Chapter 5
Sylvain
The next morning, I drag my feet getting ready.
Normally, I am in the kitchen ready to lead the team, but today I am dreading going in, knowing Amaya will be there, and not totally sure how I might react.
Last night, she left me hard, wanting, and shoved up against the tree, completely chastised for my behavior and ready to beg her on my knees for her to keep going.
I’ve been standing in the same spot by my front door with my foraging bag in hand for several minutes, and didn't realize it. “Fuck,” I whisper to myself. She’s in my head, and there is only one way to get her out so that I can focus today, and that is heading back to my garden to ground myself and collect some food for Remy.
It will give me a good excuse for being late, at least.
Instead of heading out my front door, I exit through the back into my yard, which I purposefully left unfenced so that I could access the wild woods anytime I needed.
After stepping just a few feet into the tree line, I pause to close my eyes and concentrate.
Today, I think about the bright red raspberries that grow along the edge, their crisp, sweet juice bursting along my tongue, and whisper the short prayer.
When I open my eyes, the familiar shimmering portal greets me, and I step through.
The familiar technicolor landscape surrounds me once more, dropping my blood pressure, enveloping me in its familiar blanket of safety.
Did Amaya see the shimmer of the portal?
Or did the forest just lead her into this space and allow her to step through?
These thoughts chase themselves around my brain as I head to the creek to gather rainbow fish for the amuse bouche that Remy mentioned they wanted to make for tonight’s dinner service.
Just as I turn left to head to the creek, I see something growing in a bright patch of sunlight in the middle of the garden that stops me in my tracks.
A bright green paddle cactus, complete with fully ripe deep magenta prickly pear fruit.
A few paddles have deep orange blossoms opened wide to reveal tufted yellow fronds full of pollen, with happy bee butts wriggling inside.
I am so shocked by what I’m seeing that I step closer to examine this new specimen that has grown overnight.
Although it looks like a normal cactus, I know that this is special, just like every other “normal” plant and animal in this space is slightly different from what it would be in the real world.
Sure enough, as I inspect one of the paddles displaying its showy blooms, the flower itself closes up, the green bulb below grows and stretches until it turns the deep magenta of the prickly pear fruit.
I notice another paddle growing at an accelerated speed as well, replacing one that has been sliced off recently.
At that moment, I notice a few places where a paddle has been taken.
There is only one other person who knows about this place, and I look around the garden with an accusing stare, muttering, “Et tu, Brute?”
As I step back through the portal, leaving my basket behind, I hear the creek chuckling at me.
???
THE BUSTLING KITCHEN is in the middle of breakfast service when I step through, looking around for Amaya. But before I can find her, Remy waves me over to their station, wearing a smirk that is hard to read.
“Hey, Sylvain, where’s my fish?” They stab a finger at the recipe board displayed for tonight’s service, and I wince.
“Ahh, shit. I got distracted this morning. I’ll go back out later and grab them for you. Have you seen Amaya?”
“You mean your amazing new hire that did bring me something yummy today and also managed to teach me something new?” Remy’s arms are crossed, hip jutted against the counter. They nod to an unfamiliar dish being prepped by the kitchen staff.
“What is it?” I ask, although I already partially know the answer, my curiosity is getting the better of me.
“She called it Nopales con Huevos, basically cactus and eggs. Where she got the cactus from, I have no idea, but she showed me how to prep it, which was awesome, and then gave me some ideas for elevating the presentation. She even made the tortillas. It’s our best seller today, I hope she can bring me more!
Whole bunch of construction guys came in and nearly cleaned us out.
” Remy is smiling from ear to ear, and I can see that most of the dishes leaving the kitchen are the special.
I swallow. “That’s great, Remy. I’ll definitely ask her if she can bring you more.”
“Good. And don’t forget about my fish, it will ruin everything tonight if you do.” They poke me lightly in the chest. “She’s in the restaurant right now serving, by the way.”
I nod, and as I make a beeline for the restaurant side, the sight of Amaya stops me in my tracks.
Her long hair is pulled up high on her head in a long ponytail, exposing the elegant nape of her neck.
She turns her head to laugh with a customer, tray tucked by her side and a hand on her hip.
My eyes follow the curve of her face all the way down her body, noticing the way her jeans cup her ass so perfectly that I start to feel a strain against my pants.
She flits from table to table, checking in on customers and asking how their meals were.
There are smiles all around when Amaya approaches.
“Where’ve you been?” Gale’s raspy voice breaks my reverie, causing me to jump.
“Oh, um, got a late start today, that’s all.” I can see Gale side-eyeing me, and am grateful when she decides not to comment. I force myself to tear my eyes away from Amaya and look at Gale instead. “So, how’s she doing?”
“She’s great, but you already knew that,” Gale smirks at me, which sends up a flare of annoyance that goes straight to my eyebrows. Gale ignores the look I’m giving her.
“We’re lucky to have someone so experienced in both bartending and serving. Plus, she’s a great cook. I watched her do the demo with the breakfast special this morning. Which you missed. Any idea where she found a cactus around here?”
“Uhm, no, not a clue. Thanks, Gale, for looking after her and getting her set up.”
“No problem, boss.”
I leave Gale at the hostess stand and walk over the the divider, leaning against it, waiting for a good moment to catch Amaya’s eyes.
She must feel the look I’m giving her because, like a moth drawn to a flame, she spins around to see me, giving me a blank look I can’t read, making me feel like I’m about to get scolded for something.
Aren’t I the boss around here? I motion for her to come over to me.
She glances around at her tables, checking to see that everyone is good before tucking her tray under her arm and walking over to me, ponytail swinging.
“Hi.” Her voice is flat.
“Hi.” Shivers go up my back. She is two feet away from me, keeping her distance, but I have a crazy urge to pull her to my chest and kiss her like we did last night, to feel those full lips on mine and see the blaze in her eyes.
I take a half step back and motion to my office instead. “Can we speak for just a moment?”
She glances at Gale, knowing that we are being watched, and gives me a short nod. “Sure.”
She follows me into the cramped space of my office that is just off the kitchen, and as soon as the door closes, she tosses her tray down on the couch.
“You better not be firing me.” Her mouth is downturned, and I see her eyes are wide with panic and slightly shiny, all tell-tale signs of a human about to cry.
My hands immediately go up, attempting to slow the flood of emotions that I feel is coming. “No, not at all. I wanted to apologize for yesterday. And then Remy and Gale both had such amazing things to say about you that I feel that an apology is not enough. But, I am sorry.”
She sits on the couch with a flump, head turned away from me toward the wall. Blinking rapidly and swallowing, as though she is trying to get a hold of herself, she finally faces me and nods. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
“I also wanted to ask, uhm–” I stop. Instinctively, my hand goes to the back of my head. “There is no easy way to ask this, and no one even knows about what you’ve discovered. But, did you go to my garden today?”
“Oh!” Her eyes are even wider with panic.
She stands, pacing the room, hands fluttering as she speaks rapid fire, her voice getting faster and louder with each word.
“I’m so sorry, I honestly don’t even know what happened!
I decided to get up early and go for a walk, and Mrs. Ames suggested this trail behind the hotel that is easy, and the next thing I know, I’m back in the garden, which was super weird because I could have sworn it was way over on the other side of town, where my car was.
And then I see the cactus! Which was definitely not there yesterday, and it was like, fully grown?
With fruit? And blooming? Anyway–” She inhales a deep breath and forges on with her explanation.
“Then I saw a basket with metal tongs and a little knife, basically everything I normally use to get the paddles, so I took some.” She stops, catching her breath.
Through her entire monologue, she has been inching closer and closer to me, and now we’re standing so close together that if my hand twitched, it would find hers. Her dark lashes are long and straight, framing those toffee eyes in such a way that makes me want to lay whisper-light kisses on them.
“My garden likes you,” I whisper.
“It does?” She breathes.
My eyes are trained on her delicious mouth again. I really must stop looking at her lips so much. “It would not have produced a cactus for you if it did not.”
“I was going to grab the prickly pears next. I thought Remy would like them. And Gale for the bar.”
She is so close that our noses are nearly touching.
“We can go together, later, if you want,” I hear myself say.
“I think I would–”
The door opens, and we jerk apart as though electrocuted, and I accidentally slam my toe into the leg of my desk, wincing with pain. Gale stands at the door watching the two of us trying to act normal.
“Hey, Amaya, you have a table asking for you.”
Amaya rushes out without a word, leaving me to my toe pain and the hole that has now formed where my heart should be.
“Is there anything you wanna tell me?” Gale’s wide gaze is no longer mocking, but full of confused concern. I don’t blame her. In the entire time she has worked for me and known me, I have always been about my work. My actions are entirely out of character.
“No, Gale. Not right now,” I huff.
“Alrighty, then.” And she shuts the door with a snap, leaving me to my very befuddled thoughts. I stand there a moment, contemplating my next steps, before opening the door right behind her and making a beeline for Remy.
“Remy, I need your help with something tonight.” I see their mouth open, knowing what they are going to say. “And yes, I’m leaving right now to go get your fish!”
They smile at me. “Then I’d be happy to help you, Sylvain.”
???
AS I STEP INTO THE lobby of The Hollow Pine Inn, my innards are twisting with anxiety, with beads of sweat forming along my hairline.
Whatever this sensation is, I’d like it over quickly, so I swallow what is left of my sanity and approach the front desk, where Mrs. Ames sits reading a novel that features a hunky, bare-chested man on the cover.
I clear my throat to get her attention. “Good evening, Mrs. Ames. I was wondering what room Amaya is staying in?”
She looks me up and down over her glasses, not bothering to hide the look of pure glee on her face.
“Nice to see you out and about socializing, Sylvain. She’s in room 401.
Want me to give her a ring and let her know you’re on your way up?
” She picks up the old-fashioned receiver from the rotary phone on the desk.
I rush to answer before she can start dialing. “Uh, no, that’s okay. I was kind of hoping to surprise her.”
Mrs. Ames shrugs. “Suit yourself. Elevators are to your right.”
I give what I hope is a grateful nod and head over to the antique elevators, waiting awkwardly for them to creak to the lobby.
As I step through, I feel the now familiar tug in my stomach, a message that is equal parts run-for-your-life and also you're-seeing-Amaya-soon! I wish my body would make up its mind.
Much too soon, I’m at her door, frozen. Different scenarios play out in my head – Amaya scoffing at me, telling me to hit the road, or possibly babbling my ear off before deciding she doesn’t want to see me after all, or, the most horrible and unfathomable: she already left, and I’ll be standing here forever, alone.
Heart thundering in my chest, I square my shoulders and rap three times on the door, and hold my breath while I wait.