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“It’s fine. I accept your forced apology. Now will you excuse me, please? I’d like to get back to getting ideas for my little shop.”
She turned away, leaning forward to better see the flowers that resembled small, yellow pinecones.
Wood’s cycad. Encephalartos woodii.
She’d meant her words as a dismissal, but obviously, Liam continued to miss the memo. He remained at her side, staring down at her.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
He studied her still, his brow lowering as he remained.
“Are you staying here to try to think of another way to make fun of me?” she asked.
No response.
“Should I help you out?” She took another step away from him, focusing on a tree in the distance with small leaves. “You could always poke fun at my American accent. Or continue criticizing my simple dream of owning a flower shop. Or maybe you could tell me more about how shocked you were to find out I actually put my degree to good use.”
She glanced at him sidelong, but his expression remained unchanged.
“I wasn’t shocked,” he finally responded.
She dropped her chin. “Really?” With a sigh, she turned away from him again. “Look, I think it will be better for the both of us if we just agree not to talk to each other again, okay?”
“Are you so incapable of speaking civilly that you need to resort to severing all conversation between us?”
She slowly turned to him. Did he really speak so eloquently all the time, or was it just when he was trying to be rude to her?
Either way, she couldn’t make sense of the guy. One minute, he was teasing her for being in his bed, the next, he was criticizing her with all the posturing of a preening peacock.
“See?” she said. “This is exactly what I’m talking about. We just can’t help but argue. I don’t want to make things awkward for your mom and Melody by showing how much we don’t like each other, okay? So let’s just stop talking, and things will be better for everyone.”
As if to annoy her yet again, Liam didn’t respond.
She waited, then in a huff—mostly because she’d been admiring his dark eyes that glistened from the light of the sun shining through the glass roof above—she whirled around, ready to never speak with him again.
But instead of proudly fleeing, she moved forward without looking and slammed right into an employee of the Temperate House, bouncing against her and a large, potted plant the girl held.
As if in slow motion, the teenage girl stumbled back to catch herself, unable to hold onto the plant in the process. Claire reached forward, but it was too late. The girl managed to remain upright, but the pot plummeted to the floor, shattering its base. The plant fell limp on its side, and dirt splayed across the clean, creamy walkway like a permanent, black firecracker.
“Oh my gosh,” Claire gasped, a blush searing across her face. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you.”
Guests turned to see what the clatter had been, including Liam, who stood just to the side of the mess.
“It’s alright,” the employee said with a thick London accent. She stared at the mess on the floor in a daze.
Claire instantly dropped to her knees, moving to pick up the pieces of the broken pot. She grimaced as the girl and Liam hunched down beside her to do the same.
Of course this would happen in front of Liam and so many other people. She wouldn’t describe herself as clumsy, but obviously, the world was not quite done humiliating her yet.
She eyed the fallen plant with its long leaves draped across the floor. She was fairly certain she recognized it, but in her state, she couldn’t name it.
“Please tell me this wasn’t one of the endangered plants,” she said, looking up at the employee with a wince.
To her great relief, the girl shook her head. “No, it’s just one of the displays for the front of the House.” She looked back at the mess. “I’ll get a broom. That should make the cleanup easier.”
She stood and skittered away, but Claire continued picking up the pieces of the pot, placing them in a larger section that hadn’t broken as much in the process.
