Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
APRICOT
“A flower shop? Are you serious?” Kasey, my best friend in the whole world asks. I just finished telling her what I’d finally planned to do while we take the time to enjoy our coffees.
In the last two weeks since the party, I’d done a lot of thinking.
And I mean a lot.
I’ve done my research and know this is the right course for me.
I love flowers, so why not? I have a business degree and want to do something I love, so working with flowers is always a great way to spend my time.
Bonus with Fawn being an event planner, I’d easily have clientele coming in through her.
“Yep, I’ve got it all lined up and found the perfect location.” I grin, lifting the mug to my lips and my gaze drifts. My grin grows at the sight of Sutherland and the guy standing with him.
“I don’t know if you’re being nuts about this,” Kasey mutters, but I ignore her and wave to Sutherland.
He’s one of Viking’s friends. He’s close with the other guys at the club as well but he’s tighter with my cousin and Ice.
“Apricot,” he greets, coming to stand by our table with a to-go cup in his hand. His grin moves from me to Kasey. “Kasey.”
“Roman.” Kasey rolls her eyes and looks at the guy standing beside Sutherland.
Considering Kasey and Sutherland are cousins, I get her eye roll.
She’s always thinking he or one of her two brothers is checking up on her and butting their noses in her business.
“This your new partner?” she asks, and my eyes go to the guy.
Talk about hottie. I don’t think anyone else could be as hot as him. Well, I take that back . . . Grimm would be number one, but he’s not here, so he doesn’t count. Not really.
I shove all thoughts of Grimm to the back of my mind and smile.
I don’t need to think of him. Thinking of him always makes me confused about my feelings for him.
It also doesn’t help that I’d heard he’d left town to go up and check in on things with Rampage at the Indiana charter right after the party.
But regardless I’ve kept my distance still from the clubhouse not knowing when he’s coming back.
In order to get over him and what I wish we could have, I can’t see him.
Not when he holds my heart still and I need to break that grasp.
“Yeah, this is Tripp Sanchez. You probably don’t remember him,” Sutherland says, introducing us to his partner. “Tripp, you know Konner and Kamden’s little sister, Kasey, my cousin, and this is Viking’s cousin, Apricot.”
“Yeah, I remember the little sister Konner and Kamden used to always bitch about.” Tripp chuckles, and damn if it isn’t a great sound. His eyes come to mine, and he reaches out to take my hand. “Nice to meet you. Knew your cousin back in school before I moved away for college.”
“Nice to meet you as well.” I smile and pull away, indicating the extra chairs at our table. “Would you two like to join us?”
“No, they wouldn’t,” Kasey snaps.
“Love too,” Sutherland says at the same time.
“We were having a conversation here.” Kasey huffs, leaning back in her chair.
“It’s done, Kasey. I’ve already started the process,” I say, putting an end to the conversation. There’s no way she’s gonna talk me out of it.
“Started what process?” Sutherland asks as he and Tripp take a seat.
“I’m opening a flower shop in town,” I announce, sitting straight in my chair, smiling.
“A flower shop?” Tripp repeats Kasey’s earlier question, quirking a brow as he gives me a half grin.
“Yes, a flower shop. Is there something wrong with me wanting to open a shop filled with flowers?”
“Not at all.” Tripp’s lips tilt farther upward into a full-on grin. “Got to admire a woman wanting to get her hands dirty with running a business and working with plants.”
“Well . . . thank you.” I don’t know what else to say considering he surprised me with his answer.
Conversation easily flows after that and the four of us chat the rest of the time while we finish our coffees. By the end of it, Kasey and I are both laughing, and she’s lost the look in her eye that says she’s highly annoyed with her cousin. I also know that she’ll leave me alone about the shop.
My phone beeps getting my attention. I see a message from Fawn asking me to the house for dinner tonight. I answer and lift my gaze, feeling eyes on me. I smile at Tripp and then get a sexy grin back in return.
“We gotta get back to the station,” Sutherland announces, pushing up to his feet. He leans, presses a kiss to my cheek, and follows suit with Kasey. “You two don’t go causing any mayhem.”
“Who me?” Kasey gives him a look of shock. “Never.”
“Don’t be a smart ass.” Sutherland chuckles.
I giggle and stand. “I’ve got to get going myself.”
Nodding, Kasey also comes to her feet, and the four of us make our way out of the coffee shop. Tripp stops me by my car, his hand resting on my upper arm.
“How about I take you to dinner?” he asks, shocking me further.
“Um, I can’t tonight,” I answer, biting my lower lip.
“What about tomorrow night?” he suggests.
“Tomorrow night, um . . .” God, what is up with me mumbling? Tripp asked me out on a date, and I can’t seem to answer him. This is all Grimm’s fault. At the notion, I nod. “I’d love that.” I smile, hoping he doesn’t see the inner turmoil racing through me.
“Great. Let me get your number, and I’ll text you. You can send me your address, and I’ll pick you up at six. How’s that sound?”
“Perfect.”
The two of us exchange numbers and Tripp gives me another one of his grins before reaching up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
“I’ll see you tomorrow evening,” he says before pivoting on his heel and walking away. I stand there in the open door to my car and watch him as he does so.
If there’s one thing I’m sure of about Tripp, it’s that the way he walks in them jeans is one hell of a sight.
I mean he gives Grimm a good run for his money, and I’ve watched that man walk around for years now.
The difference between the two, though, is that it seems Tripp’s actually interested in me where Grimm isn’t, and it’s time for me to move on.
I just hope it’s as easy as just thinking it to make it happen.
Sitting at the dinner table next to Fawn, I toy with the food on my plate.
After leaving the coffee shop, I went to the building I was going to be leasing and got more of an idea of where to begin.
Figuring out what I needed to do once everything was ready to roll.
By the end of the week, I should be all set and papers will be signed with the i’s dotted and the t’s crossed.
When I finally made it home, I noticed a text from Tripp saying he enjoyed meeting me today and was looking forward to getting to know me. This commenced us texting back and forth until it was time for me to leave for Viking and Fawn’s house.
“Apricot, you okay?” my mom asks, getting my attention.
I nod, giving her a smile. Upon arriving five minutes late, I realized it wasn’t just me over for dinner.
But my parents, Ice and Peyton, Hydra, Rock, and Sabotage were all here.
“I’m fine.” It’s a total lie and I’m not about to sit here and talk about it with anyone right now.
Because the more I think about it the more I find myself confused.
I’ve always been in love with Grimm. From the first time I realized what I was feeling until this very day.
I can’t help it. But I get the feeling if I would just open myself up, I could really like Tripp too.
Throughout our texting earlier I kept comparing the two and wondering if Grimm would ever be so easygoing with me.
I swear I’m a glutton for punishment.
My mom eyes me closely, her brows creasing in the middle in a way I know she’s got something on her mind.
Mom and I are close, and we don’t keep secrets from each other.
Well, not many. She tells me things she can, and I tell her what’s been going on with me for practically my whole life.
Except for how I feel for Grimm, but she’s not a stupid woman.
No one can say that Sabrina is anything of the sort.
She’s the most intellectual woman I know.
“Why don’t I believe you?” she finally asks.
“I don’t know, but there’s nothing to worry about. Honestly.” I fork up a bit of the vegetables and lift them to my mouth, hoping my mom will drop the subject.
“Now, we all know that isn’t true,” my dad speaks up, entering the conversation as everyone looks at me.
“Truth. Haven’t had you around the clubhouse in weeks now, and that ain’t you.” Viking grunts leaning back in his chair, arm stretched forward in front of him, the palm of his hand flat to the table. “What’s going on with you?”
“Okay, someone want to fill me in on the whole third degree tonight?” I snap, straightening in my seat and narrowing my gaze on each of them.
“You took off in the middle of your own party,” Dad starts, but Mom stops him with a hand on her forearm.
“Apricot, we just want to make sure where your head’s at. Find out where you are and what it is you want to do. You’ve been somewhat distant with us all in the past couple of weeks, and it worries us.”
“I’m perfectly fine. I’ve just been busy. I just haven’t wanted to talk about it much until I had everything in order.”
“Everything in order?” Hydra interrupts me by asking.
“Yeah, I’m opening a flower shop in town,” I inform them.
“You’re what?” This comes from Rock.
“That’s awesome,” Fawn says at the same time.
“Everything goes great, I’ll have the keys, and all will be set to start preparing for business at the end of the week,” I say, glancing around the table. “Oh, and I have a date tomorrow evening.” I threw that last part in there for the women at the table.
“Who the fuck with?”
“Come again?”
“Who?”
“Excuse me?”
Question after question is hurled at me, all of them sounding pissed and put out at the idea of me dating. I don’t know why though, and I hate that they’d seem this way. I figured they’d all be happy for me.
“That’s great, do we know who?” Fawn asks as Peyton and Mom smile.
“Um, well, he’s . . . well, he’s Sutherland’s partner, Tripp Sanchez.”
“Hold the hell on. You’re going on a date with Tripp?” Viking demands, seeming shocked by this.
“Yeah.” I nod.
“How the hell did you meet Tripp?”
Sighing, I quickly tell them about having coffee with Kasey and that we ran into Tripp and Sutherland and we ended up talking for a bit. “I liked talking to him, so I agreed when he asked me.”
“What about Gr—” A loud thud from under the table follows Viking grunting, and I can only assume Fawn kicked him.
Sighing, I ignore the would-be question and go about eating.
I don’t want to think about what he was going to ask me.
And honestly, it’s none of their business.
It’s time to move on and that’s what I’m doing.
No matter how much I wish it were with Grimm.
He’s made it pretty clear where he stands about me, and I’m not going to be subjugated to him.