"Thanks anyway Anna, but I've got well in hand." I say through my teeth. I don’t want to play games today, especially with her. Plus, she reminded me of those damn flowers.
Ignoring my ire, she continues in her bubbly tone, "Oh, well okay, just trying to be useful." She is working on my already fried nerves.
As soon as the door closes, Beau lets out a laugh, "Well in hand? That you do sweets. That woman is a piranha, but she has no idea you're a shark." Beau kisses my temple, "Now what's this business about these flowers?" He raises one eyebrow.
I shake the brown cone I have had in my hand since Jess handed them to me, "Believe me, I wish I wasn't." I show him the rotting center of the bouquet as I imagine hundreds of tiny spiders spewing from the dead blooms. I nearly gag from the image and the wafting scent of dead flowers. Beau looks equally disgusted.
"I need to check if there's a card," I mutter sullenly. Beau forces a cup in my unoccupied hand and pulls the flowers from me, getting a good look inside.
"When did these come Samantha?" He asks sharply.
"This morning."
"There have been others?” Picking up on Anna’s tattling.
I nod, "Just one other time, but they didn't look like that."
His voice softens, "When baby?" The endearment helps to melt away both my fears and disgust.
"About a month ago, I guess."
"Nothing else, are you sure?"
"Yeah I'm sure. Just the flowers one time. Coincidence maybe?" I'm grasping at straws, but I don’t want to discuss it further. He knows what the carnations mean to me, having heard the story before.
"Alright sweets, does anyone else know about them, someone from your past? Maybe someone trying to scare you?"
"No, Beau. You and Rita are the only ones I've told anything. Rita didn’t know about the flowers, and I don't really have anyone from the past." I walk inside, and he follows. Anna stares when we pass. I don't have the energy to deal with her right now, so I ignore her.
I tell Jess I'll be busy for a bit as Beau and I walk over to the lounge door.
When Beau enters, I close it.
I am hesitant, but still make the request, "Would you do me a favor and look for a card? I know they're gross, but I really don't want to mess with them." He strips off his hat while setting the bouquet and his coffee on the table. He takes the cup from my hand and places it next to the one he's already abandoned.
Then he does something that I don’t expect; it makes the lust I feel for him insignificant. He holds me. My heart swells with feeling. A feeling I'm not too eager to describe or name. When he holds me, I feel safe.
For the first time, I feel protected by a man, rather than threatened. I'm close to turning into a sobbing mess from how strongly this makes me feel. I release him, even though it's the last thing I want to do.
I’m sit at the table, sipping the coffee Beau gave me. The aforementioned man is currently demanding someone to be here today from the alarm company. He wants cameras installed by the end of the day. How he’s the one placing the call instead of me is a mystery, but I am grateful for him taking care of it and me. I blush and duck my head to take another sip. It’s stupid how girlish I feel about him, especially at a time like this, but it’s been the first time in my life I’ve been able to feel this way about a man.
He bangs the phone onto the receiver, signaling the end of the call for him. He grumbles something under his breath.
"They can't be here until Monday," he sounds disgusted. "Can you take off until then? It's only one day, tomorrow.”
"I guess," I shrug, dreading the fact that I'll have nothing to keep me busy at home.
"Let's get out of here then. I have a friend that might be able to help us. This kind of thing is just what he does." When he saysus,it doesn't escape my attention.
"Help with what?"
Beau looks at me very seriously and answers, "Finding out what this prick has been up to and where he is."
I frown deeply, not knowing if I want to face this head on, as Beau has decided. As much as I have enjoyed Beau’s care, I’m not certain I want him wrapped up in all of this. Our relationship is already so complex with his stuff hanging as a spector above us. Adding mine just might make it all too much for us.
I have little time to think as Beau pulls me along. He tosses the bouquet in the trash with our coffees and grabs my purse as he tugs me out the store. I wave helplessly to Jess. She thinks I’m off to have some much-needed TLC and gives me a highly suggestive wink and a half-cocked grin.
As we enter my place, I give Beau the details I omitted in the past. I hand over my step-father’s identity and his last known location, but I make him promise he won’t do anything with the information, especially as I recall him wanting to commit violence on the man.
