Chapter Four
T he knock on her office door startled her a little from the screen she had been staring at for the past twenty minutes, forcing her to take a break. She was grateful for the intrusion, only now noticing how dry and itchy her eyes had become as she pulled off her glasses and blinked furiously. However, she was certain her eyes were deceiving her when she looked at the door opening to be greeted by the sight of her assistant, Janet, and the object in her hands.
“Janet?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you carrying a plant? Is this you trying to get me to have more greenery in here because you know I can kill them with a single look.”
“No,” Janet replied with a smirk, “although you might not have a choice in the matter with this one.”
“What are you talking about?”
“This was just delivered for you,” she announced, placing it down on the edge of Debs’ desk.
“For me?” Debs stood from her chair, rounding the desk and studying the plant that now sat in front of her.
“Yes. It’s a Peace Lily. Very easy to look after, so either someone knows you and your habit for killing off plants, or they took a wild yet correct guess that you might be too busy and need something that thrives on a little neglect.”
Debs took in the broad, long, waxy, deep green leaves of the plant, delicately running her fingers over the top of one of them. It felt surprisingly sturdy underneath her fingertips. There were no flowers on it, but she could see the longer stems where she assumed they would bloom from when the time was right, assuming she didn’t kill it by then. Her attention was drawn by the small envelope which was balanced in the front of the bright yellow ceramic pot, and she plucked it from its resting place, curious as to who had gifted her such a thing. Even though she had no aptitude for growing plants, she couldn’t deny it was beautiful, even now without flowers, and the thought that someone had taken the time to send her such a gift made her chest fill with warmth. She was just about to slide the card out of the envelope when she noticed the subtle shift of Janet behind her shoulder, conspicuously trying to see the name written inside. Pulling it closer to her chest, she threw Janet a look.
“Don’t you have work to be doing?”
With a smirk and a knowing look, Janet turned and left, leaving Debs alone. She waited until the door was firmly shut before she pulled the card out. It wasn’t like she had anything to hide; she certainly wasn’t dating or had any admirers that she was aware of, and so, really, she shouldn’t feel the need to be so secretive about whoever it was who had sent her the plant. She couldn’t help but feel that she wanted to keep this little piece of information to herself for as long as possible, though. It had been so long since anyone had bought her anything of meaning, especially as a surprise. James, knowing her inability to keep anything apart from the children alive for longer than forty-eight hours, had stopped buying her flowers years ago. Even those, already technically dead the moment they were cut, would forget to be watered, wilting far quicker than intended.
And yet, despite her confusion, she was still shocked when she read the short message, a gasp falling into the silent office as she took in the name printed on the card.
Thank you for your help yesterday, you were truly a knight in shining armour!
Sienna x
The act was so simple, Debs hadn’t even given it any thought. Sienna had a problem that Debs was able to easily solve, and there was barely any time between hearing Sienna share what was panicking her and Debs dialling the number on her phone. The thank you she had received yesterday was more than enough. And yet, it had apparently made such an impact the woman had decided that a gift was in order.
With fresh eyes, Debs studied the plant in front of her, finding even more beauty in it than she had done before now she knew the identity of its sender. Slipping the card into her trouser pocket, she strode over to the door and pulled it open, surprising Janet, who was now sitting behind the desk.
“Janet, how do you keep a Peace Lily from dying?”
Sienna cleared away the few sheets of paper that had been left on tables, most of the kids heeding her instruction to tidy up wherever they were sitting. The Lighthouse’s first full day operating as it was intended was almost over. Sienna had spent most of the day in the office, her sessions with those who visited spanning later in the day when school was done and those evenings when she was scheduled on the late shift. She had volunteered to do tonight’s, being the first, but Liz had flatly refused, arguing that all her planning and organising over the past few weeks had been more than enough and that she wasn’t to follow that up with a late night. Besides, it was still early days, and although passing foot traffic and curiosity had gotten them a few bodies through the door, it had still been quiet. Even with their push to promote the centre before it opened, it would take a little while for word of mouth to travel about everything they had to offer. Liz encouraged Sienna to enjoy the brief respite while she could.
It hadn’t helped that Sienna had spent the best part of the day wondering if she had done the right thing by sending that stupid plant. She wasn’t sure what had come over her last night when, exhausted and buzzing from the opening of the centre, she finally collapsed on the sofa in her small apartment with a celebratory glass of wine and ordered the Peace Lily. She could have stopped herself at any moment—when she first searched through to find the perfect plant or when she had to Google the address of the office. As she wrote out the most cringeworthy message she’d ever thought of in the box on the website. As she hovered over the order button…
Debs had helped her out with a small problem, one which was probably inconsequential to Debs, and yet Sienna hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it.
It didn’t exactly help that Debs Brannigan was one of the most insanely attractive women Sienna had ever seen. And intriguing. Sienna did manage to resist the urge to Google her last night, curious about the woman who had swooped in and stolen her thoughts. After the call to the plumber had been placed, Sienna took Debs on the promised tour of the centre, strolling around much more casually and slower than she had done at any point in the day. Debs also didn’t seem to be in a hurry, the woman interested in the small details of how the building was planned on being used, commenting on how Sienna had imagined the space well, confident in her decisions even though Debs had no stake in them. If this was how she ran her business, Sienna could understand some degree of her success. She had finished their tour, which had taken well over an hour, with a promise to come back again soon and see how The Lighthouse was progressing, a bolstering squeeze to Sienna’s arm which had her nerves tingling. Sienna imagined that Debs would be too busy to see through her pledge, but it was sweet of her to say, nonetheless.
Flicking off the lights to the children’s room, she walked across The Atrium to the small office she shared with Liz. She had been expected to be kicked out now the centre was up and running, but when Liz found her in one of the free rooms this morning working, she told her that her office was also Sienna’s. She walked over to where her laptop was set up on the small desk in the corner, dropping down into the chair and swivelling from side to side. Now she had a desk, she mused silently, maybe she could bring in a couple of photos and plants to make it more her own space. She would have to go visit Max this weekend, although a visit to her favourite flower shop would no doubt come with a million questions regarding her late-night order of a Peace Lily to a seemingly random office block.
You’re such an idiot for a gorgeous woman!
A quiet cough brought her focus back, and she spun round on her chair, hoping she didn’t appear too lost in thought to whoever it was who needed her.
However, she wasn’t expecting to be greeted with those same sparkling blue eyes she had been thinking about all day.
“Oh.”
Sienna mentally cringed at her ineptitude at forming a coherent sentence.
“Hello,” Debs replied with a cheeky grin. “I hope I’m not disturbing you.”
“Oh, no. I was just—” Sienna said, rushing to stand.
“Taking five minutes after what I’m sure was a busy day. It’s fine; you don’t have to get up.” Debs waved at her to sit back down, and Sienna complied, almost dumbstruck. How anyone could look so put together and perfect after a full day was beyond her. She suddenly felt very aware she was once again dressed in her standard t-shirt and jeans, slightly bedraggled and no doubt looking weary.
“Hi,” Sienna said, again unable to think of a fully formed sentence, all ability to create a conversation seemingly eradicated from her mind.
“Hi,” Debs returned with a smile, one which hadn’t left her face since Sienna laid eyes on her. “So, how was it?”
“You were right—it was busy.” Sienna shrugged. “But hopefully, it will only get busier.”
“Not chaotic enough for you?” Debs said with a quirk of one of her perfectly manicured eyebrows, folding her arms across her chest and leaning against the door to Sienna’s office.
“Oh no, plenty so. But it was still only our first day, so none of the classes were fully booked. I’m hoping that once word gets out about us a bit more, more people will come.”
“I’m sure they will. So, no more catastrophes?”
“One or two, but nothing that wasn’t easily fixed. How was your day?”
“Interesting,” Debs said, pushing off from the doorframe and taking a step closer.
“Oh, why?”
“Well, to begin with, I can’t remember the last time I had a gift delivered to my office.”
“Oh.” Sienna felt the heat rise to her cheeks, unsure if it was to do with the fact her vocabulary seemed to narrow to just that one word when it came to Debs or the reminder of the plant she had sent. “I know it was silly, but I just wanted to say thank you.”
“It wasn’t silly. In fact, it was a lovely gesture. One which was totally unnecessary but lovely nonetheless. However, I must tell you, I am incredibly fucking bad at keeping plants alive.”
Sienna giggled at the grimace Debs pulled, unable to stop the laughter from bubbling out of her.
“Well, Peace Lilies are incredibly easy to look after. It’s why I chose it, actually; I figured you’re probably super busy, so something that took little care seemed appropriate.”
“Hmm. My assistant seemed to think so as well.”
“Your assistant?” Sienna blanched at the mention; how did she not think that Debs would have an assistant? “I hope I didn’t make things awkward.”
Debs laughed again, but somehow Sienna knew it wasn’t at her. It was soft and breathy, and with it, her eyes danced with mirth. “My assistant lives to tease me. You may have given her some ammunition today, but rest assured, if it wasn’t this, it would have been something else.” Debs cocked her head, scrutinising Sienna. “Where is the confident woman I met yesterday? Why do you seem to be doubting yourself?”
Sienna chastised herself for being so transparent. But then, she really wasn’t at fault, she thought. There was something about Debs that made Sienna drop her walls, show her vulnerability. It was new and strange, and Sienna wasn’t sure she entirely liked it. She had spent so long building up the fortress around her heart and mind, so hesitant to let anyone in because she feared that if she did, she would spill all her deepest secrets, and that wasn’t something she really wanted to do. Every snippet of her past she had ever let someone know was carefully curated and crafted, and usually in the safety and security of speaking to those she was trying to help. It was important to let herself be seen as human, with experiences and pain, but she could control just how much of that showed. Here, under those icy blue eyes, she felt exposed, and it made her skin crawl.
“Sienna?”
“I…” She swallowed back everything she was feeling, forcing all of it back into its box except the parts she wanted to share. I want to share everything. The fleeting thought sent a bolt of fear through Sienna, but she pushed past it, not willing to give the ridiculous notion any more thought than she already had.
“I didn’t know if it was too much. If I was too much. I didn’t want it to seem strange. I don’t know why I was second-guessing myself.”
Debs took another step closer, leaning back against the desk, her eyes flickering down to where Sienna’s hands lay in her lap, fingers anxiously picking at the skin around her nails. It was a nervous habit she usually controlled, but in the moment, she hadn’t realised she was doing it, too caught up in the overwhelming emotions of feeling so raw and seen by someone who she barely knew. But knowing that Debs had seen it…she locked her fingers together and squeezed them tight, forcing them to stop.
“It wasn’t too much. It was lovely, thoughtful, and entirely unexpected. And despite my ineptitude at keeping things alive, I am determined to break the trend with this one. And I knew I had to come down here this evening and thank you for it.”
“You came all the way here just to do that?”
“Mmhmm.”
“You really don’t have somewhere better to be?”
“I don’t. My children are with their father tonight, so it’s just me, but even if I did have them, I’d still find the time to come and say thank you.”
Sienna’s stomach lurched, even though she knew it was too good to be true. Debs had children, which in itself wasn’t a problem, but she had said father, which meant… Of course the first person Sienna had a crush in months was straight.
“You have children?” Sienna tried to keep the waver out of her voice, pushing through the cheerful tone she had perfected over the years.
“I do,” Debs answered, but that questioning gaze was still trained on her, as if she was seeing something else.
Sienna was determined to not show anymore to this woman who seemed to see more of her than anyone had before. It was disconcerting, unsettling her very core, even more so than earlier in the day when she had woken up, the first thing she thought of being Debs.
“How old are they?” Sienna asked, unsure why she was still putting herself through knowing more about Debs when it clearly wasn’t a situation she should be putting herself further into.
Debs’ face lit up, and the joy in her eyes was enough to both bring peace to her fears and happiness to her heart.
“Charlie is ten, nearly eleven, and Thea is seven. What’s that look for?”
“I was just wondering how you managed to have a nearly eleven-year old and yet still be so successful. I mean, obviously, I know it could happen, but you seem…”
“Please, carry on. Tell me I look far too young. It would do wonders for my ego,” Debs teased with a mischievous smirk.
Sienna scoffed. “Well, yeah, I mean, how the hell have you done it?”
Debs smiled. The light illuminating her face softened slightly, tinging the expression around the edges with something that looked akin to sadness. But no sooner had it appeared than Debs blinked it away, and Sienna had to wonder if she was as good at putting on a mask as she was. “A lot of hard work and juggling of priorities. But I also knew that building my business would allow me to give them the security they deserved. Everything I do is for them.”
“They must be really proud of you.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Time will tell.” Debs shrugged as she stood, sliding her hands into her pockets and taking a step towards the door.
The thought of her leaving unsettled Sienna, not wanting the quiet conversation to be over, the moment of just the two of them cocooning her in a moment of peace that had been missing from her hectic life recently. The thought of her leaving seemed to open a cavernous space between them she desperately wanted to close. But then, that would be something that would have to come from both sides, and since she was so adamant about keeping herself guarded, she couldn’t expect anything different from Debs.
“You should bring them down sometime.”
The words were out of Sienna’s mouth before she even realised what she was saying, and she mentally slapped herself for it. She had no idea why she had just opened herself up to seeing Debs again, let alone with her children, another reminder of the way their lives were so vastly different.
“Maybe I will.” Debs took another step backwards. “I think Charlie could do with something like this. He’s proving to have hit those terrible teenage years a little early.”
Sienna pushed herself out of her chair, sensing the end to their conversation coming upon them rapidly, even though she still wanted it to continue.
“Thank you for coming by.”
“No, thank you again for the gift. It really did make my day.”
“You’re welcome.” Sienna stumbled over the words, unsure whether to say any more but unsure as to what that would be.
“Have a good night, Sienna. Don’t stay too late or work too hard.”
With a final small smile cast in Sienna’s direction, Debs turned and left, the room immediately feeling vast without her presence. Sienna let out a long exhale, dropping back into her chair as she tried to steady herself. It was ridiculous, just how much of an effect Debs had on her after such a short period of time, and Sienna was at a loss as to why that was or what to do about it. Closing her eyes, she let the exhaustion from the day wash over her. She needed a long soak in the bath with a large gin and tonic, and she would be fine.
Everything would have to be fine.