Nico breaks into a grin and gives me a wave. “Hey, man. Great to see you. Great to be back in the old place.” He sniffs the air. “Smells amazing, as usual. You been good?”
I feel my blood start to boil, but I calm my anxiety. This is fine. Everything is fine. “Yeah, man,” I say. “Busy as usual.” I motion back toward the dining room full of guests. “Dinner rush, you know how it is,” I say, trying not to sound like a dick. “Rita said you had a delivery for me?”
The kid’s face brightens, and he says, “Yeah. I’m working for Gloria’s Floral Fantasies now.” At the name of the florist, I hold up a hand. I know the place. That’s where I ordered Willow’s flowers from this morning. A sinking feeling hits my gut as I wonder what the fuck could have happened. “Let’s talk outside.” The last thing I want is everyone in my restaurant hearing my private business.
We step out front, and I cock a brow at Nico. “So, you’re delivering flowers now?”
He grins. “Yeah, man. It’s part time, and it’s very cool. I make my own hours, as long as I get the deliveries done within the business day. I can work around my class schedule. It’s pretty sweet, actually.”
“Good for you.” I hear myself saying it, but my foot starts nervously tapping against the pavement. “I hate to rush you, Nic, but I’ve got to get back to the kitchen.”
“Right.” Nico slaps his face with a hand and then holds a finger up to me. “One sec, man.”
He jogs off toward a large panel van painted with Gloria’s distinctive logo on the side in purple. He comes back abouta minute later with a beautiful bouquet wrapped in clear cellophane.
“What’s this?” I ask, squinting at the bouquet. “Somebody send me flowers?”
Nico chuckles. “Nah, but that’d be sweet, huh?” He holds the bouquet out to me. “You ordered these earlier? The person you sent them to had checked out of the hotel by the time I got there. When I saw the name on the receipt, I figured I’d drop them off here. Or, if you know where the person went, I can try to deliver it there. It’s not really protocol. But you know, I worked for you and you’re such a great guy, I thought…”
My mind is spinning. These are the flowers I bought for Willow. She’s gone? Checked out of the hotel already? A stinging sensation travels through my belly. She’s gone. She never even told me her last name.
“Wait,” I say. “Did the hotel have any forwarding information for her? Can you try to redeliver if they have an address?”
Nico shakes his head. “Sorry, man. I asked, but they said they don’t release that stuff. Privacy and all.” He shrugs. “You want me to take the flowers back? You can always call Gloria and ask for a refund. She doesn’t normally do that, but seeing as it’s you, maybe…”
“Nah.” I take the flowers from him and squint through the cellophane. I’m honestly kind of shocked how surprised I am. Deep down, I’d been hoping that by sending my number to Willow, she’d reach out. Want to see me again. My body immediately goes back to last night. To her hotel room. The hot shower, my clammy clothes. Her luscious body tucked beneath mine.
I shake my head to clear the memories. “Look, man,” I say. “I’ve got to get back, and I don’t have any cash on me, or I’d tip you. You want to come in for a minute so I can hit the pettycash? Or you can come back with your girlfriend some night for dinner. On the house.”
Nico gives me a huge grin. “Free date night? That’d be awesome, Benito. I’ll totally take you up on that. Thank you.” He claps me on the arm and turns to head back to the van.
I stare down at the massive bundle of flowers in my arms. I see the little plastic fork thing that should hold the card with my message to Willow and my number on it. There’s nothing there.
“Nic!” I shout after him. I point to the plastic-covered flowers. “There was supposed to be a card. You got any idea where it is?”
Nico shrugs. “Sorry, man. Must have fallen out. This is my last delivery of the day, so if it’s not there, I don’t know where it went.”
I nod and head back into the restaurant. I’m needed in the kitchen, and I need a way to explain why I’ve got an armful of white, pink, and red flowers delivered to the front door of my restaurant.
Something deep in my gut twists as I think about Willow. She did say she was new in town, but she didn’t say she was staying. I shake my head slowly, rushing back through the restaurant and ducking into my office. I set the bouquet on my desk, completely pissed at myself.
“It was just a hookup,” I remind myself. Like dozens of others I’ve had. No reason to feel disappointed. This is just one hookup that I didn’t have to end first. I’m not usually on the receiving end of a diss like this, and I don’t love the feeling. But is it really a rejection? How would she even know that I’d follow up? She probably assumed she was just another random hookup. A one-and-done good time.
That’s what she is, so whatever this is I’m feeling is just stress from other shit getting under my skin. It has nothing to do with the woman herself.
But even as I’m thinking it, I know I’m lying to myself. Willow was gorgeous. Easy to talk to. Not the first woman who’s loved my kale, but… I don’t know. I’m, like, deeply pissed that she didn’t get my message. Pissed she’ll never know I tried to find her after our one amazing night together.
I sigh and think about what to do with the flowers. I originally thought about getting flowers for Mags, and sheisreally mad. They won’t go to waste, and maybe the gesture will earn me a little goodwill with her. God knows the peanut butter crisps weren’t enough. She couldn’t even be bothered to eat them.
I pick up the house phone and dial the kitchen. Mags answers.
“Hey, can you come back to my office for a sec?” I ask.
“Benito.” She sounds pissed, and she should be. It’s still the dinner rush.
“Mags, for fuck’s sake. Give me five minutes. Please?”
She sighs deep and hard, like an exasperated older sister and not my restaurant’s right hand. “On my way,” she says, then hangs up without a word.
