Last night, while I was planning this, they felt like a nice gesture. Now, I wasn’t sure, but I was committed. With a deep breath, I forced myself not to throw them into the bushes and knocked on her door. My heart thudded in the pause that followed.
The door eventually creaked open and Holly appeared, blinking at me in surprise. She wore a loose sweatshirt and leggings, her hair piled into a messy bun that somehow made her look even more beautiful in her natural, unpolished way.
“Liam?” she asked, her voice still thick with sleep.
“Good morning.” I lifted the bouquet slightly, a sheepish smile tugging at my lips. The flowers were lame. I should havebrought donuts. Everyone loves donuts! But if I had brought donuts, it would have ruined my plan... My thoughts spun in circles, so before I could stray from what I’d devised and make any more of a fool of myself than I already had, I said, “These are for you. I thought they might brighten your day.”
Holly’s eyebrows arched as her gaze dropped to the flowers. For a moment, she just stared at me, as if she were trying to figure out why I was on her porch so early on a Sunday morning. It really was early, barely eight AM and I could tell I’d woken her.
Just as I was about to apologize for showing up unannounced, a slow, soft smile spread across her face. She reached for the bouquet, her fingers brushing mine. “Daisies and lavender. These are my favorites.”
“Lucky guess,” I said, though, in truth, I’d spent nearly fifteen agonizing minutes at the flower cart, overthinking every option until I finally committed. Holly’s bathroom had a lingering aroma of lavender, so I thought there was a good chance she’d like the stems. As for the daisies, those were my mother’s favorite. I figured she wouldn’t steer me wrong and so I paired the two together. Plus, I liked the way the purple and white looked together.
“Do you want to come inside? I just made a fresh pot of coffee.”
“I’d love to.” I slid my shoes off near the door and followed the familiar path to the kitchen. It felt like deja vu. I was following in last week’s footsteps, only today I was going to take that needle pointing atfriendsand push it one tick closer tomore.
Holly set the flowers on the kitchen counter then rummaged through a drawer for another vase. Last week's stems were still alive, a little wilty, but she hadn’t tossed them yet. “So, what brings you by so early? Shouldn’t you be sleeping after working last night?”
“I’m a morning person,” I said casually, leaning against the counter. To some degree I was, even after late nights, but I usually wasn’t upthisearly. “And I thought maybe we could grab some breakfast from KeKe’s in town. Unless you’re busy?”
Holly’s hands paused at the faucet, just before filling the lemonade pitcher she grabbed in place of a vase. Her blue eyes darted up and she looked at me as if she were trying to peer into my soul. “Breakfast, huh?”
“Yeah,” I said, my tone deliberately light. “Nothing fancy. Just two friends satisfying the completely normal urge to eat.”
She filled the pitcher with water and opened the little packet of powder marked flower food. I waited patiently as she created the mixture and then watched her add the stems. She clipped and set each one with precision. Those piercing eyes flicked to me every few minutes, curious if I was still watching. I was and I wasn’t ashamed that I liked what I saw.
Five minutes that seemed to stretch a lifetime while simultaneously flying by passed before she said, “Okay. Let me just run upstairs and get dressed.”
“Take your time.” I shoved my hands in my pockets to keep from reaching out to her. I wanted to grab her by the wrist as she passed and pull her close. I wanted to taste those lips again and feel her warmth against my chest.
And I would, but not today.
I walked around the bottom floor of her duplex while I waited. Pictures of Holly and friends, perhaps even family, hung on the wall. I recognized Dahlia in one and wondered if the two other women in the photo were her sisters, too. They looked nothing alike, then again I never would have guessed Dahlia and Holly to be related had she not told me otherwise.
A few minutes later, Holly came down the steps in a pair of dark jeans and wrapped in a cozy sweatshirt. Her messy bun was still intact and somehow she looked effortlessly put together,like she hadn’t tried at all, yet she still managed to make my pulse quicken.
“Ready?” I asked and she nodded.
Outside, I opened the door for Holly and waited as she stepped into my Honda Civic. I’d had the car since college and had never been self-conscious about it. It was paid off, something my brothers couldn’t say about their high-end vehicles, which usually made me proud. But for the first time, I wondered if the older car made me look… I didn’t know… less than.
The thought didn’t linger long because as soon as I sat beside Holly her sweet scent filled the space around us and I was officially high on a perfume buzz. I pulled out of the driveway, letting the radio play in the background for a few minutes. The silence between us wasn’t awkward but it felt loaded, like she was waiting for me to say something first.
“So,” I began, glancing at her from the corner of my eye. “What do you do these days? I’m ashamed to say I don’t remember what your major was.”
“I’m a marketing manager,” Holly said, folding her hands in her lap. “I work from home most days, but I visit my clients in person once or twice a month. Emails and Zoom meetings are convenient, but it helps to actually see people face to face and get a feel for how things are going.”
“That’s cool,” I said, genuinely impressed. “Do I know any of the companies you work for?”
“Probably,” she replied with a hint of pride. “I’ve got accounts with Paws Groom and Board, Tony’s Pizza, and Sarah’s Sweet Treats.”
“Sarah’s?” I grinned. “I love that place. Their cinnamon rolls are legendary.”
“Right?” Her eyes lit up and she relaxed a little. “It’s dangerous having their menu samples lying around duringbrainstorming meetings. Last time, they brought out a whole pecan pie, and I single-handedly ate half of it before the end of the day.”
I laughed, the mental image of Holly sneakily devouring pie far too endearing. “I bet Sailor would bring you on if she knew what you do.”
“Who’s Sailor?”
