4. Hannah
4
HANNAH
“ I ’m the brother of the groom,” he said, as if his relation to the man sitting with Elizabeth wasn’t apparent. My eyes darted to Elizabeth, wondering if she was judging this interaction, if she would disapprove. Would this be one more reason I couldn’t be trusted to go with when Whittaker Floral set up weddings?
Declan was still staring at me as if I was supposed to make conversation. Was I supposed to make conversation with this man? What would Matty do? “Yes, you look alike,” I responded simply, trimming the stem of the peony in my hand before slipping it back into a bucket.
Declan didn’t reply, but instead picked up the discarded peony, twirling it between his fingers and lifting it to his nose for a sniff. I knew this variety would smell citrusy, but I let him find out for himself, because it’s always better to smell something fragrant than to be told about it.
Elizabeth glanced up, making eye contact, waiting for the peony. My eyes darted back to Declan, willing him to put down the bloom, but he seemed lost in thought, his nose still pressed to the flower. I pinched my lips together in frustration. He was a client . I couldn’t be rude, but I didn’t know what to do .
The sinking feeling began in my throat and traveled down like lead. Of course I didn’t know what to do. That was why Matty and Elizabeth couldn’t trust me, couldn’t promote me, couldn’t count on me to do anything but cut and arrange flowers all day.
I wasn’t a crier, and I wasn’t going to cry now, but the disappointment of this revelation lay heavy on me, even as Declan looked up with a start. “Oh, I’m sorry, you must want this.” He held out the peony and I plucked it from his fingers, walking past him to hand Elizabeth the flower.
He was still leaning casually against the counter when I walked back, and he smiled as I drew close. It was a spectacular smile—the kind of dazzling thing you’d be compelled to watch two or three or four times before swiping if he were on TikTok—and for miraculous moment I forgot all the misery that had come with this afternoon—all the disappointment and dismay—and lost myself in the curve of lip and flash of teeth.
But I knew how men like him worked. Smiles like that on men like him were manufactured. They were the hit of dopamine even the strongest women had trouble resisting.“Sorry about that. Did I introduce myself? I’m Declan Andrews.”
Of course he’d introduced himself. Was this another test? It felt like that dream when you have a test you haven’t studied for and you’re running late and the whole class is staring when you arrive. Only I’d never taken any sort of class that could prepare me for the likes of Declan Andrews. I hadn’t even gone to public school until college.
“You did. Pleasure to meet you,” I said, hearing how awkward and stilted it sounded even as the words crossed my lips, but unable to make it better. I glanced at Elizabeth, hoping she hadn’t heard, but she seemed very absorbed with the clients.
He leaned in, smiling again, but this one felt more like a smug grin than a wide smile, and a blush heated my cheeks. “I don’t think you can say ‘ pleasure to meet you ’ until you actually introduce yourself,” he whispered.
The heat on my face intensified. Why was he standing here? I’d done countless appointments with Elizabeth and no one ever talked to me, save a friendly thanks on their way out. No one noticed me, and I liked it that way. It was like being a living, breathing invisibility cloak. So why was this inordinately handsome man trying to chat me up now?
“I’m Hannah Jackson,” I replied quietly, determined not to draw Elizabeth’s attention.
His casual grin widened into a smile once more, but it only made me warier, and I returned my gaze to trimming the flowers in front of me as if the task required my undivided attention, rather than being something I could do in my sleep.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hannah,” he said—a blatant lie, since no one in their right mind could possibly be enjoying this interaction.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Elizabeth look up as she said, “Ranunculus,” and I snatched up the stems, steering around Declan and to my boss.