Orchid Blooming, page 17
Orchid’s mouth widened as Phoenix handed her the script. “All yours.”
Tammy hopped onto a low-slung motorbike, secured the papers into her saddlebag, and made a wide arc out of the parking lot, leaving them with a wave.
Orchid stood with Phoenix. She felt the air shifting between them. He was so close. Their connection was invisible yet strong.
She turned to face him, holding out her phone. “Take one with me. Tammy’s right, this is goodbye for us, too.”
Before he could say anything, she faced her camera towards them. The screen was vertical, so they moved closer, their faces filling the screen. The thought of no longer seeing him, no more texts, no reason to contact each other… caused a knot to tighten inside her.
In the photo, they looked ebullient.
They walked to his car. A breeze ruffled her hair as she walked to the passenger side.
He opened her door. “Have you given up your corporate guise?” He gestured towards her outfit.
She slid into her seat. “My guess is that Joan’s going to announce the decision on Tuesday… you know, about China…so my look doesn’t matter anymore.”
Phoenix slipped into the driver’s seat. “I doubt your look was a bane before.”
Orchid smiled at the compliment.
They drove on side streets leading to where his aunt and uncle’s house faced the sea. He kept within the speed limit, which told her that he remembered her white knuckles during their last trip.
“This is where I used to lifeguard,” Phoenix gestured at the beach. “It’s where I spent my summers.”
She nodded and watched the beach go by. “It’s beautiful.”
“What’d you do over summers, when you were growing up?” he asked.
She simplified a complicated childhood with a well-practiced wave of her hand. “I worked. Mostly babysitting. You know.”
The car glided to a stop in front of the house. When he turned towards her, she felt her heart squeeze. She flashed back to his care after the triathlon. Her skin tingled with the memory of the two of them tucked close in Paris. The truth was that she had fallen for Phoenix. Completely. Irrevocably.
She met his eyes. Was he feeling the same?
The walked up to the front door. Caleb swung it open and nodded a chin towards her boots. “Hey. No blood?”
“Blood?” She looked down, too.
“I hear there was helluva commotion last time you were here,” Caleb grunted.
Orchid smiled brightly. “Oh, the cut! All better now,” she assured him with a grin.
Two young men bounded down the stairs to greet them. The younger one swung his dirty blond hair off his forehead. “Stew. I’m the handsome one.” He winked, and Caleb groaned.
“Orchid, and it’s nice to meet you.” She leaned forward and shook his hand.
The older cousin straightened his preppy shirt, which could have been snatched from a Ralph Lauren ad. “I’m Harry. You’re Phoenix’s friend,” he stated with a wave.
“Coworker. Mentee,” she corrected. “We came down for a meeting.” She glanced at Phoenix and reminded herself that their relationship was business, all business.
Stew checked out her outfit. “Work makes me think corporate. You seem too cool for school.”
For the second time in minutes, Orchid laughed.
“You, too.” Her gesture indicated Harry’s sun-bleached hair and faded beach attire.
“Let’s get you drinks and a tour around the house,” Harry said, leading the way towards the large kitchen.
“I don’t need a full tour,” she told him. “Let’s see, your family room’s on the other side, there's a baby-blue powder room, and I love the photos of you guys on the slopes.”
“What the bejeezers, are you psychic?” Harry spewed.
Caleb butted in. “You don’t know? She practically bled out on the sofa.”
Bled out. Orchid felt her eyes cast down for a millisecond, a flash that the others probably didn’t notice. Phoenix brushed her sleeve, a gentle motion offering comfort. After all these months working side by side, it was as if he could read her telltale signs.
He saved her, by giving his family a quick recap of her sliced foot, and then reminding them about getting drinks.
Stew produced a six-pack from the fridge.
“Cheers,” said Stew. “To Orchid, for brightening our Fourth.”
“How could I brighten it? I thought this was a highlight of your year.” She took a sip of beer.
“We’ve grown a little too old for the parade. So, all that’s left is drinking.” Harry clinked his brew against hers.
“Are you going to the parade?” she asked Caleb. “Nope, my vote’s on drinking,” he replied, and demonstrated with a sizable gulp.
“How ‘bout you, Phoenix? Since that parade inspired your work with combat-wounded vets,” Stew snickered.
“Nothing against vets.” He raised both hands.
Orchid noticed how Phoenix’s lips compressed.
“This family doesn’t let you live anything down,” he said. “No, I’m not going to the parade.” He turned to Orchid. “But I bet Stew here would accompany you, if you’d like.”
“Why not you?” she asked, almost as a tease, and then regretted having asked.
Stew answered for him. “Baby Phoenix went the first time hoping to see animals.”
Harry and Caleb guffawed in anticipation of the punchline.
“Cause he thought vets were doctors for pets.”
Orchid tried to hide her giggle behind her hand.
Phoenix feigned hurt. “I did eventually figure it out, but—”
Stew cut him off, as if on a roll. “Then he comes back and is like, where were the vets? All I saw were gwandpas in wheelie chairs.”
Caleb slapped the countertop. Harry doubled over, holding his side.
Phoenix opened his mouth to playfully respond, as if trying to be a good sport while his family embarrassed him.
Her phone vibrated. She pulled it from her bag and glanced at it. “Sorry, it’s my boss,” she explained, then returned the phone to her bag. She looked up at the cousins, who seemed to be vying for her attention.
“What did Joan say?” Phoenix asked.
“She said to call her next week.”
“Could be good news,” Phoenix said encouragingly.
Harry pointed at their starfish wall clock. “It’s after five on the Fourth—bosses can wait.”
Orchid glanced at the kitschy timepiece and grinned. “I love the beach theme here. It suits this house.”
“We have starfish everything,” Stew chimed in.
“It’s half past the third leg,” she read the time.
“Third leg?” Caleb grunted.
Phoenix redirected the tone of the conversation, as if Caleb might devolve into something inappropriate. “I always thought it was cool that starfish can regenerate limbs. Only a handful of animals can do that.”
“Scientists found the genes for regeneration in us, too,” said Caleb. “They were able to regrow a frog’s leg.”
Orchid felt the bridge of her nose wrinkle. “Not something I want to picture,” she said.
“Come for that tour,” Stew insisted. He hooked one arm in Orchid’s and turned her toward the staircase.
Caleb slunk towards the family room with his beer. “I’m going to see if there’s a game on.”
She saw Phoenix follow his brother, and then sink into the other end of the sofa.
Upstairs, her feet sank into thick carpeting. The bedrooms were outfitted in soothing lavender. She listened to Stew prattle and thought of Phoenix.
Last time they’d been at this shore house, he’d cared for her. The lavishness of the place, its sumptuous status, wasn’t a barrier between them. Gratitude swelled inside her chest. “Thanks for the tour,” she said to Stew and headed downstairs.
From outside of the family room, she overheard Phoenix’s voice.
“I’m tired of holding onto secrets,” he said. “I know how it looks—our relationship—but it’s more complicated than I can explain. Believe it or not,” he said, “Dad had a hand in this.”
A chill ran up her back, freezing her in place. Our relationship; was he talking about her? And what about his father? She stilled an urge to run in and ask. Caleb did it for her.
“Dad? What are you talking about?”
There was silence before Phoenix spoke. “He asked me to do a favor for him.”
“Geez, what kind of favor?”
“He wanted me to look her up. She was part of an old court case.”
“That makes no sense,” Caleb said.
“Well, we can’t ask him now, can we?” Phoenix retorted. “You might say it was his final wish to me before he died. He said to tell no one.”
Orchid felt sick, light-headed. Court case took her back to being twelve. Nothing made sense. She could make out the back of Phoenix outlined against the flickering TV screen. He always was too good to be true.
“Hey, I wanted to say goodbye and thank you,” she called, and then opened the front door. Fresh air would help her think.
Phoenix got to his feet and rushed after her. “You’re leaving already?”
“I want to get back to the city before dark, but you stay.”
Hearing the conversation, Stew came down the stairs. Harry emerged from the kitchen. “Just a few more hours until fireworks,” the younger brother cajoled.
“I’m not a fan of fireworks.” Her brow bunched, and she stepped outside.
“Actually, heading out before traffic is a good idea,” said Phoenix. He waved to his brother and cousins, grabbed his keys, and followed Orchid out onto the porch.
“Stay. Hang out with your fam.” Her voice caught on the last word. After all her success, the one thing she didn’t have was family. And now the trust Phoenix had earned was evaporating. She jogged down the steps.
“Orchid, I’ll drive you,” he said. “There’s no public transportation around here and you’ll wait forever for an Uber. If you can even get one.”
He followed her to the curb where she was tapping on her phone.
“Shit. No car service.”
He pressed the fob to unlock the door, then held it open for her.
She tilted her face up from her phone and stared at him, tension throbbing through her head, judging him, questioning his intention.
“C’mon. Let me drive you. You can text Joan from the car.”
He looked at her with care.
“Joan,” she nodded, remembering. “Fine,” she finally conceded.
She slid into the seat, her mind swirling with confusion. They sped along the quiet streets towards the highway, I’m a favor? A last wish?
Like a volcano under pressure, she exploded. “Your dad had you look me up? What does that even mean?”
“Oh, God,” he said. “I’m so sorry you heard that. You were never meant to know. He didn’t want me to tell anyone.”
“I don’t understand any of this,” she said, wishing she were miles away from him.
“He said that being a judge weighed on him. He asked me for a good Samaritan deed. Your case was special to him. he wanted me to do a kindness for you.”
“Was the kindness to mess with my brain?”
“I didn’t mess with you.”
“You let me think that we met by chance, and that I earned that creative work because I was talented. So, well, yeah, you screwed with me. How the hell did you find me anyway? How’d you know what I needed?”
He gripped the steering wheel. “I can hear you’re upset.”
“Upset? Everything between us has been based on pretense. How can I trust you?”
“You’ve known me all these months. Have I done one thing that’s not in your best interest?”
“Dishonesty is not in my best interest. Everything between us was a ruse. A handout. I’m one of your damn charities.”
“Nothing was a handout. Dad told me about you, but–”
She interrupted. “You think you’re some prince. Makes you feel good, to take pity on poor me, doesn’t it?”
“I don’t pity you.”
“You think I’m just some charity case. Everything you did. That’s unethical.”
“I don’t think so.”
All her thoughts were pouring out now. None of his protestations mattered.
“I thought I was lucky to meet you. I thought I earned that assignment. I thought I’d done a good job.”
“You deserved it, you earned it.”
“It was a lie. It was a handout. You think I need that? You didn’t respect me. You felt sorry for me.”
“I did respect you. I do respect you.”
“Everything was a lie from the start, wasn’t it? Even meeting at the Pyramid Club.” Her hysteria cooled to detachment.
“Okay, I’ll tell you everything. Let me explain,” he said.
She was a statue. Her hard stare could have crumbled the road for miles ahead of them.
“I did come to the Pyramid Club to see you. I just wanted to know that you were okay. Dad wanted me to see if I could do something for you, and I didn’t know what you needed.”
“How the hell did you even know where to go?”
“This might sound bad, but I was really busy, so I outsourced.”
“Outsourced? What does that mean?”
“I hired a PI. She overheard your conversation. When you were talking to Mandy. She told me where to meet you.”
Orchid swiveled like an automaton. The force of her astonishment was immeasurable.
The car lurched and Phoenix had to adjust, in order to keep from heading into a ditch.
“PI? As in private investigator? You had a detective trailing me?” she shrieked.
“Months ago, but not anymore. Dad wanted me to do something nice for you, and I didn’t know what it could be. I didn’t have time to figure it out, so I hired someone.”
Orchid felt her face screw up with renewed rage.
“Hire someone? I was followed?” She wanted to strike him, cause him pain. His deception went straight to her bones, painful and unrelenting.
“It wasn’t supposed to come to this, I swear. It was supposed to be one good Samaritan deed, then move on. For Dad.”
“Your whole family is a piece of work. They think they can play God? Just because I didn’t grow up with money and a family? Seriously, who do you think you are?” She took a deep breath. “I feel like I’m going to throw up. Or punch you.”
He extended arm. “I’d prefer the punch.”
She rubbed her forehead. “You think it’s a joke. You don’t even get how horrific this is. Who else have you done this with? Played with them like a pawn?”
“No one. Dad said this was like a good deed for all the kids who came through his court. He didn’t want you to know the source of the good will.”
“Of course not. Because it makes no sense.” She put her hands on the dashboard. “Never mind the ride—let me out. I’d rather walk than take another favor from you.” She reached for the door handle as if that could make him pull over.
Phoenix put a hand on her forearm. “Orchid Kai Lan Paige. You’re misunderstanding, I promise. I didn’t know about you until Dad told me. But everything else, you’ve earned it. I didn’t give you the ad work out of pity. You had the skills to do it, and you helped me out. You did an amazing job. I should’ve let you go before now. I should’ve had someone else mentor you. But I was selfish. I wanted to spend time with you. I—”
Orchid felt her face pinch. She pulled her arm out of his reach and let go of the door handle. “Now I’m your outlet for some savior fantasy.”
“Not at all. You amaze me. With your smarts, and savvy, your ability to never give up.”
“Yeah, that’s what people do when they don’t have any safety net. You know what’s so sick about what you did? I’ve battled for everything I have. I worked my way through school, I fought for this job, and earned everything, including my shoebox apartment, my transit card, my gym membership. But now, if I get this assignment, I won’t have that satisfaction. You’ve soiled it.”
She watched him drive, his face a study in anguish. He must see how manipulative it looked from her perspective. Their whole relationship had been built on a falsehood.
“My intentions weren’t bad. But I’m still a shit.” His self-recrimination sounded genuine.
“You’re not a shit. What you did was shitty,” she corrected, her fury mollified a touch.
“So, what did Joan say after all?” he asked, now that her voice was calmer.
“Do you have any right to ask? For all I know, you paid her off. Money can buy anything, can’t it? What does she know about us, anyway?”
“She doesn’t know about Dad’s last wishes. No one does.”
“Except Caleb.”
“Not until now.”
“At least one of you isn’t a liar.”
“I’m sorry, Orchid. But the truth is, no matter how it all started, now we’re in each other’s lives. I can’t undo that. And I don’t want to.”
“What a novelty it must be, meeting someone who didn’t summer on the Riviera.”
“You’re going too far. You know me. You’ve known me these months. Do you really think I’m elitist? That I’m getting a kick out of saving someone? Think about it, does that make any sense?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted, “Knowing that your dead father made you do a good deed for me recolors everything you did. You could’ve been doing it out of guilt, or obligation. I’m your way to feel better about yourself. Why else would you go out of the way?”
Phoenix glanced at her. “You know why else? Because I believed in you. Because you earned it.”
She suddenly realized that she wanted him to say, Because I’ve fallen for you. If he did, then what? She’d sensed that his heart was pure. Despite her anger, she knew he was a good person.
As they approached the tunnel, the sun already well below the horizon, they could see faraway bursts of sparkly lights. Fourth of July. Celebrations. Happy families.
She heard her phone vibrate. It was from Joan. She read the text, then felt her eyes grow wide. “Joan just gave me the China assignment.” She sat in shock.
