by A. Anders
Sitting on the bed in her ultramodern hotel room, Cara stared out the window considering what to do next. Los Angeles was so big. How was she supposed to find Brik or Mars in a city this size?
Just because this hotel was the headquarters of his company didn’t mean that he would be here. Brik had hotels all around the world. He had spent weeks in the Bahamas, why wasn’t it possible that he could now be doing a month in Switzerland?
“Remember what you’re supposed to be doing here,” Cara told herself. “You’re here to sell your family’s beer into all of Brik’s hotels. You did it in the Bahamas, you can do it again.”
With that little pep talk, Cara got up, changed into something a little less comfortable and headed back down to the lobby. Approaching the woman who had checked her in, Cara parked herself across the desk from her and smiled.
“Can I help you?” The dark-haired woman said with a forced smile.”
“Maybe. I’m hoping you can direct me to your hotel’s beverage manager.”
“The hotel’s beverage manager?” The woman said caught off guard. “Well, let me see if I can find out who that is.”
The woman left Cara and spoke privately with another of the women behind the front desk. Both looked up at Cara as they spoke. There was something about the way they looked at her that told Cara that this time it wouldn’t be so easy.
After what felt like two minutes but couldn’t be more than a few seconds, the second, older woman was the one to return to Cara.
“Yes, can I help you?” She asked offering Cara a manufactured smile.
“I’m hoping so. I was asking your colleague about your hotel’s beverage manager.”
“May I ask what this is pertaining to?”
“Yes. I work with a brewery in Boston and I was hoping to talk to him or her about you all carrying our beers in your hotels.”
“Oh. Then you’re looking to talk to someone in corporate.”
“Yes!” Cara said feeling like she was getting somewhere.
“I’m sorry but all vendor appointments with corporate are done by appointment only. Did you have an appointment?” The woman asked sternly.
“No but…” Cara stopped realizing that she wasn’t in friendly territory anymore. The corporate world was all about who you knew. “Actually, maybe it would be easier if I was directed to Brik Evander.”
The stout woman looked at Cara surprised. “Brik Evander? The CEO?”
“Yes. He’s a friend,” Cara said mustering as much confidence as she could.
“Mr. Evander is a friend of yours?” She asked doubtfully.
“Yes. I’m sure that if you were to call him up and ask him, he would tell you to send me up.”
The woman stared at Cara her with her mouth ajar as if she didn’t know what to do. “I can’t simply call Mr. Evander from here. He’s the CEO of the company,” the woman explained uncomfortably.
“Okay. I get that. Then can you direct me to someone who can?”
Cara’s spine stiffened as the heat of the woman’s stare intensified. Cara could feel her chances of getting anywhere disappearing fast. Cara needed to say something else.
“Listen, I know this might seem odd. But, I did a private job for Mr. Evander while he was in the Bahamas. Everything went really well and he was very grateful for everything that I did. Now, I happen to be in Los Angeles on business. And since I’m staying in his hotel, I thought that I would see if I could say hi.”
“So you aren’t here to see the beverage manager about your brewery’s beer?” The woman asked suspiciously.
“Well, I am… If you just point me towards Mr. Evander’s office, I’m sure everything will be cleared up. Please just tell me where I can find his office.”
The woman stared at Cara for a moment before replying. “The corporate offices are on the twenty seventh floor.”
“Thank you,” Cara said feeling exasperated.
“But the only way to access it is with a key card,” the woman quickly added.
“Then, is it possible for you to buzz me up or whatever?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I can only do that if you have an appointment. Do you have an appointment?”
“No. But, I told you, I’m personal friends with Mr. Evander.”
“Then, perhaps you can call him and ask him to call down?” The woman suggested.
Cara was getting frustrated. “I can’t do that because…” Cara stopped realizing that it wouldn’t help her case to admit that she didn’t have his phone number. “Listen, I’m staying in the hotel. Is there any way of getting a message to him that I’m here. I’m sure that he’ll want to talk to me.”
The woman reached for a pen and paper. “Your name?”
“Cara Reeder.”
“Your room number?”
“804.”
“I will do my best to get him the message,” the woman told Cara clearly wanting to be done with the conversation.
“You didn’t ask me how long I’ll be in the hotel,” Cara told her starting to realize that her message wasn’t going to go anywhere.
“How long?” The woman said further straining her smile.
“Five days.”
“Very well. I’ll see that he gets this,” the woman said dismissively.
Cara left the woman unsure of what she should do next. She wasn’t convinced that the woman was going to do anything with the message. But if the woman did and Brik got it, he would try to get a hold of her, wouldn’t he? Wouldn’t he want to see her? Hadn’t he sent her the flannel shirt?
Deciding that he would call her room if he did want to see her, Cara headed back to her room to wait. No one called after an hour. After two, there was still nothing, and three hours brought the same.
It was then that Cara rethought her plan. What was she supposed to do, wait in her room for five days? What if he never even got the message?
With it approaching the end of the workday, Cara suddenly got an idea. Instead of her room, she was going to wait in the lobby. Maybe she would catch him as he left for the day. Certainly it would be a little stocker-ish, and a complete waste of time if he lived in the building, but what else was she supposed to do? She had to believe that Brik would want to see her if he knew she was in town. So, how else could she make that happen other than hanging out in front of his place of work?
Heading down to the first floor, Cara found it all a little less creepy when she found a bar with a view of the elevator. Now she was in her element. Ordering a Jamison on the rocks, she took a sip and felt all of her troubles begin to fade away. Enjoying a gin and tonic next, she soon followed that with a vodka cranberry.
Halfway through her third drink, Cara was beginning to realize that there would be no rush of people coming down after a long day of work. After some thought, she realized that that made sense. There was probably a garage in the building and she was at the bar wasting time.
Feeling very relaxed, Cara next turned her attention to the bartender. He was cute, but Brik and Mars had ruined Cara for all other men.
“Hey, does it ever get busy in here?” Cara asked with slightly more of a slur than she expected.
The bearded, hipster bartender, with nothing else to do, came over to chat. “Yeah. Friday and Saturday nights are pretty good. And there’s a lounge over there. On Saturday nights, they have a burlesque show. It can get quite busy.”
“Okay. Good to know.”
“Are you in town for work?” The bartender asked her.
“Yeah. Sort of.”
“A little work and a little pleasure?” The bearded man asked.
“I guess.” Cara looked at the bartender realizing that he might be a good source of info. “Tell me, who determines which beers you carry in here?”
“I don’t know. I just work here. I think that’s determined in corporate. I think they probably have a contract with the big alcohol distributors. Is that what you’re in town for?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. That’s what my w
ork thinks I’m in town for.”
“And, why are you really in town?” The bartender asked intrigued.
“A guy. Actually, two guys. I met these guys in the Bahamas while I was there and things ended weirdly. I thought it was all over, then I got something in the mail that made me think that there was a chance for something more. I don’t know. Maybe. Who knows?”
“Wow. So you came to LA to find out?”
“Pretty much.”
“I love that! There’re not enough people who follow their heart. In LA, everyone thinks they’re following their heart, but it’s always about their career. Everyone has a dream. But, what they don’t realize is that none of this is important. The only thing that matters is the connections we make in life, with other people. You did the right thing by coming out here and following your heart,” the bartender said encouragingly.
Cara had not expected to hear any of this. She had begun to think that she had made a mistake, but he was right. Following her heart was the only thing that was important. Now, if only she could explain that concept to the troll guarding the bridge to the corporate offices.
“Thanks. I needed to hear that.”
“You’re welcome,” the bartender replied.
Cara looked at the bartender again, this time remembering a story Brik had told her. Hadn’t he said that he had met Mars in the bar of one of his hotels?
“Hey, do you know who Brik Evander is?” Cara asked.
“Brik Evander? Sure. He runs this dump,” the bartender said cynically. “I shouldn’t say that. This is a very nice hotel. I am lucky to work here.”
“Wait, so, you know him? Like, have you met him?”
“Yeah. A couple of times. He lives upstairs. At least, it’s one of his residences. He comes down sometimes and hangs out at the bar. He’s a good guy. You wouldn’t think he’s worth about a bejillion dollars.”
“So, you do know him?” Cara said excitedly.
“I mean, I’ve met him a couple of times.”
“That’s who I came to see.”
The bartender stared at Cara and then laughed. “No, really?”
“Yeah. We spent a few weeks in the Bahamas. He hired me to do a job for him. After the job was done, he disappeared. I flew across the country with the excuse of selling my family’s beer into his hotels, but I was really hoping to find out if there was a chance there could be more between us.”
Cara stared at her apprehensive bartender.
“That sounds nuts, right? I know. I feel nuts. But, there were a lot of things that happened. A lot of things. Things I can’t explain.
“Let’s just say that he wrote my name in lights across his hotel. He flew me out to a yacht on his helicopter and hired Justin Timberlake to give us a private concert. That sounds like someone who’s interested in me, right?” Cara asked genuinely curious.
“I mean, yeah,” the bartender agreed. “I mean, if someone flew me to a yacht to have Justin Timberlake sing for me, I would think they’re interested.”
“Exactly. And then one day after hearing nothing from him, I get a package, a really nice one, sent from this hotel. His corporate office is here. What else am I supposed to think other than he sent it so I would come here looking for him? I’m not crazy, right?”
“No. You’re definitely not crazy.”
“Then, how am I supposed to let him know that I’m here. I tried asking Cruella over there to send a message up telling him, but I don’t think she’s done shit with it. I’m not sure what else I’m supposed to do.”
The bearded man didn’t say anything else for a while. Grabbing a towel, he dried a few glasses. After serving another customer a drink, he came back.
“So, you just want to let him know that you’re here?” The bartender clarified.
“Yeah. If he doesn’t want to see me, then that’s fine. But, I’ve traveled so far. I just want to know either way.”
The bartender thought for a moment longer. “Listen, I can’t do much. But is there a short message I could give him that would tell him everything he needed to know?”
“Yeah. You could tell him that Cara Reeder wants to come up and see him.”
“No. It can’t be anything so direct. Is there something, maybe like a phrase, that I could give him that will say everything?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Is there something that I can say that he left at the bar and I was wondering whether or not it was his?”
This time Cara paused to think. “Yeah. I think there is. You can ask him if he left Mars’ muse at the bar,” Cara said uncertainly.
“Mars’ muse? What does that mean?”
“He’ll know. Just asked him that,” Cara said feeling her heart race.
Cara knew that this was it. If Brik got that message, he was either going to invite her up or reject her. Cara knew that the rest of her life hinged on what would happen next.
“Are you sure?” The bearded man asked. “That’s the message you want me to give? Because I’m only gonna get one shot at this.”
“I’m sure. That’s the message.”
The bartender took a final long look at Cara and then pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a number and waited.
“Hey Cindy, this is Will from the lobby bar at the hotel… Yeah, how have you been? Well, whenever you want to stop by again, hey, I’ll be here,” Will said with a smile. “Listen, Mr. Evander was down here recently and I think he might have left something. I’m not sure if it’s his so I wanted to call up and check.”
Cara listened feeling her heart thumping in her throat. This was it. Either way, this would be the first day of the rest of her life.
“Well, it’s kind of of a personal nature. Yeah. I know it’s after hours but could you get a message to him? Yeah, can you ask him if he left Mars’ muse at the bar? Yes, that’s right, Mars’ muse. If it’s his, he’ll know what I mean.” Will paused listening. “Okay. Let me know.”
Will hung up the phone and looked blankly at Cara.
“And?” She asked barely able to contain herself.
“She said that she would ask him and call me back.”
Cara stared at Will unable to breathe. What would she do if Brik tossed her side again? Could she even live through it? Losing him once had been hard enough. But losing him a second time, it wasn’t something that Cara was sure she could recover from.
Cara sat silently suffering through every second. Why wasn’t the phone ringing? Brik had to know who it was the bartender was referring to, didn’t he? Or was it that he didn’t care?
With panic setting in, Cara didn’t know how much longer she could sit there waiting. Every fiber of her being was telling her to get up and run away. She couldn’t take the rejection anymore. Feeling like her flesh was on fire, Cara was about to get up when out of the corner of her eye, she saw the elevator doors open.
He looked exactly like she remembered. Brik, who stood just outside the elevator doors scanning the lobby, froze when he spotted her at the bar. When their eyes locked, Cara didn’t know what to do. Like a deer in headlights, she could only stare back. Seeing his body move towards her, her breath hitched.
Marching across the room, Brik’s purpose was undeniable. He wasn’t going to let her escape. Locked in his sites, Brik stepped in front of her, slipped his large hands behind her head, and pressed his lips against hers.
Cara squeaked in response. In an instant, she became lightheaded. Her head began to spin. She was whisked away in a whirlwind of sensations and emotions. When Cara’s tense body slowly relaxed, she reached out and held the man of her dreams.
Feeling his tongue swirl with hers, her heart fluttered. She never wanted to let him go again. So when he relaxed his lips and pulled away, she resisted. His withdrawal was a rubber band being popped. Too weak to keep him there, she had no resistance when he stood back up and stared down at her in disbelief.
“I don’t believe it. What are you doing here?” Brik asked struggling for words
.
“I got your gift.”
“What gift?” Brik asked confused.
“The shirt you sent me. I got it.”
“What are you talking about? I didn’t send you a shirt.”
“Sure you did. It was flannel. It had pink and purple stripes. It’s what Mars designed, wasn’t it?” Cara asked suddenly losing confidence.
“I didn’t send you a shirt. Wait. Did you bring it?”
“Yeah. It’s upstairs.”
“Can I see it?” Brik asked trying to put everything together.
Cara gave Will a look of gratitude and then led Brik to her room. Retrieving the shirt from her suitcase, she handed it to Brik.
“Yes, this is one of Mars’s designs. But I didn’t send it to you.”
“But it was sent from this hotel.”
“This hotel? Why would it have been sent from here? I’m sure none of my people have ever seen this shirt. In fact, I only saw the new designs last night. It had to be Mars. But why would he send it? And why would he send it from here?”
Chapter 10
Mars
Mars sat on the floor of his studio shirtless with his back against the leg of one of the tables. In his hand was a drink. He hadn’t eaten since Brik had left him on the floor. He couldn’t. All he could do was drown himself in vodka while staring at the champagne bottle and glasses Brik had left behind.
“Why?” Mars kept asking himself. “Why am I such trash? Why can’t anyone love me?”
Taunted by the champagne, Mars fought his way to his feet. He couldn’t take it anymore. The bottle was staring at him and it was seeing him for who he truly was.
Stumbling across the room, he grabbed the bottle by its neck and flung it against the far wall. It hit with an explosion sending glass and champagne everywhere. Mars moved to protect himself but moved too late. Something sharp caught him on his cheek. Reaching up to relieve the stinging, he removed the wetness and discovered blood.
Staring at his designs still sprawled across the floor, Mars considered whether anything mattered. Certainly, the clothing did not. Neither did his life. At least, that was the message he got almost every day since childhood.