“Chanel, these just came for you,” Liza explained.
“Thank you.”
The delivery man walked up to my desk and placed the bouquet in front of me. Up close, I could see the flowers were a mix of white Asiatic lilies, white roses, and blue mini carnations held together by a dark blue glass vase. It was large and beautiful.
“Card’s right here,” the delivery man pointed out.
“Thank you. Wait,” I called as Liza turned to leave. “Let me grab my wallet.”
“No, thank you, Miss. The tip has already been taken care of,” he grinned before leaving.
“Hello? Chanel?” Gabby called through the phone line.
“I just got a bouquet of flowers delivered.” It wasn’t uncommon to have flowers delivered. Plenty of clients had sent me bouquets once their divorces were settled. But, looking at this beautiful bouquet in front of me, I suspected this wasn’t from a client.
“Did you read the card?”
I spotted the card that was held in place by a little plastic holder in the center. Plucking it out, I pulled it from the envelope.
Thank you for a wonderful Friday evening and Saturday morning. Hope these flowers find you well. FYI—I’m not counting Friday as our second date. You still owe me one.
- X
“Ohhhh, girl. You’re in trouble,” Gabby rasped in a sing-song voice.
I bit my lower lip to keep the mile-wide grin off my face. “It was just a bouquet,” I countered.
“Mm-hmm, okay. You gonna call to thank him?”
“I-I don’t have his number.” I felt discouraged. I’d never asked for his number, and he’d never asked for mine. I could call Jason and ask him for it, but that’d arouse too much suspicion, and I didn’t need my brother in my business.
“I’m betting that man of yours will find a way to pop up sooner or later.”
“He’snotmy man.”
Gabby simply laughed. “Okay, girl. I gotta go. Talk to you later,” she said, laughter still in her voice as she hung up.
I frowned as I glared at the phone. One little lunch and a Friday evening followed by a bouquet delivery was far from enough to call someone my man. We hadn’t even been on a proper date! And we wouldn’t, because I didn’t date. Friday night had just been two single and grown adults hanging out. Sometimes one thing led to another. No big deal.
I did my best to focus back on work. I had some meetings and a very important deposition I needed to get to that afternoon. I didn’t have time to get all googly-eyed because a man had sent me flowers. Yet, even as I told myself that, I could hear my inner voice laughing at me, telling me this thing with Xavier wasn’t about to go away anytime soon.
****
Did you like the flowers?
I read the text message as I walked back to my office after escorting one of my clients out after a meeting. The message had come in about thirty minutes ago, but because I’d been in a meeting, I was just getting to look at my phone. I squinted when I saw the contact was listed under “X.”
Xavier?I responded.
Who else?
How did you get your number in my phone?I waited for his response as I paced back and forth in my office. I’d been sitting for too long and needed to move my legs as I thought about how I was going to handle this case.
I plugged my number in while you slept Friday night. Or was it Saturday morning? Either/or. You know, you should have a lock on your phone.
Is that right?I questioned.
Hell yeah, any random ass dude could pick up your phone and put their number in while you’re sleeping at his house.
