Letters from Spring Street

Chapter 11.1

After a month's stay at Le Chateau, Maine had developed some kind of routine.

Maine spent mornings roaming around the city, taking bits and pieces of inspiration from her surroundings. Spring Street was quite an interesting place--quaint coffee shops that serve mouthwatering brunch, vintage bookshops she found herself frequenting most and the little trinket shop she found at the end of the corner.

But if she was being honest, she loved the afternoons and evenings more. Maine spent her early afternoons sketching her final project at Le Chateau's lobby cafe, with afternoon tea served. She loved the feeling of being productive--she loved how her mind suddenly goes off, like a switch is flicked, and it conjures up images of what and how she wanted her final project to come out. She loved the way it feels when her sketching pens touch the delicate paper and how those images in her head come into light.

As she flips through her sketchpad, she knew she made the right decision coming to Le Chateau again.

At around three in the afternoon, she starts packing up most of her materials, because late afternoons were for Richard. She didn't intend it to be that way, but it just happened--and now it felt like this routine for the both of them.

At around three-fifteen in the afternoon she starts to crane her heads towards the lobby cafe's entrance, waiting for Richard to walk in. She had just finished the landscaping of the hotel she was designing, after so many days of arriving at nothing. Even in school she found this area particularly challenging--but she finally created something she was proud of, and she couldn't wait to show Richard.

The clock continued ticking and still no Richard. She checked for the time and was surprised to see it was already passed four in the afternoon.

Maybe he's too busy to meet me? We didn't exactly agree on meeting everyday at this hour. I'm expecting way too much from him.

Her heart leaps as she heard footsteps coming towards her and she jerks her head up. But she was not able to hide the disappointment on her face when she saw that it wasn't Richard who was walking in front of her, but Jose, his executive assistant.

"Kuya Jose, what brings you here? Is Richard okay?" She asks him as Jose approached--worry starting to fill her up.

"Nako Ms. Mendoza, I'm sorry I was late. Sir Rj asked me to tell you that he couldn't come today, may emergency kasi related to the hotel's board meeting tomorrow." Jose was wiping of the sweat off his forehead, "Kaso nagkaaberya sa reception area kanina, and I had to fix that first."

"It's okay Kuya Jose." She replies and he sits beside her. "Is Richard okay though?"

"Ay, si Ms. Mendoza, nagalala sa alaga ko!" He claps his hands comically in front of him.

Maine feels her cheeks heat up, "Maine na lang po Kuya Jose."

"Oh sya, sige. Si Ms. Maine, nagalala kay Richard. Nako, kikiligin ang alaga ko nito, kung hindi lang nagpapanic sa meeting bukas."

Maine chuckles at Jose's silliness, "That bad? Ano po ba nangyari?"

"I guess you should see for yourself, Ms. Maine." Jose replied thoughtfully, "Come to think of it, I think you can offer our Richard the perfect solution."

*********

Jose leads Maine up to the penthouse where Le Chateau's CEO stays. The floors were lined in carpets, and the walls adorned with paintings and sculptures. It all felt so regal, far from how she sees her Richard.

My Richard? Get a grip, Maine!

Jose walked ahead of her towards, intimidating mahogany doors in front them. As his hands turned the gold-painted knobs, the CEO's quarters came into view and she finally saw Richard talking to someone on the phone, pacing back and forth in his study.