Chapter 7
Raffi
Ani was right; this nursery was something else. Like a secret garden tucked into a forgotten enclave of Napa. He hadn’t ever realized it was there, but once they entered, it expanded into a larger backyard, bursting with greenery.
He and Ani ambled through the various aisles. Beside him, Ani sized up the varieties, trailed her fingers over their fronds, even cupped a blue flower blossom between her fingers so it fit into her palm.
Then she stopped in front of a brilliantly green leafed plant, almost like a bush, with medium-sized delicate silvery-white flowers.
“This is a rare one. Moonlit Cascade. It blooms twice a year, right now and in early fall—just in time for the wedding. What do you think?”
Raffi took in the white blooms and joyful green leaves. “We’ll get that green and white.”
“Yes.” Ani smiled. “Can’t find a better bridal combination.”
Hearing his words spoken back to him, her voice kind instead of mocking, gave him a twinge of hope that their professional relationship wouldn’t be doomed, even after the conversation they’d just had. He gave her a friendly smile.
Then, wanting to be helpful because Ani had basically done everything today, he said, “I’ll check out.”
“Okay, great. And, um, Kami is going to pay you back?”
Ani’s posture had changed with her question. Stiff, like she was suddenly filled with anxiety.
He shrugged. “She said to send her and Grace the receipts or to let them know if we needed them to call in their credit card information.”
Ani seemed relieved. “Good, you know, that they gave you options.”
“Right,” he said, unsure of what that was all about.
The concern in her eyes piqued his curiosity, not for the first time.
This Ani, so full of secrets. He thought again about what type of person would unhappily plan the wedding of their ex—besides him, who had very legitimate reasons.
And anyway, as Kami had said, their relationship “barely counted.” Ani’s and Kami’s?
Even by Kami’s lax standards, he had a feeling theirs probably counted.
Raffi had trouble finding the checkout counter, then realized it was a small shabby podium with an older man standing in front of it, glasses down to the tip of his nose, scowling at some paperwork.
“We’d like to buy all of those types of flowers.” Raffi pointed toward the plants Ani was still standing by. “All that you have. Clean you out.” Raffi flashed his winning smile.
The man raised his eyes painfully slowly and looked up at Raffi.
“Clean me out, eh? ‘Those types’?”
His tone did not sound friendly in the least. In fact, Raffi would go so far as to call it unfriendly. Warning alarms blared in Raffi’s head, but he wasn’t sure what he had done to offend exactly.
“Do you know how rare that plant is? How finicky it can be to take care of?”
Raffi did not.
“Yes, sir. I’ve been warned about its prickly nature.”
The man looked Raffi up and down. “You’re lying.”
Raffi wasn’t sure how to respond. His heart rate jumped because the man was correct. Did Raffi stick to his lie, or did he confess? And how the hell had he gotten into this high-pressure situation where he had to convince the clerk that he was worthy of his wares?
Then he felt Ani’s thick, wavy hair brush his arm, and she surfaced from behind him to face the spiteful seller.
She spoke with a soft smile. “Mr. Burdock, we’d be honored if you could sell us as many Moonlit Cascades as you can spare.
I’m well versed in their maintenance and know about the seasonal watering changes, eggshell fertilizer that helps them bloom to their full potential, and their overwhelming sunlight needs.
And I’ll be overseeing their care. They would be the crowning jewel of our garden, if you’ll allow us. ”
Raffi’s brain was caught between Ani’s deft words and her mesmerizing lips. And how, exactly, she was softening the curmudgeon before them. The man’s eyes relaxed as Ani spoke, and although he didn’t smile, his frown had disappeared.
“All right then, miss, if you’ll be overseeing them. Take what you need.”
“Thank you,” she said, beaming. “We might need to take all you have today, if that’s okay?”
The man paused, and Raffi held his breath.
“It’s okay,” the clerk proclaimed.
Was it just that she was a gorgeous woman, charming this guy? He didn’t think so. If it was up to Raffi, they’d be leaving empty-handed, possibly after an unpleasant exchange of words.
Raffi simply stared in Ani’s wake as she strolled back toward the plants. Then she turned around and caught Raffi’s eyes, the slightest hint of pride in them.
“You coming?”
He didn’t move, taking in the way the light played in her hair, the curve of her smile, the whole shape of her.
The seller spoke up. “Better get going, bucko. Lady’s request.”
That shook him. Raffi nodded his head in the man’s direction and hurried to help Ani with the plants.
Together, they loaded plant after plant into the van, until every last bit of space was taken up, to the point where leaves were tickling their elbows when they sat up in front.
Now fully out of earshot of the picky purveyor of plants, Raffi shut the door and asked, “So how the hell did you do that? And what was his deal anyway?”
“Do what?” she asked innocently.
Raffi gestured toward the shop. “You were amazing in there. You came in like some deity who smoothed over the whole situation and told the guy exactly what he wanted to hear. How’d you even know all that?”
Ani blushed, which sent blood rushing through Raffi’s body. He wanted to see that blush again, traveling lower, painting more of her skin—if he could allow himself to dream. Which he wouldn’t.
Raffi started the van and kept his eyes straight ahead.
“He’s well-known for being sort of a jerk and overprotective of his plants. Doesn’t like to see any of them die after all the work he puts into them. Sorry, I should have told you. I just got distracted—”
She didn’t finish her thought.
“But how’d you know about those specific flowers?”
Ani shrugged. “I’m in the wedding business.
I know plenty about flower varieties, and these back here, we actually grew one in my parents’ backyard.
When my family and I went to the nursery, the blooms caught my eye, but the person at the gardening center warned me how tricky they are to take care of.
So I read up, tried those methods, and so far the plant has doubled in size, so I must be doing something right. ”
It seemed Ani knew everything. Who needed the internet when you had the world’s most brilliant woman by your side?
They were taking a back road through Napa County, with massive bare oaks like sculptures erupting out of the earth and lush green wild grass blanketing the hillsides.
It was beautiful out here. He was glad he’d moved to Napa.
Yes, he liked flashy things, but he’d soured on city life.
Give him a nice glass of wine on a quiet balcony overlooking the Silverado Trail instead of sitting in traffic on Van Ness behind the 30X bus belching its exhaust over his hopes, dreams, and freshly dry-cleaned blazer any day.
Then, Raffi’s throat began to itch. He needed, very badly, to give a loud and unbecoming hack to clear it, but he wouldn’t dare with Ani one foot away from him. He dealt with the discomfort.
“So, you know about rare flowers, sun and light, Photoshop, landscaping, how to deal with surly old men. What else?”
His voice sounded odd to him, strained, but he hoped it was one of those things that he noticed but she didn’t.
“Nothing else. Those are my only areas of knowledge,” Ani deadpanned.
“Uh-huh, don’t believe that for one second.”
Raffi smiled, but then it dropped immediately because his throat felt tight. Was he getting nervous? What was this? Oh God, was this what a crush felt like? It’d been years since he had a real, bona fide crush. Kami was probably the last—
Against his will, Raffi let out a choked cough.
Ani turned toward him, alarmed. “You okay?”
“Yep, fine,” he said. It’s just a crush. Oh God, his budding feelings for Ani were affecting his physiology. They didn’t teach this shit in med school.
Then his windpipe constricted dramatically, and when he tried to breathe he could hardly draw any air, and his face itched like it was covered in hives.
Oh no, this wasn’t feelings; he was having a full-blown allergy attack.
A serious one. What the hell—he didn’t know he was allergic to anything. And the culprit? The fucking flowers.
He wheezed and began to slow the van, readying to pull over.
“Allergy attack. Flowers.” His voice came out horribly, so weak and strained.
They were about twenty minutes from the nearest clinic where they’d have an EpiPen.
Way too far. If he pulled over and got out of the van, the allergy symptoms could subside, but he was really far gone, about to lose his ability to breathe, so leaving the flowers might not be enough.
They could call 911 and the fire department would be here in about ten minutes, considering how far out they were from civilization.
Hopefully he’d survive by then. Oh God, he was going to die on the side of the road.
He, a doctor, totally unable to help himself.
Death by flowers. God, his father would hate that. So unmanly.
He hadn’t even made the winery a success yet, hadn’t really accomplished anything in his life except half efforts. He saw that now, so clearly, how he had to—if he was granted another chance—do better.
Even with the fear of imminent demise hanging over him, Raffi managed to pull over to the side of the dirt road. He was about to get out and instruct Ani to call 911 when he saw what she was doing.
She’d unbuckled her seat belt and in her hand, like a warrior goddess, was the shining tube of an EpiPen. Her expression was completely focused on his thigh.
Then, because one of the many Moonlit Cascades towered between them, she stood, her back hunched, shimmied over, and then was straddling him—straddling him!
He literally could not breathe anymore and he could feel his face purpling, but holy shit, this miracle woman was on top of him, arm raised, and then with a hard whack, she stabbed him right in the upper thigh and let the epinephrine flow into his bloodstream.
Within seconds, the pressure in his throat loosened and he could breathe again, great gasping breaths.
And he couldn’t help himself; he put an arm around Ani and felt her warmth, her own breaths quick, up and down.
“Thank you, thank you,” he said quietly.
“Of course,” she replied, not taking her eyes off him.
It was then he allowed himself to feel her legs, and most especially, the heat between her legs pressing against his thigh.
He swallowed and knew that if his body wasn’t coursing with epinephrine, constricting his blood vessels, he’d be sporting a partial boner.
He had a mental one, despite his body’s suffering.
He was mute, his heart absolutely racing and mind jumping between physical agony and a surprising bliss. Also he was still coming to terms with the fact that he had nearly died and that this incredible woman had just saved his life.
“You okay now? Did it work?” Ani said while she climbed off him, his hand sliding along her back, and returned to her seat, careful to avoid crushing the flowers.
He felt her absence acutely. If he was being really honest with himself, he wanted her back on his lap, wanted to grab the back of her head and kiss her.
He didn’t realize until now how badly he had been suppressing his desire for Ani.
Before the flowers attacked him, he could have lived with being totally professional and shoving away all sexual thoughts of her.
But then she’d mounted him and saved his life, and now he didn’t know how to act around her.
He would try to keep it simple for now.
“It worked.” Raffi turned toward her. “You saved my goddamn life, Ani.”
She seemed a bit shy. Maybe she did feel something when she was straddling him. Something good, he hoped.
“I come prepared. Do we need to get out of this van?
“Good idea.”
Raffi tested his limbs before he hopped out, not wanting to crumple onto the road. He didn’t need any further humiliations.
Ani came around to his side, which Raffi found very touching. He leaned against the van and felt a refreshing breeze ground him.
“So, you carry an EpiPen?”
Who knew that after almost dying, the thing he’d cling to for safety would be small talk?
“Not for me,” she replied. “Part of the trade. After one wedding guest choked from a hazelnut allergy during the second wedding I planned, I decided to carry an EpiPen on me at all times.”
Once again, Ani proved to be so much more than a run-of-the-mill wedding planner. He’d really misjudged her skills, and he felt embarrassed by that, especially after what he’d said to her that first day.
He noticed, then, that her hands were shaking. “Was this your first time using it?” he asked.
She bit her bottom lip and nodded. Ani had been worried, maybe scared, but she’d done it anyway. That was real courage.
Then a tiny seed of a thought appeared in Raffi’s mind, growing larger and larger.
He had intimate feelings for Ani—that he had established—but more than that, he was entertaining, for the first time in more than a decade, that he wished he could properly date someone.
Not someone. Ani. Court her, listen to her hopes and dreams, get to know what really made her tick, introduce her to his friends.
Maybe even introduce her to his father, and not as the wedding planner.
The only thing was, he didn’t have a chance. She’d already completely shot him down, so it wasn’t like he could ask her out.
She was off limits. Just his luck.
He was at a loss as to how to proceed, but he figured, for now, he’d just talk to her.
He looked toward Ani and caught her eye. “I’m glad you did.”
“Me too,” she said quietly.
Raffi tucked away those two words in his heart so he could revisit them again and again.