AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My phone started ringing, so I pulled it out, smiling when I saw Dacia’s name on the screen. Besides the fact that being on the phone was a great cover, I hadn’t actuallyspokento her in a while.
“Hello?” I answered, my eyes still on the stranger in front of my shop as I crossed the street.
“Hey, where are you?” Dacia asked, on the other end of the line, her voice creating a weird echo… that didn’t seem so weird at all when the “stranger” finally turned so I could see her profile.
“Dosh!” I yelled, my outburst startling her for a moment until she turned to see me rushing in her direction. I ended the call, dropping the phone into my pocket as I opted to hug her in real life instead of bothering with the phone. “What are you doing here?!”
She laughed, hugging me back with the same excited energy I’d given her. “I just… needed a change of scenery, and I wanted to see the shop, and wanted to seeyou.So here I am.”
Yes, indeed, she was.
Lookingso muchhealthier than the last time I saw her.
There wasn’t a rose among us who’d escaped theGardenwith no trauma, but Dacia had gone through… even more. She was managing well enough – as well as could be expected – but the last time I’d seen her in person, it was so evident in her eyes.
Now, her pretty brown eyes were clear and happy, and she’d let go of the baggy clothes and simple slicked-back ponytail she’d been using as armor.No wonder I hadn’t recognized her.She was, now, as I remembered her from theGarden, when she’d been utilized to teach the petals their hair and makeup.
Face done, curls big and free, a cute outfit.
Her natural setpoint.
“Well, come in,” I insisted, balancing my cup in the bend of my arm so I could unlock the door.
She squealed when she stepped in, looking around as I tended to the alarm. “So you were really not messing around when you said you were doing this, huh?”
“I was really not.”
I grinned as she picked up one of the candles, taking the top off to bring it to her nose. “Oooh, this smells good,” she gushed, turning it to look at the label. “Brown Sugar Cinnamon Latte,” she read, then looked at me. “Is that what’s in the cup?”
“Yup. Today at least,” I amended, laughing. “I’ve been discovering newfavoriteson a weekly basis, so I’ve done scents to match several.”
“Is that gonna be yourthing? All coffeehouse scents?”
“Nah.” I picked up a different one, handing it to her. “Mythingis gonna be… stuff I love.”
She lifted an eyebrow at me as she inhaled the one I’d given her, then looked to see the label – it didn’t have one. “Temp, this… smells like a man. So you’re in love now?”
“Withhim?No. I mean… I don’t know. It’s way too soon to know something like that,” I stammered. “But Idefinitelylove the way he smells. That’s without question.”
I took the candle from her to breathe it in again, pleased that I’d been able to capture that pleasing signature cedar and citrus Tristan seemed to carry with him.
“Why doesn’t it have a label?” Dacia asked, and I shrugged.
“I haven’t come up with the name for it yet.”
She smirked. “Just call it…Tristan,” she teased, putting this breathy gasp of air with it that made me laugh. “Seriously – I want to meet his ass.”
“I think I can make that happen. We can—”
“Knock-knock!”
I heard, at the same time as the bell over the door sounded, signaling that someone had come in. We looked up to see Carlos from next door standing there, hands propped on his hips.
“Ms. Ma’am, I know you’renotgonna not introduce me to your lil’ friend. I was sitting right outside, and you were too busy embracing like reunited lovers to even see me on the balcony, but I wasthere.” He lifted his head, eyes narrowed. “Are youreunited lovers?”
I laughed, shaking my head. “We’re not.”
“Ugh. Boring,” he declared, waving me off as he sauntered up to where we stood. “I’m Carlos, beautiful,” he said, offering his hand. “And you are?”
