AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Welcome to Bobby’s. What can I get you?” the lady from behind the counter asks with a smile, one I can’t help returning.
While I already know a coffee is probably waiting for me at my office, no doubt getting cold because I slept in this morning, I give her my order and wait patiently off to the side near the front window for the bagel to be prepared, my mouth watering in the process.
I look outside and watch the rushing people, all getting to their nine-to-five, looking like ants as they scurry about. Except for one person. Across the street is the same man I saw before and again he is looking right at me, but this time, his eyes don’t waver as they pin me in place, and my heart races. I can’t move my eyes as I swallow the fear building in my stomach, and I see a familiar tattoo on the side of his neck. It’s the same man who was watching me from the cemetery. I quickly look around and behind me to ensure I am not seeing things, trying to ascertain if there could be anything or anyone else he could be looking at. Seeing nothing and no one, I look back at him, but he is gone.
A cold shiver runs through me as I stand completely still for a moment.
“Bagel for Emi!” the counter lady calls, and I jump out of my skin at the sound of my name.
“Emi! Bagel for Emi!” she yells again, and I shake my head.
“Yes, sorry, that’s me.” I step forward and grab my bagel before I walk quickly out the door. Looking around me, I don’t pause my steps the remaining five minutes to my office, my pace much faster than it was before.
By the time I hit my building foyer, I am out of breath, holding my bagel to my chest by way of protection. I strut to the elevators, all the while my eyes continue to scour every person I pass.
“Emilia? Are you alright?” Antonio asks, obviously spotting me from the concierge desk. I still, my eyes flicking to his, and I see his expression change, the fright clearly evident in my face.
“Fine. I’m fine,” I say, and force a smile before heading right into the open elevator and taking it up to my floor.
I just need to get to my office, close the door, and take a breath.
The elevator opens on my floor, and I see Cindy at the desk.
“Good morning, Emi!” she says cheerily.
“Hi, Cindy. Do I have any appointments today?” I ask, hoping nothing has been scheduled for me since I saw my calendar yesterday. Purposefully leaving today clear so I can go through another box thoroughly. That need is stronger than ever now.
“No, all clear, just as you asked.”
“Great. Please hold all calls too.” I don’t miss her look of question as I step past her and straight into my office, closing the door right behind me.
I throw my bag on the floor and take off my coat, as I look at the coffee and box sitting on my desk.
Could it be Nico? I haven’t seen him since Wednesday night, and he hasn’t mentioned having anyone follow me,but it could be him. I begin to calm a little because I feel like if it was him, that would be more for my protection than for any harm.
But that tattoo. The shape, the angle, the wings. Scampering to my desk, I boot up my computer before opening a search engine.
My mind flicks through the image, and I try to search for butterfly tattoos, but nothing similar comes up in the image search. I drill my nails into the desk, the strumming rhythm helping me to think.
I think about how I saw him at the cemetery.The flower note. Le Rose Fleurs.
Why didn’t I look that up before?
I type in Le Rose Fleurs and hit enter, my bagel now all but forgotten.
Within seconds, I can see the florist is a boutique French flower store on the Upper East Side. I grab my phone and look at their social media pages. Their arrangements are amazing, and prices sky high; it’s pure luxury.
I see bunches of perfect roses, red, white, pink. Long-stemmed, tight petals, the kind that look like they belong on the counter at a Tiffany’s store, not on the grave of a woman who has been dead for twenty-five years. My body wants to grab a taxi and run to the florist, but I already know they won’t tell me any customer details.
So even though my heart is pumping, I look at Nico’s boxes and know I need to get to work. The sooner I can get through these boxes, the sooner I can try to investigate who is leaving the flowers and if they are the same person who is following me. And why.
I grab my bagel and take a bite, then push it back to the side of my desk. I have lost my appetite.
Hours later, I have paperwork sprawled across the floor of my office, have kicked off my heels, my pen is lost in my hair, and I am in dire need of another coffee. Just as I am about to shout out to Cindy, my door opens, and Nico walks right through. No knock, no announcement, but he stops short at seeing me sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by piles of paperwork.
His eyebrows shoot up, and his trademark smirk comes to his face.
“You look… busy?” he says, his smirk turning into a bright smile, one that makes my heart flip and my breath get temporarily stuck in my chest.God, when did he start looking this handsome?
