Don't Say It with Flowers by Alison Colwell

Hades hesitated in front of the closed laundry room door. Delivering messages was a job for junior staff, not the manager. He was too important to leave the front desk. What was he was thinking? He should’ve sent one of the room service boys to find her.

But he wanted to see her.

He needed to see her.

And if she wouldn't come to him then he'd go to her. He tugged at his shirt, straightened his tie. Rapped hard with his knuckles. Waited.

The door opened and his brain emptied like a colander. Persephone stood in the doorway staring at him, her mahogany eyes shining against her flawless white skin, an unfolded pillowcase limp in her hands. She pushed her Walkman headphones down around her neck. Tinny, somehow-familiar music drifted out the speakers.

Did she even remember their first conversation?

He remembered every moment. She'd been eating pomegranates with her girlfriends at the marina adjacent to the hotel, purple juice running between her fingers. She'd followed him into the lobby, asked for work. Naturally, he'd said "yes". He'd trained her himself, despite his own lack of experience in the laundry room. But in the two months since then, she seemed to avoid him. She was always busy, always brushing off his questions. Was she happy here?

"What do you want?" she said.

Now Hades couldn't remember why he'd come. He had a message didn't he? He stood transfixed by the wisps of hair that had escaped her ponytail to curl around her face and cling to the moist skin on her neck. The rhythmic thunk-chunk of the industrial washing machine, and the roar of the dryer made it hard to concentrate.

He felt himself growing hot, and it wasn't just from the steam escaping the ironing machine. He glanced away; terrified she might know what he was thinking. Did mothers teach their daughters how to read minds?

With a resigned sigh, Persephone stepped back, and gestured him inside.

Get a grip, he told himself.

The long narrow room looked more like a passageway with the end lost in the shadow of low wattage bulbs. The high walls were lined with shelves of plush white towels, and crisp Egyptian cotton sheets. The housekeeping cart, fully stocked for morning, was parked beside the door. Beside the machines a pile of clean laundry was heaped on a table, ready to be folded.

"I don’t remember this place ever being so neat," he said, just for something to say. Could he be any more boring?

"Being organized is wicked."

Hades finally recognized the tune playing on her Walkman.

"Looking to rule the world?"

He bounced on his toes. He was doing this! He was talking to a woman.

Persephone grinned at him. "Wouldn't have guessed you were a Tears for Fears fan."

"There's a lot you don't know about me."

She rolled her eyes and went back to folding pillowcases.

Aaanndddd he strikes out. So not cool, Hades. He bet his brothers never had these kinds of problems. "Don’t you find it strange not being able to look outside?" he asked. "You could be anywhere."

"Right. Like, anywhere with mountains of sheets and towels to wash and fold. Did you want something or did you just come down here to admire the view?"

His gaze ran along her bare arms, over the white tank shirt pulled tight across her chest. His throat dry as the river Styx. He swallowed repeatedly, and remembered the call. "Your mother phoned. She said it was important."

"That's what she always says," Persephone grabbed a stack of pillowcases, snapped one straight and began to flatten out the corners.

Hades raised his hands in apology as she scowled at him. "I was just trying to help."

"Sorry," Persephone breathed out. "It's the same thing every time she calls. She wants me to come home."

"What about you? What do you want?"

"I’m not sure." She fidgeted with her hair, tucking the loose strands behind her ear. "I just needed to get out after graduation. Like, I miss her, of course. But I can’t stay her baby forever. I have to have my own life, you know."

Hades nodded. Dysfunctional families he knew. Truth was he’d only taken on the hotel to get some independence from his famous but overbearing brother.

"She doesn't like that I'm growing up. But I am. I'm not a kid anymore. Sorry, I'm totally not mad at you. It's not your fault."

"If you want to call her, you can use the phone in my office."

"Fine. Let's go." She shoved her passkeys in her pocket and strode past him into the corridor. Hades realized she'd forgotten her uniform shirt. It was hanging on the back of the door. He stared at it a moment. Hotel rules required staff to wear their uniforms. But he kept his mouth shut. She looked amazing. He closed the door and followed her to the elevator.

Hades pushed the button for the lobby, then stared at his feet. Say something. Don't be a total doofus.

They rode up two floors in awkward silence.

He led her to the small office tucked behind the front desk. She slumped into his swivel chair with a long-suffering sigh.

Hades couldn't believe how irresistible she was. He turned away before he said something totally embarrassing, reached into the minibar and pulled out two bottles of Budweiser. "Want one?" The brown glass was covered in condensation.

Persephone nodded as she picked up the phone and dialled.

Hades popped the top off and handed her a bottle, their fingers brushed as she took it. His knees shook. What was wrong with him?

As the phone rang and rang she rolled the cold bottle across her forehead.

Hades moved back to the doorway. He was supposed to be at the front desk but he was unable to look away. He knew it was creepy, but he couldn't stop.

Persephone smiled at him and took a long swallow. "It's me," she said and absently picked at the bottle's label while she listened. "I'm not sure, Demi. Maybe."

Another pause.

"Fine. Don't have a cow, Mom. I'm staying on a friend's boat right now. I'm fine. It's easier for work anyway."

A voice like a bitter wind escaped from the receiver.

"I'm not on my own, Mom. Like, I just said. I have friends here." Persephone glanced over at him as she took another long drink.

Hades straightened. Ran his fingers through his fine dark hair. Did she like him? Was she looking at him because she thought he was totally rad?

Her mouth narrowed. "No duh, those airheads think picking wildflowers is the most interesting thing you can do in a day. Different friends. Real friends." She rolled her eyes at Hades and mimed shooting herself in the head with her hand. It felt good to be on her side of the conversation.

"I'm not having this discussion with you right now, mom. Like, it's my life. I've told you I don't want to go to university. Anyhow, I'm working. You told Hades it was something major. That's the only reason I called."

A longer pause as the wind gathered ferocity.

"Mom. As if. Missing me is not an emergency. You need to get some friends."

Howling of a winter storm this time.

"No, you can not stop summer because you miss me. Get a grip!"

The sounds of earth wrenching. Rocks tumbling down mountains as the world shuddered to a halt.

"No, I'm not promising to come home. Don't you dare call Hades' brother! I can make up my own mind. Look, I'll think about it. Once the season's done. Then we'll talk."

She hung up the phone and rested her forehead against the desk with another dramatic sigh. Hades' fingers itched to touch her. To stroke the nape of her neck. He buried them in his pockets. Struck a pose against the doorframe.

"She threatened to call your brother. To get him to make me go home."

"I heard."

"What would your brother do?"

"Your mom is kinda scary, but if you wanted to stay, I could try and work out a deal with him. If that's what you wanted?" Hades tried to keep the hope out of his voice. Women hated desperation. Everyone knew that. It had to be her decision.

Her breathing was the only sound in the room. They were alone. And she was so cool. Outside the dark sky pressed against the lobby windows, faint music drifted in from the hotel bar. It was timeless. And it was perfect.

Finally, Persephone stood up. Hades flattened himself against the entrance to let her pass, but she stepped closer to him, right into his space.

Hades squeaked; his breath trapped in his throat.

"Thank you for the beer," she said, her chest only inches from his. "Right now, I need to get back to my little kingdom."

His heart and brain had ridden the freight elevator to the basement. Untethered from sense, he lifted his fingers to caress her bare shoulders. Her skin felt hot under his touch.

"But maybe you can come visit me again?" she said. "Now you know the way. Bring the beers with you next time."

Hades nodded. Too paralyzed with longing to speak. Only after the elevator doors closed did he pick up the phone.

"Zeus, brother. I need a favour. I met a girl…"