Page 82 of Thick

“Do I tip you?” I asked. “I have no idea. This is a first for me.”

He shook his head. “It’s already taken care of.”

When I opened the door, he screeched like a teenage girl at a horror movie. Directly in front of the door stood Andy and Tate.

“Sorry.” Tate stepped aside.

Andy stepped around the delivery boy, ducked under my arm, and rushed into the living room. “It smells heavenly in here.”

“Aren’t they pretty?”

“Thank you,” I said to the flower boy. I looked at Tate. “You’re incredible. Thank you.”

He gave a sharp nod. “You’re welcome.” He leaned to the side and peered beyond me. “Can I see them?”

I wanted to kiss him. Hug him. Something. But, our relationship had yet to go in that direction. I wasn’t complaining one bit, I enjoyed every moment we were able to spend together. At that instant, however, I wanted to let him know how the flowers made me feel, and touching him was the only way I knew to communicate it.

I stepped aside. “I’m sorry. Come in.”

As he came inside, I turned toward my flowers. Andy’s face was buried in the pink lilies.

“These smell divine.”

“Don’t break them,” I said with a laugh, although I meant every word.

I looked around the apartment and tried to decide where to put them all. Excitedly, my mind ran through the possibilities. I could put a vase on every flat surface, and I’d have flowers left over. My skin felt prickly from the excitement of it all.

I turned toward Tate, who was standing beside me, and smiled. “This is just…”

It was too much. I never would have guessed it, but having someone send me flowers filled me with more emotion than Christmas had as a child. Overrun with feelings and in shock that a man as kind as Tate could have enough interest in me to make such a gesture, I simply shrugged.

He rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet for a few seconds. Then, he leaned toward me. While I watched him move in what seemed to be slow-motion, he raised his hand to my chin and turned my head to the side with the tip of his finger. Paralyzed from doing anything, I remained motionless.

Our lips met.

I wasn’t expecting it. At all. As if the flowers weren’t enough, he kissed me, right there in front of the flowers, and Andy.

My head spun. My knees wobbled. My hands flapped at my sides until I finally decided to put them where they belonged.

Around his waist.

He slipped his hands around mine and pulled me close. My chest pressed against his. My mind went aflutter. The kiss was gentle, yet meaningful. Our tongues found each other and intertwined tenderly.

My face went hot. Our lips parted, and then he looked at me.

It had lasted only a moment, yet it’s memory stuck with me for an eternity.

It was Wednesday.

My newfound favorite day of the week.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Tate

Bobbi and I had been together for a month. Nevertheless, I was still rather nervous in her presence. I wrung my hands together and met her gaze. I had a difficult time believing if given a choice, that she wanted to be with me.

“Did you decide?” I asked.