Page 52 of Petals and Plot Twists
The truth is, I’ve suddenly lost my enthusiasm for the whole project. Now, I just want to hogtie Peter and haul him upstairs to the garden so I can know one way or another and get on with my life.
But there is one happy part of what Peter just said, so at least for the moment, I shove my own problems aside and focus on the fact that I really,reallylove that Peter and Archer have become friends. And not just because of how much I love Willa. Even though Allison’s worry is over the top, she isn’t entirely off-base about Peter. He’s always been a bit of a loner, outside of his friendship with me, and I get the same impression when it comes to Archer.
“I love that, Peter,” I say. “That sounds so fun.”
“Please don’t turn this into a big deal,” Peter says, like he can sense the glee simmering just under the surface of my words.
“But itisa big deal,” I say. “You don’t usually hang out with people who aren’t me.”
He runs a hand across his face, drawing my eyes back to the stubble lining his jaw. He really does look good with a little bit of scruff.
“Will you be okay weeding on your own?” he asks.
I wave a dismissive hand. “I’ll be totally fine. It’s no problem at all.”
I yield the crossword to Peter and head into my room to get dressed for a little bit of gardening. I don’t actually have a lot of weeding to do, but I did promise Mrs. Hathaway I’d repot a couple of her orchids that have outgrown their current homes, and the annuals I put in could use a little fertilizer.
I text Willa, hoping she’ll be free if Archer is playing racquetball, and make plans to meet her on the roof as soon as the guys leave. When I finally come back out, Peter has changed into gym shorts and a t-shirt.
He turns to face me. “How do I look? Do I look like I could play racquetball with a billionaire?”
I press my lips together, fighting a smile. “You absolutely do,” I say. “Have you ever actually played racquetball?”
“Not once. But I told Archer that, and he says it’s an easy sport for beginners.”
“I’m sure you’ll do great,” I say.
He frowns. “He’s going to cream me, isn’t he?”
I think of our very serious building owner. “Almost definitely,” I say. “But I still bet you’ll have fun.”
As soon as he’s out the door, I grab a book I’ve been meaning to loan Willa, swing by the Hathaways to pick up Jane’s orchids, then head up to the roof.
Willa finds me a few minutes later standing at the potting bench pushed up against the backside of the stairwell wall.
“Can you get over this weather?” she says, tilting her face up. The sun is warm overhead, and the sky is a bright, vibrant blue.
“Amazing, right?” I say. “I love this time of year.”
“Soooo,” she says, turning and leaning against the table. “What’s up? Anything big you need to tell me?”
I wrinkle my forehead as I look at her. She’s asking like she already knows. But what does she think she knows? I grab the book from the side of the table. “Here,” I say. “I just wanted to give you this. I finished it, and you’re going to love it.”
She flips through the book, then lifts it to her nose to smell the pages. “Mm. Thank you for sharing. I’ll read and report back.”
I lift the first orchid out of its pot and shake off the loose moss. The roots are wrapped tightly around a plug of soil, and it’s going to take some work to pry it free. “The first few chapters are a little slow,” I say, “but if you hang on, it’s totally worth it once you get to chapter five.”
“Noted.” She looks at the orchid. “So what are we doing here? Can I help?”
“We’re giving Jane Hathaway’s orchids a chance at life,” I say. I break off a chunk of compacted soil and drop it onto the table.
“I gotta be honest, Soph,” Willa says. “It looks like you’re killing it.”
“I promise I’m not,” I say. “Orchids have air roots. They don’t grow like regular plants, so the looser and less compacted their living conditions, the better.” I free another chunk of the soil.
She picks up the second orchid. “Want me to do this one?”
“Sure. Just lift it out of the pot and pull away any dirt that’s stuck to the roots.” I point to the clod of dirt just like the one I’m currently trying to remove. “They sell them in potting soil so there’s something to soak up and hold water while they’re in stores and not getting proper care, but they’ll be happier in a different substrate.”
