Audrey| And just so you know, it wasn’t a no to dinner.
Audrey| But we can play it by ear.
She was just about to let herself into the building when her phone buzzed one more time, stopping her in her tracks.
Theo| “Play it by ear,” huh?
More dots. The cool autumn air swept past her cheeks while she stared at that last message and waited, wondering what on earth could be taking him so long to type.
Finally, she had her answer.
And she blushed.
Theo| I did enjoy the last time you played it by one of MY ears, Miss Adams—as big and dumb as they are.
Theo| You can do that anytime you like.
Her face burned as she raced inside and up the stairs to hide in her apartment.
She’d learned something new about him today.
Snapped another puzzle piece into the edges of him.
Theo Sullivan was a lot more audacious in writing than he was face-to-face.
Four
Theo waited forher by the subway stop near Central Park.
He came more into focus once Audrey’s eyes adjusted to the onslaught of early-afternoon autumn light, and she blinked as she mounted the stairs, a slow smile spreading across her lips.
Because he wasn’t wearing his hoodie.
He was still wearing a baseball cap, his thick waves pressed down against the sides of his head, tumbling and licking at his cheeks and his jaw, which were still covered by a black mask. His right eye was also still concealed within the shadowy depths of those waves and by the shade from the brim of his hat, but this was the first time she’d seen him wear anything other than that hoodie zipped all the way up to his neck. Instead, he’d traded it for a thick, dark blue cable-knit sweater, nice jeans, and a pair of well-worn brown leather shoes. And while his usual satchel was still slung across his broad chest, today he clutched something new in his right hand.
A bouquet.
His fingers twitched nervously against the brown wrapping paper surrounding the flowers, and his tremor intensified while he shifted on his feet at her approach.
“H-hi, Audrey,” he stuttered, and his throat bobbed as she stepped up to him. A touch of his red scar slashed across his neckand disappeared under the collar of his sweater. It was usually hidden by his hoodie, but she didn’t let her eyes linger there. She looked back up at his face quickly.
His gaze was fixed on her, one brow bent in concern.
“Are those for me?” She pointed at the flowers, and he nodded.
“I wanted to get them for you because I saw them and thought of you, but then I got nervous that they’d wilt before you could get them in water, so they put some in a plastic baggie for me at the florist and tied it to the base of the stems, but then I worried it’d be too messy if I spilled it with my hand being so shaky, and then I thought maybe I’d gotten them for you too early in the day, so you don’t have to carry these around or anything if you don’t want to, I can—”
He quieted when Audrey gently peeled the arrangement away from him. It was a mix of roses and other flowers matching the spectacular fiery colors of the fall leaves, their delicate, silken petals bursting into blooms of deep reds and oranges and golds. Warmth swept up from the bases of some of them, lightening at the edges and reminding her of crackling flames licking through logs. Others were a deep red, like the horizon melded with the last light of a setting winter sun. She held them to her nose and took a deep drag of their sweet scent, closing her eyes as she let it wash over her.
He’d matched them with her favorite season.
“I love them. That’s really thoughtful of you, thank you.” She clutched them to her chest. “They’re beautiful.”
“Oh. Good.” His eye crinkled as he looked down at her, and he took a deep breath under his mask. “I’m really glad you like them.”
Audrey plucked softly at his sweater. “I also like this look. No hoodie today, huh?” She raised an eyebrow and grinned wickedly when his throat and the tops of his cheeks burned a deep red nearly matching some of the roses he’d just given her. He rubbed the back of his neck.
“My friend Diego told me I couldn’t wear that on a date. He alsotried to get me not to wear the hat, but…” Theo looked down at her apologetically and hid his right hand in his jeans pocket. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been out with anyone. Sorry if it takes me some time to remember how.”
