23
Brandon
“Picnic or candlelit dinner?” I ask Pepper. It’s Saturday morning—just a couple of days until I go on my first date with Annie, and I still don’t know what we’re doing.
“Normally, I’d say picnic. Annie loves a good picnic. But I’m not sure you’re up for it.”
I’m feeling so much better. Instead of sleeping most of the day, I’m now down to a two-hour daily nap.
And considering my rapid recovery, I should be nearly all better by Monday.
Then again, I still need an inhaler every time I go upstairs.
Pep might be right. I might not be ready to go on a picnic just yet.
“You should think bigger. Couldn’t you rent out a bookstore or something?”
I consider this. I probably could manage that. But even though I want Annie to have the fairytale romance she’s always dreamed of, I also don’t want to put too much pressure on our first date.
“I know!” Pepper claps her hands. “You should have a candlelit dinner outside under Lady Whimple.”
“That’s not a terrible idea.”
My phone rings. It’s Annie FaceTiming me. I answer immediately.
“Hey! I was just thinking of you.”
“Good, you’re home.” She sounds stressed, and she looks a little disheveled, her hair in a truly messy bun. “I got a flat tire. I hope I didn’t ruin your car.”
“A flat? Where are you?”
“Somewhere between Santa Cruz and Los Gatos.” So only an hour away. I’ve never been more excited by a flat tire.
“I’m on my way.” I’m already putting my shoes on. “Could you send me your location?”
“I didn’t want to bother you. I just need to know where the spare is.”
“Have you changed a tire before?”
“No, Elinor usually does that. But I’m certain I can figure it out.”
“I’m certain you can too. But I’d feel so much better if you didn’t learn on the side of a windy mountain road.” I grab my keys and call for Pepper. “Annie, I want to do this.”
“Okay,” she agrees softly. “It would be nice to see you.”
“Don’t move, I’ll be right there.”
***
Eleven minutes later and I’m on the road.
I dropped Pepper off at my parents’ house.
They were more than happy to watch her for the day.
“All weekend if needed,” my mom said with a knowing smile.
I left in such haste that I put on the hole-y Dartmouth tee.
I realize this when I’m already on my way, and I feel a twinge of regret; I would like to have been presentable the first time I see Annie again.
These past two weeks, our relationship has shifted significantly.
So much so that I feel like I’m on my way to meet my girlfriend.
I open a tin of breath mints and pop three in my mouth as I drive.
My phone says it will take me forty minutes to reach Annie; I get there in thirty.
Annie’s fast asleep in the driver seat and the Bronco is loaded with boxes. On the passenger seat is a plastic clothing hamper full of shoes. What is going on? It looks for all the world like Annie’s moving.
I tap lightly on the window, and she startles awake. She rolls down her window and breaks into a radiant smile.
“Brandon! You’re here.”
“What is happening? Are you moving?”
“Um, yeah, I wanted to surprise you, but . . . surprise!” She makes jazz hands. “I got a job in Redwood City.”
“You’re moving to Redwood City?”
“Yeah, I hope that’s okay. I’ll be living in the bungalow in your parents’ backyard.”
“The only two houses down from mine?”
“Yeah . . . if that’s okay?” She bites her lip.
“Um . . . yes . . . it is extremely okay. I just never dreamed . . . Let me get this straight. You’re really moving to Redwood City?”
“I got a job at a florist shop downtown. I’m really excited about it. But also, I thought that maybe this . . .” She waves her hands between us. “Is worth pursuing.”
“So this is what it feels like,” I say as much to myself as to Annie.
“What what feels like?”
“Having the woman I love running toward me instead of away.”
“You’d better get used to it, because I’m not going anywhere.”
I open her car door. “I need you out of this vehicle now.”
She unbuckles and climbs out laughing.
“Woah! Bossy much!” she says as I guide her to a safer spot where the shoulder is wider.
“Sorry, I just really need to kiss you right now.” She stops laughing, and the playfulness between us changes into something more potent. She wipes her hands nervously on her jean shorts. The space between us is charged with expectation. Her green eyes pin mine. “I would love that.”
Her words resonate through my whole being.
I place my right hand on her hip and pull her in close, savoring the warmth of her body.
Our last kiss was so wild and desperate, I intend to take my time with this one.
I thread my fingers through her glorious red hair, then gently run my thumb over her cheek.
After all this waiting and wanting, it feels surreal to touch her soft skin.
Annie lets out a happy sigh, and I can’t wait any longer. So much for slow and deliberate.
I kiss her—urgently, insistently . . . greedy to make up for the two weeks we spent apart—two weeks that felt like an eternity of sweet torture, watching her pretty face through the glass screen of a phone.
But now her hands run up and down my back stoking the fire within.
Her fingers brush through my hair, as I taste her lips, and my ears catch each soft murmur of appreciation, every change in her breath as she kisses back with all her uninhibited, delightful enthusiasm.
We are frantic, delirious, joyful. It’s the middle of the day; traffic whizzes past us, and we don’t care.
This shoulder of the road is the most beautiful, holy place on earth, because it’s here, between kisses, that Annie whispers, “I was a fool not to realize it sooner. I love you, Brandon—I think I may have loved you since the day you climbed Lady Whimple.”
“Oh, Annie,” I pull back just enough to take in her sweet expression. “By then, I was so far gone I’d already paid too much for a rundown resort—simply because I couldn’t bear the thought of your heart breaking.”
“Brandon . . .” She says my name with a bit of awe as she gently cups my face. “Is that true?”
“I told myself and everyone else that I bought it for Pepper, that was partially true. But to be honest, I was thinking mainly of you and your feelings.”
“Way back then?” She asks, her eyes shining with tears.
“Way back then,” I repeat softly. “Don’t you see, Annie? You are the great love of my life.”
“And here I thought,” her voice wavers as a few tears lit by the morning sun slide down her cheeks, “I was the hopeless romantic.” She pulls me in for another dizzying kiss. Cars honk and shout cat calls. We ignore them all, kissing like we discovered it.
***
“When I think of how much time I spent trying to pick out the perfect outfit to wear when I next saw you . . .” Annie says as we both unload boxes. “And I’m wearing this.” She waves to her cut-off jeans and worn Norland Park t-shirt.
“You look beautiful, as always. And what about me? I’m wearing my rattiest t-shirt.”
“I like that shirt. It’s a bit faded, but you look good in it.”
“I’m glad you like it; it’s my favorite t-shirt, but Pepper told me I couldn’t wear it around you. In fact, this shirt is the reason I was shirtless when you came over for lunch that day?”
“You’re kidding!”
“I wish I was. She overheard something J.J. said about me looking good shirtless. So she told me I looked like a slob in it and made me take it off right before you arrived. I was so nervous for lunch to go well that I agreed to let her pick out a new shirt for me.”
“Well it worked.”
“Did it?”
“Yes, you answering the door in just an apron . . .” Annie waves a hand in front of her face. “It was all I could think about when we were locked up in that closet.”
“Pepper would be so pleased,” I say, grinning at her.
“We are never telling her,” Annie says, laughing. “Does she know that you asked me out?”
“Yes, and she’s very smug about it. She claims it’s all her doing.”
“That girl is too clever for her own good. When should we tell her?”
“About us? Oh I bet she’s been spying on us from my parents’ upstairs window. I don’t think we can—or need—to hide this from Pepper. You know she absolutely adores you.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
“Good—that was my number one requirement for dating someone. She has to love my daughter.”
“But I thought you weren’t planning on ever dating again,” Annie says with a cheeky grin.
“I wasn’t . . . and then I met you, and it occurred to me that if a woman already loved Pepper, then . . . maybe? And soon after that I started adding to the list. It got very specific. By the end she needed to grow flowers, play piano, have red hair, and be named Annie Greenwood.”
***
Somehow between a lot of laughter and kisses, we get Annie moved into her new place. I have a hard time believing this is real. Annie now lives on my street.
“So tell me about this job,” I say, taking another slice of the pizza we had delivered after we unpacked most of the boxes.
Annie’s eyes light up. “I applied for so many jobs, but this was the one I was most excited for. I really think I’m going to like it.
The owner is perfectly lovely. I sent her photos of my work around the park, and she loved my style.
We just really clicked. And she told me she’s thinking of selling in a few years, so who knows?
Maybe someday I could have my own shop. That would give me enough time to learn more about the business side of things.
“It sounds perfect for you.”
“You said it yourself: I’m happiest when I’m surrounded by flowers. And Elinor agreed to let me continue doing the flowers at Norland Park. I think I can do it with a visit once a week. And I’m thinking someday Norland Park could expand to weddings. What do you think?”
“I think you have a real talent. It was your flower boxes that convinced Pepper that we had to visit Norland Park.”
“She told me. What if she never saw that photo? Then you would have never visited or bought the park. Lady Whimple would already be cut down.”
“And we would never have met.”
“That’s a scary thought.”
“Isn’t it?” Brandon takes my hand and squeezes it. His eyes find mine, and we just look at each other. I remember when Edward and Elinor started dating, I’d catch them doing the same thing—just staring at one another and smiling like lovestruck fools. Now I understand.
“Thank you for the perfect first date,” I say after swallowing the last bite of my pepperoni pizza.
“No! This is not our first date,” he argues. That’ll be next week. I’ve been plotting. You of all people deserve something truly romantic.”
“Hmmm . . . that’s sweet of you. And I’m sure our second date will be incredible. But rescuing me from the side of the road and spending all day helping move into my new place—that’s all the romance I need.”