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I step out into the hallway and pull the door closed behind me so Alice won't see us. Of course it's completely useless. She has eyes, after all.
“I came to see you,” he replies simply.
“I figured that much out for myself.”
“I wanted to give you this.” He holds out a single white rose with a short stem, wrapped in ribbon.
“A rose?” I like to point out the obvious sometimes, too, it would seem. “It's beautiful.” I lift it to my nose and breathe in its scent.
“It's more than just a rose, and I warn you: this part might seem a little cheesy.”
“Try me.”
“It's a tradition in my country for a soldier to give his chosen one a token of his affection before going into battle. I know I'm not going off to war, but I am competing in the polo match today, and I wanted to give you this rose to let you know I'll be thinking of you.”
My chest expands, the grin that’s claimed my face threatening to break it in two.
Our moment may have been interrupted by Vlad on top of the hill yesterday, but this has to be ranked as the number one romantic gesture ever. So very knight in shining armor.
So very Alex.
I toy with the rose. “I love that. Thank you. This is one of the nicest things anyone’s done for me.”
The nicest and the most romantic.
If I harbored any doubt that Alex feels something for me, too, it’s been dispelled by this gesture.
“I’d say you need more people to do nice things for you, but I'd like to be the one to volunteer for the job.”
I let out a giddy laugh. “You're at the top of the list. Believe me.”
“I'm glad.”
I get an idea. “Can you wait right here for a sec?”
“I don't have long. Polo waits for no man, you know.”
“Be right back. Promise.” I push the door open and slip through my rooms to my bedroom.
Alice glances at me before she busies herself with folding clothes that don't need folding, and I know she's trying to give us some space.
I rush over to the chest of drawers in my bedroom and begin my search. After rummaging through no less than three drawers, I find what I'm looking for and rush back to Alex, who's waiting patiently in the corridor for me.
“It might be a tradition in your country for a man to give his chosen one a gift before he goes to war, aka polo, but I've watched enough movies to know women give their chosen one a token of their affection, too. And on that note, I'd like you to have this.” I hold up my key chain in the shape of a cowboy boot, chipped and battered with age, but still 100 percent Texan.
“You're giving me your set of keys?” Alex asks doubtfully.
“Oops.” I slide my apartment and car keys off the chain, trying not to chip my nail polish. “Here.” I pass him just the cowboy boot. “I've had this since my mom gave it to me for my 9th birthday. That was the last birthday we celebrated together before she passed. I want you to have it for today’s match.”
He regards the keychain in wonder. “Maddie, this means so much.”
“You don't have to wear it or anything, because it isn't exactly part of your polo uniform, but?—”
“I'll wear it. I'd be honored to,” he replies.
“It won’t get in the way? I know nothing about polo.”
“It won’t.” He attaches the key ring to his belt loop. “A touch of Texas from my Texas Princess.”
