AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He joins me on the stage and hands me the folder. “This play is part of our traveling theater group. It will be performed for the next year around the United States. Rehearsals will be here as will our opening and closing night, but you will have to travel for performances each month once we open. Travel and expenses are part of the salary.”
Salary? Wait, is he offering me a role? A role that would mean I would have to quit my job and travel? I’m certainly not opposed to traveling, but Katie… What would that mean for the two of us? I take the folder from him and open it, quickly scanning the contents.
“I’d like to hire you for Joel,” he says as I skim. “He’s not the lead, but his part is fairly large, and if this goes well, I can guarantee you work in the future. So, what do you say?”
Dependable Derek is saying to wait, to take time to think it over and talk about it with Katie. Daring Derek is saying to go for it, that this is the chance I’ve been waiting for and that Katie will understand. My eyes land on the income which is more than I’m making now, and I find myself nodding. “I say yes, thank you, sir.”
A smile lights up his face. “Wonderful. I’ll have Greta print you off a contract and we’ll get you all signed up.
Signing the contract takes another half hour, but when I walk out of the theater, I feel lighter, like everything is finally falling into place. I check my watch and smile when I realize that while we’ve missed the wedding, it is still Valentine’s Day, and I can do something special for Katie. I hurry to my car to go home and change.
An hour later, I am showered and dressed in my nicest suit. I brush my hand down my suit and examine every inch of it in the mirror. Old habits die hard, and I want to look perfect when I tell Katie the news. When I am satisfied that my suit is in perfect condition, I flick off the light and head to the front door. Checking my watch to make sure I’ve got time to stop for flowers, I turn the lights off and lock the door behind me.
When I arrive at the flower shop, I realize that I don’t really know what kind of flowers Katie likes. I don’t even know if she likes flowers. Even more than that, I realize I don’t know much about dating, but I want to learn. I want to at least try with Katie, but as I look around at all the flowers, I have no idea what to choose. Something loud and cheerful, a complement to her personality, is all I can think of.
“If you’re here for a Valentine’s bouquet, I’m afraid you’re a little late,” the woman behind the counter says as she enters from a back room.
I blink. There are special bouquets for Valentine’s Day? I suppose I knew that, but somehow, I’d forgotten or pushed it from my mind. Now, I’m wondering if Katie will expect some sort of Valentine gift in addition to the flowers. “Uh, no, that’s okay. I just need a nice bouquet of flowers for a girl I’m dating or sort of dating.” I realize we haven’t really defined what we are, which we should probably do especially if we plan to keep kissing. And I would really like to keep kissing her. “It’s sort of an apology for not escorting her to a wedding, and also a thank you for everything.”
The woman’s eyebrow lifts, and she has this look like I grew a second head or a third eyeball. “You need an apology/thank you bouquet for a girl you may or may not be dating?”
Okay, it sounds ridiculous when she says it back. I try again. “I was supposed to escort her to a wedding, but I had to call it off for an audition.” I sigh and stop trying to explain when I realize the woman has no idea what I’m talking about and probably doesn’t care. “Can you help me pick flowers or not?”
“Sure, but we’re fresh out of apology/thank you bouquets, so I’ll have to put something together.”
I do not miss the sarcasm dripping from her words, but I choose not to let her tone bother me. Today is a good day, maybe a great day, and I’m going to focus on that.
“Do you have a color preference?”
I shake my head not knowing what colors are her favorites. How is it that we’ve spent so much time together the last two weeks but I still don’t know her favorite color or flower? Oh right, because I’ve been too focused on myself. First it was the promotion, then it was dealing with the realization I wanted to try acting. Through it all, Katie has been there for me, listening and offering advice without any judgment. Well, that’s not entirely true. I’m fairly certain she judged me at the beginning, but I can’t blame her for that because I judged her too.
“Okay, give me a second.” She wanders around the store, pulling flowers from different vases and arranging them together. When she’s done, she holds it out to me, and I nod in approval. I have no idea if Katie will like it, but I find it visually pleasing.
I pay for the flowers and then place them carefully in my car. Thankfully, the woman gave me a cardboard carrier knowing that I was going to have to drive to get to my destination. I should probably shoot her a text and ask if it’s okay, but knowing we had original plans of attending the wedding, I figure she won’t mind too much if I show up with flowers.
When I arrive at Katie’s place, I grab the flowers, but as I step out of the car, I hear voices.
“I made a mistake. I realize that now, and I want you back.”
For a second, I think I must be hearing one of Katie’s roommates, but then her voice carries to me.
“Adam, you just called off your wedding. You’re not thinking straight.”
Wait, Adam? The ex? He’s here? On Valentine’s Day? And he called off his wedding for Katie? I know I should announce my presence or get in my car and drive away, but my feet are frozen to the ground.
“No, I’m thinking straight for the first time in months, Katie. It’s you. I know it is. Please, give me one more chance and I’ll prove it to you.”
Katie’s sigh is audible, but it’s her words that send a dagger to my heart. “I’ll think about it, Adam.”
The flowers fall from my fingers, but I don’t bother to pick them up. The broken petals resemble my heart right now. She would consider giving him another chance? What does that mean? Was she just using me for the promotion? In a daze, I get back in my car and drive away. The tour for this play cannot start soon enough.
CHAPTER18
Katie
I’mexhausted when I finally get Adam to leave, and I sigh as I lean against the closed door.
“I hope you gave him the riot act,” Belle says, shooting daggers at the door.
