Nick grinned. ‘He absolutely loved it. I can’t believe he’s already been in New Zealand for a week. What about you? Things going well in the shop?’
‘Really good. Sales have been far better than expected which is a relief as I was worried that I didn’t have what it takes to run the business after so many years in a big corporate.’ I was rambling. Could I just blurt it out and ask him how he felt? Eek! Maybe I could start with a simpler subject: my business worries. I already knew he was a great listener and, being self-employed too, he was bound to get it. Yes, business worries were a much safer – and far less embarrassing – subject.
‘Sounds great,’ Nick said. ‘So why don’t you look happier?’
I shrugged. ‘Are you sure you don’t mind listening to my woes yet again?’
‘I’m here, aren’t I?’
Plumping my cushion, I changed position on the sofa to get more comfortable. ‘I promise I’m usually an optimist but this is unchartered territory for me. I’ve never been self-employed with the worry of an erratic income stream. I know I should relax and enjoy the great sales but I can’t help feeling worried that the current success of the shop is the novelty factor of me being a new business combined with seasonal trade. What if it goes pear-shaped in theNew Year and I destroy everything Auntie Kay worked so hard to achieve? What if I can’t afford to pay my team because I don’t make the business successful enough? What if I can’t earn enough to pay back the loan Auntie Kay gave me to refurbish and stock the shop? I’d feel like such a failure.’
Nick smiled sympathetically. ‘As one self-employed person to another, I completely get where you’re coming from with the financial security thing. I learned to budget and make sure I have a buffer fund for those tighter months. You’ll probably need to do the same. However, I don’t think you’ve got anything to panic about. You’re making better sales for two major reasons. Firstly, you offer more choice because you have gifts as well as flowers. Secondly, and more importantly, you’ve got you.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I love your auntie and she’s a really talented florist, but, even to the untrained eye, I can see that her style is very traditional like most of the other florists in The Bay.Youbring something different. You can do the traditional stuff, but you also do all these really current designs that look amazing. Plus, the shop looks so classy now that it stands out against all the other florists in town and makes yours the place to be. So that’s probably three reasons. Must return to school and re-take my maths.’
I laughed. ‘Thanks Nick. That’s really sweet of you.’
‘Credit where credit’s due. You’re exceptionally talented. You need to believe in yourself more. Kay would never have given you the shop if she didn’t think you were brilliant. I mean that.’
As he fixed those gorgeous blue eyes on mine, I felt my worries drifting away. Too much time on my own was definitely not good for me; I managed to over-think absolutely everything and create problems that didn’t really exist.
‘Thank you. I needed to hear that.’ I kissed him on the cheek. ‘Thank you so much.’ I gave him another kiss on the cheek but his head turned as I went for a third and I caught his mouth slightly.
‘Sorry,’ I whispered, but I couldn’t bring myself to pull away from him.
The next moment, Nick kissed me on the lips and I felt mywhole body tingle with delight as I melted into his kiss. Oh. My. God. So worth waiting for.
‘I wanted to do that after Bob’s do,’ Nick said, holding me tightly some time later.
‘I wanted you to but my chaperones scuppered that.’
‘I could have killed Bob and Tony,’ he said. ‘But part of me was relieved they’d stepped in.’
‘Why?’
‘If I’d walked you home, I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself. I’d have had to kiss you goodnight and I was worried you might reject me because I’m not Steven. I really thought I’d blown it when I texted you those kisses and you didn’t reply.’
I sat upright. ‘I did reply and I thought I’d blown it because you didn’t reply to me.’
‘I didn’t get a reply,’ Nick said.
‘You’re joking.’ I grabbed my phone off the table and started scrolling through my sent items. ‘It’s not there.’
‘Try your outbox?’ Nick suggested.
‘It’s there. I don’t believe it. Damn ancient phone and useless network. I could have saved myself a lot of stress and heartache if I’d thought to check my text had actually gone. I hate this thing. You don’t get this with an iPhone.’
‘What did it say?’
I chewed on my thumbnail as I re-read my text. ‘Here. You can read it.’ I passed the phone to Nick.
I watched his lips move slightly as he read it. ‘“Steven who?”’ Nick lowered the phone and looked at me, eyes shining. ‘Do you still mean that?’
I nodded. ‘I can’t believe you didn’t get it. I thought you weren’t interested because I’d messed things up by telling you about Steven.’
‘Come here, you.’ He kissed me again.
