Page 149 of Perfect
Flowers don’t count.
i love you but you’re crazy
I love you, too.
Last one, I swear.
The next bouquet arrives around the same time Catherine does, giant pink peonies spilling out of a rectangular glass vase. Every table in the office is covered in different bouquets of various sizes, so the florist puts the vase on my desk next to two others. Catherine comes in after the florist, looking shocked.
“The Anderson boy?” I nod. Her eyebrows raise in question, and I blush.
“He’s insane. Things are going…well,and he’s a gift-giving person.” She laughs and lowers her voice in a conspiratorial tone.
“He takes after his grandfather, then. When we reviewed the estate, Dottie had an extensive list of all the gifts Robert had given her over the years, andwhyhe had given her the gifts, which she was very…open about.” She laughs slightly. “You probably shouldn’t ask Theo if he knows the story behind the house in Yachats.” She gives me an arch smile as she heads into the kitchen for coffee, exiting with one of the large homemade almond croissants I was sent to work with this morning.
“You’re taking Monday off for your birthday, right?” I nod, and she gives me a sly look. “You should prepare yourself for more of this.” I groan and drop my head into my hands, and Catherine laughs as she walks up to her office, passing Bailey on the stairs. Bailey looks around at all the bouquets, counting, and raises her eyebrows.
“Anotherone?” Bailey asks. I blush, pointing at my desk, and she cackles as she dips her head down to smell the peonies.
“Please take some home,” I beg. “Suzie already promised to take three.”
“I can take some to the nursing home after work. They’ll love them.”
“Thank you. I’d take them myself if I had a car.”
Bailey barks out a laugh. “Babe, he’s probably spent the money it would take tobuyyou a car.”
“Yeah, well, he’s being ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous isn’t always bad,” she says, heading into the kitchen for another croissant. I look at the card sticking out of the huge bouquet of peonies on my desk and add it to the pile of cards on my desk, all of them reading the same thing:
I LOVE YOU SO FUCKING MUCH, ALEX
I smile, looking at the polaroid of Theo I’ve kept all this time and finally put out on my desk. It’s him laughing, pulling his stupid Christmas ham out of the oven.
He’s certainly ridiculous, but it’s not bad at all.
***
It’s raining when I get off work, and Theo is waiting for me outside my office with an umbrella. The second I lock the door, he grabs me and kisses me until I’m dizzy.
“Are we back to you showing up places like a fucking stalker?” He grins and opens the umbrella for me, pulling me down the stairs towards his car.
“Not if you don’t want, but I think I get special dispensation to be alittleover the top right now.” He kisses the top of my headas he opens the car door, and I notice a few bags in the back. I look at him as he starts the car, a tiny thread of concern breaking through my good mood.
“How did you pack me a bag?” He gives me a serious look before shifting into reverse.
“It’s all your stuff that was still at my house.” I’m instantly relieved, and I love that I get to trust him now. I run my hand down the back of his neck, and he hums contentedly as he starts driving us out of town.
“Where are we going?”
“Yachats, for the weekend. I’m pretty much set on not letting you out of my sight until your birthday is over. We can go back todatingthen, if you want,” he says, his voice disdainful as he says the word dating.
I stare at him and consider it for a minute. It’s been nice having time to myself, and I think we should still take our time, but I wantthisback.
“Maybe a middle ground?” He interlocks our fingers, pulling my hand up to kiss it, his lips warm against my skin.
“I’ll give you whatever you want for as long as you want, no exceptions.”
