Phoenix Walker had long worn the veneer of success. But it came at a price. Always striving; never allowing himself to rest; never being satisfied with himself. Each time he weighed the payment for pushing himself at any cost, it had seemed worth the tradeoff for this enviable career, and what he considered to be a satisfying life. Even Tish’s break-up hadn’t made him waver. He had let her go with no regret, except her accusation that he had hurt her.
And yet, in three short months, Orchid had changed him. With her, he didn’t need to be perfect. She could see his vulnerabilities. She understood his loss. With her, he could be fully present.
That concept of being present hadn’t made sense to him. That is, until they met. Before then, he saw no point inbeing in the moment. Why bother, when he could be planning for the future? And the faster it came, the better.
It was different with Orchid. She slowed time, showing him how to savor vegan eggplant, or translate sustainability values into action. She taught him how unadulterated kindness can sway even the toughest veterans… like Tammy.
This trip was like entering unknown territory. When was the last time he’d observed the scenery through a train window without succumbing to the pressure to generate conversation, or have a need for pretense? He could just be. Nothing was more freeing.
A triangle of sunshine broke through the clouds and lit Orchid’s face. He felt as if he could watch her all day.
The taxi dispatcher interrupted his thoughts. “Deux?” the man asked, and grasped Orchid’s luggage handle. She nodded and they followed him.
The cabbie tipped his head towards a car whose trunk was already popped open.
Phoenix lifted his bag in with one hand, and they sat next to each other in the back seat.
“Are you presenting this week?” she asked, as they rolled towards their hotel.
“Yeah I’m heading up one session,” Phoenix told her. “What are your plans?”
“I’m planning to focus on the marketing and strategy tracks.”
“The evening stuff is fun too,” he said.
“I can’t believe fifteen-thousand people show up for this!”
“Biggest ad awards show in the world.”
They pulled up to the white-washed front of a hotel. Phoenix paid the cabbie, and trailed Orchid into the hotel lobby. A clerk was already handing her a room key.
She waved a hand at him as she headed to the elevator bank. “Thanks for traveling with me!”
“Have a good time,” he said, the words tinged with melancholy, sounding like the beginning of goodbye.
A little stitch caught in Phoenix’s chest. He watched her sail through the lobby with confidence. There was no need to worry about Orchid; she was fine. More than fine. She was resilient, and smart. She’d earned her place here. And she certainly wasn’t seeking some protector to shield her.
Orchid didn’t need him. Smart, capable Orchid was just fine without him.
He tried to think it through. Was it chance that their worlds had collided at a time when she could benefit from an agency founder? Had she used this opportunity to gild her resume and then move on?
A concept from college chemistry popped into his mind. Collision theory. It postulates that most reactant molecules can’t change another’s path.
Phoenix and Orchid: their orbits had collided for a few months. Chances were low for a resultant change in their trajectory.
Soon, there’d be little left to mark their interaction at all.
Like a rehabilitated songbird, Orchid was ready to return to the wild.
CHAPTER18
FATE FETES, FATE FREES
Orchid
Only one day in Cannes, and Orchid believed she could live here very happily. Every experience felt new. Fresh. Shiny. Exciting. The elegant hotels, boutiques, and golden sands of the Cote D’Azur hinted at generations of luxury.
In the morning, she enjoyed a breakfast of fresh-baked croissants and espresso, and headed out. It was the first day of the conference. She slipped on a chic blazer and asymmetrical dress that filled her with confidence.
