CHAPTER 14
Damon
I pulledup in front of Rainbow Garden, cursing myself for my procrastination. If I’d just come by sooner to place the order for my parents’ anniversary party, then I wouldn’t have to ask something of Maverick now, when everything was so weird between us.
When I hadn’t just bragged that I could be a better date than any other guy he’d gone out with. When I hadn’t told Iola to match me up with him.
What had I been thinking? There was one common trait all of Mav’s other dates had that I lacked.
They liked dick.
But you liked that dildo, didn’t you? What does that say about you?
“Fuck!” I threw open the door and got out because sitting here stewing in my thoughts wasn’t helping anything. So what if I’d liked a toy up my ass? There were straight guys into pegging.
But they probably didn’t fantasize about their male neighbor while doing it…
I yanked open the glass door and entered. Maverick was on the phone, but his eyes widened when he saw me. At least I wasn’t the only one feeling some kind of way.
I made a circuit of the shop, checking out the cut flowers stashed in coolers. There were a few premade bouquets with birthday or anniversary greetings attached. Some flowering plants, too.
It didn’t take long to make my way back to the front counter—or to hear Maverick’s end of the conversation.
“Well, how am I supposed to get all the arrangements to the hotel banquet room?” Maverick paced behind the counter, face growing red. “Oh, so I should just tell Edna to turn ninety-five on some other day!”
Maverick made a frustrated growl into the phone and threw it down onto the counter in disgust. “Fucking fuck!”
“Having a good day, then?”
He glared at me. “Whatever it is, I don’t have time for it. I’ve got to get twenty table centerpieces and a huge display with balloons attached over to the hotel—and it’s going to take a few trips in my tiny car. I’m already running late, so…”
“I’ve got the truck outside.”
He blinked. “Good for you?”
“No.” I chuckled. “I mean, I could load it up and get you over there in one trip. That would save some time, right?”
Maverick nibbled his full bottom lip, and damn it, why couldn’t Istopstaring?
“It’s not the ideal transport conditions, but it’s a short drive,” he said. “I don’t really have any other options…”
“That’s what a guy likes to hear,” I joked.
He winced. “You really want to help me?”
“Well, hey, the date this weekend would be prettyawkward if I refused to help you now, huh? We might have to cancel the whole thing.”
Annnd… I’d just said that.
Points to me for yanking the elephant out of the corner of the room and tap-dancing all over it.
Maverick laughed. “Wow, yeah. It wouldn’t be the best ice-breaker, would it?”
“It would not. So…”
“Pull around into the alley,” Maverick said. “Meet me at the back entrance and we’ll load up.”
“All right, will do.”
