27. Gavin
GAVIN
“I’m so sorry. I lost track of time at the design lab. Give me ten minutes?” Violet pleads when she opens the door for me the next night. Her hair is in a high ponytail and she’s wearing a baggy T-shirt that hides all but a sliver of the jean shorts underneath.
I’m picking her up and taking her out on a real date that requires no swimwear (though let’s be honest, swimwear makes any date better).
“You look great.”
“I’m a mess. Ten minutes top. I’ll be quick. Daisy and Jordan are in the kitchen.” With that, she races up the stairs.
Slowly, I walk through the living room toward the kitchen at the back of the house. My buddy and Daisy have their laptops open and an array of books and papers spread out on the table.
Jordan looks up as I enter. He has a pencil in his hand and slides it behind one ear. “Hey. What are you doing here?”
“He and Violet are going out on a date,” Daisy answers for me. She gives me a look that speaks volumes of her distrust.
“Oh yeah?” Jordan’s lips twist into a smirk. “Where are you taking her?”
“There’s an art and food festival downtown.”
“Niiice.” He bobs his head with approval, and then kicks the leg of a chair to push it out for me. “Might as well sit.”
“She said she’d be quick.” I take a seat anyway.
“They always say that.”
When I glance at Daisy, she’s staring at me with a questioning expression.
“What?” I ask with a small laugh. “Should I have picked something else for the date?”
“No, I’m sure she’ll love that.”
“But?”
“What are your intentions with Violet?”
“My intentions?” I squeak out.
“You heard me.”
Jordan starts to laugh, and then covers it with a cough and quickly looks at the table.
“I like her a lot.”
“And did you like her a lot the last time?”
I swallow. Damn. Is it hot in here? Daisy is shy, and usually when she talks, her voice is unassuming and quiet, but right now, she’s downright scary as she busts my balls.
“I never stopped liking her, but I understand what you’re getting at. The last thing I want is to screw this up again.”
“You really hurt her. I know she plays it off like nothing gets to her, but deep down, Vi is sensitive and idealistic. She deserves someone who won’t trample on her romantic heart.”
Words don’t feel like enough, since it’s my actions that have made me untrustworthy, so I nod.
“This is so cool. How did you know I love street festivals?” Vi beams at me when I park in a lot near the art and food fair lining the downtown street.
“Lucky guess.”
We start at one end and slowly work our way to the other. Vi stops at nearly every single booth. She chats with the artists and admires their creations. Even when I can tell the art isn’t for her, she finds something to appreciate in the finished product.
I appreciate the food. The smell of grease and sugar wafts around us, and I indulge by grabbing us pretzels and then corn dogs, tamales, and finally, a funnel cake.
I hold out the plate to offer her the final bite.
“No way. I’m so full.” She holds a hand to her stomach. The wind blows her hair around her face. Not trying to contain it, Violet tips her head back and looks up at the sky. “This was the best night.”
“It’s not over yet.”
We’ve gone up and down the street twice now, but I lead her to a small booth, where a man is drawing caricatures. I pay him, and he motions for us to sit in the chairs in front of his easel.
She pulls on the hem of her black dress—another one she made.
“How’d you get into fashion design?”
“Well…” She smiles as she begins to speak.
“There were a lot of small indicators as I was growing up, I guess. I liked clothes but hated if someone had the same outfit as me. That led to me customizing my own stuff. My mom used to get so mad. I’d draw designs on my jeans and cut my shirts.
Eventually, she got me a sewing machine and let me enroll in some local classes.
” She shrugs. “I love it. It’s fun, but also really hard and frustrating. ”
“I get that. There’s a certain satisfaction in doing difficult things.”
Excitement lights up her brown eyes. “Right? Every time I get to that point in a design, I wonder why I do it, and then I finish and it’s the best feeling.”
I bump her knee with mine. “You’re really good at it.”
She tries to wave the compliment off.
“I’m serious, Vi. You’re incredible. I don’t know a lot about fashion, and even less about what goes into it, but you’re really great at it, and it makes people happy. I could see it in your friends when they put on those dresses last night.”
“Thank you.”
The artist finishes and hands the paper to Violet.
“Let me see.” I lean closer, and she angles it to give me a better view.
Violet looks gorgeous, even like this, but I laugh when I see myself. Caricature me is looking over at her and there are actual hearts in my eyes.
“That seems scarily accurate,” I say as we stand. I thank the guy and we start for my SUV.
When we’re almost there, Vi stops in front of me. “Thank you. This was perfect.”
“You’re welcome.”
Her hair blows in her face again, and I brush it away and lean in to kiss her.
“Want to sleep over? Strictly sleep. I just don’t want this night to end.”
She nods as she says, “Me neither.”