Page 98 of Love Unavoidable
My other line beeps. “Hang on,” I tell Kat. “My other line is ringing.” I look down and see it’s Kat video calling me. “Why are you video calling me?”
“So I can see the flowers, duh. Now answer.”
I do and show her my options per the flower girl. She takes her time selecting between them. It’s getting late. “Kat, I hate to rush you along, but my date is in twenty minutes.”
“Okay, okay. Go for the bouquet with all the hot pink and orange Gerberas.”
“Awesome, thanks Kat.”
“No problem, E. Now save me to your speed dial. My phone number and video calling. That way I’ll be right there if you ever want to show me something embarrassing Brad does at work.”
“I heard that.” I hear Brad say in the background.
I save Kat’s number to my speed dial.
“Done,” I tell her.
She smiles big in return. “Okay, go knock her dead, E. You look good in that shirt, by the way.”
“Thanks, Kat.” I blow her a kiss and disconnect. Then make my way back to the counter.
“Okay, that’ll be forty-seven dollars, sixty-two cents.”
I inadvertently make a choking sound. “It’s that much for the little bunch of flowers?”
“Well, you get the vase too,” the girl says as though that makes it a deal of the century.
I nod. “Great.” I take the flower-filled vase and head out. Now only having ten minutes to get back home before I’m due to collect Sadie.
Deep breaths. It’s just a date. No big deal.
* * *
I ring the front doorbell. Even though it’s my house. Which seems stupid right after I do it, but I want to pick her up for our date and this seems to be the most chivalrous way to do it. I can hear her inside, but she’s not answering the door. I ring the bell a second time, adding a few knocks too. This time I hear her coming to the door. I take a deep breath, something I seem to have to do that a lot lately. She swings open the door and says, “Ethan! Why are you ringing the bell?”
She’s got on a pair of jeans that fit like a second skin, with artfully placed holes on the front, a tight black t-shirt with a curved neckline and cap sleeves, white low-top Converse shoes, long earrings, an equally long necklace, and a straw Fedora type hat. Her dark hair is curled and soft, and she’s not wearing so much makeup that I can’t see the freckles on her nose.
Wow. She looks . . . wow.
“You look beautiful,” I tell her.
“Really?” she asks, touching her hair and then running her hands down her sides. “I wasn’t sure what to wear, you said casual, but . . .” She hesitates.
I lean in and kiss her on the cheek. “You took my breath away, literally. I didn’t know someone could make casual look so good.” She beams. I hand her the flowers. “These are for you.”
“They are beautiful. I love Gerbera daisies, thank you.” She turns back into the house. I follow her inside and shut the front door.
“Let me just go set these in my room and grab my purse. So why’d you knock on your own door?” She’s already coming back down the hall by the time I reach the end of the entryway.
“I wanted to pick you up properly for our date.”
“You . . .” Her brow wrinkles, she looks off the side, then back up at me with a huge smile. “I can’t believe you. That’s the cutest damned thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Sexy,” I say.
“Huh?”
“Sexy, that’s the sexiest damned thing you’ve ever heard. If you want to impress a guy, use the word sexy.”
