Page 3 of In You
Seeing one I'd like, I push my way through the doors and greet the cashier with a smile and a friendly wave.
"Hey, Vanessa! Lookin' good, girl," I compliment her, eyeing her trendy new hair cut and pop of purple eye shadow to match the new lavender do. She's behind the register bagging up flowers for a customer, chatting up a storm like always.
"Thanks, Tamryn!" she calls out, throwing me a bright toothy smile. "I thought it might be too short."
I scoff, waving my hand as I select the bouquet from the display I want and wait patiently for the woman in front of me to pay. I step up to the counter when she leaves, and place the deep green vase down, admiring the blooms.
"Vanessa, I'm utterly convinced you could go bald and you'd look like you belong on someone's runway. Next time go a bit shorter!"
She touches her hair self-consciously and then cuts her eyes to the door. I turn my head too, wondering why she's staring so hard, when a stunningly handsome man walks in. He's old school handsome; even more so in his gray pea coat, navy blue scarf, and hat. It's a bit of a colder day than normal, but I don't know if it's cold enough for his outfit. Though I'm sure he's turning heads for his looks, not his weather appropriate get-up. But again, it's Father's day, maybe he has a fancy lunch or dinner to go to. Who am I to judge?
"Seventy-three dollars," Vanessa says, turning my attention back to hers.
I swipe my card and then tap it on the counter. As I wait patiently my eyes go back to the man. He's walking slowly through the shop reaching out a finger to touch a bloom every so often. His concentration is single-mindedly on the flowers in front of him but I wish he'd turn his head and notice me.
My heart beats wildly as I get my wish.
"Tamryn," Vanessa calls me back in a low voice. As I turn my head, tearing my gaze from the man, her eyes meet mine. Nice and soft with kindness. "Can you swipe it again?" she asks in a quiet voice as to not embarrass me. "I don't think it worked the first time."
"Oh, sure," I say, swiping it again.
Vanessa's eyes goes to mine once more, and this time a look of pity graces her face. "It declined again," she whispers.
I suck in a sharp breath and then shove my hand in my purse for my phone."Oh no,"I whimper, heaving a deep sigh.
This just isn't turning out to be my year.
I was hoping that due to the holiday that my student loans wouldn't clear until Monday. But when I pull up my bankingapp on my cell, I see I'm thirty bucks short of getting this arrangement. I've never been so broke before in my life, but I can't bring it in me to ask my mom for help. She's all on her own, just like me, and at this point I feel like I should be able to make it without her. I know she stresses about me all the time, fueling this desperate desire I have deep down inside to show her all the years she spent raising me weren't in vain.
"Here, add them to mine."
My head whips to the side to clash gazes with the handsome stranger. Despite my predicament, I can't help but be a bit star-struck. He's really that handsome.
"Oh, no, sir," I say, flustered. "No, that's okay. I couldn't. I can't pay you back." I tap my card on the counter anxiously when his stare begins to eat down to my soul. "But that's really sweet of you…" My worlds trail off when his eyes warm right as a smile tips the left corner of his mouth, revealing an adorable dimple in his left cheek.
"Well, if you want to pay me back so badly then I insist on you coming to dinner with me," he says smoothly, handing his black amex to Vanessa and instructing her to put my flowers on his card, leaving me no room to protest. "And this one as well, please."
As I work to put my card back in my purse, he adds a third bouquet to our two. A lovely two dozen, long stemmed white roses.
The total comes to two hundred and fifty dollars. Being as I'm single, I don't see any harm in accepting his proposal. A soft smile curves my lips and I flush pink as Vanessa hands him his receipt and she begins to box up our flowers. Failing to be discrete in her effort to eavesdrop.
"Thank you," I say with a shy smile, nibbling my bottom lip. "You just made my whole day.
"You're very welcome. So," his eyes flick to my lips, making me feel laid bare to him, "about that dinner?"
"Well, uhm, not tonight," I say, flushing when his eyes snap back to mine. Thankful for his generosity, I reach out and touch the sleeve of his gray coat. His eyes turn amused as he looks down at my fingers, and he covers them with his in a surprisingly soft caress. My heart flutters at the gentle action, and I find myself curious about him. "I always spend Father's Day with my momma," I explain, "so I have plans today. But I can come to dinner with you tomorrow after I get off work."
His eyes flicker up to mine. "No father?" he asks, tilting his head. I wet my lips, shifting my weight from foot to foot as I hesitate.
You can tell him. You can share…
I feel a wince pass my face as that pain that's always present burns a bit hotter at the mention of my father. "No," I say, pulling my hand from under his and avert my face. "I've never had a father, unfortunately."
He eyes me contemplatively as he turns smoothly back to Vanessa and picks up his two boxes of bouquets, thanking her for the care she took with securing them. I'm in awe at how polite he is. I readjust my purse on my shoulder and step to the side.
"Come on," he says with a smile. "I'll walk you to your car so we don't hold up the next person in line." He turns, giving the woman behind us a charming smile. "We're so sorry to hold you up, miss."
She blushes, giving me a knowing look and a tiny grin. "It's no problem at all, have a good day."
