Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
ALICE
“Here you go. Have a wonderful day.” I hand over a newly created bouquet to the woman at the counter.
“Thank you. These are absolutely stunning.”
“I’m glad you like them.”
“It was so cool the way you did the flowers for the Black Diamonds celebration.”
“Really?”
“They were gorgeous. I knew I had to come get a bouquet from you.”
“Well, thank you. I’m glad you could come out and get something you liked.”
A furious blush creeps up my cheeks at her kind words. She smiles the whole way out of the store after I helped her put together something special for her daughter’s birthday. Happy customers like that are why I love doing this.
It’s nice to see that people recognized the hard work we put into the celebration and want to stop by.
I go back to sorting through this morning’s flowers that Leon picked up, arranging them accordingly in the cooler for events and working on more bouquets to sell. A few knickknacks need restocking, keeping me busy most of the day.
Until Leon stops me. “Okay, what are your plans for tonight?”
“Going home to my husband?” I answer. It comes out as more of a question.
“Not tonight,” he declares. “We’re going to take you out to celebrate.”
“Celebrate what?”
“Your big win. The store has been getting all sorts of buzz after the Black Diamonds championship celebration.”
“Are we getting a lot of business from it?” I ask. Leon is in charge of booking the events, while I handle more of the storefront side of things.
“Yes. Business is doing great. I even got a call from a local magazine that wants to do a write-up on the store. Everyone wants us to do their events because we work with the Black Diamonds. Want the same vibes we gave our champions.” His eyes sparkle.
His passion is Enchanted Petals, as much as mine is.
“So tonight we celebrate. Dinner. Drinks. Maybe dancing if we feel up to it.”
“If we celebrate tonight, we are not doing shots,” I clarify. “No way.”
Because doing shots always seems to get me in trouble. At least where Declan is concerned.
“Party pooper. But you will have two drinks and after that, the number is up for debate.”
I smile back at him. Leon is one of my closest friends and clearly knows me well. “That is agreeable.”
“I love you, Alice. Thank you. Now, I’ll finish up here if you want to go home and change.”
I look down at my Enchanted Petals tee and torn-up jeans. “You mean you don’t think this is acceptable attire to wear out?”
“Jacob will have words to say about it—if you want to get him started.”
“I won’t.”
Heading to the back room, I grab my things before leaving. I pull out my phone and call Declan. It rings and rings before going to voicemail.
“Hey. Leon wants to take me out to celebrate how successful the event was last week. I’m sure you’re at practice, but I might see you at home before I leave. I’ll see you tonight. Umm, bye.”
Why was that the most awkward voicemail ever? It’s not like I don’t know how to have a conversation with him, so why am I being weird?
It’s been like that since our almost-kiss the night of the championship dinner.
Ball is in your court.
I think about it the entire way home. All while getting ready and primping to go out as I change into something that Jacob would approve of.
High-waisted black jeans with a silk, leopard-print camisole top. Nothing over-the-top, but I feel confident in it.
I spritz on perfume before giving my hair one last fluff as my phone buzzes that my rideshare is here.
Declan
Have fun tonight
Let me know if you need a ride home
I smile at the text that comes through as I get into the car. It’s just like him to offer to pick me up.
Alice
I’ll be okay
I don’t want to get in the way of training
You could never get in the way, Froggie
That has me smiling. God, I wish I could talk to someone about this, but I can’t. The person I would normally talk to about it is the one that is the reason I’m feeling this way. And I can’t talk to Leon because as far as he knows, we’re happily married.
Who knew deciding to make a move on your best friend would cause so much angst?
Traffic is crawling as we make our way back into the city. Even though it’s a steamy summer day, people are out on the patios with beers in hand.
“Is here okay?” the driver asks.
Glancing up, I see the bar Leon sent the address for on the corner.
“Perfect. Thank you.”
“Have a nice evening.”
“Finally!” Jacob shouts when he spots me. “I thought we were going to have to drive out and pick you up to get you to come out with us.”
“Stop it.” I laugh, giving him a hug. “You know traffic sucks around this time.”
“You knew she was coming,” Leon says, rolling his eyes at his husband. “Of course, if you’d wanted her here earlier, she could have come straight from work.”
Jacob points at me. “Drinking in work attire is a no-no. That’s just wrong.”
“Hence why I went home to freshen up.”
“You look wonderful.” Jacob links his arm with mine as Leon gives our name to the host. The restaurant, in an old warehouse with exposed brick walls, has garage doors rolled up to the outdoor patio.
Booths are packed to the brim with people.
Following the stairs up, we’re seated at a table on the rooftop—complete with old food trucks turned into bars to serve drinks for those up here.
Large swathes of fabric blow in the breeze from the overhang we’re seated under.
“How did you get a reservation here so fast?” I ask, dropping into my seat and taking my menu.
“I made it last week. I figured if I gave you time to think about it, you’d change your mind.” Leon smiles at me before ordering the first round of drinks.
I wince. “Am I really that predictable?”
“You’re a creature of comfort, honey,” Leon says. “You like going to work and going home.”
“Is something wrong with that?” Jacob asks.
“Not at all.” Leon winks back. “But you and I get out. I used to worry about you, Alice.”
“I am perfectly content with my life,” I scoff. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
At least nothing I can tell them that I’m worried about.
Namely if I should cross the line with my husband.
“Hey, I said used to,” Leon clarifies. “Now that you have your husband at home waiting, I’m not as worried.”
“All she needed was some balance,” Jacob says as drinks are dropped off.
I grab the lemon drop martini with the sugar rim and wait for the toast that I know is coming.
“Here’s to Alice,” Leon says. “For being a badass and putting our name out there and bringing in more business than I thought possible with one event.”
“Cheers.” I blush under his praise. “You know I love what I do.”
“And it’s why I love you,” Leon says.
“Now why didn’t that delicious husband of yours come out with us?” Jacob asks, sipping on his dirty martini.
“Practice.” I sip on my drink, loving the sweet and sour taste. “The season is starting soon and I don’t want anything to get in the way of another championship season.”
“You know, I’m surprised we even see you as much as we do,” Jacob says.
“What do you mean?” I lean back in my chair, crossing one leg over the other.
“Babe. You have the hottest man in the world at your house—”
“Excuse me,” Leon interrupts.
“Hottest straight man,” he clarifies. “Why in the world would you not climb him like a tree every chance you get?”
My head rolls back in laughter. “Did you not just say you were worried about me not having a life?”
“But not having a life and railing your husband are two very different things,” Jacob says.
Leon pats his arm. “He meant thank you for coming out with us before going home to your husband.”
“To climb him like a tree,” Jacob finishes.
“If this is how you two are going to be all night, I might go well past my two-drink limit.”
Jacob claps his hands. “I do love when five-drink Alice comes out. She always has the dish.”
“Then I might stay closer to three-drink Alice. She keeps it together.”
“You’re no fun.”
Our server comes by and takes our dinner order. It’s the perfect night with friends spent laughing and talking about anything and everything. The kind of night you’ll look back and remember because you love these people and the memories you’ve made together.
“I don’t know about you,”—Jacob sucks down the last of his cocktail—“but I’m thinking we need to go do karaoke tonight.”
“You know I’ll never say no to belting the ballads by Celine.” Leon flags down our server to get the check. “You up for it, Alice?”
“What was it you said?” I tap my chin with my finger. “Why am I not climbing him like a tree every chance I get?”
“That sounds much better than karaoke,” Jacob says. “Maybe we should do that.”
He grabs Leon by the hand and tugs him close as we descend the stairs. I pull up the rideshare app on my phone and request a car.
Leon presses a kiss to the top of his head as they wait with me. “After. Now that you’ve said it, I need to do some singing tonight.”
The small car moves closer and closer on the screen before it pulls up in front of us. “You two have fun.”
“Oh, we will.” Leon waggles his eyebrows. “You have fun with that husband of yours.”
“Stop it.” I drop a kiss on each of their cheeks and climb into the waiting car. “I’ll see you Monday.”
“Bye, honey.”
I rest my head on the headrest as we head home. Only three drinks over the course of a few hours, but it’s loosened my restraint.
Why shouldn’t I have fun with my husband? We’re only doing this for the next year. I’ll get my inheritance to get the shop and Declan keeps his image with the team clean.
I never do anything that’s not expected of me. I’ve always colored inside the lines and done what is asked of me.
Marrying Declan?
It’s just about the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life. So why not take that extra step with him?
Thanking the driver, I press the code into the front door lock and push it open.
I hesitate at Declan’s door. If I do this, there’s no going back. I want this. I can’t stand being in Declan’s orbit— moving around each other and having this weirdness between us—and not having him.
You can do this, Alice.
Giving myself one last pep talk, I crack open his door.