Flowering - Part Eleven
This episode is part of a larger story, Soft Touch. If you haven’t yet, you can go back and read it from the beginning right here.
For a long moment, I just stand there in frozen, panic-stricken silence.
The activity of the lobby - the glittering lights, the rush of water from the fountain, the people who push by me on all sides - it all seems to fall into slow motion.
Everything fuzzes and melts before my eyes until the hotel lobby has become totally abstract. I see only swirls of movement and color, hear only a distant roar of noise. The only figure I can clearly make out is State Attorney General Windsor, who has stopped near the revolving doors and taken out his phone. Everything else is a sweeping, panicked blur, threatening to overwhelm me.
And then my reeling mind goes to Aiden, Calla, and Ralph.
The world snaps back into focus, and then some. Adrenaline spikes through my veins, and with it an extreme kind of clarity that throws the entire lobby back into sharp outlines.
My panic is still threatening to come down on me like a ton of bricks, but I force it back. This is not the time for me to fall apart.
“Okay,” I whisper, rocking on my heels. “Okay, okay okay okay…”
I twist to look for Aiden. He and Isaac are heading out through the front doors of the lobby, dragging the struggling guys from the scuffle at the bar. Apparently they’re escorting the offending suits all the way off of hotel property.
Aiden is too preoccupied to notice Windsor standing by the doors. He walks out right past him.
Windsor doesn’t spare him a second glance, either. His eyes are still on his phone, his thumbs flashing rapidly over the screen. I’ve seen Gabby speed-answer enough emails to know that’s what he’s doing.
Thank god, because it gives me a few seconds to think, to assess the situation.
No one from the hotel seems to have noticed Windsor’s arrival yet. While I get the impression that Brent is the type to stride into any room like he owns it, Windsor’s presence is much more subtle. He’s in a suit that’s quietly - but I suspect staggeringly - expensive. His shoes are dark and simple, but buffed up to a perfect shine. He’s not surrounded by security or friends, just what looks like one rain-wet assistant, currently folding up the umbrella she must have been holding over him outside.
It’s clear that Brent gets his flashy ways from his money, not his father. But Windsor and Brent do share something besides their familial resemblance.
I see it in Windsor’s eyes when he briefly glances up from his phone. The same ice-cold stare that Brent had in his passport photo.
There’s not a doubt in my mind that this man will make sure that we’re absolutely crushed by the law if we’re caught stealing from him.
I blink hard, trying to push back visions of all of us detained and arrested, all escape routes sealed off. I need to think, think think think…
Aiden is outside in the rain, doesn’t know that Windsor is here. Ralph and Calla are downstairs in the safe room, and have been for - oh, my god. I have no idea how long it’s been. My concept of time has warped to the point that it’s fallen apart.
Has it been five minutes since the elevator doors closed on them? Less than that? More?
I have no idea how long it’ll take them to get back up here. But there’s a very real chance that they’ll walk back out into the lobby while Windsor is standing right there.
If Windsor and Ralph cross paths, Ralph is busted. If Ralph gets busted, Calla and I go down, too. We’ve been part of the act, and enough people know that by now. Aiden might get away, but I know my Companion Plant. He won’t break ranks. He’ll come back to try and save us, and possibly get himself caught, too.
If Calla was able to make the switch in the safe room, she’s going to come out with the Botswick file on her. If she’s caught with that, the heist being blown won’t be the only disaster. The Botswick case would be under more scrutiny than it ever has been before. Windsor would undoubtedly be curious about why someone tried to steal it from him.
I can’t let Ralph and Calla walk back into the lobby while Windsor is here. Not without an avalanche of catastrophic consequences.
I unlock my phone with trembling fingers, start to type a text to Ralph, then stop. Just to be safe, I delete the text I’d written - AG IS HERE RIGHT FUCKING NOW - and replace it with Hey Brent, your dad is here.
I hit send, glance up at Windsor, and do a double-take.
Apparently he’s gone unnoticed for as long as VIP is allowed to in this hotel. A manager is headed his way to greet him.
Windsor wraps up his email and lifts his icy gaze to Joel’s face, listening as he speaks.
“Oh, shit,” I whisper, pressing my fingers over my mouth.
Joel definitely knows Ralph and Calla as Brent and Brent’s girlfriend. He’s the one who brought the receipt to the bar so that they could sign it.
What is he saying to Windsor? I’m too far away to hear. The lobby doors and the guest elevators are directly across from each other, and I’m right at the center.
I spin around to glance at the elevators, fighting down my rising panic - and stop still as the gilded doors slide open.
Ralph and Calla step out into the lobby, Kate by their side. Ralph’s phone isn’t in his hand. I guess he didn’t see my text.
Holy shit. This means that Ralph and Calla didn’t get caught making the switch. They pulled it off.
My relief is immense, but short-lived.
Kate, Ralph, and Calla stop to talk by the elevators. At the same time, Windsor, his assistant, and Joel set off around the side of the fountain, unintentionally heading right towards them.
Calla glances across the lobby, and her eyes find me in the crowd. I catch her gaze and hold it, then covertly point to Windsor.
Calla’s eyes widen as she sees the problem, but she doesn’t panic. She turns calmly, quietly says something to Ralph. He stiffens up, then swiftly punches the button to call the elevator back.
But the illuminated numbers above the elevators show that none of them are near the ground floor. It’s going to take a minute for one to get there, and Windsor and Joel are getting closer with every passing second. Any moment now, Joel is going to notice Kate with who he thinks is Brent, or Kate is going to notice Joel with Windsor.
Once again, everything seems to slow down. I fit a whole lot of thinking into a few precious seconds.
We need a distraction. Right now.
A big distraction, if it’s going to catch and hold Windsor’s attention. He barely spared a glance towards the kicking and thrashing drunk guys being dragged out by Aiden and Isaac.
I look around the lobby, desperately searching for inspiration. What would Noah do, if he was here? He’s the all-time champ when it comes to causing a massive distraction in spectacular fashion. Set loose in this lobby, what would he-?
My eyes land on the massive, shining fountain at the center of everything.
I look back at Joel and Windsor, just in time to see Joel’s eyes land on Ralph and Calla, who Kate has just left at the elevators.
As if in slow motion, I see Joel nudge Windsor’s arm. He starts to open his mouth to say something, starts to lift his hand to point to Ralph and Calla.
I drop my phone to the floor. I’m all out of time to think about this.
I throw my head back and let out a long, loud, drunk-sounding shout, then leap directly into the fountain.
Suddenly I’m knee-deep in cold water, dancing arcs from the water formations splashing down on my head. I’m immediately drenched all the way through, but I ignore that and begin kicking and splashing around in the grandiose fountain like I’m fucking around at a waterpark.
There’s a split second of stunned silence in the lobby, then some scattered laughter. But security in this hotel moves fast, and everyone turns to stare as someone in uniform - a security guard I haven’t kissed, so Kendrick, maybe? - instantly comes charging out of the crowd, headed right for me.
There’s too much water in my eyes for me to see if Ralph and Calla have gotten away yet. I just have to keep this up for as long as I can, buy them as much time as possible. So when Kendrick reaches the fountain and makes a swipe for me, I take off running. Sprinting through the knee-deep water, racing around the circular pool of the fountain.
I hear Kendrick hop in behind me, cursing violently. I run as fast as I can through the spraying streams of water, tripping over my feet, gasping and staggering. Kendrick chases after me, yelling for me to stop.
I’m vaguely aware that this is probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever done - and that’s a title there’s a lot of competition for, so that’s saying something - but it’s too late to go back now.
I make it about a lap and a half before Kendrick’s arms close around my knees. We both go down in an explosion of cold water.
I lift my head, gasping, and toss my drenched hair out of my face. Kendrick gets up and wrenches me roughly to my feet.
I hear some residual bursts of laughter, and then the crowd loses interest. The bustle of the lobby resumes, only now with people avoiding the puddles around the fountain.
“What the fuck, man?” Kendrick shouts in my ear, panting. “Are you serious?”
I don’t answer him. I’m frantically searching the crowd for Ralph and Calla.
But they’re gone. They must have slipped into the elevator.
I twist to look for Windsor, just in time to see him break his gaze from me and shake his head. Joel - who seems positively mortified at what just happened right in front of the AG - launches into what looks like a whole lot of apologies, Ralph and Calla forgotten.
I let out a ragged breath of relief.
Kendrick drags me out of the fountain, back onto the gleaming marble floors. I free myself just enough to swiftly bend down and rescue my phone, but he keeps a firm grasp on me the whole time.
He gives my arm a sharp tug. “C’mon, let’s go.”
As Kendrick leads me away, I catch a glimpse of the condoms from Carter’s jacket pocket, floating gently on the surface of the fountain pool. I nearly break down into hysterical laughter, but instead I splash along with Kendrick across the lobby, my heart hammering.
We’re not headed towards the doors. Kendrick is taking me deeper into the hotel. Maybe to some security room where I’ll be kept until the cops can be called.
I’m frantically trying to think of a way to free myself, wondering if I could flounder my way through a lie -
“Hey,” comes a deep voice. “I’ll take him.”
I look up, blinking water out of my eyes, and nearly collapse in relief when I see my Companion Plant standing there.
“I’ve got it,” Kendrick tells Aiden, then nods to a locked door a few feet away. “Taking him to the back until management can decide what to do with him.”
“No, man.” Aiden leans closer to Kendrick, lowers his voice to an urgent, confidential whisper. “You know who that is? Carter Sibley. He’s with the Windsor party.”
“You’re fucking with me,” Kendrick whispers back, glancing down at me in disbelief.
“No.” Aiden looks at him with very serious blue eyes. “Let him go, or we’re all gonna be in huge trouble. He’s a VIP.”
Kendrick hesitates, uncertain. “Can’t just let him go, bro - he’s gonna cause another scene.”
“I’ll take him back to his room,” Aiden offers. “Already did it once tonight.”
Kendrick thinks that over, then pushes my sodden self at Aiden. Aiden takes my arm like he’s holding me tightly, the way that Kendrick was. But his grip is gentle, and he gives me a covert, reassuring little squeeze.
Kendrick backs away, nods at me. “Have a good night, Mr. Sibley.”
Aiden turns us around before I can do anything in answer. He leads the way to the elevator, pulls me inside.
The doors slide shut behind us, and we leave the lobby behind.
~~~~
“Holy shit.” I slump back against the mirrored wall of the elevator, pressing a hand to my chest. “That was-”
That’s all Aiden and I have time to say to each other before the elevator stops again. The doors open on the third floor. A housekeeper with a cart starts forward, then pulls up short.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she says, taken aback as she gets a better look at us. “Um - the service elevator is having problems. Is it okay if-?”
We both nod silently at her, and she hesitates, then pushes the cart inside. She puts it between us and herself, which I definitely don’t blame her for. Aiden is splattered with glitter, and I’m drenched from head to toe. I have no idea what she thinks is going on, but she gives us a lot of room.
I glance down at her cart and see that there are a few dollar bills folded up in a little pile on top. Tips for housekeeping, probably, that she’s collected from different rooms.
The mess we left upstairs pops into my mind, and I look at her guiltily. Brent is picking up the tab for all the damage, but it’s not like he’s the one who has to clean it up.
I abruptly remember the thick wad of cash that Carter had in his jacket pocket.
I reach into the pocket and let out a relieved breath when I find that the money survived my journey through the fountain. I use my thumb to push off the cash clip, then covertly extract the whole stack of bills.
Aiden is closer to the cart, and I can’t see a way I can sneakily put the money on it without reaching around him. But his blue eyes have already caught my movements, and he’s clearly figured out what I’m trying to do. He opens his hand, and I silently push the damp cash into it.
Aiden drops it neatly on top of the other tips just before the housekeeper pulls her cart out of the elevator on the ninth floor.
“Okay,” he says, turning to face me as the elevator starts to glide up again. “Now that that’s taken care of, you wanna tell me why the fuck I walked back into the hotel to see you running circles in the fountain and getting fly-tackled by a security guard?”
“Not really,” I groan, my cheeks burning. “I was kinda hoping you missed all of that.”
“Nope.” Aiden grins at me, lets out a soft laugh, and taps his temple. “Burned in my memory forever.”
“Oh, well, great.” I let out a helpless laugh, slicking my soaked hair back. “Ralph and Calla needed a distraction. I tried to channel my inner Noah.”
“Stellar job, although I think he would’ve literally climbed the fountain to try and get away from the security guard.”
“God, you’re right. He’d have had six of them trying to pull him down.”
Aiden huffs out a laugh, and I do, too. We’re both in a daze, in complete disbelief over everything that’s happened tonight.
“We’ve gotta get out of here,” Aiden says, running a hand through his hair. “I’m assuming that thing with the fountain was your way of signaling to everyone that the AG is here?”
“Yeah, he’s downstairs right now.” I twist the ring around my finger, anxiety taking me over again. “We really, really need to leave.”
“Then let’s go,” Aiden says, and nods at the elevator doors as they slide open.
We step out into the hallway to see Ralph and Calla rushing out of the hotel room, holding all of our stuff. Calla has already changed out of her dress, and Ralph has his usual leather bands around his wrist, not a Rolex.
Both of them let out heavy breaths of relief when they see us.
Calla drops her armful of stuff to give me a round of applause. “That was fucking wild, Jamie.”
“Sight I’ll never fucking forget,” Ralph says, clearly suppressing a laugh. “Thanks for that, man.”
“Alright, alright,” I groan, out of breath as we crash to a stop before them. “Just tell me you got the files swapped!”
Calla gives me a little smirk, arching an eyebrow. Like it’s dumb that I felt like I had to ask.
“She was fucking brilliant.” Ralph looks at Calla, wonder and admiration in his eyes. “She - I have no fucking idea how-”
“Okay, later!” Calla snaps her fingers at him. “Get rid of the jackets, boys!”
I shrug off Carter’s soaked jacket, then toss it to Ralph, who has already holding Brent’s. He disappears into the hotel room to get rid of them.
Aiden has already been busy unlacing Bjorn’s shoes. He hesitates when he gets to his duty belt.
He unhooks the radio, lifts it to his mouth.
“What are you doing?” Calla whispers, her eyes widening with alarm.
Aiden presses down the button on the radio.
“Hey, Luis,” he says, all in a rush. “I’m super sorry, because you seem like a great boss, but I have to quit. It’s totally for my own reasons, I promise! Good luck with all of the future bachelorette parties!”
He switches the radio off before any answer can come through, and Calla quirks an eyebrow at him.
“What?” he protests, his cheeks coloring up. “I liked those guys, I don’t want Luis to think-”
“Oh, my god.” Calla flaps a hand at him. “Forget it, just - we need to get the hell out of here before we get caught.”
Aiden unclips his duty belt, then looks up, tossing his hair out of his face. “Wish we’d parked closer.”
“Yeah,” Calla murmurs, troubled. “We might need to make a fast exit.”
Ralph steps back into the hallway, now wearing his own jacket.
“I’ve got it,” he says, slipping his phone out of his pocket.
Calla pauses, blinking at him. “Got what?”
Ralph is already speed-scrolling through his contacts. “I’ll have one of my guys come get us.”
“We’re not in Ketterbridge, man,” I remind him, and he lifts his eyes to me, exasperated.
“You really think Ketterbridge is the only place I’ve got people working for me, Jamie?” Ralph puts his phone to his ear, shaking his head at me. “You know what the market is like in this city for people in my line of work?”
I stare at him, not sure how to answer that, but I don’t have time to, anyways. Whoever Ralph called picks up on the first ring.
“Listen up,” Ralph says quietly, his voice very calm and deadly serious. “I’m at the White Diamond Hotel. Need you to come get me. I’ll be out front.”
The voice on the other end answers immediately, in the same tone. “When?”
“Now,” Ralph says, and hangs up.
He turns to face us again, finds everyone ready to go.
“How do we get out?” he asks. “Shouldn’t go back through the lobby, right?”
He makes a good point. Windsor might still be down there, and we would attract attention even if he wasn’t, now that we’ve all changed back into our own clothes. Aiden has Bjorn’s security stuff and shoes clasped in his arms, and Calla has her bundled-up golden dress. I’m still completely soaked, dripping onto the carpet.
If anyone we interacted with earlier sees us, we’re in trouble.
“Staff elevator?” Calla suggests.
“Housekeeper said it’s having problems,” Aiden answers, and then - “Fire stairs?”
It’s a long walk down, and it’ll take us a while. But it does seem like our safest bet.
Ralph nods, then turns to lead the way. We all follow after him, hearts hammering. We’re in the home stretch, and Calla has the file. We’re so close, so close to getting out of here.
Ralph opens the door, and we step into the stairwell.
We all set off down the stairs, moving in a silent, urgent rush. No one says anything. All focus is heaped on getting the hell out of here. Aiden leaves Bjorn’s things on a random landing, neatly tucked against the wall.
We’re more than halfway down now, according to the numbered doors that lead out onto each floor. I’m out of breath, clutching the handrails tightly so I don’t slip on my wet shoes. But we’re almost there -
Ralph pulls up short. Aiden, Calla, and I all bump up against his back.
“Oh, shit,” he whispers.
The rest of us see what he sees, and freeze to the spot.
A very tall, muscled blonde guy is standing on the landing below. He was headed up the stairs, but now he’s stopped to stare at us. He’s wearing what looks like a security guard’s uniform, but without his duty belt or jacket. And - he’s only wearing socks, no shoes.
He has the same confused look in his eyes that Carter did when he briefly broke through whatever Calla gave him to knock him out. He blinks at us blearily, his face filled with confusion.
“Uh oh,” I say softly. “Um - is that-?”
“Yep,” Calla whispers.
“Hey,” Bjorn says slowly, struggling hard to focus on us. “Who - who’re you people? Y’not supposed to be in here.”
Nobody answers, but we must all be staring at him with guilty looks on our faces, because he seems to wake up a little more, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
“Who are you?” he says again, this time more clearly.
“Go,” Ralph says suddenly. “Go, just fucking go!”
And he rushes right past Bjorn.
I freeze, but Aiden shoves me forward, and we’re both sprinting after Ralph, racing past Bjorn before I even realize what happened. Calla leaps lightly over the railing, drops to land gracefully in a crouch on the landing a flight below.
“Hey!” Bjorn shouts, struggling hard to wake up. “What the f-? Stop!”
The sound of his heavy footsteps on the stairs is how I know that he’s woken up enough to chase us.
Aiden, Ralph, Calla, and I race down the stairs at a full-out sprint. Bjorn is a flight or two behind us, shouting for us to stop. I keep my eyes on the stairs so I don’t fall, but glance up now and then to snatch glimpses at the numbered floors, hyper-aware that Bjorn is gaining on us.
Five… four… three… two…
Calla is at the head of the group, and she reaches the fire exit door on the lobby floor first. She seizes the handle, and it turns, but the door doesn’t budge.
“What - it’s stuck!” she gasps. “Is there some other-?”
Aiden reaches the door without slowing down, puts his shoulder to it, and forces his way through. It crashes open, swings out wide.
“Time for subtlety is over!” he says, and rushes out, dragging me with him.
Ralph and Calla are right behind us. We burst out into the rain and stop for a second to figure out where we are. The fire door let us out at the front of the building. We’re by the circular driveway, but off to one side, closer to the corner of the building than to the revolving doors.
Still in plain sight, though. Valets in sharp uniforms stop to stare at us as we crash to a halt, out of breath, Bjorn shouting from behind us.
He’s probably gonna reach us in the next five seconds, unless Ralph’s guy really comes through for him -
A slick, shiny black car whips around the curved driveway, jumps the curb, and swings out so that the passenger’s side door is right beside Ralph.
We all stare at it in blank shock, except for Ralph, who looks relieved, but unsurprised.
He pops open the passenger’s door, then looks at all of us and tosses his head at the car.
“Get in!”
Calla springs forward and wrenches open the back door. Aiden and I scramble in after her, and Aiden slams the door shut right as Bjorn comes bursting out through the fire exit.
“Hey!” he yells, racing for the car. “Someone stop them!”
The guy driving the car backs up, then tears out of the driveway so fast that the entire hotel goes by in a single, glittering, golden flash.
We all twist in our seats to look back, to watch as it’s swallowed up into the ocean of lights that make up the city. For a long moment, the only sounds are the muffled thump of the windshield wipers, the thrum of the engine, and all of us trying to catch our breaths.
No one says anything. We just stare at the White Diamond in total disbelief.
Holy shit. We did it.
I silently turn to face forward again, stunned. Aiden catches my eye, and we exchange a long, dazed look. I fold into him, lean my head against his shoulder.
Calla cradles the file to her chest, her breathing slowly starting to even out.
The guy driving the car brings us down to a less conspicuous speed, rests his wrist on the steering wheel, and glances over at Ralph.
“Everything alright, boss?” he murmurs.
Ralph turns to look at the back seat. His eyes slowly travel over Aiden, then me, then Calla. It’s like he’s checking that we’re all accounted for, unhurt.
Ralph lets out a heavy breath, then turns to sit facing forward again.
“Yeah.” He shuts his eyes, sits back, and runs a trembling, relieved hand over his face. “Yeah, everything’s gonna be fine.”
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