Maya

 

 

I don't leave because I'm not a coward who runs from something she cares for at the first sign of trouble. I'm also primed to fight. My blood has been simmering with anger ever since Isadora left and Julian shuttered himself away in his office.

I count the minutes until his assistant comes back from her break. It's thirteen, three more than the ten she promised but it's still not enough time to calm me down.

The temptation to walk over and push open the door to his office was strong, but I've always tried to cool down before I confront anyone. Words said in anger are often never forgotten.

"Oh, his door is closed now?" She glances over at it as she hands me a paper cup filled with coffee. "That's a sign that he doesn't want to be disturbed."

I want him to be disturbed.  I need him to be disturbed right now.

"Can you tell Julian that Maya is here to see him?"

"You're Maya?" She lowers herself into her chair. "You didn’t say you were Maya when you got here."

"Does it matter?"

She nods briskly as she picks up the bulky phone from her desk. "Maya is here. I'm sorry, sir, but she's been waiting for some time now. I didn't know it was her."

I arch a brow as I listen to her rattle on to Julian.

By the time she's placed the receiver of the phone back in its cradle, his office door swings open.

He shuts the door behind him before he closes the distance between us with heavy steps. He no longer has his suit jacket or tie on. The sleeves of his blue dress shirt are rolled up.

"Maya." He stops abruptly when he reaches me. "What is it? Is everything alright?"

I'm tempted to flash him on the spot, but I'm not wasting my expensive lingerie on him after seeing him with Isadora. "I came to surprise you."

"It's not a good time." He glances at his assistant before he looks at me. "I'm in the middle of something right now."

"You asked me when I was here earlier if you could see me tonight. The answer is yes." I thread two of my fingers through the bottom of my hair.

It feels as though my heart is thrumming against the wall of my chest as I wait for him to respond.

"Can you come to my place at ten?" His gaze darts back to his office. It's beginning to make me wonder who else he has hidden in there.

"I'd prefer dinner at seven. I'm celebrating. I'd like to do that with you." It’s a bitch move, and I know it. I'm setting a trap. I'm settling in to see if he'll take the bait and then I'll catch him so I can watch him writhe and squirm.

"Celebrating what?"

"I sold the Warton property today," I say proudly even though I'm standing in his office in my underwear holding the weight of the world on my shoulders.

His eyes search mine as a smile glides over his mouth. "That's incredible. That does call for a celebration."

"So we'll have dinner together? It will be our first official date."

His gaze drops to the floor as he swallows. "I have somewhere I need to be at seven. Unfortunately, I can't break those plans."

You can break my heart though. I feel it happening.  I won't cry because that gives this void inside of me more space than I want it to have.

"I'll call you when I'm free, Maya. We can celebrate in our own way."

"Mr. Bishop? Sir?" His assistant is back on her feet. "I just received an email that requires your urgent attention."

"Take care of that," I say with a flippant wave of my hand.

He does. He rounds her desk, bends down and reads whatever is displayed on the screen of her computer.

I don't bother waiting for him to finish. I leave with the knowledge that I have a job to do. I have a penthouse to sell, and nothing, not even Julian Bishop and his ex-girlfriend are going to keep me from making that happen.

 

***

 

I step into the lobby of the Bishop Hotel Chelsea at ten minutes after seven. I had no plans to go out tonight. After I left Julian's office, I went back to my apartment and promptly fell asleep in the middle of my bed.

It was mid-afternoon, but I felt exhausted and even though I intended to make a quick pit stop there to put on clothes, I decided to soothe my aching bones and within minutes I was out like a light.

My phone ringing woke me up twenty minutes ago. I ignored it at first and wrapped a blanket around me, but when it rang again, and then again, I finally answered.

It was the manager of this hotel. She told me that she needed me down here as soon as possible. I questioned her because my bed was winning the internal battle over whether I wanted to venture out or roll over and stay the night wrapped in its warmth.

All she'd say is that it was an important matter that needed my immediate attention. Curiosity alone got my ass out of bed after that.

I pulled on a black dress, slipped my feet into a pair of heels and headed straight out the door.

"Can you find Lindsay for me?" I ask the clerk at the front desk. "She called me a few minutes ago about the penthouse."

"Are you Maya?" The young man behind the desk offers me a kind smile.

I nod.

"I was told to send you right up." He points toward the private elevator in the corner of the lobby. "You have your key card, right?"

I flash it in the air. "I'm all set. I guess I'll head up."

I make my way across the lobby wondering what the hell was so important that it brought me here on a night when all I want is to be left alone.

 

***

 

I hear soft music when the elevator doors open. I step off and into the corridor that leads to the central living space.

"Lindsay?" I call out the hotel manager's name because I was hoping to have a chance to talk to her about what the issue is before I have to face it head-on.

On the way over here, I ran every possible scenario through my mind. This penthouse is secure and it's manned by a state of the art alarm system. If anything had triggered that, someone at Bishop's main offices would have been called, not me.

I'm the listing agent which means that the problem has to be related to that in some capacity.

"Lindsay?" I say her name against as I near the end of the corridor.

My breath catches in my chest when I round the corner and take in the main living space.

The lighting is dim, but I can still clearly see the scene set out in front of me. There's a beautiful setting on the dining room table for two. Three bouquets of flowers make up the centerpieces and several lit candles give the table a romantic ambiance.

A man in a chef's uniform is standing next to the table along with a woman dressed in black slacks and a white dress shirt. She's holding a circular tray with two glasses on it; two glasses of champagne.

It's when she steps to the side that I notice him. He's wearing the same tuxedo he had on the night of this hotel's launch. His hair is neatly pushed back from his face. His jaw is cleanly shaven. He looks every inch the perfect date.

"Julian," I say his name softly. "What's happening?"

"We're celebrating your latest accomplishment, Maya." He approaches with steady steps. "I couldn't pass up the chance to spend the night with you."