The Little Teashop in Tokyo by Julie Caplin Page 0,58

that they were going to make calls in the deck area between the carriages.

When Gabe came back he seemed distracted and didn’t say anything. He put his earphones in and closed his eyes but Fiona got the impression he was deep in thought.

When they finally drew in to their destination after a half hour during which they’d not spoken at all, Gabe was cool and distracted as Fiona tried to help him get the bags down from the overhead luggage racks. She was tempted to ask him what had got into him but she had a pretty good idea what it was … or rather whom.

Chapter 14

By the time they arrived at the hotel – a beautiful compromise between Japanese and Western design – a touch of anxiety plagued Fiona. As the lift doors closed taking them up to their respective rooms, she sneaked a quick sideways peep at Gabe’s stern profile, dismay making her swallow hard. She had that definite surplus-to-requirement feeling and suddenly regretted coming. But, bugger it, he had invited her. If he’d changed his mind, why didn’t he say so?

‘Are you okay?’ asked Fiona shocked by her boldness as the lift pulled away.

‘Fine.’

Fiona grimaced. ‘You’ve gone very quiet.’

Gabe didn’t even turn her way as he said, ‘Just focused.’

The lift arrived at the second floor and thankfully their rooms were in opposite directions.

‘I’ll see you on the top floor in the suite whenever you’re ready,’ said Gabe and strode off down the corridor.

‘Right,’ said Fiona, more to herself than him, as he might as well be leaving roadrunner tracks in the carpet behind him the speed he was going.

She tugged her bag behind her and followed the room numbers to the right door and pushed it open.

‘Nice,’ she breathed as she walked into the luxurious room. ‘Oh, yes, this will do nicely.’

Knowing that her mother would get a kick out of being able to boast about her daughter staying in five-star luxury, she took a couple of pictures quickly and WhatsApped them to her.

A huge bed dressed with white cotton bedding embroidered with a pale green bamboo motif dominated the room. It had to be bigger than a king-size. What was that? Emperor? Rather fitting for Japan, she guessed. She smoothed her fingers over the crisp duvet, too intimidated to bounce on it or throw herself onto it Pretty Woman-style; instead she dropped her squashy handbag onto one of the stylish grey button-backed chairs with its splayed-out beech legs.

Crossing to the sliding doors, she opened them and stepped out into the warm spring air. Sunlight poured over her and automatically she lifted her face to it, closing her eyes and taking in a few easy breaths. Oh, this was heaven. Finally opening her eyes, she stepped to the edge of the balcony and took in the view. Below her, stretching the entire length of the hotel, was a very pretty garden. From here she could identify a selection of acers with their delicately shaped leaves in varying shades of greens and yellows as well as several cherry trees which had yet to blossom and her favourites, the frothy blue-green fronds of the Japanese red cedar. Her eyes tracked the pale grey gravel paths threading through the trees with sure purpose, bordered here and there with big, sturdy, dark glazed pots, each one holding a bonsai. She could make out the low gurgle of water and followed the sound to a water feature, a small waterfall tumbling down over rocks that then flowed through the garden ending in a small pond overlooked by a red wooden bench.

She took in a deep breath and focused on one of the nearby cedars, remembering her visit to Haruka’s beautiful garden. Already her mood had lifted and, now she thought about it, she realised that the pinching tension in her shoulders had floated away. With a smile she relaxed and let herself breathe in the fresh air as she leant against the balcony railing. The scent of cedar filled her nose. It was green and fresh and bright and as she took in another few deep breaths, remembering what Haruka had said, she wondered if perhaps she should send a quick text to Gabe and tell him to take some time out with nature. In the meantime, she wasn’t going to hurry; she was going take her time and smell the proverbial roses for a while. She pulled up one of the chairs on the balcony and settled into it. Sod Gabe