Chapter 29
Monday was rough. My proposal was rejected by the other two organizations to which I had applied, and I was beyond crushed. Again, none of them gave me any indication as to why. I wanted to puke.
I was supposed to see Blake yesterday, but I wouldn’t have been good company, and Haley came back early because she had another fallout with Adam. So, by the time I comforted her, I had forgotten about my own issues, and it seemed like a better idea to talk to Blake when I had a fresh mind.
But since I was upset about canceling, I had flowers sent to her office—lilies—her favorite. I hoped it would make up for my absence. I also wanted to do something special for her tonight, so on the card, I invited her to my place for dinner.
The flowers should have been delivered by now, but I hadn’t heard from her. Maybe she was waiting for me to call or text first? Before deciding what to do, I heard the bells above the door up front ring.
“Excuse me. Hi, I don’t know you, but you’re fabulous, and I was wondering if you could help me.”
Someone was talking, and they sounded familiar, but I wasn’t sure who it was. I figured I’d hang out in the back and let Haley get rid of them.
“Aww, thank you!” she gushed, and after this weekend, that compliment probably meant even more. “How can I be of service?”
“So, I’m looking for someone. Her name is Leia, and I have something vital to deliver to her.”
“Oh my God. Is she being sued? Are you trying to serve her?” Haley and her extremes.
“Honey, no. I’m a friend of Blake’s, and I’m on a mission. Is she here?”
“Yeah, she’s in the?—”
I finally joined them up front when I recognized the voice. “Ty, what’s going on? Is she?—”
“Thank baby Jesus. I was afraid you wouldn’t be here, and I’d have to put on my private dick hat to track you down.”
“Why did she send you? Is she hurt? Or upset?” Now, it was my turn to imagine the worst.
“Is there something in the air here? Why are you two wound so tight? Take this.” He handed me an envelope that had my name on it with a heart dotting the i.
“What is this? Did she get my?—.”
He clapped his hands together like he was brushing them off. “Look, my job is done. I assume you can figure it out when you open it. Ciao, ladies.” He blew us a kiss and gave Haley a tiger growl, which she blushed and giggled at, and then he left.
“Who’s Ty? He seems fun.”
“He’s Blake’s best friend, and he definitely grows on you.” Even though I had only met him once before, from the way Blake talked about him, he was someone we could trust.
“What are you waiting for? Open it up. Let’s see what he brought you.” Haley squealed like a kid on Christmas day, and I was glad to see her in better spirits after yesterday.
It was hard seeing her upset about Adam yet again. She had told me they made up this morning, but I worried he would keep disappointing her. However, that wasn’t my choice to make, so I kept my mouth shut and continued to be a supportive friend.
Since she seemed to include herself in this, I didn’t want to tell her no. So I opened the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. In typed letters, it said:
GO TO THE STORE WHERE YOU GET YOUR TEA,
RIGHT OUTSIDE IS WHERE YOU FIRST MET ME.
“Oh my God! Oh my God!” Haley squealed in a voice that dogs could probably hear.
“What are we ‘Oh my Godding’?” I could tell it was a riddle, but I didn’t understand what it was for.
“Do you seriously not know? It’s a scavenger hunt. She’s sending you to places that meant something in the relationship, only to end with you finding the prize.”
That sounded sweet. I wondered if it was in response to my flowers. “What’s the prize?”
“That’s what we’ll figure out once we go to Tea-Riffic?” Again, it seemed she was already along for the ride with or without my permission.
Her expression was so full of hope and excitement that I didn’t want to bring her down.
“All right. Turn the sign to ‘closed,’ and let’s go.” I set the alarm and locked the door. I wasn’t sure where this would take me or how long I’d be, but I guess I’d find out.
Haley and I set out to Tea-Riffic. When we arrived, a lady was helping a customer, so we waited in line. When it was our turn, Haley jumped right in.
“Excuse me. This might sound weird, but do you have something with the name ‘Leia’ on it?” As if this was her game to play, she beamed at the worker and batted her eyelashes.
The woman behind the counter brightened and smiled broadly as she pulled out the envelope and handed it to Haley. I yanked it out of her hand so quickly that the lady frowned and gave me a disapproving look.
“I’m actually Leia. Thank you for your help.” Not that I needed to explain myself to a total stranger.
I tugged Haley out of the shop to read my next clue. We stopped on the sidewalk, away from everyone, and I pulled out the note:
RIGHT AFTER I TRIED TO KISS OFF YOUR FACE
WE WENT TO TALK AT THIS PLACEE
“I remember that. She went all-in on you.” Haley chuckled, and I allowed myself to get lost in that moment for a second.
“Yes. How on earth could I forget that kiss? And after we’d gone to Double Shift.” As we walk-jogged to the bar, I had to admit, I was getting excited. What was Blake up to? I was dying to find out.
Before we entered, I grabbed Haley. “May I do the talking?”
“Sure thing, boss. I can’t help that I’m eager!” She shrieked.
“I know, hon. But I’d kinda like to take the lead on this, if you don’t mind.”
“You got it! I’m your trusty sidekick.”
I approached Iris, the barkeep, who waved an envelope in her hand. Oh, the joys of being a regular.
“Leia, it’s been a while. I’m guessing you aren’t here for a drink?” She smirked at me, then eyed Haley before handing me the letter.
“Not today, I’m afraid. But I’ll be back—soon. You can count on it.”
“You better. Things haven’t been the same without you and Shannon around.” She turned her appraising gaze toward Haley. “You should come, too. I’m pretty sure we haven’t met.”
“Oh, I don’t normally come here. I’m helping Leia out,” Haley responded, but not in her normal bubbly self. She seemed more reserved—maybe uncomfortable since it was a queer bar.
I wasn’t sure why, but I didn’t have time to dissect it right now.
“Well, you guys are always welcome,” Iris said to both of us but kept her focus directly on Haley.
I eyed them both, then grabbed the envelope. “Thanks, Iris. We’ll come back soon. The whole gang.”
I then removed the next clue:
WHERE WE GO FOR brEAKFAST, AND IT DOESN’T SUCK
GET YOUR LAST RHYME FROM THAT FOOD TRUCK.
This was an easy one. “Anytime we get together in the mornings, we always hit Rolling Guacamole.”
Haley appeared to want to say something but shook her head and walked on. I, for one, was happy. I wasn’t in the headspace for a deep conversation.
As we continued walking, Haley finally broke the silence. “Do you have any clue why she’d do something so romantic for you?”
Was she being romantic or just cute?
I shrugged. “I thought this was something fun. But you think it means something more?”
“Boss, please. You can’t be that daft when it comes to grand gestures. She’s making a statement. And whatever it is, I bet the ending is big.”
After I’d been MIA recently, I hoped she wasn’t leading me to slaughter.
“But it’s probably a good surprise, right?”
“I can’t imagine it being something bad. I mean, you didn’t do anything wrong, did you?” She elbowed me like she was kidding but looked at me as if expecting an answer.
“Umm… I don’t think I did anything wrong, exactly. I haven’t spoken to her much recently.”
“Because of me?” She sounded genuinely concerned, and I didn’t want her to think she was the problem.
“No. Not because of you. I was supposed to go to her place yesterday, but you’re my friend, and you needed me.”
“But you told her that, right? That you were with me?”
“I don’t think so. I said something came up, but I told her I loved her, and I would see her today. And I even sent flowers to her work with a sweet card.”
“What if she’s not at work today?” Her eyes widened, and I hadn’t thought of that. “Boss, when was the last time you talked to her?”
“We had lunch with Ty and David on Saturday, and I left a little after that, but I texted her Saturday night and yesterday.”
“Wait a minute. You haven’t seen or spoken to her, besides texts, in a day and a half?”
“Technically, no, but I’ve been in contact and let her know I was thinking about her.” I shook my head at how selfish I had been by not letting Blake in.
She was the best thing ever to happen to me, and I didn’t want her to see me so disheartened. My fear of her seeing me as a failure had kept me from leaning on her. Why was I afraid she would look at me differently? I was probably worried it would make it more real to me if I said something.
“Leia, this doesn’t sound like you at all. You love that woman so damn much. Why were you avoiding her?”
Why was Haley so observant?
“I’m not sure.” I hung my head.
“Look. You need to put your fears aside and focus on opening up to Blake. What you have with her is special. You are that couple who makes everyone else sick by how cute you are together. If she was worried, she probably wouldn’t go through all this to ask.”
God, I hoped she was right. There wasn’t anything I could do now but continue to the food truck and see what was in store.
When we arrived, we were the only people there.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but do you have an envelope with the name ‘Leia’ on it?” I asked the man behind the window.
“Sure do, sweetheart. You her?”
I chuckled because how else would I have known about it if I wasn’t her? But I kept that thought to myself.
“Yes, I am. May I have it?”
“Sure thing.” He winked at me before handing it over.
I immediately ripped it open and yanked out the paper:
GO TO THE PLACE WE LIKE TO WALK
THE ONE WHERE I TURN INTO BINDI IRWIN WHEN I TALK
(OUR BENCH)
“What does that mean?” Haley couldn’t stop laughing, and a huge smile crept across my face at the memory.
“We went to Central Park on Saturday, and I thought we would talk, but for some reason, she kept blurting out the kinds of trees and animals around. She was so cute doing it that I couldn’t help but join in.”
“All right. Let’s see what this surprise is. The anticipation is killing me!”
Haley took off, and I almost sprinted to catch up to her. She knew where the park was, but she had no idea where “our bench” was, so I wasn’t too concerned she’d find out before me, but I still didn’t want to risk it.
Once we got to the park, I took a left, and Haley followed close behind. We were almost out of breath, but it was worth it. When I came around the corner to our bench, I stopped dead in my tracks. I had to Heisman Haley to keep her back, and she ran right into my arm before she realized we were there.
The scene was heart-stopping, or more accurately, the opposite. My heart beat so incredibly fast that it could have stopped from overexertion.
Blake stood in front of the bench in the sexiest dress I’d ever seen. It was short and black, with a V that went to the middle of her stomach. Her hair was down and wild, the way I loved, and she beamed at me but then appeared shocked. I followed her eyes, and she was staring at Haley.
I realized this was a private moment, and it was time to say goodbye. “Hales, thank you so much for your help today, but I think I got it from here. Go home, and I’ll call you later.”
“What? I can’t see the surprise?”
I cocked my head, and she bowed out gracefully. She leaned in and hugged me. “You better call me ASAP. The anticipation is killing me!”
“Okay. Bye.”
Then I faced Blake again, and my heart was back in sprint mode. I walked toward her, trying to calm my nerves, but I never once took my gaze off her. I was totally, irrevocably hers, and I was going to tell her.