This is going to be so good. From this point forward, I’ll have direct communication with her. No Micah to interfere. Just her and me, getting to know each other. Secret texts, inside jokes, she’ll be so far in my orbit before she even realizes she’s there.
Within half an hour, I’m walking out of the shop with a bag full of tech. As if the universe planned it just for us, I spot a flower shop next door. I’m being pulled by divine forces. There is no other explanation because everything is working out perfectly.
Inside, I’m bombarded by the aroma of florals. Each scent layered on top of one another makes for an intoxicating mix. The new phone is one thing, but it’s sort of sterile by itself. The flowers will make it extra. Romantic, sweet, the kind of gesture Tab deserves.
The fifty-something-year-old woman at the counter greets me with a warm smile. “How can I help you?”
Peering around, I spot flowers in every color of the rainbow. The only flower I can recognize instantly are roses. But that’s so basic. Everyone gives their significant other roses. I want mine to stand out.
I lean against the counter, giving the woman my best smile. “I have a problem. I’m really into this girl, and I want to show her how special I think she is.”
Her eyes shine. “Well, I can help with that.”
I lift the bag of tech and place it on the flat surface in front of me. “I just bought these for her, which she needs, but alone they just seem like maybe they’re not the right message I want to send.”
The woman’s eyebrow raises as she picks through the bag. “She must be a very special girl.”
“You have no idea.”
“Well, I know just what to do.” She gives me a red-lipped smile before turning and maneuvering to a table in the back a little ways away. “We’ll do a gift basket. I can situate the phone and the other gadgets amongst more romantic things. Flowers, maybe some chocolate covered strawberries?”
I grin. Tab’s not going to know what hit her. “Yes, all of that.”
“Do you know her favorite flower?”
My shoulders deflate. “I don’t.”
The woman nods. “Relationship 101. Find out her favorite flower and don’t forget it. You never know what a simple gesture will do.”
I take out my phone and go to my Notes app and write that down. “Excellent advice.”
After labeling the page “Wooing Tab,” I close it and put my phone away, watching the woman work. She flits around, grabbing flowers from different refrigerators, then a box of chocolate covered strawberries from another. “How much do you want to spend?” she asks.
“Money isn’t a worry. Just make it beautiful.”
She puts the one box of chocolate covered strawberries back and grabs a bigger one. I already like this woman. She gets it.
Micah’s going to kill me for this. But maybe Tab and I could keep it on the down low. The idea of her texting me under the blankets makes me smile. Hiding the phone under her pillow when people walk in. Like I’m her dirty little secret.
My mind goes other places. Clandestine meetings. Confidential hookups. It would have to be, anyway. I signed a contract that I wouldn’t date other girls during the taping of the TV show, but that’s almost over, thankfully.
I push those depressing thoughts away and think of Tab again while I watch the woman from the flower shop perform magic with her hands. Soon, my phone gift is arranged into a beautiful fantasy of flowers, chocolates, and chocolate-dipped strawberries.
So much better than just dropping off a shopping bag. “It’s beautiful.”
“Almost,” she says, sticking a couple more flowers in. “There.”
“It’s better than I imagined.”
The woman gives me a grin, and I can tell she’s pleased with herself. “See one of those cards on the desk right there? You better think of what you want to say…”
I peer at the counter and spy the little blank card that always accompanies flowers, the shop’s logo in the upper right corner. A tiny envelope is next to it. I take a deep breath. There are a hundred things I could write, but simpler is better for now. Something warm, but not something that’s going to send her running if I come on too strong.
For us, I write, using my best penmanship. It’s the thought I want to convey right now. Like there is anus. A partnership. A relationship. Then I sign my name. I have to stop myself from using my autograph signature that always comes out automatically. This isn’t like that at all. Tab isn’t a faceless fan. She’s…special. Below my name, I add a heart, which I think gives it a nice touch.
“All set?” the woman asks, walking toward the counter. I nod, and she whisks away my card and envelope and arranges it within the basket. I swear it looks like a fairy came out of anenchanted forest with a basket full of an expensive phone and accessories.
“It’s perfect,” I tell the woman, handing her my bank card.
