Anna stopped in the doorway of her office and pursed her lips at the sight of a vase holding two roses in it. Leaving the door to swing closed she stalked her way toward her desk, dropping her bag and jacket in a chair as she leaned on her palms to study the display. The vase was simple, cerulean, and etched with a lovely swimming swan. The flowers themselves were only halfway to bloom.
She smiled to herself when she saw they still had thorns.
As Anna looked down she noted a card tucked under the vase. She tipped it carefully to look at the simple paper with a pressed circle trailing three smaller circles in the top right. Flipping the card open she nodded her approval.
Roses are only beautiful because they bear thorns.
The gentle and the determined will brave them for such a reward.
"Will you now Mr. Bates?" Anna folded the card up and shrugged, "Might be worth my time to see you try."
As she grabbed her bag and went back around her desk the door banged open and she jumped slightly. Green's face was all thunder and red tinged as Talbot came running in, flapping his hands in animated apology. Anna waved Talbot down and only raised an eyebrow when Green slammed a paper on the desk between them.
"What's this?"
"Looks like paper, Mr. Green, but I haven't had time to actually see what might be on it so for now that's all I'm safe saying."
"Don't play with me," He waved it in her face and Anna leaned back slightly to better see the writing, "I've been shut down."
"What a relief. I thought the world'd have to suffer a cataclysm before your brew finally made it off the streets." Anna fanned the paper away, "What's it to me?"
"You're behind this." He threw the paper at her but it just floated limply to her desk.
Anna, for all her dignity, had to hold her breath to keep from laughing. It did not help that Talbot covered his guffaws with a cough from behind Green. She shot him a glare before addressing the fuming Green.
"I've got nothing to do with whatever failure this is of yours."
"You called them to get back at me."
"Mr. Green, if you want honesty I haven't given you a second thought since I ended our contract with you." Anna pointed to the door, "And since you don't have an appointment and I do, I'd suggest you make yourself scarce."
"I'll leave when I'm good and damn well ready." Green's arms flailed and caught Anna's vase.
It sailed off her desk to crash into the wall, breaking it into pieces and leaking water all over the blue carpet of her office. Anna bit her tongue to keep her head straight and pointed a finger at Green.
"Think what you like, Mr. Green, but you'll leave my office or I'll have you escorted from the premises and I'll instruct them to toss your sorry ass to the curb."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Try me." Anna leaned over the desk at him, "I'm not afraid of you and you're making trouble for my business. I'm well within my rights to kick you off my property."
"You're just mad I found business with someone else."
"Not by the looks of this," Anna slid the paper back to Green, "Don't let the door smack your ass on the way out."
Green took the paper, crumpling it slightly in his rush, "You're going to regret this."
"The only thing I regret was ever working with your or your poisonous mess in the first place." Anna waved her hand, "A year of my life I'm never getting back."
"This isn't over." Green hissed at her, shoving Talbot out of the way as he made for the door, "It's not over."
Anna waited until Green left to examine the vase. The pieces were large and she gathered them in the fractured base to set on her desk before retrieving the roses. Talbot joined her, moping up the water with a towel from the bar in the corner of the office.
"Sorry about that. I tried to stop him."
"No real harm done," Anna examined the floor for stray pieces of ceramic, "Except to that vase."
"It was nice." Talbot held the sopping towel in his hands, "He's a bastard for ruining it."
"He's an entitled ass." Anna slipped the roses into the cup on her desk, "If I wanted to kill myself I'd just climb to the top of that man's ego and jump to his IQ level."
"Or just drink his shit champagne." Talbot dropped the towel in the ice bucket, "I'm so glad you took Mr. Bates's offer."
"How's that going?" Anna rotated in her chair, playing with the petals on the roses. "How'd the guests take to his drinks?"
"This week we've probably done fifty-percent better on our alcohol sales so I'd say he's worth price of admission. More to the point Mrs. Patmore's raving about how much better she can pair dinner with drinks given the quality of his beverages."
"What about his shipment for tonight?"
"He's unloading right now," Talbot jerked a thumb towards the door, "You want to meet with him about the contract?"
"Maybe I will." Anna left her chair, "But you should work on drawing up your contract for him and the Scarlet."
"Really?"
"It'll be yours to manage Henry," Anna smiled over at him as they took the back stairs to the loading area, "But I'd like to give you that advantage."
"Much appreciated."
Anna turned the corner and saw John chatting with Mrs. Patmore as she plied him with something in a take-away box. He tried to refuse her but eventually accepted with a little bow. Anna snorted and walked over to him as Mrs. Patmore disappeared into the kitchen.
"You shouldn't refuse her. I own the place and I don't refuse her."
John looked up, grinning at her, "If I tried would it be at my peril?"
"Yes," Anna grimaced, "But if you think you're brave enough for it, on your head be it."
"I'll take that in mind." He nodded toward the ceiling, "I couldn't help overhearing but it sounded like you might've had a spot of trouble up there."
"Nothing we haven't dealt with before. Just a wanker looking for something that's not his."
"Dignity?"
"Then you saw him leave?"
"I saw a petulant man stomp his way out of here like his mother told him no more sweets at the corner shop." John lowered his voice as Alfred and William passed them, carrying the cases of the weekend supply to the bar and the storeroom. "Did you get my gift?"
"I did." She bit her lip, "Sadly it fell victim to the actions of a petulant child."
"He broke it?"
"I believe they make glue for that." Anna put a hand on his arm, "The roses are sitting in the available cup on my desk."
"I wasn't worried about that." John flexed his jaw, "I wanted to know you're alright."
"Then why not ask that?"
"I worried you'd assume I was trying to be heroic when you didn't need it."
Anna pulled him out of the way of traffic, "That's incredibly sweet of you, Mr. Bates, and you've no idea how much it means to me that you said that."
"Which part?"
"That you worried I'd think you were being the hero." Anna stepped closer to him, "I don't mind heroes, I just don't want them fighting the battles I can fight."
"Then let me ease your mind." John lowered his voice, "I don't want to fight your battles for you, Anna. I'd want to fight them with you."
Anna had no response so they just stood there a moment. Unlike other situations where Anna had nothing to say to the man next to her, she liked this moment. She liked standing in the presence of John and doing nothing but standing. Having no expectation but standing. It wasn't awkward or pressing. They just stood and it was fine.
Something dropped and brought Anna back to her senses, "Sorry, I've got to do damage control before we destroy what looks to be a very lucrative weekend."
"Then I'll not keep you. Besides," John held up the take-away box, "I've promised to eat this before it gets cold."
"Why not-" Anna cleared her throat, "Why not stay here for dinner? I can put you up in my office for the afternoon and then we can both enjoy this atmosphere together?"
"As much as I'd like that I do have work at the office."
"Oh," Anna felt herself deflate slightly, "I'm sorry I assumed and that-"
"But," John held up a finger, "I'll come back later. I wouldn't miss a chance to share dinner with you in your pride and joy."
"Mr. Bates I think you're just flattering me."
"Would that be so bad?" John dipped down slightly, just barely kissing her cheek, "We all need to be flattered occasionally."
"I don't flatter well."
"You flirt well."
"Flirting isn't flattering."
"It is when someone wants to flirt with you. Then it's blushingly flattering and not many people can make me blush."
"We've all got our strengths." Anna reached a hand up to hold John's head close to hers. "Maybe one day I might be tempted to let you be my strength for a moment?"
John pulled back slightly, "I'd love that."
"Good. Then I'll see you at eight?"
"Wouldn't dream of missing it." John lifted the take-away box before going out the back door.
Anna hugged her arms close to her chest, taking a deep breath while convincing herself she could still smell his cologne.
"So the other night… that wasn't a date?" Anna jumped as Mary joined her, leaning on a stack of boxes behind Anna.
"No, it wasn't a date."
"Than that wasn't an interchange between a boyfriend and a girlfriend?"
"He's not my boyfriend. He's my supplier."
"People don't usually whisper in corners with their suppliers unless I missed a business class I shouldn't have."
"You missed all of them Mary, that's why you had to drop out." Anna made her way back up the stairs toward her office, Mary in tow.
"Be that as it may, you're staring at him like that was exactly what you took the mickey out of me for doing when I started dating Matthew."
"You were practically drooling when you saw Matthew so this hardly compares." Anna opened the door to her office to leave Mary behind but the other woman snaked herself in. "Come in why don't you."
"Look, you could do a lot worse than John Bates. Believe me, I've seen the kind of guys you date. Especially that one who just stank of trouble… or just stank."
"That was one guy and he's long gone."
"Prison, wasn't it?"
"That's not funny Mary."
"It may be a little," Mary held her pointer finger and thumb less than a millimeter apart. "But I'd put, in John's favor, that at least he doesn't look like the kind of person your mother would've warned you away from in the eighties."
"That was one time, Mary, and it was a costume party."
"Still, bad eighties."
"Let's not forget the man you want me to pursue hung around with your father in the eighties."
"Ew," Mary shuddered, "I'd prefer not to think about my father before I was in his life. For all intents and purposes he only existed so I could exist."
"I don't think your sisters would appreciate that."
"I don't care," Mary waved her hand, "And how'd we start talking about me? This is about you finally moving on."
"I wish you wouldn't say it like I've got hang ups about moving on or like I never dated after what happened."
"No one I liked and no one you liked or they'd have lasted longer than a date and a shag."
"That's not fair because Adam lasted two months and I never shagged any of them on the first date."
"None of them?" Mary waited and Anna sighed.
"Okay, I did shag Adam the first time but, as I said, we dated for two months before we broke up."
"You only claim that because he was the DJ here for that long."
"And I don't just date to shag." Mary raised an eyebrow and Anna shrugged, "If it comes to shagging I happen to enjoy it and there's no problem with that."
"Anna it's all empty and you've said before, with a few more shots of tequila than you probably intended, that almost none of them were actually satisfying so you didn't really enjoy it."
"From now on I'm not drinking with you." Anna sat in her chair, throwing her arms up, "So what if they weren't all great?"
"Because you deserve great Anna," Mary took one of the chairs across the desk ,"We all do and anything less isn't worth our time."
"And you think John Bates is great?"
"I prefer not to think of my father's friend in a sexual way because I'd rather not have to burn my eyeballs with caustic acid." Mary shifted on her chair, "But if there's one thing I do know about him, he'll treat you like a queen."
"Is that what his ex-wife thought?"
"His ex-wife was a harpy and you're a far cry from her."
"Mary?"
"I never met her but I heard the way Papa talked about her and she was bad news. What's more she's old news Anna, very old, so why does it matter?"
"We've all got our damage." Anna ran a finger along the stitching of her leather chair, "Or our baggage as John says."
Mary grew quiet, "Does he know your baggage?"
"Yes," Anna clapped her hands together, "And he still took me to dinner on Tuesday night which means he's either insane or-"
"Or he likes you." Mary tapped the desktop, "No one hears that sort of thing without running for the hills and just wants to prep your knickers for extraction."
"That's disgusting."
"Anna, be honest with yourself, other than me who else actually has a clue about what happened to you?"
"That's not import-"
"If you say 'it's not important' I swear I'll scream." Mary held up a warning finger, "If you give me another round of 'people have it worse than I do' I'll use the shards of whatever that was and knock you soundly about the head and shoulders."
Anna glanced at the remains of the ceramic vase sitting on the edge of her desk. "What's it matter that I told him?"
"Because you won't even talk to a damn therapist and on a first date, which you adamantly denied being a date by the way, you told a stranger all about what got you here in the first place."
"And that means something?"
"You're not an idiot Anna, stop acting like one."
Anna heaved in slowly, "What do you want me to do? Go to therapy? Go lay on a couch and talk about my childhood and how that prepped me for a drug addiction that set the stage for a rape? Do you want me to tell a perfect stranger all of my problems and have them tell me to write it all down in a journal to feel better?"
"If it helps."
"It won't." Anna shook her head, "It's shit and I don't need it."
"What if you do?"
"I don't, Mary." Anna stood up, "I have things to do so if you need to be somewhere else I'd suggest now is the time to be there."
"Anna-"
"Please, Mary." Anna felt her shoulders shaking slightly, "Please just go."
Mary left the office and Anna collapsed into her chair, holding her face in her hands as she cried.
Anna pulled her hair back as someone knocked on her office door. "Come in."
"It's all ready down on the main floor Anna, if you're ready." Anna looked up to see an older woman standing in the doorway.
"I will be in a minute."
"It's just-" The woman rubbed her hands and Anna narrowed her eyes.
"What is it Mrs. Hughes?"
"There's a man waiting for you at the bottom of the main stairs and he insists on not moving until you come down."
Anna rolled her chair to look out the glass of her office and smiled when she saw John standing at the bottom of the stairs, holding a rose in his hand. "That's fine Mrs. Hughes, I'm expecting him."
"He said as much but I thought I'd warn you just in case."
"Thank you Mrs. Hughes," Anna pushed her chair back, smoothing out her dress as she slipped her feet into the heels she hid under her desk. "I'll be ready in a moment."
"That's not the only reason I came up," Mrs. Hughes stepped closer to the desk, still dry-washing her hands. "I wanted to thank you for the promotion. It means a great deal to me."
"I think you're more than ready for it and I need someone I can trust." Anna held a hand out to Mrs. Hughes and she shook it. "I think it'll be a great partnership."
"But what about Mr. Talbot? You two are so close and it's almost like you read one another's minds sometimes. I don't know if I'm that good."
"I think Mr. Talbot and I are on the same wavelength now but we weren't when we started. We'll find our own groove Mrs. Hughes, I've got faith in us."
"If you're convinced then I am too. Mr. Carson said as much when I mentioned it to him."
"And how are you and Mr. Carson, Mrs. Hughes?"
"If we're going to be partners then you'd better call me Elsie but we're very well. He's the most wonderful man."
"I don't know Mrs. Hu- Elsie," Anna laughed, shooting a side glance out the window at John waiting below. "I've got a pretty decent man waiting for me down there."
"There's no comparison. Each man if perfect for the woman who chose him." Mrs. Hughes smiled, "I'll tell him you'll be right down."
"Why don't we go down together?" Anna and Mrs. Hughes walked across the hallway to the stairs and descended to join John.
"You found her Mrs. Hughes," John kissed Mrs. Hughes, "How will I ever repay you?"
"Treat her well and I won't worry about Mr. Carson having to treat you to the pavement." Mrs. Hughes smiled at him, "Have a good evening Mr. Bates."
He coughed as she walked away and Anna laughed. He turned back to her, raising an eyebrow, "Are you taking pleasure at my discomfiture Ms. Smith?"
"And if I am?" She slipped her arm through his, "I think the third date is the perfect time to realize your date isn't perfect."
"I could've told you that on the first date. In fact," He paused for dramatic effect, putting a finger to his chin, "I believe I did."
"How about, then, taking time to laugh at yourself?"
"Again, not something I need help doing." He smiled back but stopped suddenly, sniffing. "Do you smell that?"
"What?" Anna sniffed, "I don't smell it."
"Is it possible Mrs. Patmore burned something?"
"She doesn't. She believes a chef doesn't get paid to burn things." Anna moved away from John, trying to follow the smell just as the klaxons of the fire alarm and flashing lights activated.
In predictable fashion a few people screamed as they worried over what to take from their tables. Anna moved away from John, going to the wall and pulling down the old fashioned phone she worked into the intercom system. She rung it up and held the phone to her ear.
"Please proceed calmly to the nearest exits. There are two in the front, one just by the restrooms, and another in the back of the building. Do not panic or run. Walk to the exits, the fire squad is already on their way."
She set the phone back in its cradle as the smoke snaked its way from the kitchens. A hand grabbed her and she saw John there, tugging at her. Anna took her hand back and moved through the people trying not to panic in their rush to the door.
Reaching the bar she dug underneath it for the fire extinguisher as Tom joined her, holding the red can from the other end of the bar.
"I think something in the kitchen caught."
"I doubt it. She keeps it cleaner than a morgue in there." Anna walked toward the kitchen, pulling the pin in the extinguisher while holding the hose out. "We're putting it out."
"Anna," She turned to see John finally reaching her, his clothes a little mussed from his struggle through the crowd.
"I'm not leaving."
"I just wanted to know where I get one." He pointed to the extinguisher and Tom handed his over.
"All yours mate. I'll take the one by the bathrooms and see if I can find Henry and go from that way."
"Anna," Phyllis came from the second level, "I've got everyone out but Mary."
"Was Mary even back there?"
"She was in her dressing room but I can't find her."
Anna went to respond when something behind the kitchen doors popped. A moment later the doors burst open and a draft of hot air hit the four standing there with a concussion strong enough to blow them backward.
A sharp stabbing sensation hit her back as Anna collided with the bar. She stumbled sideways, grabbing for a stool but missing and hitting the floor. Phyllis toppled into a chair but managed to keep her feet enough to come to Anna's aid.
Anna took the offered hand and stood, immediately crouching back down. They coughed through the smoke and Anna tried to see in the growing haze. The sprinklers above their head kicked on, dousing the women in moments.
Someone put a coat over Anna's head and she saw John there. He ushered her toward the door as Tom helped Phyllis out. They maneuvered around the tables and chairs, some knocked over in the rush to escape, to reach the doors just as members of the fire squad ran inside.
Anna stopped, instructing the firefighter closest to her about the possible origins of the flames and that there might be a missing person. He nodded and urged them to join the others outside before running toward the still smoking kitchen.
They shivered outside, drenched as they were and unfit for the cold weather. Patrons rushed Anna, some wondering about the state of their various personal items while others complained about the service. Anna tried to address their concerns as she searched the crowd for Talbot or Mrs. Hughes.
Talbot found her first. "I've got the head count. All guests accounted for and all staff. Mrs. Patmore's near the back of the building with Mrs. Hughes and they say that Mary's missing."
"Phyllis said the same," Anna pointed back to where Phyllis accepted Moseley's jacket as the man put it over her shoulders, almost slapping Phyllis in the face in the process. "Do we know for sure she was even here?"
"Anna?" Anna turned to see Robert and Cora parting the crowd to reach her. Anna rolled her shoulders back, trying to prepare herself for this. "Did you find Mary?"
"No one's seen her yet but we're trying to locate her."
"Isn't she with Matthew?" Everyone looked over at John as he joined the, hands in his pockets. "He came in with me. He had a bunch of flowers and said he had a surprise for his wife."
Anna turned to Talbot, "Did you see him backstage?"
"No," Talbot shook his head, "Let me check with Phyllis. Maybe she did."
Talbot left them as the crowd broke into factions. Anna edged to the side, working around to the back of the building as the smoke billowing out of the building slowed. Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Patmore gave her their assessments, with Mrs. Patmore insisting the fire was not from her kitchen.
Anna smiled at them and went to respond to Mrs. Patmore when Talbot jogged over to them, one of the firefighters with him. Anna faced the man, accepting Talbot's dry jacket to wrap around her shivering body, "What's the damage?"
"We've saved most of the structure but I'd say the backstage and offices have extensive fire damage. We'll wait until we're sure it's all out and then give you a better assessment when we know more."
"What about the woman inside?"
"You mean the couple inside?" The firefighter shook his head, "We've got the squad on the way for the woman. She's breathing with the help of an oxygen mask but we need something a little more powerful to help her."
"And the man?" Anna held the edges of Talbot's coat, her fingers white.
"He didn't make it."
