I showed her what we had available, and she chose a cheerful yellow and pink bouquet. After ringing her up, the man with the red cap brought six stems of dark red roses to the counter.
“Would you like me to wrap them in a nice sleeve?”
“No thanks. A simple plastic sleeve is fine. My wife is assembling something for her friend.” He glanced around. “Do you have any bleeding hearts?”
“Sorry, we don’t. But we’ll have some potted ones arriving next month. Bleeding hearts don’t sell fast enough for us to have them available all the time as cut flowers.”
“That’s true.” He smiled. “We have a bush in our yard, but it won’t bloom till spring. I’d like to give my wife a pot as a gift so she can have it indoors. Can you call me when they come in?”
“Sure.” I got his name and phone number, added them to the computer, and set up a reminder. “You’re all set, William.”
When the store was quiet again, I walked into the office and gulped down my bottle of water, hoping it would soothe my irritation. Then I reviewed my to-do list: create a large terrarium centerpiece, transfer a dracaena plant into a new pot from a local artist, and assemble several bouquets of roses. They were due to be delivered to customers by the end of the day. We hired a delivery service run by a man named Rick andhis wife Mandy, who were supposed to retrieve them in a few hours.
I got to work and finished with time to spare. The chime at the front door sounded, and I emerged from the back studio to find three beautiful women browsing the shop. I recognized Natalie LaRue from the Boston Magazine spread that featured her Momentum fashion collection. She had long blonde hair and a striking face, looking even more beautiful in real life.
“Hi! Iloveyour clothes. I have a handbag from your Friends Forever line and immediately went back and bought two for my friends, Stori and Hannah.”
“Thank you.” Natalie beamed. “That makes me so happy to hear. These are my friends, Audri and Kiera.”
Two beautiful women waved at me. Audri’s long dark hair popped against the short red coat over dark denim jeans. Kiera wore her brown hair in a ponytail, completing a fun ensemble of a taupe jacket and dark leather pants. These were fashionable women who could afford styles that were way beyond my budget.
“So happy to meet you both. I’m Eva. Can I help with anything?”
“I’m having a fashion show at the Boston Marriott in late June and need some unique centerpieces.” Natalie pulled out her phone, showing me the color scheme. “Could you come up with some ideas for me?”
Excitement thrummed through me. “Absolutely!” I took her information and promised to send her ideas soon.
When Erika clocked in, I headed back to my apartment, which was only a few blocks away. I could walk home and get some exercise out of it. But to save time, I hopped onto the Green Line. I only used my car when I had to travel long distances.
I settled into the seat by the window and studied people, wondering about their thoughts and what obstacles they might have been facing. The feeling that someone was watching me hadn’t returned. Could it have been Dennis? But why? I’d confront him the next time he showed up.
Maybe I should get a restraining order.
Thinking about him soured my mood, so I focused on something else. A couple sat in front of me on the opposite aisle. The guy draped an arm around his woman. When a baby cried from the back, the woman looked past me toward the baby. She had a tattoo of a heart, or something like it, on her cheek. She met my gaze and looked back at the baby again, who was now drinking her bottle while being cradled by her mother.
The guy turned around, looking in the same direction. He had brown hair and looked older, maybe in his fifties. His dark eyebrows made me think of two furry insects sitting above his eyes. He grinned, squeezed his woman’s shoulder, and directed his attention back to the front. Maybe the couple were trying to have a baby of their own.
Will I have a baby one day?That dream seemed unreachable right now.
I’d always wanted a relationship with someone I could trust to start a family. But Dennis forced me to take a break from men. My heart didn’t have the energy to deal with drama again. Dennis had made me believe we had something special until his wife came in to pick up a flower arrangement for her mother-in-law, who was visiting from out of state. I only made the connection because of the delivery address.
That shocking discovery forced my inner witch to emerge. I added a little note to the arrangement, revealing his extracurricular activities. Last I heard, his wife kicked him out of thehouse. But I also heard he’d apologized, and she took him back. Maybe she truly loved him and was okay looking the other way.
A week after his wife discovered his infidelity, Dennis had the nerve to come into the flower shop and apologize to me, giving me a stupid excuse. Then he’d asked me for another chance. I was appalled—I’d whipped a bouquet at him, forcing him out the door. I’d dated him for a year and had no clue he was married.
It took a while for my unstable heart to find some solid footing again. I didn’t need a man to be happy.
When the train stopped and the passenger shuffle began, I glanced toward Etched Square, a lively new retail district. The square housed several shops I’d wanted to visit but hadn’t had the time. I saw a few retail storefronts available, but the property lease was probably twice what Morgan paid for Happy Flowers. Besides there was already a flower shop in that area.
The train moved again, and I watched the cars driving alongside on the road. My eyes gravitated toward the sidewalk, and I spotted Kain. My heart thundered, remembering we were supposed to meet when he returned. He hadn’t reached out to me yet. Seeing Dennis today reminded me to be extra careful with my heart. Despite that, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to date Kain.
He strode down the sidewalk as if he owned it. He wore a knit top with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, revealing tattoos all over his forearms. I’d never met anyone with so many tats. When I couldn’t see him anymore, I settled back into the seat, pretending we were dating. It was a safe way to indulge without getting hurt.
The train arrived at my stop, and I got up to leave. The woman with the heart tattoo on her face looked anxious as she exited the train with her man. He gripped her hand tightly, andthey strode off together. Maybe she was having trouble conceiving. I’d worked with a girl who tried for two years until she finally got pregnant. I could only imagine the stress that would put on a woman.
My stomach growled as I rushed into my building to take my grandfather out to lunch.
Chapter Twelve
