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When the car pulls up in front of the shop, Sophie stares out the window, confused.
“Is this where we’re going?” She turns to look at me.
I can’t help the smile that pulls at my lips. Watching her reaction is like opening a gift on Christmas morning. It’s my new favorite thing.
“A vintage goods shop. They’re supposed to have a large selection of vases and décor items.”
Stefan opens the door and I help Sophie out. The store is filled with used goods which I would normally not be a fan of, but Sophie’s interest in them had me instructing Jeannie to do a search.
Inside, a woman approaches us.
“Hi there, is there anything I can help you with?” she asks.
“Hunter Cartwright,” I extend my hand, “I called a few days ago. You mentioned you had a selection of vintage vases.”
“That’s right. I remember. Right this way.”
As we follow the shop owner toward the back, Sophie threads her hands around my arm.
“You called the store?” She’s practically vibrating with excitement.
“Yeah. I wanted to make sure they had what you were looking for before we drove down here.”
After Jeannie gave me a list, I called six stores, and this one seemed to be the best option.
At the back of the store, there are shelves filled with vases and other vase-like glassware.
Sophie’s eyes light up at the selection before us.
“This is amazing.” Sophie drops my arm to move toward the shelves. “Look at this! An entire collection of Amber ridged vases.”
“Those are a set?” I ask, looking at the different sizes and shapes of the vases.
“They can all go together. Like this larger one can be by itself as a centerpiece or an accent on a place card table. And these,” she points to three smaller ones, “they can be a set together on a table. This color is perfect. It would look amazing with these rechargeable mini light strands I found recently.”
Sophie’s like a kid in a candy store, but suddenly her smile drops.
“I have nowhere to put all this stuff. My bedroom at Emma and Griffin’s is overflowing already.”
It suddenly occurs to me that I haven’t seen Sophie’s bedroom. I haven’t laid eyes on any of her personal items. I don’t know what her bedding looks like, or how she has her furniture arranged. While it’s never been a priority in my other relationships, it feels odd to not know that about her.
“You can keep it at my place,” I offer.
“Really?” Her face brightens.
“Yeah. I’ve got plenty of space.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a burden.”
“Hey.” I pull her in close. “You’re never a burden. This is fun and I want you to keep them at my place.” I drop a kiss to her jaw. “It’ll be a way to lure you in.” I press my lips against her neck and give her a light lick. “Anytime you want to see them, you’ll have to see me, too.”
“Hmm. You drive a hard bargain, but I think I’ll take it.” She wraps her arms around my neck. “Thank you.”
In the car on the way back to my place, I link my fingers through Sophie’s and bring her hand to my lips. Her nails are a lavender color, but one of them is chipped.
“Before I forget.” I keep her hand in mine while I reach into the bag of items Jeannie purchased for Sophie and pull out a bottle of nail polish. I place it in her hand.
Sophie looks down at the bottle.
