Page 30 of Darkness

“I say call him.” She hands me a card, and I narrow my brows at her. “Come on, he’s a hot, sexy, mysterious man-”

“Can you get me a tea, please?” I cut her off before she says something which will annoy me. Not taking the card from her, I pick up the vase and go to my office to get started for the day.

Sitting down I wait for Katy to leave before the smile I’ve been trying so hard to stop curls up on my lips. They are beautiful, and someone bought me flowers. No one really gets me flowers because they think I work in a flower shop and I don’t want them. They can’t be more wrong. There is no woman on this planet who doesn’t like flowers.

Looking back at the card,my English Rose.Do I enjoy being called that? Yes, absolutely.

Am I going to hear him out? It’s hard not to when I get flowers as stunning as these. I’ll go over to the club after work, and thank him in person, then I can get a better idea of whether this is a game for him. I don’t want to play games, I want something real.

“Your tea.” Katy places it on the desk, as I walk to the side and grab all the orders for today, and get to work. “You think Lincoln is single?” I laugh at Katy’s question.

“How am I meant to know? It’s not like I talk to them all the time.” I shake my head at her and she follows me out to the front and we both set up at the workstation to get started.

“You think he’s hot? I have a feeling he’s older than he looks.” Katy takes one of the order slips and looks through it, while I do the same. “You know what I say, the older men have more experience.”

“What do you always say to me? You want something, you go get it. So go get it.” I look up at her, but she’s still reading the slip and I can see her thinking about it too.

I’ve not looked at Lincoln like that once, mainly because Mr. Cain has been with him, and well, I can’t really see anything when he’s close by.

“Maybe I will.” Her tone makes me laugh again because it’s an ‘I’ll show you,’ but a hint of, ‘fuck can I do it?’

If Mr. Cain is anything to go by, I’m going to say Lincoln is a closed book too, and opening them up is not an easy job. Theyalways say a good book is worth opening at least once. Let’s see what ride Mr. Cain will take me on.

“This one is for a wife on their twentieth anniversary.” Taking the slip from Katy. I need some romance in my life at the moment, so writing this card is going to be just what I need. “I was going to give it to you. No need to snatch,” Katy jokes with me, and I stick my tongue out at her. “I’ll take the funeral then.” She picks up the next slip and I look down at the notes the husband has left.

He’s mentioned her favorite flower is lilies, and she likes bright colors. Walking around the shop, I see what we have, and start picking up a few different ones which will look nice together. He has written a few things he would like to mention on the card, and it’s the first thing I want to do. Really get into the mindset, and because of the roses Mr. Cain sent me, I’m feeling hopeful about the idea of romance.

Grabbing my notebook and pen, I think about what to write.

Thank you for spilling your coffee on me 21 years ago, because in that moment I knew my world was going to be filled with nothing but brightness and beauty. Your

smile is the best thing to wake up to in the morning, because my days get so much better. I’d be lost without you.

I love you

Clark.

I smile at the card, making sure I’ve written the key points he had noted for me. Happy with what I have, I get back to the front of the shop and get the flowers together for him, and see Katy walking around with a customer outside. Oh no, by the looks on her face it’s one of those customers who thinks they can arrange the flowers better than us and is telling her how we have one flower which doesn’t look good with another.

I could save her, but I think this can be a lesson for her to keep her nose out of mine and Mr. Cain’s business. Giving her a smile, I get back to my order. I’m smiling and hoping Mr. Cain will tell me he’s an asshole and messed up.

***

One in the morning, and no sign of Mr. Cain in his place. Again, I bet he doesn’t even live there, and I’m driving myself crazy for no reason at all. Grabbing my coat, I leave the apartment and make my way to the only place I know I won’t be tracked or anything.

Looking over my shoulder, a few times, making sure no creeps are following me, it’s one of the reasons I have not one but two pepper sprays in my pocket. Enough time to run if I need to.

“Hi, Jay.” I walk over to the man. When I first approached him, I was scared he was going to hurt me, but the more I’ve been coming, he looks out for me. Even protected me once when some asshole was giving me a hard time.

“Hi, Autumn. Here you go.” I take the cell from him and give him the money. Walking over to the small bench to the side, I dial the number and get ready to set the timer on my cell. Three minutes, I don’t know if it’s true but in movies and TV shows they always say keep them on the line for three minutes to pinpoint where the person is, and I don’t put it past Rowan to track me through the cell calls.

“Hello.” The voice on the other end always hits me, and the timer has started.

“Mom, how are you?”

“So good to hear your voice. We are all good. Nothing new is happening. Your sister has finished her exams and is just waiting for the results. She’s looking for a job for the summer. Your dad thinks her going to university is going to be a nightmare.” Mymom tells me as much information as she can in the time we have.

“She’s always wanted to leave home. Nothing has changed then.” I joke with her, which makes her laugh.

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