Lavender Haze

Chapter 14

This is the latest I've ever been to a client meeting before, and I'm sweating through my clothes at the idea of finding Mila enraged by my lack of professionalism. Let's be clear, I'm still in time, but I make it to the St. James Hotel with only two minutes to spare. I thank Paul, the doorman, when he gets the door for me and rush inside the hotel. Wes welcomes me with a bright smile that any other day would have squashed my anxiety, but today is not that day.

"Hey," he says, meeting me in the lobby.

"Hi. I'm almost late. I'm afraid I've got visible pit stains. I've had seven mochas and three decafs today. My brother was sick, so obviously now I'm sick, too, and this day is just a nightmare. Can you overdose on aspirins? My heart is beating really fast right now." Of course, once Daniel got sick, then Rafael got sick, and I couldn't be spared the same torture of having to go through a pack of Kleenex every hour.

"Whoa," Wes mutters, chuckling. "Should I call an ambulance?"

"That was TMI, wasn't it?" I mumble, realizing what just escaped my mouth. "I bet you can't wait for our date on Wednesday."

Wes starts ushering me towards the elevators bank as he says, "I can't, actually."

That makes me smile, and for the first time since I've agreed to go on a date with Westley Henderson, my stomach flutters with anticipation. I haven't had a relationship in a while, not since Clark. I've gone on a few dates, met new men and, occasionally, slept with them, but the excitement fizzled out too soon, and once the thrill of meeting someone new evaporated, I figured the person I was dating wasn't the one. Now, I haven't been actively looking for my soulmate. I thought I found him when Clark and I got serious. Of course, I was badly, embarrassingly wrong about that. I still think there's someone out there who's going to make my eyes water so grateful I am they are alive. I don't know if that person is Wes, but why not give it a go? What do I have to lose?

"Pit stains and all?" I ask.

Wes nods decisively. "Definitely." He smiles. "That is if you feel better, of course."

"If not, I've heard cocaine does miracles against the flu."

Wes chuckles. He presses the elevator button for me. "Sounds extreme."

"I don't really know half-measures," I say, and he should take that as a warning, too.

"I'll keep that in mind," Wes mumbles as the elevator dings open.

I step inside and outstretch my hand to stop Westley from joining me. "Nuh-huh. You should not be breathing my contagious air, or Wednesday won't be happening. Just tell me what floor."

Wes looks at my hand against his chest, a smile stretching his lips. "Mr. St. James would kill –"

"I'll deal with River's temper," I declare. "Floor?"

Wes sighs. "Third. Blue room."

"Thank you." I retract my hand and press the third-floor button. "I'll see you later, Wes."

I should have asked Wes for more directions, because the Blue Room is located at the end of a serpentine of hallways. Which means that by the time I find it, I'm seven minutes late. This is a blemish of my impeccable time-keeping record, and wasn't for the Lyft driver who got into a screaming match with an Uber driver, I would have been here with plenty of time to spare.

I burst into the room without knocking. "I'm sorry I'm late." I look around the room, searching for Mila so I can straight-out drop to my knees and beg for her understanding as I self-flagellate, but only find River sitting down at a table that's already brimming with food. Normally, the scent would be enough to make my mouth water, but my nose is so stuffy I can barely smell River's signature Blue de Chanel.