Page 52 of Emil

While he went to the back to put together the bouquet, I wandered around the shop. Buckets of flowers were laid out everywhere, along with pre-made arrangements. I liked how pretty they were, the roses, the tulips, the occasional daffodil tucked in among them. When he returned, he carried an overflowing bouquet wrapped in kraft paper and tied with a raffia ribbon.

“Oh my goodness. That looks amazing.”

“Thank you so much. I’m glad you like them.”

I stepped up to the counter to pay, and that’s when I noticed the flyer advertising a flower arranging class. The signup deadline was the day before. Gah.

“Oh man, I wish I would’ve seen this sooner,” I said as I fished out my wallet.

The man glanced down at the flyer. “Actually, we had one person drop out who signed up early. If you want to join, I could put your name down.”

I looked at the advertised schedule. It was during business hours but not lunchtime, which meant I’d have to shift my work hours. I could start earlier, skip lunch, and stay later. I wouldn’t actually lose any work time, but I didn’t feel proper signing up without clearing it with Emil first. He might have a reason for not wanting me gone during the day.

“I wish I could, but I’d need to check with my boss to see if I could take my lunch during that time.” I tried to keep the disappointment out of my voice.

“How about this? We put your name down, and you check with your boss. Let me know by tomorrow. The first class isn’t for another two days, so if you get the clearance, great. If not, I’ll just take your name off.”

“You would do that?” I couldn’t believe a stranger would go out of his way like that, but I appreciated it. “I’m Anders, by the way.” I stuck out my hand.

“Nice to meet you, Anders. I’m Jonah.”

I resisted the urge to do a little happy dance in the middle of the shop. I wasn’t Rory or Jakob, who could get away with something adorable like that. I would probably knock over a few vases.

“Fantastic. If you give me your card, I’ll call you as soon as I talk to my boss.”

“Fingers crossed he says yes.”

Jonah finished the transaction and handed me the flowers. It had been so long since I’d felt happy and hopeful that I’d almost forgotten how to recognize the feeling. It was very, very similar to what it felt like to have Emil kiss me. We’d been dancing around an attraction for a while, and I hadn’t been sure if it was real or just wishful thinking, but the kisses on the ferry and at the cottage door had made it clear it wasn’t one-sided.

I was trying to keep perspective, but it was hard when Emil literally gave me butterflies every time he looked in my direction. I remembered what the boys had said about not being required to have a mourning period, but it was hard not to feel like I was jumping from one man to another, even though John and I hadn’t been a real couple for months. In my heart, I knew we’d just been living in the same space, not really together. John had made it clear long before the actual breakup that I was no longer a factor in his life.

Still, I didn’t want Emil to feel like I was using him as the next thing, and I wasn’t sure how to communicate that, or if it even mattered. It probably wasn’t something that could be solved this afternoon anyway. My lunch break was almost over, and I needed to head back to the house and continue working on the files.

I had a decision to make. Mostly, it involved figuring out where I was going to live. This project was almost done, and regardless of Emil’s assurances, I knew it wouldn’t last much longer. My reprieve on the island was about to end, whether I wanted it to or not.

Anders

Will you be back in time for dinner tonight?

Emil

I was just about to message you. And yes.

I’d like to make dinner, please.

That gives me something to look forward to then.

It’ll be a little later than usual. Seven-thirty okay?

Perfect.

See you soon, sweet boy.

“Holy hell, Anders. What is that?”

Emil shouted my name as he came through the door. He hadn’t even bothered to take his jacket off or drop his briefcase.

“Is that good or bad?”