Chapter 16 #2
Huge trees were planted at the edges of the space.
Thick vines snaked between them and ran up trestles along the ceiling.
Flowers in every color of the rainbow caught my eye.
A rolling trickle reached my ear, and I looked to my left to see a small stream meandering next to us, ending at a pond covered in lily pads with koi swimming underneath them.
Wooden benches were stationed at the edges of the winding paths, allowing visitors a place to sit and take in the beauty of the space.
Give me a book and some tea and I could waste my entire day here.
“Sabine, this is breathtaking,” I gasped.
“Thank you. The conservatory was in danger of closing about eight years ago, which is when my family purchased it under our conservancy’s umbrella.
It was one of my first pet projects and may still be my favorite.
We have never charged an entrance fee, although visitors are always welcome to make donations, and we do rent the space for weddings and events from time to time.
Living in a place where it snows seven out of twelve months can wear on you, so being able to come here and feel like you’re on a tropical island really helps your mood and mental health.
It has always been important to us that anyone who wishes to be able to experience that. ”
“Absolutely. My mood has greatly improved since I walked in.” I laughed.
A tall, handsome man came through the door, approaching our group.
He was dressed in white pleated slacks and matching oversized blazer with the collar popped over a shirt patterned with large red and pink hearts.
His hair was styled like Patrick Swayze’s in Road House, except he wore a golden olive-branch crown across his brow and had gold glitter sprinkled across his cheeks.
Faxon appeared, stepping up to stop the man when Sabine spoke. “This is our Eros. As the ‘host god’ of the festival and the Greek version of Cupid, he walks around and hands out love to the guests.”
Eros stepped forward and bowed. “Your Majesty, we are honored to have you here today.” He rose and handed Oliver and myself small, red-painted wooden heart tokens.
“Thank you, Eros. It is our pleasure to be here.” Oliver glanced at the token in his palm.
“The hearts serve as tickets for several of our attractions, including the kissing booth back by the waterfall,” Sabine interjected.
“What great fun, Sabine!” I smiled as I tucked my token into the pocket of my wide-leg black slacks.
Sabine smiled, more warmly than I had seen yet.
“Thank you. Through my work revitalizing the conservatory, I became quite familiar with the Eros Festival. I thought it was cute, though I noticed it needed a bit of new life breathed into it. That’s when I convinced my parents that sponsoring the event would be beneficial for reviving the town’s economy and bringing eyes to our conservation work here.
It’s been more fun than even I had anticipated having a hand in the festival planning.
It’s campy, but somehow it works. I love it. ”
I never would have guessed when I met Sabine last fall that she had such a fun-loving side to her. She had always been kind but reserved, with laser-sharp focus. It was nice to hear her talking about her passions and to see how she used that focus for the greater good.
I turned to Oliver. “I suppose it’s time to go shake hands and kiss babies?”
Oliver laughed. “Something like that. Sabine, what you’ve done here is something truly special. Thank you for allowing us to play a part in it.” He took her hand and gave her another kiss on the cheek.
Skylar spoke up from behind us. “Sir, we have a few more minutes before the doors are set to open. This would be the perfect time for a photo op by the waterfall and kissing booth?”
My stomach sank. Oliver had promised me no extraneous kissing. Was this absolutely necessary?
“Great idea, Skylar,” Oliver agreed and took my hand in his.
“You had them set me up for this, didn’t you?” I chastised under my breath.
“I would never.” Oliver looked shocked. “You said you didn’t want any unnecessary kissing and I respect that. We can just go over there and look. We don’t have to kiss at the booth unless you want to.”
“Well, I don’t,” I huffed. I told myself it was the truth.
In the last room of the conservatory, we found a giant waterfall flowing down into a small pool.
The sound of the water was relaxing, and if I closed my eyes, I could picture myself on a tropical island far away from all of this.
Maybe with Dash on the same beach where we had once vacationed a few years back, plenty of pina coladas at our fingertips.
In lieu of a traditional kissing booth where visitors would pay to kiss strangers, we found something that much more resembled a photo booth, allowing couples to get photos of themselves kissing under the waterfall. It was cute.
Vanessa rolled up beside us. “Would you two like to kiss under the waterfall? I can request that the booth attendant use my phone instead of their tablet for the photo. I’m sure Cordell would love to share it on social media.”
“Um…” I fumbled.
Oliver jumped in, saving me from answering. “Actually, I think that we’re going to go outside and grab something to eat. Adelaide was just telling me how hungry she is.”
“Okay. Skylar and I are going to go on ahead to the concert venue to make sure things are ready for this evening. Faxon, of course, will be with you, but do let Skylar or me know if you need anything.”
As Oliver led me outside, the crisp winter air hit me, and a shiver ran down my spine.
Food stalls and a merchant market sprawled across the grounds beside the conservatory and into the cobblestone walkways.
Instrumental music played on speakers throughout the area, and I was delighted to spot heaters lining the walkways.
“Thank you for that,” I murmured to Oliver.
“For what?”
“Don’t be coy. You know what.”
Oliver blew out a breath through his nose. “I meant what I said, Adelaide. I’m not going to force you to do anything. I want you to be here with me enthusiastically. You’re doing me a favor and your boundaries deserve to be respected.”
God, he was so sexy when he respected my requests and stood up for me. It was impossible to dislike him when he was so considerate.
We walked in companionable silence for a moment before Oliver asked, “What sounds good to eat?”
“Hmm.” I thought and looked around. Many of the stalls already had long lines, and while I knew no one would bat an eye if we skipped the queue, it felt wrong. I suspected Oliver would agree.
I spotted a stall without anyone waiting and inclined my head toward it. “That one.”
I had agreed to this farce with Oliver as a way to use what little influence I had for good. Today, I decided that would mean shining a light on a small business.
We approached the wooden counter under a sign that read “Hamish and Family Crepes.” The clerk—a short, gray-haired man—looked at us, surprise washing over his face as he realized who we were.
“Your Majesty!” He bowed deeply.
“Hello.” Oliver nodded and looked over the menu. “My fiancée and I are hungry; do you have any recommendations for us?”
The man’s eyes were still wide. “Uh, well, it depends on if you like sweet or savory,” he nervously answered.
“Savory,” Oliver and I both answered in unison. We glanced at each other in surprise and quickly looked away, giggles threatening to bubble out of us.
“Okay,” the man said as he thought about what to suggest. “Well, the ham and swiss crepe does well. But truthfully, people really sleep on the spinach and mushroom. It’s my daughter’s favorite.”
He inclined his head toward where a teenage girl sat with her back against the side of the small stall, looking down at her phone.
The man, who I assumed must be Hamish, cleared his throat, and the girl looked up at him and then over to us.
Her big doe eyes lit up at the sight of Oliver and me.
I gave her a small wave, and her lips formed a shocked O.
“The spinach and mushroom sounds delicious. I would like one of those, please,” I ordered.
“Make it two, please.” Oliver smiled at the older man.
“It’s my pleasure, Your Majesty.” The man turned around and quickly got to work making the crepes.
“Are you staying warm out here today?” I asked the teen girl. She scrambled up and approached us, bobbing a curtsy.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Oh, I’m not a royal,” I laughed. “Please, call me Adelaide.”
The girl blushed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.” She looked down, anxiety radiating from her.
“Absolutely none taken,” I said kindly. “What is your name?”
“Marella.”
“Nice to meet you, Marella. This is…” I stopped, unsure exactly how I was supposed to introduce Oliver.
“I’m Oliver,” he cut in. “It’s nice to meet you, Marella.”
She curtsied again to him. “Your Majesty.”
“Your father is Hamish, right?” I asked. Marella nodded. “Do you expect to be busy during the festival?”
“We were hoping to be, but now that we’re next to the new chocolatier…well.” She stopped abruptly.
Oliver and I turned to observe the next stall. There was a long line snaking through the path, leading up to a sign that read “It’s Raine-ing Chocolate: A Raines Corporation Company.”
A sour taste filled my mouth. It was bad enough that Renata had spent our childhood being a bully, I was not interested in her father’s shady investments taking customers from a small family business.
When Hamish handed us our freshly made crepes, I took my phone from the pocket of my green pea coat. “Would you two like to take a picture with Oliver and me?”
Marella’s mouth fell open, and I’m pretty sure I heard a squeak come from Hamish.
“Yes. I…we would love that,” Marella stammered.
I approached a passerby and asked them if they could take a picture of us. I would immediately send it to Vanessa and Skylar and ask them to post it, along with the details of the small business. Hopefully it would send some foot traffic their way.
“Thank you so much for this. It’s amazing,” I said through the first bit of my crepe.
“No, thank you both,” Hamish said, tears brimming his eyes.
“The next time we’re here, we’ll stop by.” I waved to Marella. “Have a wonderful day!”