Page 35 of Stood Up
Chapter 16
Aiden
“Again?” I ask the delivery man handing me a large vase with twenty-four lavender roses. He’s come to my office every day for the past week. Each time delivering a different color of rose. I never knew they had orange and rainbow roses, but they do. I’ve gotten seven different and unique colors from Mason, and each time I get them a warm feeling settles in my heart.
Twice, I’ve worked late, and twice, he’s walked me to my car and followed me to his place. Mason makes me feel safe and protected, like he’s Superman and can defend me from the world. It sounds silly, but the way he is with me, that protective nature that I can see him trying to restrain at times, only makes me fall harder for the man.
“Yes, ma’am. Where would you like these?” he asks, holding up the beautiful flowers.
I look around my office and note there isn’t a lot of empty places to put them. “Um, how about over there.” I point to the table with a bouquet of white roses and rush over to move them over just a touch so the lavender ones fit. “Here.”
“There ya go,” he says, turning around and leaving. I tried the first day to tip him, but he wouldn’t accept it, saying that Mason had already done that and he was not to take anything from me. After the second day of the same response, I gave up.
“Thank you,” I tell him as he walks out the door.
I grab my phone and dial him. It rings twice before he answers, “Hey, Aiden.” The raspiness of his voice is something I’ll never get tired of hearing. It’s even better when he first wakes up in the morning.
“Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
“No, those are flowers. You’re the one who’s beautiful.”
I feel the heat rush up my cheeks and shut the door to my office, sitting in the chair behind my desk.
“I love them, but you don’t have to keep sending them.”
“Did you read the card?” he asks, evading my comment. My breath catches. I didn’t even look for a card. Only the first bunch came with a card, the rest hadn’t.
I jump from my seat and dart out of the room to the lavender beauties. And sure enough, a card pokes out of the bottom of the bouquet.
“I’m opening it now.”
“I’ll wait.”
I lift the thick paper of the envelope and pull out the card. It reads:
You’re cordially invitedto the Rose Gala.
Mason
Rose Gala? Roses. It all clicks into place. “You want me to go with you to a gala?”
“Absolutely. I’d be honored to have you on my arm.”
“I’ve never been to one before.”
“Good, then I’ll be your first.” His cocky tone still makes me wild, but thoughts drift to what I’d wear to something like this or what I’d do or say. I’m good at talking with people, but how will being with Mason be? All these questions run through my brain on rapid fire. “Aiden?” he asks, and I move back to my office shutting the door.
“What do I do there?”
He chuckles. “You come with me. We talk to people, and I try not to fuck you in the first coat closet I find.”
It’s my turn to let out a small laugh. “No, that’s not going to happen, Mason.”
“We’ll see. So will you go?”
“You know you could’ve asked me one of the nights we ate dinner together or in bed.” Even after I say the words I want to smack myself because this is pretty great of him, and I really do love how he’s showing me he cares.
“And miss all the fun.” I hear his humor, and I love that we can do this. The banter is still there, but times like these, when he’s being sweet I eat them up.
