Page 57 of Cocky Choices: Zoe Cocker

The three of us dash back and forth, snagging the sturdy delivery boxes from his Jeep, then carefully filling them so no stems or blooms break, carrying them as fast as possible. “Did you call Perry?” I ask Amelia as I climb into the passenger seat, top gone off the Jeep, as usual.

“I’ll call him as soon as I run back in!”

“We could just stop the orders,” I suggest again. “I don’t want to put too much onto you guys!”

With a glint in her eyes like triumph is on the horizon, Amelia shakes her head. “You don’t want to turn down customers! Think of all the days you can make brighter, like you always say!”

Tom hits the gas, and I grab the oh-no handle as we leave Amelia waving after us on the gum-dotted sidewalk. I shout over the growing wind, “We can do this!”

She raises both her arms high. “We are invincible!”

Tom laughs, and I glance to him, a grin spreading on my face, too.

He calls out, “Good thing we packed those boxes right.”

And off we go!

TWENTY-FOUR

Tom

“We’re a little late, but what are ya gonna do?” Zoe mutters, fixing her ponytail as we step into the luxurious lobby of the Four Seasons hotel, with me trying to keep my testosterone in check.

I’m glad she needed me to drive her here. It means I can better gauge how they are together. While that’s a plus, and I want to support her, I also have a strong urge to punch this Caleb guy in the throat. Can’t believe he’s in my way in every way. Wish I could go back in time. As it is, I’m dealing my hand as it was dealt and waiting to make my winning move.

Have no idea what that’ll be.

When I see it, I’ll know.

The air is rich with the combining scents of multiple colognes and perfumes as guests pass us in both directions, but all I can focus on is Zoe by my side. She’s radiant, beautiful green eyes putting the elegant chandeliers to shame, and a smile graces her lips that lights up the entire room better than they ever could. I wish I could just reach out and take her hand.

It’s hard to concentrate when thoughts of last night replay in my mind — how Zoe admitted she had feelings for me. But now, those moments were snatched away by the reality of her engagement.

“Are you ready for this?” Zoe asks, self-consciously adjusting her Florist Shop T-shirt. “I should’ve worn something more…upscale.”

“You were bornupscale,” I reply, my voice steady. “Plus you’re a walking billboard.”

She laughs lightly and, for a moment, it feels like we’re just two friends sharing a moment, not caught in this web of secret desires and lost chances. But as soon as I remember Caleb is joining us, my stomach makes a fist.

As if on cue, the man himself strides into the lobby exuding an air of arrogance that makes me bristle. He’s impeccably dressed, of course, in a tailored suit that screams privilege. “Zoe,” he calls, voice smooth, practiced, as though he’s addressing a room full of admirers.

“Caleb,” she replies, her tone instantly inspiring a pang of jealousy in me. It’s painful how she lights up around him, when I’m the one who tried to pour out my heart, and she said she had feelings for me, too. Why is she smiling at him like that? Where did this jerk come from? How can I make him go home?

He looks at me with as much love as I have for him. None. “Tom. Didn’t expect you here today.”

Before I have a chance to say something I’d regret, Zoe interjects, “With the event hurtling toward us, I needed all the help I could get. Amelia is also calling in Perry.” At Caleb’s raised eyebrow, she hurries to clarify, “They’re part of my team. Both excellent florists.”

“I see,” Caleb nods, his gaze sweeping over the lobby as if he owns the place. He takes her arm, guiding her away from me. “Shall we head up?”

Zoe smiles, “Of course,” gratitude at his confident touch obvious.

Is he here to oversee the floral arrangements for his father’s retirement dinner, or mark his territory?

Growling on the inside, I follow them into the elevator, the three of us crammed into the mirrored and metallic space with seven other people and several suitcases. The vibe is heavy with an unspoken tension as we rise, and since I’m facing the pair, who are discussing event details, it gives me a chance to watch Zoe with him. I can’t tell if she has feelings for the guy, but her eyes light up when she talks about the flowers. Their colors. Shapes. Appeal of one due to its meaning and origins. They’re the only thing in the world that matters to her at this moment. Not him. It’s not him that makes her light up like that.

Is it?

“This’ll be like a rehearsal for the wedding,” Caleb smiles.

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