There are Many Flowers in Tokyo

Chapter Three

During the long approach to the entrance of the Tokyo Belvedere Hotel, Lily pressed her cheek flat against the tinted glass and stared in utter awe of the grand building. During her travels, she'd stayed in many luxurious hotels throughout Europe and America, but they all paled in comparison to the sheer majesty of the Belvedere. Their driver brought them to a gentle halt outside of the lobby on the ground floor where the concierge was waiting. Without being asked, the driver - whose name Lily hadn't been awake enough to catch or remember - unloaded their bags onto a gilded trolley. A finely dressed porter with white gloves and a gold-buttoned jacket bowed his head to the driver politely. The young man chatted to Grace briefly in Japanese, handed her his card, and returned to the vehicle to make his exit. 

'Please,' the porter said, gesturing toward the glass doors. 'If you will come this way.'

The women followed him in revered silence, and Lily walked slowly past a long oak bench upon which stood a large vase containing a minimalistic floral arrangement. The lobby was bright and fresh, with light stone floors and floor-to-ceiling windows. A trio of low, black leather chairs were positioned around a circular coffee table which sat empty but for one, where a man with glasses and in suit was reading a paper. He didn't seem the sort to do so, but the seats would have provided anyone with a proclivity to people-watch an ideal view of the guests as they entered the building, each equally as awe-struck as the next. 

Past the elevators, large bi-folding doors led out to an enormous koi pond and garden. Sadly, the women had no time to explore it or the restaurant beside it where a live pianist played a serene melody for the diners, and cutlery clinked against porcelain plates. 

A second porter came to meet them, bowed, and led them into one of the waiting elevators. The first left with their luggage to take a service elevator, and as the doors closed before them, Lily watched their suitcases and the gilded trolley drift away into the unseen staff areas of the building. The elevator played a soothing, gentle tune which danced in the air around them. Lily and Grace shared a glance of stifled glee. Both women were accustomed to the finer things in life - Grace more so than Lily - but neither had lost that wonderment and joy that accompanied travel and pampering. They were barely into the building and already they were being treated like visiting royalty. Lily could only hope that everyone she met in Japan was as polite and accommodating.

When the doors parted, the women were guided out by the porter who seemed determined to escort them the entire way to the check-in desk. The lobby on the thirty-third floor was a phenomenal display of a small, square, rippling raised pond, zen gardens, and ikebana flower displays. Low chaises and sofas gave guests the chance to relax while waiting on cars and companions, or to simply close their eyes and let go of the burden of a long day in the city. The wide space was minimalistic, and yet Lily's gaze was drawn to the flourishes of traditional Japanese design, from the vases to the intricate black wooden panels adorning many of the internal dividing walls. Squat square lamps cast a reassuringly warm orange glow throughout the vast area. It felt oddly like walking into someone's home, if that someone happened to be a multi-billionaire.

Overhead, more light filtered down through a washi rice-paper ceiling. Lily stopped in her tracks and stared up into the void, her mouth hanging open and her breath caught at the back of her throat. As though in a dream, she wandered toward the raised, dark oak walkway and down over towards the enormous doors to the balcony. While she wasn't bold enough to step outside, Lily couldn't help but draw in a deep, shuddering breath as she took in the sight before her. The sprawling metropolis of Tokyo was a wonder to behold. And, for all the high-rises and digital signs which would, no doubt, illuminate the city at night, it wasn't lacking in green spaces. Pockets of parkland and glittering rivers reflecting the sunlight caught her eye. The people below milled around like busy ants, all hurrying through the bustling streets in their journey from point A to point B, never knowing that high above them a young woman was falling in love.