her, and I really didn’t want to spend it talking about Prabhat.

“Are you taking notes about this?”

“Just jotting down a few things I need to remember. You could do better with your life.”

“Better how?”

“Make more money. Work an office job. Something less…manual.”

“That’s important to you, isn’t it? Money.”

“It’s important to everyone.”

“Not true. I’m happy with this work. It’s hard work at times, but I need it. It helps me focus.”

“Focus on what?”

She sighed, fidgeting impatiently.
Stay still, Mary
, I silently commanded.

“Do you have any real questions?”

“Was he your boyfriend?”

“Who?”

“The man I saw with you at the fountain the first morning I arrived, and then later at the pool.”

“Did you hear us?”

“Answer my question first.”

“We were a fling. He wanted more.” A realization flickered over her features. “Wait…you saw me at the fountain? That’s why you called me Lotus Girl? And you sacked him because of me?”

“Yes. Yes. And hell yes. He was harassing you. Everyone should feel safe where they work.”

“Don’t do me any more favors. I can take care of myself. If I need help, Mr. Montgomery, I am fully aware of the proper channels as outlined in the Wilshire Hotel Corporate Handbook.”