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Smart kid, I think. But I smile. “I promise I won’t do anything drastic.”
He rattles off her address and apartment number. Committing it to memory, I push to a stand and grab my phone from my clutch. I sort through my contacts until I find the florist I used to send Antoinette’s nonna flowers for her birthday, and dial.
When the florist answers, I tell her I’d like to place an order for delivery and wait for her to open the system.
On the bed, Tyler is pale. A faint sheen of sweat glistens on his forehead. “Relax,” I mouth.
“What type of arrangement would you like?” the florist asks.
“Could you deliver a single, white Calla lily wrapped in a white gift box to a Silver Lake address for me?”
“Yes. I just need the address and payment information.”
I rattle off both while Tyler listens to the call silently. Before I hang up, I ask, “Could you include a card too?” The florist affirms that she can and asks me what to write in it. “Could you just write: Will you go on a date with me? And then add yes and no check boxes. And sign it from Tyler.”
“Oh, God.” On the bed, Tyler slowly runs his hand over his forehead and into his hair as if he’s trying to see if he’s dreaming or not.
I wrap up the call with the florist and turn back to the bed. “Tyler, you’re twenty-three. You are the youngest and most attractive you’re going to beright now. By the time you leave this hotel today, you’ll be older, you’ll have spent time that you’re never going to get back.”
“What if she says no?”
“Then she says no. And you move on knowing you put yourself out there.” Going to him, I crouch on the floor, heels and all, and meet his eyes. “Did you ever think she might say yes?”
He shakes his head slowly. “No. Not really. This girl…She’s way out of my league. She’s scary smart. And beautiful. Like, even prettier than you.” Realizing what he’s said, he hurries on with, “No offense or anything.”
“None taken.”
“Asking her out was never really an option for me.”
“Why?” I’m so confused. He’s a good-looking guy. He’s obviously smart too (he went to MIT). He’s sweet. A catch!
“She could haveanyone.” He shrugs. “There is no logical reason that she would choose me?”
I think about how to reply, think about what I can say to make this kid realize that life’s just like that. It’s either taking the right risks or running away from them. Sometimes, they don’t work out. Sometimes, they do. But either way, the least he could do is try. “Can I tell you a secret?”
“Okay.” But he’s gripping both his thighs as if he’s trying to keep his soul from leaving his body.
“There’s a guy who’s too good for me too.”
He thinks over what I’ve told him for a moment. “Does he rescue kittens from trees?”
“What?” I laugh.
“You said ‘Toogoodfor me’.”
“He’s a cop actually,” I explain. “One of the good ones.”
“Aren’t they all good?”
“You’d be surprised.”
“And? Are you going to ask him out?”
He’s such a child. After all this time, it’s jarring to realize that there are still people like this in the world. It should be comforting to me, but honestly, it scares me a little. He’s so vulnerable. So innocent and sweet. One day, Tyler Shaw is going to look back at this moment and wish that asking out a girl was his biggest problem. “My situation is a little more complicated.”
“Maybe you’re way overthinking it too?”
“Maybe.” But I’m not going to get into the details of my relationship with Aiden. “But now it’s done. And you’ll know.”
