Budding Attraction

When I stepped into Blaine’s room that first night, with a tea tray in hand, the party long over, he was on the phone, by his window. 

It sounded like he was trying to see reason with someone, convince them about something. 

I would later realize that had been Ophelia, the arrogant Miss World.

He was trying to convince her to get back with him, and end their break, but she was rude to him and hung up.

At the time, though, I only saw a man with deep sadness. He looked exhausted instead of angry.

“Thank you.” He said gently, and walked over to sit on a couch in the seating area of the bedroom. 

I nodded and said nothing, my shy personality already making me want to run away.

But I stayed put and made his tea with careful, steady hands, although he was watching me the whole time.

I straightened up when I was done, and remained standing straight as he brought the cup up to his lips. 

I noticed then how full his lips were. An odd thing in this country.

He caught me looking as he lowered the cup, and I looked away quickly. I swallowed and pressed my lips together.

“Thank you..” I started to say, but stopped, twisting my hands in front of me, at a loss for words. 

Earlier, when I went into the room he had transferred me to, I finally understood my supervisor’s sentiments. 

It was as luxurious as the ones for the other guests. And there was a brand new uniform lying on the bed. 

“For everything.” I said finally.

He was completely quiet, so I glanced up at him, and my heart stopped and began to beat fast again when I saw he had been watching me intently the whole time.

“What is your name?”

“Ariel.” I said.

“Have we met before?” He asked, and my heart began to beat even faster. 

So that feeling I had was correct. He felt it too.

“I doubt it. I only moved to the country three weeks ago,” I said, watching him. He still had that exhausted look in his eyes, but his body tensed in curiosity.

“Why?” He asked.

“Corporate America is too tough for me,” I said, and to my surprise he smiled. It was a kind, empathetic smile. 

“What degree do you have? I work at this automobile company, maybe I can recommend you.” He said, and my eyes widened in interest. 

Would I be leaving here with the prospect of a good job?

He should be a manger or something from his looks. 

My naive brain did not wonder how a manager got an invitation to this type of wedding. And why the other guests seemed to have so much respect for him?

I was only looking at what was obvious. He was not wearing any kind of designer dress like the rest. And he had a simple taste in food too.

“Bachelors in automotive design,”

His eyes widened in surprise.

“But I would be happy to start from anywhere.” I said, my voice eager. “So you are a manager at this company?”

He smiled at this, and my heart stopped. 

He had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen on a man. He shrugged in response, “Something like that. You are suddenly not so shy anymore, Ariel.”

There was something about the way he said my name that made me look up at him. And as our gazes locked, the air in the room changed.

“I will take my leave now. Enjoy your tea.” I bowed. 

He did not stop me as I turned and left.

I did not see him for half of the next day, as the mansion buzzed, alive with music and laughter, alcohol overflowing. I lost count of the people I ran into having sex at discreet but public corners.

When I took his breakfast up to his room, he was in the bathroom. 

When I returned to clear the dishes, he had gone out already. 

He had a light brunch with his friends in the dining hall that I had made it a point to not ever go near, lest I ran into the horrid loud man again.

Later that day, my supervisor told me Blaine was not having lunch with the rest, and pushed a tray into my hands for me to take up to him. 

The butterflies I felt in my belly at the thought of seeing him again startled me.

I convinced myself that it was excitement at the job he could get me as I walked up to his room. 

When I walked in, he was sitting in the living area of his suite, his head bent over a laptop.

I bowed and walked past him to serve his meal on the dining table. 

“Would that be all, sir?” I asked, but he remained silent. He was silent for an uncomfortably long time, and I wondered if he suddenly regretted how well he treated me yesterday.

I turned and began to walk away when he said.

“Come look at this, Ariel.” 

My back tingled at the sound of my name on his lips. But I walked back to where he was sitting. 

And without looking up, he reached out, grabbed my hand and pulled me down to sit on the couch beside him.

My brain glitched. But he was so engrossed with whatever he was looking at, so I composed myself and stared in too. 

It was the design of a car.

“Do you think this can be fixed? How would you fix it?” He said. 

I was staring at the laptop screen, and already the problem was solving itself as I stared at the design.

We spent the next few hours working it out, going back and forth between the sketches and debating design principles, arguing which was solid and which could be ignored for this car model.

So engrossed with my passion for design, I soon forgot I was a waitstaff and this was supposed to be one of our wealthy guests. 

He insisted I share his meal with him as we worked, and from bits and pieces of words, I soon learned he did not ever get to be this vulnerable with anyone.

The longer we talked, the happier he became, and soon he was almost like an excited teenager. 

When we were done, it was time for dinner.

He called for someone else to bring it up. I was too exhausted from all that mental work to argue.

Again, we ate together, and then I turned to him, “I hope you don’t mind,” then I yanked the hair tie from my hair in irritation.

He laughed, “I don’t.”

We lapsed into a comfortable silence. 

I did not know what he was thinking about, but I was enjoying the sweet feeling of being able to correct the error with that design.

“I will write a good reference letter for you.” I heard him say, and turned my head on the backrest of the couch we were still sitting.

He turned to look at me, his head just inches away.