Anna grunted when she picked up the giant vase of red roses and proceeded to walk to her car. When she had them safely buckled into the passenger seat, she smiled and took a deep breath, inhaling the floral scent. No man had ever sent her such a beautiful, dramatic arrangement before. Come to think of it, she thought, no one has ever sent me flowers. Not even Gary. It made her think of her childhood.
At the age of six, Anna was abandoned by her mother who claimed she couldn’t take the pressure of being a single mom anymore. Her mother drove her to the nearest fire station and left her on the curb outside the building. She remembered sitting there for an hour before a man in giant yellow pants came out to ask her if she was lost. Anna stared at him, remembering what her mother had told her; if she wasn’t a good girl, she would call the cops and have her taken to jail. Thinking she was in trouble for sitting out there, Anna ran, but she wasn’t fast enough.
Tears streaming down her chubby cheeks, Anna choked out the reason she was sitting alone; her mommy was too sad to keep her and she begged him not to send her to jail. Sadness replaced concern and the man pulled her close and hugged her tightly. “Everything will be okay. You are safe now. No one will send you to jail. We are going to take care of you,” he whispered in her ear.
She remembered him taking her into the fire station and laying her on a couch until she stopped crying. A short time later, a woman arrived and sat next to her. “What’s your name, sweetie?”
“Anna,” she said, sniffling loudly.
“Well, Anna, my name is Margaret. Do you know where your mommy is?”
Feeling sad again, she shook her head and said, “I don’t know. I think she went to try to find my daddy, but he went to heaven a long time ago.”
“Did your mommy say when she was coming back?” Margaret asked.
“She’s not coming back. She told me that I looked like my daddy and that made her sad so she couldn’t look at me anymore.”
“That wasn’t very nice of her, was it?”
Anna shook her head. “Are you going to be my new mommy? Because my other mommy told me that I would find a new one.”
Tears filled the woman’s eyes. “Would you like me to be?”
She shrugged. “I just want to go home.”
“If you would like, I can take you to my home. It’s warm and I have lots of food in the fridge.”
Anna brightened at the word food. It had been days since she’d had anything to eat. “Good, cuz I’m really hungry.” Margaret took Anna by the hand and led her from the fire station, then buckled her into a waiting car. Little did she know that the home of Margaret and her husband David, the firefighter who saved her, was to become her forever home.
Anna found out later in life that Margaret and David couldn’t have children and were on a very long waiting list for adoption. They had preferred to adopt a baby, but they thought that it was destiny that drew Anna to them and they knew she was meant to be their daughter.
They showered Anna with love and attention. Even though they didn’t agree with every decision she ever made, they supported and guided her. But somehow, the abandonment from her birth mother never went away. She knew it was silly, yet she still couldn’t get over the feeling of inadequacy. It left her feeling unworthy of other’s love and attention.
This was probably the reason why none of her past relationships worked out. Anna pushed every man who tried to get too close away, except Gary. She thought that since they were friends prior to dating, their relationship would last forever. She even thought that she had fallen in love with him. She would eventually discover that their relationship was more “convenient” than it was “love”.
Anna turned down the street towards her house and the roses were now in direct sunlight. The vibrancy of the red caught her attention and she shook the memory away. She felt guilty every time she thought of her abandonment issues, especially since her adoptive parents were so caring.
Her phone began ringing when she pulled into her driveway.
“Hey, Karlie!” she trilled when she answered.
“Please, please, don’t be mad at me,” Karlie begged.
“Why would I be mad at you?” Anna held the phone between her cheek and shoulder so she could haul the giant arrangement from her passenger seat.
“Because I gave your phone number to Nate to give to his friend. I know you hate that kind of stuff, but he’s cute and I think you two would be great together!”
Anna laughed. “Oh, Karlie. My dear, sweet friend.”
“What?”
Anna pushed her front door open and set the flowers on the dining room table. “Why would I want to try to be with a man who leaves in less than a month?”
“That’s the beauty of the team he plays for!” Karlie said enthusiastically. “He’s a catcher for the Diamondbacks, which means he’ll only be gone on the days they have away games.”
Shaking her head, Anna replied, “You know how I feel about men who play sports. That’s not the kind of lifestyle I’m in to.”
“Geez, girl. You act like I’m telling you to marry him. All I’m saying is have some fun! You haven’t been with anyone since Gary.”
She was right about that. “I haven’t had time.” Anna glanced at the clock, noting that she only had a few hours before she was supposed to meet Ben.
“Yes, because you work way too much.”
She was right again. “You know I’m trying to branch out on my own. I need to stay focused.”
“Blah, blah, blah,” Karlie teased. “Did he call you?”
“He didn’t call, he texted me.” Anna wasn’t interested in sharing her texts with Ben. Karlie would make them a bigger deal than they were.
“And?”
“And we are having dinner tonight.”
“And? I feel like I’m pulling teeth to get more details out of you,” Karlie said, frustrated.
“We are having dinner tonight at Olive and Ivy. There’s not much more to say other than that.” Anna stared at the roses and smiled.
Karlie giggled. “Sounds fantastic. What will you wear?”
Anna turned the on the light to her large walk-in closet and scanned the wall where her “dressy attire” hung. She had dresses of every color and fashion. Some were long, some were short, and if the occasion was appropriate for it, she had tea-length dresses.
“Hmmm. That’s a good question. Can’t wear red because I don’t want him to think I’m grasping for his attention, and black won’t show off the goods.”
Karlie laughed.
“And I definitely can’t go for anything bright colored. I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard.”
“What about that pinkish dress you wore for our girl’s dinner a couple months back? You know, the lacey one that’s sheer in the shoulder and chest area.”
Anna sorted through the hangers and pulled out the one Karlie was referring to. “Good choice! This will look great with a black beaded belt and my sparkly black booties.” Anna reached for her favorite heels and smiled. She suddenly felt giddy about her date with Ben. It was hard to decipher a person’s intentions through a text message, but he genuinely seemed interested in getting to know her.
“I want every detail when you get home. And I mean every detail! I don’t want anything left out,” Karlie demanded.
Anna laughed. “Yes, dear. I will call you as soon as the date is over and give you every gritty detail. Unless I’m getting lucky. Then you’ll have to wait until morning.”
Karlie’s laugh echoed through the phone’s speaker. “You and I both know that you won’t give it up on the first date.”
She laughed again. “Hey, you never know. He may just charm the pants right off of me.”
“If this man manages to charm your pants off, I will bow down at his feet. You, my friend, are a tough nut to crack.”
Anna shrugged her right shoulder. “Eh. My body is a temple. A man has to work for it.”
“You are ridiculous,” Karlie snorted. “Have a great time tonight.”
“I will! Talk to you later.” Anna set her phone aside and held the dress up. She peered at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. It really was a beautiful dress.
Sighing, Anna draped the garment over the back of a chair and proceeded to get ready for her date.
* * *
Anna arrived at Olive and Ivy by Uber, and when she entered the restaurant, she scanned the bar area for Ben. After a few minutes of searching, Anna pulled her phone out to text him.
“Anna!” She looked up and her breath caught in her throat. Walking towards her was an even more handsome man than she remembered. Ben wore a gray button-down shirt with his sleeves rolled to the area just below his elbows. The fabric hugged his body and accentuated the curve of every muscle. The fluid movements of his arms caused his biceps to dance to the rhythm of the music from the speakers above them, and Anna found herself hypnotized.
She didn’t remember him looking this gorgeous in his baseball uniform. His hair had been previously hidden under a ball cap, whereas now, it was styled in a disheveled way as if he just rolled out of bed and ran his fingers through it, and he was rocking the look. His broad smile mirrored that of a God sent down from heaven because only someone this ridiculously good looking was born in another realm.
His eyes met hers. Instantly, her stomach did a back flip and a shiver ran down her spine. The light glinted off his dark eyes making them sparkle like diamonds in the sky. Anna cocked her head to the side, contemplating what color they were, but the light was too dim. She opted for dazzling because this man was currently dazzling her beyond belief.
“Wow. Just, wow.” Ben reached his hand towards Anna and she placed hers in his. He pulled her hand to his lips and placed a light kiss to the back of it. Her skin burned where his lips touched and her body reacted. Traitor, she thought, admonishing herself for being aroused by his appearance and cheesy greeting.
“I’m so glad you finally agreed to see me.”
Anna blinked and smiled. “I was a little hesitant at first, but the red roses you sent to my work made it hard for me to say no. I can’t thank you enough for them. They are beautiful.”
Confusion laced his perfect features. “Roses?”
“Yeah,” she said and shrugged. “You know, the twenty-four long-stemmed roses?”
“Anna, I never sent roses. But now I’m jealous of the bastard who did.” Ben quirked a half smile.
“You didn’t?” She felt even more confused than he looked. Ben shook his head. “Huh. Well, that’s weird. I had just assumed you were the one who sent them because there wasn’t a card with it.”
“Ahh, I see I have competition.” He shook his head. “No matter. I have a good feeling about this night.”
Anna giggled. “Arrogant are we?”
He returned her smile. “Nope. Just confident. Let’s see if our table is ready.”
Ben motioned towards the hostess stand and Anna moved her legs in a daze. If he hadn’t sent that embarrassingly display of flowers, who did? They were obviously expensive and the sender would have had to know her name and place of work. This had her feeling concerned.
“Shall we?” Anna looked up and noticed the hostess smiling brightly at her. Nodding, she followed closely behind Ben and the happy woman. She would worry about the flowers later. Right now, she had this gorgeous man to pay attention to.
Anna went to pull her chair out but Ben beat her to it. He placed one of his hands on the small of her back and guided her into the chair. Her heart thud rapidly in her chest and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
After they sat down, the hostess hovered above Ben’s shoulder and placed his menu in his hands. “If you need anything, I would be happy to help in any way that I can.” She unfolded his napkin and handed it to him. “And I mean anything.”
Anna’s eyes widened when she walked away. “I’m not sure if I should feel offended or flattered that she just hit on my date…”
Ben chuckled. “Ohhh, so you are considering this a date? Because, what I got from our back-and-forth messages, this was just dinner amongst friends.”
She shook her head. “Are you going to be incorrigible all night?”
“That depends. Are you going to undress me with your eyes all night?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
A playful look sparkled in his eyes. “I saw the way you looked at me a few minutes ago.”
Anna, feeling slightly embarrassed, pretended to be ignorant. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Uh-huh. I’m sure you don’t.” Ben opened his menu and peered up at her from under his lashes.
Anna just shook her head and giggled. “I’m glad you are amused.”
He set the menu down and threw up his hands. “Okay, okay. I’ll stop teasing.” Ben fiddled with his sleeve. “Tell me, Anna. What do you do for a living?”
Anna found it funny that the first question he would ask her is one that referred to her job, but she humored him and answered. “I’m an interior designer. I turn ugly homes into places of beauty.”
“If you wanted to do something like that, all you’d have to do is be present in each room.”
She tried not to laugh. It was the cheesiest line she’d ever heard and somehow, it sped her heart up again. “Really? Is that all you’ve got?”
Ben chuckled. “You’re not giving me much to go off of.”
Anna stared at the attractive man before her. She had never wanted someone to want her so bad before in her entire life. It was time to up the flirting. She wanted him to think she was fascinating, cunning and intelligent. She tried to think of something interesting to say but the waiter appeared at their table. Anna thanked her lucky stars that the one waiting on them was a man because she couldn’t handle another woman falling for her date.
They placed their drink orders and Anna tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. When she looked back up, she discovered just how dark those luxurious eyes were, and as she lost herself in them, Ben winked. The innocent gesture created a rippling effect of emotion and she knew that there was no way in hell she would ever be able to find her way back to reality. And that terrified her.