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I practically sprint across the tunnel that connects Bo’s building to ours, then get to my room and unlock it to find Maxine already gone…as expected. Surely she’ll be disappointed if we don’t get a little time together before she competes. I pull off my overused dress and slip into a crinkled silk duo in moss green…a button up blouse with soft, flowy shorts that are cut high enough to show plenty of thigh. I’m dying to call Holly but what would I say over my potentially-tapped phone? Strapping my go-to wrap sandals around my calves, I’m out the door in a hurry. My mind is being pulled in so many directions, I feel like a crazy person… but I’m happy. Invincibly happy. In fact I’m so enthused about life, I have to keep myself in check so I don’t power-walk myself sweaty again.
No sooner than I enter the lobby, my eyes settle on the most distracting man in the room. I want to rush up and jump into his arms, but I force myself to behave, instead tilting upward for a kiss on the cheek while our fingers discreetly interlock. A moment later, I’m pulling him through the throngs of people toward a frantically waving Maxine, detouring only to snatch some mimosas off the beverage table. Morning drinking is a thing I rarely do, but this may be the first and last weekend I’ll ever enjoy this much. I’ve thrown caution to the wind.
Looking greatly relieved, Maxine leads us to her table where I introduce her to Bo. I have such a strong feeling about her success in this contest that it makes me proud to have her with me. To be realistic, she is a novice and probably won’t win any higher than third place…but that would be huge for my store and her career. And the important thing is that she had the moxy to come all the way here and do this today.
When Maxine asks, I offer a quick explanation that Bo is one of my suppliers, but I can tell she’s waiting to hear more. After all, she did see me with him late last night…and then I was altogether missing in action this morning. She must think I’m a loose cannon after all.
I only wish I could introduce Bo as my boyfriend, but I can’t do that to either of us when our time together must be so brief. I cannot even imagine how we’ll recover from any of this, so I refuse to think about it for now. I just want to lose myself in this mimosa and soak up the big man next to me.
“Do you enjoy growing?” Maxine asks Bo once we’re settled in.
“Oh you bet yer britches I do. To start a livin plant from seed, hold that tiny little delicate thing in the palm of my hand and then plant it in earth, watch it grow up and unfold, day by day, hour by hour, into somethin as amazing as a flower…that right there’s about the most beautiful thing I ever saw in my whole darn life.” He throws me a devilish smile. “Just about.”
I can see that Maxine’s as enthralled by his response as I am. Every word out of Bo’s mouth takes my breath away.
“You sure are eloquent for a farm boy,” I tease.
“Well you see, my mother majored in English and was well versed in all the great literature. I grew up readin everything from Fitzgerald to Bradbury to Rumi. I could never get enough…I think expression is the true spice of life.”
I’m so floored by Bo’s brilliance, I can’t even respond. I must look pretty goofy sitting here with my mouth open, but he continues to surprise me by the moment.
I’m rescued from my dumbfoundedness when a woman pipes loudly through a microphone. “Lily Cup Design Competition entrants, please head to the long tables at the west side of the convention center. Lily Cup entrants…please head to the long tables now, thank you.”
“Ready for a little excitement?” I turn to Bo and ask.
“I’m ready for plenty,” he responds with raised brows. My head spins from that comment as I watch Maxine rise from the table.
We wish her luck and, as soon as she rushes away, Bo covers my hand in his. He must have a sense that I wish to remain discreet about things. I want to leap across the table, to make the room full of people vanish so we can finish everything we resisted last night. But I instead settle on gazing into his smiling eyes for another minute before we get up and head toward the gathering crowd of viewers. I’d like us to be right in front of Maxine’s exhibit if possible.
Arriving at the perfect spot, we stand in the crowd with our hands clasped tightly together. A minute later the countdown begins and the contestants tear into their boxes.
“Fiona darlin, I’ve got to get over to the Supplier Expo and get set up in a little while here. I won’t get to see all of this but I’ll stay as long as I can.”
I can’t get over the sound of Bo saying my name. ‘Fiona’ coming out of his husky chest sends a delightful sensation through me.
“That’s okay Bo, two hours is a long time to stand here anyway. You just take off whenever you need and I’ll catch up to you afterward.” I wonder if he feels the same thing when I say his name.
When we finally focus our attention on Maxine, she’s looking a little disconcerted. Poor girl…I should have guessed the box contents would be tropical flowers. She has zero experience with those, but I’m sure she’ll be fine. The crowd has hushed to almost silence, and I grip Bo’s hand tighter as we watch Maxine look around nervously. That is not what she needs to be doing. She needs to be focusing, and instead she’s all bug-eyed like Alice in Wonderland.
Oh give me a break…she just glanced straight at me, and now she’s fidgeting around like a putz up there. Well I guess that’s something, at least. I almost wish Bo would leave now because I’m going to be embarrassed if Maxine freaks out on us here, and she looks like she’s about to freak out. I steal a glance up at Bo and somehow he looks totally unruffled. My gaze lingers on him as I take in everything. Regardless of Maxine, or the competition, or the AFA Convention, or Fiona’s Flowers, or my loss of privacy and sanity, or Quade…I’m standing next to a man who I would put more trust in than anyone I’ve ever known. Everything about this weekend will be perfect because nothing matters except being here beside him. I can feel his very energy healing me. I’ll go back into my life a stronger woman because I met him, and that’s above and beyond anything I could have asked for.
By the time I refocus on Maxine, she’s moving with stealth. I’ve never seen her use those hands so efficiently and so…beautifully. She’s sculpting up there with confidence now. It must be the way Bo’s been projecting his unwavering attention on her from the start. The guy’s got some magic that defies explanation.
Maxine’s creating a ring of flowers that I’m guessing will be a headdress, and it’s going to look stunning with the yellow and white dress she’s wearing. The yellow pistils of those white calla lilies and red anthurium are an exact color match, as though she’d planned this. Bo finally looks down at me as I slowly shake my head from side to side, almost unable to believe how gorgeous her piece is turning out.
He places his hand on the small of my back and leans down to my ear. “I’ve gotta get goin, but I see she’s off to one heck of a good start. That gal of yours is gonna nail this competition.”
“You think she will?” I ask, fascinated by his level of confidence.
“Yes I sure do.” He steals a kiss at the very edge of my mouth that leaves me starving for more, and then I watch the crowd part to let the big man through.
During the second hour, Maxine continues to feverishly fill out the ring with every imaginable type of lush greenery. It looks magnificent, and I’m overjoyed when she finally places it upon her lovely curls during the countdown. Incredible! I can’t keep from jumping up and down with excitement. She looks right at me, beaming, and I tell her a clear and definite yes. She’s got this.
The judges’ walkthrough is excruciatingly long, but the women in my vicinity are onto the fact that I’m here for Maxine. They make the time fly by closing in on me with compliments. All of them are betting on Maxine to win this.
I’m just a little pissed that the judges took more time with the first thirty or so contestants, and then started picking up their pace. Nonetheless, I believe they saw exactly what they needed to. Poor Maxine is being mobbed on her way toward me. I hop and wave to get her over here but she’s waylaid by the praise of several excited viewers, as well as other contestants. The surrounding crowd explodes with compliments when she at last reaches me, and I don’t know how I could be more proud.
On the way back to our room, Maxine quizzes me about Bo. I play it cool but she’s onto us. Oh well, it’s not exactly as if I’m embarrassed to be seen with him. I just don’t want her to think I’m mindlessly hooking up with a guy I’ll never get with again, but at this point I couldn’t really care. I want to spend every possible minute of the weekend with Bo, and I’m sure that’s plain for her to see.
