6 The Yellow Orchid

This Sunday morning has a different feeling, it’s the previous day before I start my new job. I feel really excited! I wake up early to go ride my bike in the park. It’s one of the few small freedoms I have. My parents used to oppose me riding my bike, but after months of arguments I convinced them it was safe. It’s not as if I ride at night and, also, the park is right in front of our house, so it’s not like I’m going far. 

Riding my yellow and pink bike is my favorite part of Sundays, it’s the perfect time to burn calories and be with myself without any interruptions. Also, there’s a smoothie bar called Detoxmania on the other side of the park that prepares the most delicious banana-strawberry smoothie ever. It’s part of my Sunday routine, treating myself with one of those smoothies once I’m done with my workout.

After taking a few laps around the park I stop in front of the smoothie bar. The bike parking spaces are all full so I take my bike to the side of the store where people leave their bikes chained to the water pipe in cases like this. There’s another bike here already, a tall orange one that clearly belongs to a man, the place most be full. I secure my bike to the pipe and go inside. As I predicted, the line is endless. I look at the ‘specials board’ while I wait in line, although I always order the same thing. 

When I finally have my smoothie, I notice all tables are full, so I go out and sit on a bench nearby. I contemplate the people passing by, some runners, people walking their dogs, families enjoying their Sunday morning. I wish my family had been like one of these, but I have no memory of our parents ever taking my brother and I to a park. My dad was always busy and my mother always tired. I promise myself that if I ever have children I’ll be the kind of mom that takes them to the park to play. 

After finishing my smoothie, I go back to pick up my bike and my blood freezes. Someone has wreck it, the seat is broken and the pink handlebars are lying on the ground, both wheels were torn with a knife and someone wrote the word ‘b*tch’ on the side with black paint. The tall orange bike next to mine is in perfect shape, this was no coincidence, this was purposefully done to me. The online harassment it’s also happening in real life. I take a few steps back as I hold my tears back. What is wrong with people? 

I suddenly feel extremely vulnerable, so I start running back home as fast as I can. I leave what used to be my bike behind, I would hate to carry the pieces thru the park with people looking at me and wondering what I did to deserve having my property destroyed. I feel tears running down my cheeks so I wipe them with a swift move and keep running as fast as my legs allow me. I’ll cry when I get home, but not here where whoever did this can see me crumble and rejoice. 

I don’t stop until I reach the porch of my house and even then, I don’t feel entirely safe. I look over my shoulder constantly, I’m not sure what I’m looking for, maybe someone suspicious following me or Sam and his brother hidden behind some bushes laughing at me. I see no one. Just regular people walking by. 

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I have to calm myself down before going in, if my parents see me arriving with red eyes and breathing heavily they are going to have a lot of questions. As I open the door I realize they are going to have a lot of questions anyway because I don’t have my bike with me! 

I walk in slowly and as quiet as I can. I hear my mom preparing breakfast in the kitchen and suddenly my dad yells from the dining room “How long until we can eat?!” I walk rapidly towards the stairs now that I know where they are. 

“We have to wait for Olivia to come back!” Replies my mom from the kitchen. 

My dad complains, but I don't get everything he says since I’m already up the stairs. As soon as I reach my room I slide down against my door, relieved that they didn't see me, but also still shaken about my bike. 

I take a quick shower and go downstairs to have breakfast with my parents. It’s always the same, my dad reads something in his iPad and my mom looks at the void, we don’t talk to each other, we have our food in silence. Not the most heartwarming family breakfast scene, but this is who we are. I wish I could say our Sundays were more cheerful when my brother was alive, but that would be a lie. Maybe my dad was less bitter, but my mom has always been the same sad woman I see in front of me, always tired or with headaches, too self-absorbed to notice her husband or children.  

The rest of my Sunday goes as usual, except I keep wondering how much more is the Sam incident going to affect my life.

————

I don’t even need an alarm clock to wake me up. The excitement of my first day of work fills me up with energy. I’ve put the hole bike incident behind me, today is a fresh start for me. My haters can do as they please, they won’t bring me down anymore.  

I put on the navy-blue skirt and pink sweater Miranda and I picked together at the mall. I look cute, but professional. I pull my hair back into a high ponytail. I apply pink blush to my cheeks, it gives me a healthy good girl look. I smile at my reflection in the mirror. 

Ivan takes me to the luxurious corporate building located right in the middle of the financial district. It must be very unusual for an assistant to arrive in her own van driven by her personal driver, but my father would lose his mind if I took the subway or any other transportation not provided by him. 

I go in and walk to the crystal front desk where I explain to the receptionist who I am, she points to the elevators and tells me I have to go to the 15th floor to Thunder Motors. I take the elevator among many other people who work in this building. Everyone seems to be in a hurry, impatient to get to their floor and start their work day. No one pays attention to me, I’m just another girl heading for work. After all the harassment I’ve been subject to these past days, it feels good to go unnoticed. 

When I get to the 15th floor, I find a second receptionist behind a wooden desk, she greets me and after I explain to her what I’m doing here, she kindly takes me to my desk. 

“So this is your working space. Mr. David Gleason, your boss, is not here yet, but his office is right behind you. I’ll go tell HR you are here and then they’ll give you your access card and help you set in. If you need anything my name is Nancy and my extension is 1526. Welcome to Thunder Motors, Olivia.” She says with a kind smile. I thank her and then I wait for the HR person to come help me.  

The morning goes by quickly, an HR employee named George gives me a short tour of our floor and then helps me get familiarized with my new corporate e mail account, among other things. Everyone I meet is really kind, including my boss, and when it’s time for our lunch break, Nancy, from reception, asks me to accompany her with some other people from the office to have lunch at the cafeteria located on the 12th floor. I feel happy to be around people who have no idea about what my dad did. Even though I don’t have much in common with any of them I enjoy being out of my house surrounded by new faces. Miranda was right, this is what I needed, a change of scene.   

When I go back to my desk after lunch there’s a yellow orchid with a hand written note on my keyboard. I feel embarrassed. Obviously, it’s not for me, this is my first day, no one knows I’m here, the messenger probably made a mistake and now I’m going to have to look for the girl this was meant to. I read the note.

Have a great first day, doll. Stefan. 

My heart skips a beat. The orchid is for me. I can’t help smiling. So Handsome Intruder is named Stefan. It’s nice to know. How did he guess orchids were my favorite kind of flowers? 

I keep the orchid on my desk and for the rest of the day, every time I look at it I smile. I think of ways to thank him, but then I desist. I must resist him. As handsome as he is, he works for my dad and we could get in serious trouble. My dad doesn’t like it when I talk to the intruders, if I date one he’ll lose it. What he did to Sam would be nothing in comparison to what he would do to Stefan. It’s too risky to even try.