“No, I was just kidding,” I say. “You don’t have to get me a muffin. I’ll get one later.”
“It’s fine,” Cynthia says. “I really want one too. I’ll be right back.”
I’m left alone surrounded by a sea of flowers. One of the things I love most about flowers is that, no matter how alone I am, their presence always brings me comfort. Especially daffodils and daisies. They aren’t the fanciest flowers by a long shot, hardly anyone requests them for bouquets, let alone centerpieces, but they are the friendliest. Whenever I look at them, I can’t help but smile. They’re a constant reminder that everything will be okay. The world isn’t such a bad place, as long as daffodils and daisies continue to flourish.
There’s a knock on the door. Cynthia’s hands must be too full with muffins and coffee to open it herself. I head toward the door, but it opens before I get there.
“Hello Avery,” he says in his sultry voice. Cold shivers run down my spine. I’m still clutching a loose bouquet of daffodils and daises, which I was just enjoying. Only now, I’m grasping it, squeezing the life out of it.
“Cal,” I whisper. “What are you doing here?”
My voice breaks a little at his name. My mouth runs dry. I take a deep breath and finish the question with strength. He can’t see me wither.
“I wanted to see you. I miss you,” he says. He’s shorter than Logan, but still much taller than I am. He recently got a buzz cut, which makes him look even more menacing.
“You can’t be here,” I say.
“I know, but this girl I was with broke up with me, and it made me realize how much I’ve missed you.” Cal comes closer to me. Much too close. I back away.
“You were seeing someone?” I ask. Perhaps there’s hope that he can be someone else’s problem now. Not that I want some other unsuspecting girl to have a stalker, I just don’t want him stalking me anymore.
“I know, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have. But after you took out that restraining order on me, what could I do? Will you forgive me?”
What. The. Fuck?
“You can’t be here,” I say in the most confident and self-assured voice that I can manage to muster. “The restraining order is still in effect.”
Suddenly, I’m backed against the wall. Freshly cut tulips press into the back of my head. Cal leans close to me, putting his hand on the wall behind the tulips. The only thing that’s separating us is the bouquet of daffodils and daisies, I hold in my extended hand as if it were a weapon. We’re so close that his significant beer belly presses against them, pushing their heads toward the floor. Not a great weapon.
“I miss you,” he whispers. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see that his arms are stronger now than they were before. More defined. He has started to work out. His bicep flexes a couple of times and my knees grow weak. I’m not sure I can hold myself up for much longer.
“What are you doing here?” Cynthia marches into the store. Her authoritative voice makes both Cal and I flinch. “You can’t be here. She has a restraining order out against you. I’m calling the police.”
“I was just checking in with my girl,” Cal says, backing away from me.
“Well, she doesn’t want you checkin’ in. You’re lucky that you’re not in jail right now doing time for assault,” Cynthia says, taking out her phone. “I’m calling the police.”
“Fine, fine, I’m leaving,” Cal says. “I miss you, Avery. Call me.”
I let out a big sigh of relief when the door shuts closed behind him. I find the nearest chair and collapse into it.
“Yes, hello? I need someone to come out to make a report about a violation of a restraining order…No, he’s not here anymore. He just left,” Cynthia says and gives the police our address.
“What are you doing?” I ask when she hangs up.
“The police will be here within the hour. They said that you have to report each violation of the restraining order. And that’s what we’re doing.”
I’m so happy that she’s here. Not just for making Cal leave, but also for calling the cops. I’m not sure I’d have the strength to follow up as quickly as she had. All the adrenaline pumping through my body has vanished, and I feel too weak to utter a single word.
‘Thank you,’ I mouth.
* * *
A couple of days later, Dolly and I meet for lunch to discuss the date – to conduct a post-mortem, of a sort. She had called the day after the engagement, right after Cal left, but I was in no mood to talk. I even asked Cynthia to text her back for me and schedule something for later in the week.
I meet her in her office. She’s dressed in a loose-fitting light pink pant suit, which she pulls off marvelously. It hugs her in all the right places and does not make her short legs look stubby, which is almost always the case with me. It’s probably all the heels, I decide. In addition to her gigantic diamond wedding set, she’s also wearing a diamond ring on the right ring finger. It’s in the shape of a bow tie, and she’s wearing it right at the tip of her nail, near the first knuckle.
“I love your ring,” I say. “I’ve never seen a knuckle ring like that.”
“Oh, thank you for noticing,” she extends her hand so I can get a closer look. “It’s a new creation by this talented young designer out of Santa Barbara. It’s part of her very first collection, coming out this summer. It’s not available anywhere yet.”
I nod. For a second, it feels like she’s actually telling me all of this because I might go out and get one. As if it’s something that she got at Target, and it’s actually something I can afford. When I glance back up at her, I know that she’s not showing off one bit. She’s simply sharing, because I had showed an interest.
“I’m going to make myself a cup of hot chocolate. Real dark chocolate, nothing instant. You interested?” Dolly walks up to her coffee machine.
“Yes, sure,” I nod.
“I’ve had the best hot chocolate one time when I was in Tulum, Mexico. This tiny Mayan woman ran this little stand on a street corner, and it was the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted. I was looking through some of my old travel pictures this morning and was reminded of it, so I thought I’d give it a shot.”
She hands me a photo album titled “Tulum.”
“This was only a few years ago, so all of my pictures came from my phone, but I’m an old fashioned one. There’s nothing like looking at photos in a photo album,” Dolly says as I flip through her pictures. The photos are gorgeous – Instagram quality. Beautiful cliffs and ruins running into the bluest water I’ve ever seen.
A few minutes later, when I’m 100% certain that my next vacation – if I can ever manage a week away from the shop – will be to Tulum, she hands me my cup of hot chocolate. It’s dark and rich and flows as if it were lava. I take a sip. Wow. Dolly has upped her drink game. If her cappuccinos were simply delicious, her hot chocolate is heavenly.
“This is amazing,” I say, taking two more quick sips. It’s so good, I’d be done with the cup already, if it weren’t so hot.
“Yes, it is quite good, isn’t it?” she says, taking a sip. “Not quite like in Tulum, but very good.”
“You must’ve had a blast on this trip,” I say.
“Tulum was one of the last cities built and inhabited by Maya between the 13th and 15th centuries. They called it Zama, the City of Dawn, because it’s on a bluff facing east. If you only ever see one sunrise in your life, it should be in Tulum.”
“You’re making me jealous,” I say. “I’d love to go there someday.”
“It just so happens that I heard that you made quite an impression at the engagement party.”
Oh that. I sit back down in my seat.
“And not just on Logan. Also on the bride and groom to be.”
I nod.
“I liked Kora and Liam a lot too.”
“Well, they liked you so much that Kora called me a few days ago and asked for your address. She’s sending you an invitation to her wedding. In Tulum.”
&n
bsp; I stare at her. I can’t go to the wedding! But it is in Tulum. A great excuse. No, focus. Don’t get distracted. You can’t go to this wedding.
“Why didn’t you tell me that you were his aunt?” I ask Dolly. I catch her off-guard. I want to see her squirm, but she barely blinks.
“I don’t tell the women very much about the men before the date. It’s one of my policies. But between you and me, it’s because I’ve never set Logan up on any dates before. He’s not really my client. Just my nephew. He has never asked me to set him up before. In fact, I had to fight him on it.”
“Why did you?”
“Because I had the sneaking suspicion that you two were perfect for each other. The minute that you stormed out of my office when I asked you about net-worth.”
“So you know what happened?” I ask. “On our date?”
“Yes, Logan has filled me on the details. But now I need to hear it from you.”
“Did he tell you about his ex, Sadie? That she’s pregnant?”
“Yes, he did mention that part.”
“So? What am I supposed to do with that? I can’t go out with someone who has a baby.”
“That’s very judgmental of you,” Dolly says.
“I don’t know anything about babies.”
“You don’t have to. Besides, he doesn’t have a baby now. It might not be his, and even if it were, that’s not an issue for at least eight more months. Enough time for you and Logan to go on another date and figure out how you feel about one another.”
I shake my head. When she puts it that way, it doesn’t sound like a big deal. So, why does it feel like it is?
“What did Logan say?” I ask.
“I can’t tell you that,” she shakes her head. “You need to tell me how you feel about him first.”
I take a deep breath. Finish the last bit of my hot chocolate. “I thought he was a dick, at first. But then, I liked him. He’s a very good kisser.”
Dolly smiles with her whole body. Her brilliant white teeth nearly blind me.
“Ah! I knew it,” Dolly says.
“But I can’t go to this wedding,” I say.
“Just think about it.”
Chapter 14 - Avery
The following day, a kid who looks like he is barely old enough to drive shows up in the floral shop. It’s too early for prom and too late for a winter formal.
“May I help you?” I ask, waiting for him to ask me to pick out a bouquet for him for his girlfriend.
“I have this box for you but you need to sign for it.”
“Oh okay,” I nod. He’s a messenger. I look outside. There’s no FedEx or UPS truck out there, and he’s definitely not from the US Postal service. For a second, my heart drops to my stomach. What if this is something from Cal?
“Can you wait here for a second while I open it?” I ask. And then realize that if this is a bomb, then it would be all my fault that he would die along with me.
Luckily, it’s not. Inside the package, I find an invitation that has been carved into a thin piece of birch tree. It’s about cardboard-thickness and, at the top, there are L + K with a heart around them.
“Can I go now?” the kid asks me. I had forgotten that he was still here! I give him a small tip and he leaves.
I pick up Liam and Kora’s wedding invitation. I guess Dolly was right. I did make an impression. The wedding is in a month, and I have to let them know my decision as soon as possible. What is my decision?
If I go to the wedding, then I’ll definitely see Logan there, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. We have texted a lot over the last few days, but it never really went further than that. He didn’t ask me out again, and I didn’t initiate anything either. Texting is the safe thing to do. I don’t have to see his beautiful eyes. I don’t have to say no in person, and if he asks me out again, it’s easier to say no in a text.
I hear a little ring. Someone opens the door to the shop. I put the invitation away and gather my thoughts. I can’t just obsess over Logan all the time. I have a job to do here.
“Logan?” I ask.
He stands before me, looking straight into my soul.
“Hi,” he says, coming closer. He looks down at his feet and then back at me. I find this display of vulnerability utterly charming.
“I thought I’d give texting a rest for a bit,” he announces. I nod. I look him up and down. He’s dressed in a pair of tight light blue shorts that accentuate the tightness of his perfect butt. The lightweight, loose, button-down shirt is buttoned only half way down his chest, exposing his hard, tan pectoral muscles. I’m not sure how he looks hotter – in a suit or in flip-flops. Both are very easy on the eyes.
“So this is where you work?” he asks, looking around. “It’s beautiful.”
I smile and clear my throat.
“Well, you know. They’re flowers. It’s their job to be beautiful,” I say.
“Hmm…I don’t know. I’m not sure it’s a job if they can do it so naturally.”
Our eyes meet. After a moment of silence, we both crack a smile. I walk around the counter.
“Want the grand tour?”
“Of course.”
“Roses are over there. Baby’s breath here. Tulips in the back. This is where I make centerpieces. And this,” I turn to the counter. “This is where the customers pay me.”
He continues to smile. The grin on his face is warm and inviting, and it’s all I can do to not run into his arms and press my lips onto his.
“It’s nice to see you again,” he whispers. “I’ve missed you.”
He takes a step forward until we’re close enough to kiss. For a moment, we don’t touch. It feels like the longest moment of anticipation. And then he takes my hand in his.
“It’s nice to see you again,” I manage.
“I wanted to come see you…well, I wanted to see you. But I also wanted to tell you that I’m going to be out of communication for a bit. It’s a work thing.”
“Okay,” I nod.
“And I also wanted to ask you to be my date to my brother’s wedding.”
He touches the tips of my hair, plays with it haphazardly. I wonder how long we’re going to stand here before he kisses me. I’m having trouble focusing on anything he’s saying.
“What?” I ask, when I finally register that he’s talking about taking me to the wedding.
“I want you to be my plus one,” he says, looking into my eyes. They look like they’re made of crystal – I can see my reflection in them.
“I got my own invitation,” I say.
“What?’
“I just got it today. Liam and Kora invited me.”
“Oh great. So you don’t want to go with me?”
“That’s not what I said.”
He takes another step forward. I didn’t think that it would be possible, but somehow he manages to get even closer to me – without kissing me.
“I’m just saying that I don’t have go as your plus one.”
“I never said you did. I just wanted you to know that I wanted you to.”
Why does he have to be so charming? And hot? A few strands of hair fall into his eyes. And suddenly, I can’t help myself. I reach out and brush it away. The next thing I know, we’re kissing. It’s me who makes the first move. I pull his neck closer to me. I stand up on my tiptoes and bring my lips to his. He reciprocates right away.
He pushes me against the counter, wrapping his strong hands around my waist. After pulling me up a little closer to him, and moving my hair off my shoulders, he runs his tongue down my neck.
“Go to the wedding with me,” he whispers into my ear in between the kisses.
“I don’t know,” I whisper.
“Why?”
“It’ll just be our second date. I can’t go away with you for the weekend, to your brother’s wedding for our second date.”
“Why?” he kisses my collarbones and buries his head in my cleavage.
“Because…because,” I tilt my h
ead and moan. I can’t focus. Words don’t make any sense to me anymore. I just want to rip off his clothes and for him to rip off mine.
“Because it doesn’t seem right,” I manage to finish a thought.
He lifts his head from my cleavage and bats his eyelashes at me. I roll my eyes. He lifts me up and sits me down on the counter. He spreads my legs with his hard body, resting his hands around my waist.
“Our first date was at their engagement party. What’s more appropriate than having our second date at their wedding?”
I think about that for a moment. Of course, I want to go with him. I want to see him again, more than anything. Still, the Sadie factor is still weighing heavily on my mind. I don’t want to bring her up. There’s no other news. There’s no way to know anything until the baby is born, and that’s not going to be for a long time.
“Okay,” I finally cave. His eyes light up, “but only because Kora and Liam invited me directly.”
He kisses me again. He tastes like salty peanuts. When he pulls away, I pull him closer. We continue to kiss until his lips spread into a wide grin and don’t close again.
“What?” I ask, sort of kissing his teeth. “What’s so funny?”
“So, let me get this straight, you don’t want to go as my date to the wedding?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“You should let me know, because I’m taking my plane to Tulum. And if you’re going as my date, you’re more than welcome to come with.”
A private plane! I’ve never been on a private plane before. My heart skips a beat.
“But if you don’t, I’d be more than happy to recommend a cab company that can pick you up from the airport after you fly coach.”
I roll my eyes. “You think you’re so charming,” I say.
“Yes, yes, I do,” he shrugs. I playfully push him away, but he doesn’t budge an inch. Instead, he presses himself closer to me, and we lose ourselves in another passionate kiss.
Chapter 15 - Logan
I was toying with her. Of course, I wanted to kiss her. More than anything. But I wanted to see that she wanted it as badly as I did. She was such a flirt over text, but my experience tells me that some girls can say the dirtiest things in texts and not have anything to show for it in real life. Our texts didn’t get dirty, but they were fun. Still, I wasn’t sure how surprising her at her shop would go. It could’ve been a total disaster. Luckily, it wasn’t. She said yes.
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