A bouquet of white lilies?
Wrapped in delicate white paper tied with navy ribbon so silky, velvety, it’s fabric too fancy for me to recognize, are ten angelic, blooming white lilies with dainty stems of white baby’s breath. Who are these from? And why?
My first thought is my mother, but when I see the note card attached, I’m all too eager to tear it off, and have to force myself to gently untangle it from the ribbon tying it to the bouquet.
The note is in a matching navy envelope, about the size of a business card. Handwritten in pleasingly elegant cursive it reads: “I’ll make it up to you. J.”
That rat bastard. I can’t be mad at him for too long even if I want to. Flowers?
I gingerly pick up the bouquet and unlock my front door. He must have really gone through a lot to get these. New York City might be the city that never sleeps, but flower shops still close, and to get them delivered within only a few hours? He must have spent a fortune.
The flowers really are gorgeous, and my heart is warmed. I’m not usually the type to forgive and forget when something is important to me, but the gesture is spoken for. Rishi and I ended up having a great time anyway.
But something sticks with me still. Why would Jae do that?
He was roommates with Rishi all those years ago and maintained the friendship this long.
He saw my struggle on my first date with Ethan and my first date with Rishi.
He was normally kind, compassionate and sympathetic. What in the world made him do that?
The question irks me as I feed and walk Lily. It bothers me while I shower and get ready for bed. It’s completely out of character from everything I know about Jae.
What would drive a man to act like that?
I can only think of a few things. Jae’s act of sabotage is reminiscent of how a middle schooler acts when his friends are hanging out with other friends or how a dog growls when another dog gets too close to his own snack. Is he truly jealous I was on a date with his friend?
But he set us up!
And it finally clicks in my mind. He swiped right on me. He comforted me during my panic attack. He cooked for me. He took me on a practice date. The arms around me. The apology flowers.
Of course he’s jealous. He likes me, too.
I feel incredibly pleased with myself for figuring this out. Like a scientist discovering a new element, I’m proud of my detective work. I’m too pleased to let my grief ruin this for me. For the first time in a long time, I have two men vying for my attention and I feel like a princess at the debutante ball.
I take my phone out and begin to wage the internal battle of who I should text first.
Rishi or Jae.
And the decision is made for me when Jae texts.
Hey. I’m sorry for earlier. I don’t know what came over me.
I snap a photo of the flowers on my countertop and send it to him before I press the button to call. He picks up on the first ring.
“Hey—” Jae is ready to launch straight into an apology.
“Don’t,” I cut him off.
“I really didn’t know what I was thinking. I just really didn’t want you to be on a date with him.” His voice is solemn and more vulnerable than I’ve ever heard him speak. “But if you want to date him, you can.”
“What do you mean?” I ask him, nervous about the answer.
“I mean…” Jae’s voice trails off, almost silent.
And next thing I know, there’s a beep in my ear.
That motherfucker hung up on me!
