Music and merriment filled the bullpen and wafted down the hallways of the Pinkerton Detective Agency building. Mr. Pinkerton had hired a live orchestra to play various movie scores he knew were Garrett’s favorite. He’d paid for catering from three different prominent restaurants. He spared no expense for the birthday event he had, also, turned into a welcome home celebration. 

     Garrett leaned against a desk and watched as everyone enjoyed themselves and each other’s company. One person was missing, and he gripped the edge of the desk as he thought of why. 

     Fawn had only come up from the filing room once. It was to bring the mooncakes she’d made for the feast. He looked at the bright white one in his hand as he recalled what had happened. 

     Just as he’d heard from Mr. Pinkerton and read in her texts, the women mocked her clothes and the men joined in. 

     She’d worn a beautiful gown that day. It was mostly white with a high band of deep red along the bottom of the skirt. The bodice was white and the sleeves had a hem of silver. The bottom of the robe’s wide sleeves were deep red, just as the bottom that faded as it rose up to blend in with the white.

     The belt was a thick band of red with silver edges. There was a white jade ornament hanging from it that he couldn’t quite make out. 

     The white of both the skirt and the robe was adorned with red and light blue flowers like those she painted, and he wondered if she’d painted them on her clothes since she sewed them, herself. Throughout the clothes were silver and gold thread in swirls the shapes of climbing vines. 

     Even her shoes were part of the outfit. They were red and white boots with embroidered flowers and glass beads. 

     She wore her hair back away from her face with the top layer up in a bun of sorts. A long silver hairpin held it in place, with enameled flowers in a multitude of shades that complimented her clothes. 

     There wasn’t a thing wrong with what she wore and how she looked, and he couldn’t help but think she’d done it for him. Red was the traditional color of celebration for their culture, and until his birthday, she hadn’t worn anything red at all. 

     He had noticed how flustered she had become in Mr. Pinkerton’s office, but he mistook it for something sinister. When she found him watching as she set the tray onto the luncheon table, her blush was unmistakable. 

     He looked up from the pastry and found Monique staring at him, a flirtatious expression on her face. He rolled his eyes and looked away when he remembered what had happened next. 

     Monique was the one who started the teasing. She had made a remark about the company saving money on a fake theme party when they had an authentic Chinese princess working right there in the office. Fawn had glanced at Garrett as though she had expected him to say something since the remark was an insult to him, as well. 

     He swallowed the guilt when he remembered saying nothing to intervene. The hurt in her expression cut through him. It wasn’t until she hurried away that he realized what had been going on. 

     He had been too enamored with how beautiful she looked to think clearly on their words. His thoughts had been a jumbled mess since realizing she was his mysterious neighbor, and nothing else mattered at that moment. 

     When he could think clearly, he went directly to the tray of mooncakes and lifted it before anyone could take any. He had brought the whole thing to his office, where he set it down on his desk, then he had locked his door as he left. None of them deserved her hard work, and his angry glare when he returned to the party told them as much. 

     “She’s leaving,” he heard Doug say from behind him, bringing him back to the present. 

     He turned and waited for him to elaborate. 

     “Fawn,” Doug clarified. “You wanted to follow her. I just saw her get into the elevator wearing her cloak and carrying her things. I’m guessing she’s going home since Mr. Pinkerton said everyone could go when they’re ready to leave the party. I don’t blame her. Some of these people really are assholes.” 

     “Can we postpone my birthday dinner?” Garrett asked as he hurried with Doug to his office. 

     “Are you thinking of confronting her tonight?” he asked as he watched Garrett pull on his jacket and coat. 

     “I wouldn’t use that word,” Garrett corrected him while pulling on his scarf. Next were his gloves. “I may say something, I may not. I haven’t decided. I just want to follow her and see where she goes.” 

     “What about the mooncakes?” Doug asked with a nod to Garrett’s desk.

     “Take them home with you,” Garrett replied. “Don’t eat them all!”

     Doug laughed and watched Garrett hurry toward the elevator, lithely avoiding Monique’s attempt to bring him back to the party. He closed himself in Garrett’s office to gorge on mooncakes while he researched the foster home where Fawn was raised.

Mooncakes is now available in full on my Patreon, as well as a PDF download. Patreon link is in the description below. 

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