Chapter 6
Gavin had booked the hotel.
I was about to say I could book my own room, but he'd already taken care of the check-in for me.
He handed me the room card. "I'm next door to you, on the right."
"Don't you..."
Noticing how nervous I looked, he curved his lips faintly. "Don't worry. I don't have any ulterior motives.
"I didn't want you feeling uneasy your first night in an unfamiliar place."
He got me.
I tended to have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar places. Sleeplessness then triggered anxiety, and anxiety left me unable to speak.
I'd talked about all this with him during countless late-night calls.
"Um, thanks," I said.
"Don't mention it," Gavin replied.
He helped me push my suitcase into the room. But he didn't come in, just stood at the doorway.
"The Essence & Co. event is the day after tomorrow. Take tomorrow off to rest. If you want to go out and look around, I can show you around," he said.
"How do you know about Essence & Co.?" I asked.
"You brought it up once in a voice message."
I just casually mentioned it one night.
"You remember way too much," I said.
"I never forget anything about you," Gavin replied.
He said it so matter-of-factly, like he was talking about the weather.
I said, "So, see you tomorrow?"
"See you tomorrow," Gavin replied, turned, and walked away.
I closed the door and leaned against it, my heart pounding wildly.
I turned on my phone, and messages flooded in.
Jayden had sent over twenty messages.
[Where are you?]
[Aren't you home?]
[Anna, where did you go?]
[Why aren't you picking up?]
[What are you doing? Sophie's here and you're not. How am I supposed to explain this to her?]
The last one was from half an hour ago. [Anna, this is the last time I'm asking: where are you?]
I stared at the messages.
Back then, whenever Jayden sent me texts like this, my hands would shake, I couldn't get a word out, and I'd apologize right away.
But now, I wouldn't be like that anymore.
The warm Miranland breeze drifted in through the half-open window.
I typed out a quick message: [I'm on a business trip. Can't talk right now.]
Then I tossed my phone onto the bed, not even bothering to look at it again.
I crawled under the covers and slept soundly through the night.
It was my first night in Iterria.
I didn't have any nightmares.
*****
The next day, Gavin took me to the old district of Miranland.
He wasn't big on words, but whenever he spoke, it really counted.
"The third shop on the left has handcrafted leather bags and accessories. You mentioned you wanted a little purse before.
"If you turn right up ahead, there's an ice cream place that uses famous pistachios. You're into nutty ice cream.
"The dome in this church is really something to see. Look up at about sixty degrees for the best view," he said.
I walked alongside him, taking in the sights all around me.
The city was bathed in warm sunlight, and the scent of fresh bread and coffee filled the air.
"How come you know your way around Miranland so well?" I asked.
"I live here," Gavin replied.
"Wait, you live here?"
"Yeah, I've been living here for three years."
"What do you do for work?"
Gavin walked on my left, shielding me from a cyclist who sped by.
"Investing," he replied, sounding almost offhand. "I manage my own investment fund. Got a couple of projects here in Eulepia."
I stole a glance at his outfit for the day: simple at first glance, but the fabric and tailoring were clearly high-end.
And there was the car from yesterday. I didn't know much about vehicles, but it was clearly far from ordinary.
"How did you..." I asked, hesitating a little.
Gavin looked at me. "Yeah?"
"How did you get over your illness?"
Gavin came to a halt.
I stopped beside him.
He turned to face me, his pale eyes quietly serene.
"You're the reason," he said.
I stayed silent.
Gavin continued, "You kept texting me for two years.
"At first, I didn't trust anyone. I didn't want to talk, and I didn't see the point.
"But you wouldn't give up.
"Your voice messages, your voice, and the everyday stuff you shared...
"They made the world feel less noisy, less cold."
I stood on the cobblestones of Miranland's old district, surrounded by tourists and pigeons.
Something inside me seemed to shift.
No, "shift" wasn't quite the right word.
It was more like a crack had formed, letting the light in.
Gavin said, "Thank you.
"When I said 'marry me,' it wasn't on a whim.
"I've been thinking about it for two years."
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
It wasn't that I couldn't speak; I had no idea what to say.
Gavin caught on, but didn't push me.
He turned and kept walking. "You must be hungry. There's a good restaurant up ahead."
I hurried after him, my heart racing.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, but I didn't bother to check it.
*****
The afternoon before the launch, Linda flew into Miranland.
We had arranged to meet in the hotel lobby.
She looked younger than I'd pictured, somewhere in her early thirties. She had sleek short hair and a crisp smile.
"Branche!" she called out, jumping to her feet the moment she saw me. "I finally get to meet you in person."
I nodded, but didn't say a word.
She caught on right away.
"No worries. You can type," she said, sliding her iPad over to me and opening up the notes app.
Our conversation went smoothly.
She didn't get uncomfortable with my silence, didn't bombard me with "Are you alright?" and never showed that stifling pity in her eyes.
She was only interested in two things: what I needed for tomorrow, and if I had any concerns.
I typed: [Is it okay if I don't go up on stage?]
Linda smiled reassuringly. "No problem at all. You can sit in the VIP section. We'll only show your brand name and a short intro about your work on the big screen."
I hesitated. [Will my face be shown?]
"Not at all. If you don't want to be photographed, we'll make sure the reporters don't get any shots of you."
I typed out a line, deleted it, then typed again: [Thanks for being so accommodating.]
"We should be thanking you," Linda said. "Honestly, I've been in this business for ten years, and it's rare to meet a perfumer like you.
"Most people are chasing trends, trying to create the next big thing. But you're different.
"Your work is full of feeling. Smelling your fragrances is like reading a diary."
I was taken aback for a moment.
She added, "That's what our head perfumer at HQ said. After going through your collection, he summed it up with one word: soulful."
Soulful? Mom used to say that, too.
"Anna, making perfume isn't about formulas; it's about putting your heart into it.
"Every bottle is like a letter from you," Mom always said.
Anna's eyes started to sting. [So, about tomorrow...]
Just then, my phone rang.
It was an incoming video call from Jayden.
Reflexively, I hit decline.
Right after, a message popped up: [Anna, you better pick up right now.
[Sophie broke a vase at home. My mom asked what happened, and I told her you were away on business. Guess if she bought it.
[If you don't come back in three days, don't blame me if I go ahead and file for divorce.]
Soon, another came: [Once the waiting period is over, I'm filing. Whether you come or not, that's your call.]
I stared at the screen.
Linda noticed my expression. "Do you need to take care of it first?"
I shook my head, flipped my phone over, and set it face down on the table.
"It's nothing," I said, forcing a smile. "See you tomorrow."