Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
A TUESDAY IN MAY
“Ihave a delivery for Marlowe Reyes.”
My head shoots up, falling on a delivery man standing near the main door to our office. He’s carrying a gigantic bouquet in an equally large blue vase as he glances around at the few staff that came into the office for the day.
“That’s me,” I say as I stand, smoothing down my skirt as he approaches. He gives me a smile and sets the vase down on my desk as I stare at the yellow roses.
“If I can just have you sign for me,” he states as he extends the tiny screen in my direction. I scribble my signature on the line and thank him before he turns and exits the office.
My eyes land on the card sticking out of the top of the flowers and I reach for it as I feel multiple sets of eyes on me.
I know you have your event coming up and I wanted to make you smile—since flowers bring you joy—and what better way than flowers in your favorite color?
I can’t wait to see you in a couple of days.—Levi
I beam at the card before placing it on my desk. Reaching into my purse, I pull out my phone and open the camera app to snap a picture before I send it to Levi.
Me
It looks like I have a not so secret admirer.
Levi
It’s a good thing it’s me, otherwise I’d be quite jealous.
Me
We wouldn’t want that.
Thank you, they’re beautiful.
Levi
Not as beautiful as you.
I’m smiling at the screen when I hear someone clear their throat beside me. I quickly drop my phone and turn to see Kirstin grinning at me knowingly.
“He sent you flowers,” she gushes, plucking the card off my desk. “This is so goddamn cute.”
“I know,” I reply, rubbing my lips together as I sit down in my chair.
Kirstin sets the card down as she asks, “So things are going well?”
“We only spent a few hours together,” I inform her, leaning back and crossing my legs at the ankles as I look up at her. “He’s been away on a business trip, but he comes back in a couple of days.”
“Clearly you’ve been talking since, though, if these flowers are any indication.”
I glance at the roses. “We have been, yes. And he’s very sweet, but there are still some things I need to wrap my head around.”
Before she can ask me about it, my phone lights up on my desk and I see that it’s Nico from Stanley’s.
“Hey, what’s up?” I ask as I answer and watch Kirstin lean against my desk.
“The people who booked out the rooftop for tomorrow night backed out,” he tells me. “If you want to set up early, you’re more than welcome to. I already called the DJ, and he said he’d be here today to set out his stuff.”
“Amazing, thanks, Nico,” I say before hanging up the phone. I stand up and reach for my purse, tossing my phone inside before hiking it up on my shoulder and looking at Kirstin. “I’m going to set up early for this weekend. If you need me, just holler.”
She nods and stands to head back into her office as I head toward the door to catch the elevator.
I walk into Stanley’s and am surprised to see it as busy as it is for three o’clock on a Tuesday. The hostess greets me and lets me know Nico has opened the doors upstairs for me and unlocked the storage closet where he let me dump all the boxes I had brought over the weekend.
Heading up the wooden steps, I push open the glass doors at the top and step onto the rooftop. There’s a bar tucked off in the corner to my right with lightly worn leather barstools around it.
Round tables fill the space, a mix of high-tops and low-tops with four chairs or stools at each.
Along the left wall, there are six sets of booths with wooden benches with nice grey cushions covering them.
And as I look up, I smile at my favorite part of this rooftop: the pergola made of wooden beams with hundreds of lights hanging from them, which really makes this place come alive at night.
Tossing my purse down on one of the round tables, I turn the corner and open the small storage closet and pull out my boxes when I hear the glass doors open. As I stand, my eyes widen in surprise as I see who is standing there.
“Cole?” I smile as he walks over, the same look of surprise covering his features. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I’m here to set up for your event on Friday.”
A breathy scoff leaves my lips as I raise a brow. “You DJ on the side?”
“Needed something fun to do to make a little extra cash when I was in school, and I just didn’t want to give it up.”
Cole puts a hand on my lower back and slides behind me, reaching into the closet to grab more bins without my asking. I grab the two I had pulled out already and walk over to one of the booths and set them down as I pop open the lids.
Glancing over my shoulder, I see Cole heading my way with one of the heavier bins, and I don’t miss the slight limp that he has.
“What happened?” I ask once he approaches and sets down the large container.
“Oh,” he says with a shrug and a dismissive wave of his hand. “You know, nothing serious. Was just a klutz with too much to drink.”
My brows furrow at that. “I thought you didn’t drink anymore?”
Cole’s face pales slightly before he’s covering it up with a smile, so fast I almost think I imagined it. “I was out with my buddies and just got carried away. It’s not a normal thing, don’t worry. I haven’t fallen off the wagon.”
My lips form a tight line, worry no doubt etching my face, but I nod all the same as I pull the centerpieces out of the bin in front of me.
“I’m sorry I missed the funeral, by the way,” he breathes, and my hands freeze. “I had an appointment that day I couldn’t get out of.”
“It’s okay,” I tell him softly, going back to the task at hand. Thinking back on some conversations I have had with JJ lately, I take a risk and ask, “How have things been with you and JJ?”
It’s Cole’s turn to stiffen before he spins on his heel and walks back toward the closet, grabbing another bin. Stopping by the glass doors, he grabs one of the large suitcases he must have brought up with him and rolls it over.
“We’re good,” he replies, avoiding eye contact. “Things were a little rocky a month ago, but I think we’re good now.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” I ponder, pretending to be lost in stuffing the glass centerpieces with the twinkle lights before adding fake flowers.
Cole hums softly to himself as if he’s mulling it over, but he surprises me by saying, “I may have gone ghost on her for a week as I dealt with a personal thing and, as you can imagine, that didn’t go over very well.”
“I bet not,” I say as I stop prepping the centerpieces and finally look at him. “You’re with someone for half a year and they just vanish without a word for a week? I’d be upset, too.”
“I love the girl, but there’s just some things I’m not ready to tell her yet.” Cole falls into the booth, resting his elbows on the table and letting his head fall into his hands.
I study him for a moment, noticing the tension riddling his shoulders before I say, “You know, keeping things to yourself will only put more strain and stress on you. JJ is an amazing woman, one who you should let in. You never know, she might just surprise you.”
“It’s not like I don’t trust her,” he tells me, letting his hands fall to the table. “There’s just certain things I don’t think she needs to carry or worry about.”
“I guess the biggest question is, do you see a future with her?” I rest one hand on the table and lean against it, my eyes never leaving his. “Because if you do, then you need to be open and honest with her.”
Cole’s brows furrow for a moment as he glances down at his intertwined hands, clearly deep in thought. “If Travis would’ve kept something from you, something that he feared would make you look at him differently, and it would, would you have wanted him to tell you?”
I sigh as I drop to my knees beside him and rest a hand on his leg. He looks down at me, his lips in a thin line, and I can see the battle waging inside of him.
“I rather hear it from his mouth than someone else’s. Finding out from someone else will always be worse than never knowing at all.”
Cole releases a loud sigh and nods, bringing one of his hands to squeeze mine gently. I push myself back up so I’m standing and return to prepping the centerpieces. He slides out of the booth and drags his suitcase over to the corner where, I presume, he’ll be setting up for Friday night.
“Thanks for thinking of me for your event,” Cole suddenly says, causing me to glance at him over my shoulder. “I know live music is more popular right now, so I appreciate it.”
“Well, for the record,” I say as a smile tugs on my lips. “I didn’t know it was you or I would’ve booked someone else.”
“Oh, ha ha,” Cole mocks, a chuckle leaving him.
“Besides,” I tell him, grabbing some centerpieces and beginning to walk around the tables. “Hiring a DJ instead of a live band got more votes in our questionnaire from those who are attending. I wasn’t about to go against their wishes.”
Cole hums to himself and I can’t help it as I laugh softly. Walking up to the tall table he’s setting his equipment up at, I fold my arms on the edge and watch as he kneels on the ground to plug in some chords.
“A little birdie told me you found yourself a match,” Cole announces, his voice echoing in the small space under the wooden table.
“Well, Kirstin found me one,” I correct. “It’d be unprofessional of me to find one for myself.”
Cole swears lightly, presumably hurting himself somehow, before he says, “Tell me how that came to be.”
“He came in and met with Kirstin and she just knew that we’d be a match, I guess. She threw us together in my system to prove it and I figured why not finally give myself the chance to experience something great? You know, after a lot of convincing from her and Blue.”