FOURTEEN
Nate
I gather the leftover wrappers from our sandwiches and stuff them back into the takeout bag while Rose is engaged in a deep debate with Kara about Disney princesses and their princes. Turns out, Rose is a sucker for Anna’s Kristoff from Frozen, who is—go figure—not a prince at all. Not even close.
It's amusing to watch them discuss. Rose knows almost as much about the storylines as Kara does, which is refreshing to Kara, I’m sure. I always try to join her whenever she watches. I really do. But I can only listen to ‘Someday My Prince Will Come’ so many times before I lose my mind.
“Flynn has better hair,” Kara crosses her arms and puts on her best smug expression.
“Fair, but Kristoff is stronger.” Rose raises a brow.
“Kristoff is smelly,” Kara retorts.
Rose laughs. “Cause he’s doing all that hard work loading ice! What does Flynn do? Just sit around and smolder ?”
“ Yes , in fact. And he’s really good at it.” Kara crosses her arms tighter.
“What about Prince Charming?” I ask.
They both look at me like I’ve lost my mind.
I hold up my hands and chuckle. “Sorry, I thought he was one of the best ones.”
“Noooo, Dad ,” Kara shakes her head. “He’s boring. And he doesn’t even remember what Cinderella looks like after he spent all night with her at the ball.” She rolls her eyes.
Rose grins at me with a shrug. “She’s right.”
I smirk as I lean against the wall and shove my hands into my pockets. “Clearly, I know nothing.”
“Yeah, you’re a girl-dad. I expected more from you,” Rose teases.
“I’m ashamed.” I feign sorrow.
“Don’t worry, Dad,” Kara says. “Which princess would you choose?”
I open my mouth, but I pause. My answer is on the tip of my tongue, but I’m afraid to say it. It’s too obvious. Too forward.
Thankfully though, I don’t have to, because Kara’s nurse comes in with a new dose of medication. “Ok, Kara. It’s time to get some rest.” She turns the lights down and motions to Rose. “I’m afraid we’ll have to end visitor hours for now. Dad can stay, but otherwise, Kara needs to try to sleep.”
Rose stands up quickly and waves at Kara as she crosses the room. “Thanks for letting me keep you company. I hope you’re back home and feeling better really soon.”
“I’m gonna draw you a picture of Kristoff and his reindeer!”
Rose laughs as she touches the door handle. “Get some rest first, and then yes, I would love that.”
“Bye, Rose!”
Rose turns to me and smiles lightly. “I’ll, uh, see you around? Don’t worry about the thermostat for a few days. We’ll get by.”
I glance at Kara. “I’ll be right back, ok?” And then I gesture for Rose to exit into the hall as I follow her.
When I shut the door behind us and she turns around to face me, I shove my hands in my pockets again and tilt my head. “I know I keep saying it, but thank you.”
She bites her lip and drops her eyes to her feet. “I had a nice time today. Even under the circumstances. Thanks for inviting me to stay for lunch.”
Hearing her say she had a good time; it cuts deep, because if she had such a good time, why won’t she give us a chance? I don’t understand, but I nod and rub my hand on my neck. “I wasn’t sure you’d want to.”
She shrugs, still studying the floor. “Mhmm…”
Chasing this girl is like trying to catch a fly in a thimble. She was so genuine today. So carefree. Not angry and irritatingly stubborn like she was just a few days ago. I think maybe she’s having a change of heart, but it’s impossible to know for sure. If she would look at me, maybe I could figure her out. I want to hook my finger under that chin, lift it, and reveal the truth in her eyes. But I doubt even then she’d admit it.
“I think I made a mistake…” she says slowly.
Or, maybe she will.
“I was stupid,” she continues, “and I shouldn’t have said no to you so quickly.” She polishes a speck of dirt on the tile with the toe of her shoe.
“Rose,” I say gently. She’s adorable and sincere, and even though yes, she did make a mistake, I somehow have no problem forgiving her for it.
“And if you don’t want anything to do with me now, I completely understand. I probably blew it and I can accept—”
“Rose,” I say again. And this time I do hook my finger gently under her chin and lift her eyes to mine. I wait a beat, letting her register my unguarded expression. “Can I take you to dinner?”
She blinks up at me, big and blue. First, she’s confused, but relief swiftly washes over her, taking the form of the sweetest smile. “Yes,” she breathes. There’s no doubt in her voice. She means it this time.
I grin back and lower my hand. “Are you free on Thursday?”
“I usually get home by six.” She bites her lip again and stands taller as her anxiety fades away.
“I can pick you up at seven. Have you been to the new Japanese place on 2 nd Avenue?” I researched this just days ago, the first time I thought she might agree to go out with me, so I’m already prepared.
She shakes her head. “No, but I’ve heard it’s good. And I love sushi.”
I lean against the wall. “It’s been years since I’ve had some.”
She mirrors my pose, leaning against the handrail next to me. “Too busy eating steak and potatoes?” she teases.
“And s’mores, yeah.” I smirk.
She giggles, and oh I could get used to the sound of that. I want to bring out this side of her every day.
“Will Kara be ok by Thursday?” she asks.
I nod. “She just needs to take it easy. I’ll ask our neighbor to come watch her. She’s a sixty-two-year-old widow and Kara will be the highlight of her week.”
Rose studies me for a moment, narrowing her eyes. “Do you not hate me for rejecting you the first time?”
“Nah,” I say. Then I lean in and raise a brow. “I think you just needed a moment to come to your senses.”
She smirks and raises her own. “Guess we’ll find out real soon if those senses led me right.”
I push off the wall and turn back toward Kara’s door with a grin. “I’ll send you my number on Blindly.”
“Hey, Nate,” she calls after me.
I peer over my shoulder to meet her gaze.
“You’d pick Anna, wouldn’t you?”
“Hm?” I regard her with confusion.
Her eyes twinkle. “The princess… Kristoff’s princess.”
I let a smirk play on my lips as I push Kara’s door open. “I’ll see you Thursday, Rose.” I don’t answer her question. But yes, I’d choose Anna. A thousand times over.
We exchange numbers that night, she tells me she’ll send her address on Thursday, and then we say goodnight. I don’t call her Little Spoon like I usually do, but dang, I wish I could.
***
On Thursday at 6:58 pm, I take the elevator up to Rose’s apartment. The building is brand new, and I wonder if the owner has a manager yet. I’d love to take on another client. But my thoughts don’t stay there long. I’m thinking about Rose, glad she hasn’t changed her mind about our date.
The elevator doors open, and I make my way down the hall, searching for her room number with a bag of only red Starbursts clutched tightly in my hand.
When I find her door, I take a deep breath and knock, and it's only a few seconds before she answers. The door swings open, and when she sees me, her eyes scan me from head to toe, and then back up again.
“Well, you clean up nice,” she says with a smirk.
I’ve put on a dress shirt and a pair of slacks, and I traded out my work boots for a set of brown leather oxfords. She can probably tell none of it is expensive or name-brand, but I did my best.
“Thank you.” I return her smile and assess her the same way. “You look beautiful.”
Her hazel hair is curled in soft waves and lays gently on her shoulders. She’s wearing a black dress, fitted tightly to her slim frame, and a deep red wool coat. On her feet are a pair of black heels, but she’s still a few inches shorter than me.
“Thank you,” she replies, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and trying to hide her blush.
She’s about to step into the hall, but I hold up the bag of Starbursts first. “I considered flowers, but I thought you’d enjoy these more.”
Her eyes light up and she laughs as she takes it from me. “Wow, how many bags did you have to sort through to collect all this?”
I shove my hands in my pockets. “Seven. But Kara will be thrilled with the leftovers.”
“Oh, yeah, I can imagine.” She giggles, and I melt. “Well, thank you.” She turns her eyes to mine, genuinely appreciative.
I nod. “Besides, I set aside all the pink ones for myself, so I’m quite excited too.”
She grins. “How is Kara?”
“She bounced back really quick. Just no sports for a few weeks. Thankfully she won’t miss soccer tryouts.”
Rose nods and holds up her bag of Starbursts. “Let me just put these inside, hang on.”
She disappears into her apartment, and I have a moment to observe it from the doorway. I can’t see much, but it’s very modern and exceptionally tidy. Smooth white walls and wide-planked floors as far as the eye can see.
Before I can make any other observations though, she emerges again and closes the door. “Ok, I’m ready.”
“How was work?” I ask as we head toward the elevator.
“Exhausting. I had seven client meetings.”
I press the call button on the elevator. It’s still on her floor, so it opens right away and we walk in. “Are you and your brothers the only advisors?”
She pulls her purse over her shoulder as the elevator descends. “Right now, yes. But we’ll be hiring soon. I think I told you…my parents plan to retire in a year or two. George and Henry will move up and no longer handle clients anymore.”
“But you will?”
We reach the ground floor and exit into the lobby. “Yeah, it’s the part of my job I enjoy the most. I’ll probably take COO, but still retain a few clients.”
I hold the front door for her as we step out onto the sidewalk. “I think you’ll represent the business well.”
“I hope so,” she laughs. “I’d love to serve more families outside of greater Minneapolis someday.”
We head to my truck, which is parked on the street, and I open the passenger door for her. She climbs in and clasps her hands in her lap like she’s nervous, but I’m not sure why. I’m the one who has to prove myself to the girl with the high expectations.
“Do you just work on buildings here in the city, or in the surrounding areas too?" she asks once I'm inside.
I pull out into traffic. “My only clients are high rises right now, and that’s kinda where I found my niche, but we’ll see.”
“I thought you were afraid of heights? Why’d you choose high rises?” she asks.
“I have no idea,” I laugh, but my stomach flips a bit. We’ve only talked about my fear of heights on Blindly, and it’s something I probably wouldn’t have admitted to Rose in person, so it feels weird to start blending the two worlds together.
“Maybe you should have thought about that.” She raises a teasing eyebrow.
“Well, I’m committed now,” I smirk.
“The city’s expanding,” she suggests. “So, you’ll have more prospective clients every day.”
“But not enough employees to take on the work,” I laugh.
“Are you hiring?”
I shake my head. “Not yet, but we’re working on an org restructure soon that will allow that. Right now, I have eighteen employees. If we hit twenty, it’s time to think about developing a true leadership team.”
She peers at me with a sly grin. “You mean, you’d be promoted to CEO?”
I return her expression. “Yes, Rose, I’d be a CEO. What do you think of that?”
She rolls her eyes. “Status doesn’t mean everything to me.”
I laugh. “Oh really? Is that why you tried to join an elite singles app?”
She frowns and turns her head away. “I suppose that wasn’t my best move. I’m trying to be more open.”
I sense I’ve pushed too hard, so I pull back. “I like that about you. You know what you want, but you’re also adaptable.”
She peers at me, skepticism very apparent. “Says the guy who makes fun of me for being completely incapable of doing anything other than wear expensive shoes.”
As I parallel park in a spot in front of the restaurant, I laugh again. “Fair. But I was also impressed by how well you took to life at my place last weekend.” I shut off the engine and look at her. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
Her lips pull up just a little, and then she gazes past me at the restaurant. “Come on, I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
I made a reservation, so we’re seated right away. It’s a sleek place with smooth wood tables and a polished red accent wall that spans the whole length of the dining room. Rose removes her coat, revealing the top of her dress, with delicate black lace sleeves that flutter over her shoulders.
“What’s your favorite kind of sushi?” I ask as we open our menus.
“Nigiri,” she replies.
I clear my throat. “And which one is that? I’m familiar with California roll, spicy tuna roll…and that’s about it.”
She chuckles. “Nigiri isn’t a roll. It’s a cut of fish on top of rice. I think salmon is my favorite.”
I nod and look at my own menu. “Will you make fun of me if I get the spicy tuna roll?”
“No, but I’ll make fun of you if you get the California roll. That one hardly qualifies as sushi. It’s not even raw.”
“Spicy tuna it is.” I close my menu quickly.
She sits back in her chair and stares at me for a long moment, almost as if she’s expecting answers to write themselves across my forehead. “I still don’t believe it’s you.”
I mirror her position and smile. “What? That sappy dude on the app? What can I do to prove it to you?”
She purses her lips. “I’m not sure.” Then her eyes light. “Oh, I’ve got it. Would you rather be able to read minds or have telekinesis?”
“Telekinesis,” I reply.
“Why?” She narrows her eyes.
“So I can tell the trash to walk itself to the curb.” I smile.
“Damn. It is you.” She shakes her head.
I lean forward and rest my elbows on the table with a chuckle. “Why is it so hard to believe I could be the same person?”
“Because…online you’re…I don’t know. Different.” She shrugs and looks down.
“Different than I am right now?”
“No.” She shakes her head and peers up at me again. “Different than you were before. You made fun of me.”
I can’t help but smirk. “Oh, you can’t tell me no one’s teased you before. You’re a waiting target.”
Her shoulders drop. “Well, no one has teased me for the things you did.”
I frown. Well, shit. I wasn’t trying to make her feel bad. I figured she was used to being teased for her expensive taste, but I suppose if she’s only surrounded by people who think the same way she does, there’d be no reason to tease.
I pull my hands back. “I didn’t mean to really hurt you. I’m sorry if I did.”
She quickly shakes her head. “No, it’s fine. It was just…nice to come home every night to the you on Blindly…being nice to me, after seeing the real you at work. I can’t wrap my mind around the fact that you’re the same person.”
She’s closing in on herself as she admits these things, so I try to smile again. “The real me is both of those people.”
She sighs.
“I can’t stop teasing you.” I take a sip of water. “That’s just what I do with people I like. But I can tease you about something different instead. Like maybe about how you always fold your napkin into a perfect square and align it with the bottom of your fork before you start eating?” I nod toward her napkin.
She looks down at it and then back at me with wide eyes.
“You did the same thing at my place.” I grin.
She pushes the napkin out of place. “I don’t have to have it there.”
“But it’s killing you that it’s not there now,” I say as she attempts and fails to look like she doesn’t care.
She rolls her eyes and looks up at me again as she slides her napkin back into place. “Fine. I might be a little bit of a control freak.”
I smirk. “I would have never guessed.”
Our waiter stops at our table to take our orders, and then Rose speaks again. “So, what got you into your line of work?”
“I’ve always liked working with my hands, so I knew a desk job wouldn’t be for me. My dad is a mechanic, and I thought about following in his footsteps, but I found I enjoyed the large scale of building construction and maintenance more than tinkering with a car engine.” I take another drink and sit back. “I learned plenty from my dad, and I kinda like attempting to be a Jack of all trades, so to speak, but I chose a degree in construction management.”
“Do you ever build buildings…like from the ground up? Or just repairs?”
“I apprenticed for the contractor who led the construction of the Grant Park condos by the river, and I learned a lot. But once the project was completed, I was bummed when we just left the building to the care of someone else. We put so much work into it. I think I’m sentimental. I realized I wanted to stick with a building and learn its ins and outs. Take care of it. Keep it running. So, I shifted to building management.”
“How long have you managed Astor Tower?” Rose asks. “I’ve only ever seen Joe around.”
“Three years. But Joe handles almost all the work there. That’s why you never see me.”
“So, you know my parents, then?” she asks carefully. “If you manage their building?”
I tilt my head and arch an awkward brow. “They rarely interact with me. I met your mom at the contract signing years ago. I’ve been in contact with your dad over email. I just get the work done, and that’s all there is to it, really.”
“Is that how it is with your other clients?” Her voice is hesitant. “You don’t actually get to know them?”
Remorsefully, I look down at my plate. “No, it’s pretty different with them.” It’s not a bad gig to manage Astor Tower, really. It’s simple and straightforward, and I can do my work without someone breathing down my neck. But I’ve always found it odd that I rarely—if ever—see the people who have trusted me with their hard-earned investment of a building.
“Right.” Rose clears her throat and shifts in her seat like she’s shaking off a truth that hasn’t surprised her. “Do you work in those other buildings you manage, or mostly just oversee the work?”
I shrug. “At this point, I mostly just manage and inspect the completed work on some of the bigger projects, but I like to get in there whenever I can. I was actually really excited to repair your ceiling.”
She raises a playful brow. “ That was you being excited?”
I raise a brow back. “Yes?”
She laughs and props her chin up on her knuckles. “I’d hate to see you angry.”
The way she’s watching me, with her head tilted down, she has to look up through her long lashes, and her eyes look bigger and bluer than ever. She’s really stunning, and quite out of my league. I don’t want to mess this up.
When the waiter arrives with our meals, Rose takes a bite and sits back to study me. “I have to ask. Why in the world did you join an app that hid your face? That kind of app is for people who are…” She trails off and looks at her plate as her cheeks turn red.
I smirk. “Are you saying I’m handsome, Ms. Astor?”
“Oh God, please don’t call me that anymore.” She clasps her hand over her eyes.
“I saw you sneaking glances at me when I was up on that ladder.”
“You did not!” she accuses desperately.
I pop a tuna roll into my mouth and shrug.
She sets her chopsticks down and runs her finger along the edge of her plate. “Well, I wouldn’t be here right now if I didn’t think you were hot.”
I raise a brow. “ Hot? Wow, ok, you’re in even deeper than I thought.”
She picks up her chopsticks again and mimes throwing them at me. “Ok, Mister ‘ I’ll Show You How to Shoot Pool while Conveniently Pressing Myself Against You .’”
I burst out a laugh that’s a little too loud and then I clear my throat when neighboring table guests look my way. But Rose laughs too, and we both end up grinning at each other like idiots for a moment too long.
“You clearly needed help with your form. What’s a man to do?” I chuckle.
She clears her throat and returns her attention to her meal while I cue up the endless list of questions I have for this girl who endlessly surprises me.
“Well, we won the game, didn’t we?” She wiggles her brow.
Yes, I’d say we both won the game.
Conversation flows freely for the rest of our meal, and then after dinner, I drive her home, because regretfully, I haven’t planned anything else for our date. I pull up to her building and put the truck in park, then I rest my hands on the steering wheel. “This was really—”
“Want to take a walk?” she interrupts, sitting up and turning to me with hopeful eyes. “There’s a little park just there.” She points to the left of her building.
“Sure.” I nod, biting my lip to conceal my eagerness.
“Or…” She frowns. “Do you have to get back to Kara?”
I look at my watch and shake my head. “She’s asleep by now. Her sitter is just watching TV. She’d be doing the same thing at her own place. She won’t mind how late I get back.”
Rose lets a small smile free. “Ok.”
We cross the street into a quaint park lit by vintage-style streetlights. There’s a gravel path that heads down the middle, lined by neatly trimmed boxwoods. The snow is melting surprisingly fast, but even though the air still holds an obvious chill, Rose doesn’t seem to mind under her wool coat.
“This was fun,” she exhales, looking ahead.
I nod and pull my own coat tighter around me. “It was. I’m really glad you agreed to come.”
She shoves her hands into her pockets as we walk. “Well, we did agree to give it a chance no matter what.”
That’s exactly what we said to each other on the app, just moments before our realization. “Is that the reason you came? Just because we promised we’d give it a chance?”
She lifts her eyes to mine for just a moment, and I see the apprehension there. “No.”
“So, what truly made you change your mind then?” I swallow and peer down at the few stray leaves on our path, leftover from last fall. Part of me worries I’m pulling her away from a world she really doesn’t want to say goodbye to.
She takes a deep breath. “I realized the only reason I said no initially was because I was afraid of disappointing my parents.”
“Are they really so strict that they’d punish you if you dated someone without a PhD or a multi-million-dollar mansion?” I grimace because I will never have either of those things.
Rose shakes her head. “Not in a literal sense, but they won’t be proud, and I can’t deny that scares me. Their opinion matters.”
“I don’t blame you,” I reply softly. I can almost feel her shrinking next to me as she admits this, and I don’t want her to feel so alone. “In truth, my parents have also been really concerned about who I date. For different reasons, but their approval has always mattered to me too.”
She runs a hand through her hair and peers out across the park. “Honestly, I don’t think they care so much about who I date. My brothers have both been through their share of lots of different brands of women, and my parents don’t really bat an eye.” She pauses. “It’s marriage they’re so intent on. That’s where they want to butt in.”
“No one should tell you who to marry,” I say carefully.
“I know.” She tugs her coat closer and glances up at me, chewing on her lip. “You joined Blindly because you were looking for something serious, right? That’s what you said?”
I nod. “Casual dating isn’t really on my radar right now. Not at this point in my life.” I clear my throat. “And with Kara…”
Rose comes to a stop and turns to me. Her big eyes look up into mine, calculating. “So, then why ask me on this date?”
I tilt my head. I don’t think I understand.
“I couldn’t possibly be what you’re looking for.” She gestures to herself. “I live in the city. I don’t know the first thing about raising chickens or running a home. I don’t even know how to cook.”
A smile tugs at my lips because she’s right. And I don’t quite know why I’m pursuing this either. It doesn’t make much sense, but something is preventing me from letting her go.
“To be honest,” I take a deep breath, “I don’t know.”
Her face starts to fall, but I continue. “But I do know that the thought of saying goodbye to you after last weekend seemed impossible. There’s something here.” I motion to the space between us. “I know you feel it too. And I think we owe it to ourselves to figure out what that is.” I pause. “ I want to, at least.”
The shyest smile plays across her lips as she watches me. “So, we’re just blindly giving this a try, then? Even though it might implode?”
I shrug. “I’m here for the implosion if you are.”
She laughs and turns to walk again. “Wow, that might be the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
I fall back into step alongside her. “I do pride myself in being quite the romantic.”
“Somehow, I find that hard to believe,” she chortles.
“Oh, just you wait.” I nudge her shoulder. “I’ll make sure you get the chance to witness my skills in romance before we implode.”
“I can’t wait to observe. Maybe provide some valuable feedback.”
“Feedback is my main objective. I expect to receive letter grades on my performance,” I instruct.
“Done.” She looks up at me with a grin. “I’ll make a spreadsheet and everything. I’m quite proficient in Excel.”
“Well, Excel proficiency is my favorite quality in a woman, so we’re off to a good start.”
The gravel path turns to sidewalk and we round a corner to the front of her building. The doorman is standing just outside waiting for returning residents, but just before he turns to us, I take Rose’s hand and pull her back around the corner and out of his view.
When she looks up at me, she’s grinning. She knows what I’m doing, and that’s all the confirmation I need. I lift my other hand to her cheek and lean down to touch my lips to hers.
I still can’t believe how soft she is. I want to run my fingers across every inch of her buttery-smooth skin. She grasps my hand tighter and rises to her toes to kiss me deeper, and I grin against her mouth as I link my fingers with hers. This kiss is different from our first. It’s less urgent but more deliberate. I didn’t catch her by surprise this time. She’s here for this one just as much as I am.
When I pull away, she looks at me with half-glazed eyes and sinks back off her toes. Her cheeks are rosy from the cold as she licks her lips and grins. “I’d give that a B+.”
Incredulously, I gape at her, yet I can’t help but laugh. “Well, then I guess I have some work to do.”
She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and smirks. “You received perfect marks on the first one, so you’re averaging well.”
“Why do I feel like I’m suddenly back in high school?” I say. “Are there any extra credit opportunities?”
“Oh, plenty.” She winks.
I squeeze her hand, pull her into my side, and point us back toward the front of the building.
She leans into my arm as we walk toward the doors. “Thanks for tonight.”
I stop us just out of earshot from the doorman and look down at her. “Thank you for giving this a chance.”
She nods with a small smile.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow?” I ask.
She nods again. “Ok.”
“Night, Rose.” I lean in and kiss her cheek just before she turns with a blush toward the door.