Part 6 (1/2)
”No. Stop, tell me more or at least let me think about this,” she said. ”Don't text him yet. Please don't send that.”
”Too late. I already had it written. All I had to do was. .h.i.t send because I knew you'd try to stop me.” Jilly checked the phone screen. ”Message sent.”
Becky was mortified. ”Jilly, how could you? This is madness.”
”No, it's not. You clearly like Bob Elders and I have a feeling he likes you, too.” She scooped up her bag and car keys. ”Don't forget to lock the place before you leave.” Then she swiftly kissed her friend on the cheek and swept out the door before Becky could quite figure out what was happening.
”Don't leave me here,” she said but it was too late. Jilly had done just that.
She was terrified to wait alone but even more scared of getting caught fleeing the scene, so she focused on his beautiful gift to her. It was twice the size of the previous week's bouquet and it had a message card that had the word ”Dinner?” written on it.
Becky studied the card. She knew Jilly's handwriting. Her friend hadn't written this. He had! She was so nervous while she waited in the shop but she was excited, too. Was it possible that he was actually a nice guy? What about last week's flowers? If the hydrangeas were for his cleaner, the other bunch must have been for the girlfriend. Was she to be the mistress? Soon enough the front door of the shop jingled opened again. Usually she liked the sound. It meant company, customers, and people to talk to. This evening, though, she was shaking.
”Bob!” She almost shouted in an attempt at sounding normal.
”Becky.” He gave her one of his slightly shy grins. ”I, um, I hope you like the flowers.”
”Oh, yes, they're amazing. You shouldn't have.”
He shook his head. ”Yes, I should have. I should have done this weeks ago-months ago at this stage, but I'm no good at flowers you see.”
”I can help you there,” she said.
”Well, the thing is-that first day I came in, it was just because I'd pulled off the interstate to get some food and then I saw this little shop. I'd forgotten I'd need to bring Whitney, my cleaning lady, a present in the hospital. Your flowers were perfect, so I called back here once a week for her, and to see you, too.”
”That's what we're here for-flowers, I mean.” She put on her corporate smile.
”That's not what I'm here for, Becky.” He looked anxious.
”What do you mean?” She backed up against the shop counter.
”Becky, the truth is, after that first week, I kept coming back to see you, but then I'd just get so tongue tied. I didn't know what to say. You could be married for all I know.”
”I'm not.”
His face brightened. ”Boyfriend?”
She shook her head.
”Well then, would you do me the honor of dining with me?”
”Yes! Tonight?”
He looked a little surprised but he laughed. ”Tonight would be perfect. Now if you like.”
”But wait a minute. What about last week's flowers? Why did you change so suddenly?”
Bob looked bashful. ”Last week, I came in and my plan was to buy you flowers-sort of as a way to break the ice. I wanted to ask you out to dinner, but then you seemed so cool with me, hostile almost. What can I say? I lost my nerve.” He looked adorable and Becky giggled at his awkwardness. ”I almost didn't come this week, but my mother made me.”
”What? How does she know about me?”
”Well, last week I didn't know what to do with the flowers I planned to give to you. They were too pretty to just toss them in the trash and you'd gone to so much work. In the end, I gave the bouquet to my mother, but she knew something was up right away. She eventually got the whole story out of me-about you and your lovely bouquets. Then she threw me out and told me to visit you and ask you out to dinner properly.”
”She threw you out?”
”Well, yeah, she did. She told me to call her after I'd asked you out.”
Becky grinned. ”Well, you've done that now and I've said yes, so I guess you can phone her now.”
Bob walked over to Becky and offered her his arm. ”I think my mama can wait for a while before I call her back.”
She smelled his cologne again. Definitely better than any rose. ”Oh, I can't take your arm and hold my flowers, too.”
”Leave them here for now. We can come back and get them later. If you're free now, I want to take you to dinner right now. We have so much to catch up on.” He was getting more confident by the minute, and she liked it.
He looked around The Little Flower Shop. ”This place really is amazing. You carry an amazing stock for the size of the place.”
”They're my pa.s.sion,” she said with pride.
He turned back and looked deep into her eyes. ”Your pa.s.sion, you say?”
Their faces were dangerously close. ”Oh, to be one of our birds of paradise,” he whispered, but then he pulled back again. It was just as well, because Becky was falling into his eyes, deeper faster than she thought possible.
She coughed and shook herself out of her stupor. ”Come on, there's a lovely little French bistro just on the edge of town. They'll be open by now.”
She pulled him out of the shop and locked the door. ”Do you live near here?”
”I'm a few hours south-in Victoria. I've just bought a new house north of the city and it has a huge garden, but I know nothing about gardens.”
”I love gardening.”
”You do?”
”Sure. Gardening is a way of showing you believe in the future.”
”Wow. I like that. My future is sure looking a lot brighter. You think you could help me with my new garden?”
Becky beamed at him. ”I'd love to.”
His smile widened. ”That'd be terrific. My mother offered to help, but she's not talking to me until she meets you.” He looked so adorable when he smiled at her that way. Becky thought her heart would melt. He was just her type and now it appeared he was living near enough and wasn't having loads of affairs. Did it get any better than this? she wondered.
”I'll come to dinner with you on one condition,” she said.
”Name it.”
”You'll let me help you design your new garden and fill it with lots of flowers.”
Again he smiled. ”That's a very attractive deal. I'd certainly agree to that, and you know the funny thing?” He took her arm again. ”I've always fancied being a gentleman gardener.”
Becky filled a s.h.i.+ver go down her spine. Her grandmother used to say that the sensation meant either somebody was walking over your grave or you were getting a blessing directly from heaven.