by Willow Aster
“Mind reader,” I whisper back.
He holds his chest like I’ve wounded him and takes his seat next to me.
Once the food has been passed around, conversation flies at a fast pace. I’m not sure if they’ve had a head start on the margaritas or if they’re just always this loud and witty. They throw out the normal questions to get to know me in quick succession and then move into the more intimate category.
“So what did our boy do to catch your eye?” Scott says, elbowing Coen.
“Here we go,” Coen says. “Good question, though. I approve, Dad.” He lifts his margarita glass to his dad’s and they clink.
“Thanks, son.”
“Well, besides being very cute, he also makes a mean Americano.”
“I’m pretty sure she only noticed my cuteness after a thousand Americanos, but I’m not bitter or anything,” Coen adds.
“And for our first kiss, he made sure we were somewhere romantic—under the arch at Washington Square Park.” I smile and then my smile falters when no one smiles back or says a word.
Everything goes silent for the first time since we arrived, until Janie says, “Wait a minute, you guys have kissed?” She looks horrified.
I stare at her and then look around the table. They all stare back at me. Coen looks down at his plate.
Janie starts cracking up. “I’m kidding! Kidding.” Her shoulders shake as she laughs. “Sorry. That’s so sweet! Nice move, Coen!”
Everyone laughs and I take a deep breath. Scott shakes his head.
“Don’t pay any attention to that one,” he takes his wife’s hand,” she’s got a twisted streak in her. Don’t you, babe?” He kisses her hand. “It’s just … we’ve been hearing about this bombshell that comes in to Coen’s work for the last—what, a year and a half now, right? Two years, maybe? So you can imagine, we’re all just a little excited that you’re finally here.”
“Thanks, guys, you’re terrifying her,” Coen says. He squeezes my hand. “So you thought that was romantic, huh?”
I start laughing and can’t stop. Finally, when I can speak up, I say, “You’re crazy. All of you. And bombshell? What did you tell them?”
Coen takes my chin and holds my face up in the candlelight. “Yes,” he says, like that answers my question.
“You do have a bombshell vibe going with the hair,” Jade says, “and the pouty lips, and the huge eyes … and the curves.” She does the whole outline of a shapely body with her hands and looks pointedly at my breasts.
Coen clears his throat. My mouth drops.
“Damn, I know where Coen gets his say-what’s-on-your-mind … ness,” I end awkwardly.
They all laugh at that and I get a warm feeling in my chest that I don’t fully recognize right away. Later, when my nerves are completely gone, I realize it’s the feeling of belonging.
OUTSIDE ON THE porch, after we’ve enjoyed at least one too many margaritas and the best homemade Key lime pie I’ve ever tasted, Coen says he needs to take the terrariums to the shop.
“I can take those for you this time, Coen,” his dad tells him.
“I’d kinda like Maby to see everything while it’s closed, without all the customers. You up for that tonight, Maby?” He looks at me and I’m pretty sure I’d go anywhere he wanted to go, ever, if he’ll just keep looking at me like that.
“Of course,” I say softly. “I’d love to see it.”
He grabs a bag and we ride the short distance to the nursery. Coen backs the SUV to the gift shop door. He gets a crate and I start to pick up one.
“You don’t have to carry anything. I don’t want you to get your dress all dirty.”
“I don’t mind. I can help.” If my therapist could hear me now. I grab a smaller crate and stand by him while he unlocks the door and turns on the lights.
The gift shop is lit with small, delicate chandeliers hanging at various levels. My heart starts pounding and I have to hold on tight to the crate because it is such perfection, I actually feel weak in the knees. The furniture, the lighting, the gifts—everything I see is something I would have picked out. I recognize some of the brands and some of them are new to me. The terrariums magnify the charm of the room, their whimsy giving even more character in every nook.
“It’s beautiful, Coen. I love every single thing in here, which has never happened, not even in the store I ran. This is so much better. Does your mom pick everything out?”
“Yeah, it’s mostly all my mom. Occasionally, she asks our opinion on something, but she typically just follows her fancy—her words, not mine.”
He sets a simple terrarium under the most exquisite chandelier. The light dances on the glass and makes it come to life.
“And she does the staging too?”
“Pretty much. She wants me to put the terrariums wherever I ‘feel they should go’ and sometimes my dad has opinions about the lighting, but yeah, she does the rest.”
“I need to pick her brain.”
He smirks at me. “Oh, she would love that. Be prepared though—you won’t be able to get her to stop once you start.”
I grin and continue to stare at the space while he brings in the rest of the terrariums. He finds the perfect spot for each one.
“You’re really good at this,” I tell him.
“Thank you. I love it.” He shrugs.
“God, you’re gorgeous.”
He stops in mid-stride, turning to look at me.
“It’s the crate, isn’t it?” He flexes his arm while lifting the crate up and down. He raises an eyebrow and gives me a cheesy grin.
“Okay, I take it back. I was dazzled by the chandeliers and thought for a moment there that you were … gorgeous … but now I see that you are simply a cute boy with ample crate skills. Silly me.”
He sets down the crate and comes to stand in front of me.
“You’ve called me ‘cute’ twice in one night. I think you might mean it.” He picks me up and places me on the lower part of the counter.
“Cute sounds safe and you are so not safe. You are in a whole other dangerous category…”
He leans his head down and kisses me softly. “Is this your way of flattering me, Maby?”
“Just saying the truth,” I tell him between kisses.
He wraps my legs around his waist and picks me up, nuzzling my ear. He walks into the nursery and it has the charm of the shop, only wilder with all the flowers. I look over his shoulder.
“This place is huge. I can’t get over how beautiful it is, Coen.”
“I want to show you my favorite spot.”
“That’s what she said,” I say under my breath.
“What?” He starts laughing and winds my legs around him tighter.
“Sorry. Too many margaritas.”
“If this is what alcohol does to you I need to open the bottle of wine now.” He pulls it out of nowhere and winks.
“What the hell? Where were you hiding that?” I get both hands in his hair and tug it just hard enough that he has to look at me. He lowers me until I feel what’s going on in his pants. I lift an eyebrow. “See? Dangerous.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” he whispers.
He turns a corner and it looks like we’re outside, but we’re still inside the nursery. There’s a dark wood chaise lounge surrounded by hanging vines and a small fountain. He lays me back on the chaise and sets the bottle of wine on the floor next to it.
“Can I tell you something and not creep you out?” he asks.
“That’s never a good way to start a conversation.”
“Yeah, well, here’s the thing. I saw you a few times at La C and kept watching for you to come back in. The first time you really looked back at me—I dreamed about you that night. And you were lying here, just like this. Well, less clothes, but … yeah…” He crinkles his nose. “It was a lot smoother when I said it in my head.”
I laugh then and pull him down. “Come here.”
He groans when his body makes c
ontact with mine and he hops up in an instant. “Not a good idea.”
I squint at him and decide now is probably not the time for me to laugh at his tent situation. He’s muttering something and looks like he’s about to start pacing when I grab his arm.
“What are you saying?”
“What? Nothing.” He shakes his head.
I lean up on my elbows. “Okay, there’s only room for one weirdo in a relationship and I’m it. What are you muttering?”
“I can’t … tell you.” He bends down and opens the bottle of wine. “I don’t know what I did with the glasses. Want some?” He lifts the bottle and I shake my head while he takes a swig. “Wait—did you say ‘in a relationship’?”
“All right, that settles it. Tell me.” I sit up and take the bottle from him, taking a long pull.
“It’s just I’ve made an agreement with myself about you.” He looks at me, embarrassed.
I stare at him and wave my hand for him to come out with it.
“You’re killing me. Okay. No penetration until dedication.” He says it really quiet and fast.
“What? I didn’t hear you.”
“No penetration until dedication,” he mumbles. “It’s just…”
“I still haven’t heard what you’re saying. Slow down and speak up.”
He takes a long drink from the bottle. “NO PENETRATION UNTIL DEDICATION,” he shouts, clearly enunciating every word this time.
I laugh until tears are falling down my face. Coen’s laughing right along with me. He finally leans back on the chaise, facing me and we laugh until we can’t breathe.
When we both finally try to catch a breath, he says, “I know I’m laughing, but I mean it.”
And I lose it all over again.
Coen stands up and holds out his hand. “Come on, I’ve thoroughly killed the mood. I’ll never look at this chair the same now,” he says, still laughing.
We walk around the nursery and I comment again on how pretty everything is. We end up back at the shop and he holds up the bottle to me. I shake my head no.
“You’ve gotten me drunk and you’re not having your way with me,” I giggle, “I’ve gotta have a little self-respect.”
Coen wraps his arms around me and gives me a huge hug. I soak it in and then back away, looking up at him.
“You do have to explain yourself with that line. Don’t leave me hanging. It was hilarious, but I want to know what it’s about.”
“It’s my one last ditch effort to maintain my head around you.” He snorts and shakes his head. “What the hell, I’ve lost all my moves. Let me try that again. I am gone where you’re concerned, Maby. Gone. And you’re not there yet. But once I’m inside you…” He looks in my eyes when he says that and I get so lightheaded, I have to close my eyes. His fingers lift my chin and his lips touch mine. His tongue softly traces my lips and I tremble. “Once I’m inside you,” he whispers, “I’m not gonna be able to let you go.”
I look up at him and my eyes blur with tears. Fortunately, I think it’s too dark for him to see.
“You’re so perfect.” I lay my head on his chest and a tear falls down my cheek.
“That didn’t sound … terrifying or … stalker-y?” he asks, kissing the top of my head.
“It did, but I’m completely mad about you, so it just all sounded really wonderful.”
Coen pulls back and puts his hands on either side of my face. He frowns when he feels the tears.
“You’re crying? I’m scaring you, aren’t I? Sorry.”
I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him. “No. I’m trying to tell you I love you.”
COEN CRUSHES ME with a kiss and then picks me up and runs to the SUV. I laugh when he shuts my door and he leans in for another kiss when he gets in on his side. He speeds up to the house and I put my hand on his before he gets out.
“I didn’t say that just so you’d take me to bed.”
“Oh, I wasn’t even thinking that, but thank you for clarifying,” he says with a grin. “I just … want … hang on.”
He gets out and runs around the other side to open my door and picks me up again. This time I don’t even ask, I just hang on for dear life. We get to the porch and he goes around to the side and sets me gently on the porch swing.
“I just wanted us to be here when I tell you I love you back.” He kisses each cheek and leans back so he can see me clearly. “I do, you know.”
I smile so hard it hurts. “And you needed to be on this swing to say it?”
“Yes, my dad told my mom here first and my grandma told my granddad here first too.”
I clutch his face and then crumble. I hold my head in my hands and bawl. At first, he gives my back a few rubs and then he holds me tight while I let it all out.
When I’m quiet, he whispers, “This has been the best night of my life. I know I said that before with you, but … this night just won.”
“For me too,” I whisper. I bury my head further into his neck.
“Come on, let’s get you inside. Your arms are cold. But uh, first … my mom wasn’t sure where to put you.” He scrunches his face up. “I told her we aren’t quite there yet, but … she laughed at me. Now that you’ve met her, I know you believe me.” He rubs my arms. “There’s a fancy room upstairs all ready for you. But she also put some things for you in my room, which is actually in the barn.” He points at the barn behind the house that looks more like another little yellow house. “Barn sounds scarier than what it is, trust me.” He looks at me for a moment. “I know where I want you, but if you’re more comfortable in your own room, I completely understand…”
“If you’re sure they won’t get upset with me, I’d rather stay with you.”
“They won’t—and Maby? There’s still no pressure for … you know, anything…”
“I know, I know.” I give him another squeeze and sit up.
He kisses my nose and inhales. “I still can’t believe you’re here.” He stands up and points at the door. “I’m just gonna grab our suitcases. I think they’re still in the living room.”
I stand up when he goes inside and look at all the stars. Heaven. I could get used to this.
THE BARN IS really a 2-story extension of the shop, only with a masculine flair and definitely more lived in. Again, I’m speechless and inspired by the beauty of the place.
“Why would you ever want to leave all this?”
“Well, it’s my intention to come back, remember? My dad and I remodeled the barn a couple of years ago and I love it out here. I’ve had to learn what I was doing at La Colombe before trying it out on my parents’ dime. Now that I’ve saved and have some experience, when I open a shop here I can pay for it and hopefully make it work.”
“How close are you to making that happen?”
“I could do it pretty much any time,” he says with a smirk. “I’ve had a little something holding me back in the City for … a while now.”
I grin. “I’m glad, but if you’re wanting to be here, you should! Does the town stay busy? It seemed like it yesterday and we aren’t even quite to the summer crowd yet, right?”
“Next weekend will be crazy with Memorial Day. Even in the winter, the nursery and shop stay busy with Christmas. It’s busy year round.”
“And a coffee shop would be perfect. Where would you put it?”
“There’s space between the nursery and the shop that I would enclose that can also be accessible to people who just wanted coffee or dessert. Could also extend the patio area and have little tables out there.” He points to the kitchen counter where the plans are laid out.
I look over every detail, able to clearly imagine it all. The passion and animation in his face is catching and I eventually find myself telling him the plans I’ve set in motion at home. We move from the kitchen to the loft upstairs and stretch out on his bed, still talking. He whoops and hollers in all the right places and can’t believe I’ve got everything in place but the location.
“This is huge, M
aby! Talk about balls…”
“Were we talking about balls?” I tease.
“Well, with you, it’s pretty much always on my mind since you told me to get some.” He leans over and tickles my side.
“It was just my way of verifying you used them…” My face gets hot as I trail off.
“There are so many things I could say right now,” Coen says, laughing. He reaches up and touches my lips and the air shifts.
“Coen, I know we said we weren’t talking about Saul tonight, but, I think maybe we should.”
“Okay.”
“I slept with him.”
“I heard.”
“I’m sorry.”
“We weren’t … exclusive.”
“I mean I’m sorry about the way you heard.”
“Oh yeah, that … it’s … okay.”
“No, it’s not.”
“Look, Maby. I’m not gonna lie. It hurt like hell, and I still would very much like to punch Saul right in the scrotum sack.” He leans his forehead against mine. “But you’re here and I hope that it means you’re choosing me. Even if you don’t fully realize it yet, that’s what I’m hoping.”
I move closer and kiss him. “I think I chose you that first night we went out. The word love isn’t something I throw around lightly. And neither is scrotum sack…”
We laugh and he pulls me on top of him.
“Will you just sleep right here? All night long?” He closes his eyes. “God, you feel so good.” He plays with my hair and moans. “Too good.” His hands move down my back. “I don’t want to wreck anything with you, Maby. Talk to me—tell me what you want.”
“I don’t think you could wreck anything.” My head feels perfect on his chest. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “It’s late. Let’s sleep tonight. That way I won’t be blushing in front of your family all day tomorrow.”
“Oh, that would have been fun. But probably a good idea. It’s already gonna be hard for me to ever let you out of my bed.” He kisses my head. “I can’t promise that I’ll stop saying creepy things like that, so … just know that I mean them in the best possible way.”