Chapter Ten

Kaleigh

“Inhale in,” I say, bringing my arms up over my head. “Exhale out.” My arms come down. “And again,” I say, repeating the same movement. “One last time.” I do my breathing, bringing my arms to my chest. “Namaste,” I say, bowing my head. The class of twenty all say Namaste at the same time. I smile to everyone, getting up, bending over to roll up my yoga mat.

I watch as everyone does the same. Most of the women in the class are part of the PTA at school. I walk out of the room to the front and the pink roses stop me right away. “Who robbed the flower shop?” I ask, going over to smell them.

“No,” Stephanie says, smiling, “The question is how good were you exactly?” She hands me the two cards. I look at her confused. I’ve never really gotten flowers before. I mean, my parents send me some on my birthday, but other than that not really.

I open the card, dragging the white card out.

Hope your day is as beautiful as you.

Noah

I shake my head, smiling to myself. “Well then?” Stephanie says. “Who is this mystery man?”

I shrug my shoulders. “Just someone I went on a date with.” I turn my head, trying not to make eye contact with her. “It was nothing.”

Her eyes close a bit, not saying a word.

“What?” I ask her.

She shakes her head, smirking at me. “Nothing.”

I turn to walk away and slam into one of the men who just left my yoga class.

“Sorry, Kaleigh, I was texting and didn’t see you,” Richard says.

“It was my fault.” I nod at him and walk to the relaxation room, taking out my phone and pulling up our text thread.

Thank you for the flowers. They are beautiful.

I press send and put my phone away, laying my head back on the back of the couch. My eyes close while I start my breathing, getting me back to center.

The music of the waves clears my mind, but instead of just happy thoughts all I can see is Noah and his blue eyes. His sculpted chest and his cock. Front and center. I’ve always been able to meditate. I’ve always blocked everything out, but for some reason I can’t get him out of my mind.

I’m about to take my phone out and text him back. Tell him that I lied and I’m not busy tonight when Stephanie comes in. “You have another delivery.” She smiles, giving me the card, but it says the same thing as the first one. I get up, going to the desk, the aroma of flowers hitting me right away. “Holy shit.” I take in another four dozen that have arrived. “It’s a good thing I’m leaving. Help me load the car, will you.” I grab my keys and head out to my car, carrying two bouquets. “It’s going to take us four trips,” Stephanie says as she opens the door and places the flowers in the back.

It actually takes us three trips and a half. By the time I get into my car the smell of roses hits me right away. I open the windows to get some circulation before I faint from the smell.

Getting home, it takes me six trips to the car before I finally bring in the last of the roses. I tried to place them strategically as to not bring attention to them, but unless you’re blind and have lost your sense of smell I can’t hide this shit. I bring two bouquets upstairs, setting one in Lauren’s room and one in mine. My phone beeps letting me know that the bus will be here any minute. I walk outside, sitting on one of the Adirondack chairs that Lauren set up. It doesn’t take long before the yellow bus comes down the road, stopping right in front, letting the kids bounce off.

“Aunt Kay, Aunt Kay, I got an A on spelling.” Rachel runs to me, her test in her hand, her backpack going up and down over her head.

“Did you, now? Let me see.” I grab the paper. “You know what this means? Ice cream!” I throw my hands in the air while Rachel scrunches up her face. “What’s that face?”

“Can we have normal people ice cream?” she asks with her head tilted to the side.

“My ice cream is normal people ice cream,” I say, tapping her nose while Gabe comes up to us. “Gabe, didn’t you like the vegan ice cream you tasted yesterday?” I ask him.

He shrugs his shoulders.

“See?” I get up, taking Rachel’s hand. “But if you want I can get you the ‘normal’ ice cream,” I say as she squeals with glee.

She unloads her school bag at the table, taking in a bouquet on the table, then another on the kitchen counter, and another in the living room. “Why do we have all this?” She points at all the flowers.

“Um, um.” I try to come up with the words. “Who wants ice cream?” I throw my hands up, grabbing the cones and their ‘normal’ ice cream while I pretend she didn’t ask me that question. It doesn’t take much to make her veer off her question. Gabe doesn’t even make a second glance at the flowers. Instead, he grabs a cone and shouts that he’s going to the neighbor’s house.

“Be back by five so your mom doesn’t think I forgot about you!” I yell to the door slamming.

And he is in fact back by five as soon as Lauren rolls the minivan into the driveway.

Once she turns off the car, Rachel runs outside. “Momma, I get excellent in spelling. Aunty Kay gave me normal ice cream,” she says, jumping into Lauren’s arms.

“Did she, now, before dinner?” She kisses her nose, walking to the front door.

“Hey, Mom,” Gabe says from the kitchen where he is drinking a tall glass of water, his hands almost black.

“Go wash your hands, dude,” I tell him as he places the glass in the sink, running upstairs.

“Where did all these flowers come from?” Lauren asks, putting Rachel down as my phone rings. “Saved by the bell.” She smirks at me while I answer walking outside, seeing it’s Stephanie on the phone.

“Hey,” I say, sitting on the stoop.

“You got another six bouquets,” she says into the phone. “I didn’t think there was such a thing as too many flowers. I’ve changed my mind.” She sneezes while I laugh.

“Okay, I’ll come and get them now. Put one in the relaxation room as well as the women’s changing area,” I tell her as she continues sneezing. “You know there is a theory that if you sneeze eight times you orgasm. You just had an orgasm at work. Best. Boss. Ever.” I laugh into the phone while she says fuck off and disconnects.

Walking back into the house, Lauren is already at the stove preparing what looks like chicken. “Are you eating with us tonight?” I look around at the flowers in the room.

“Not tonight. I have a date of sorts,” I say, making a plan in my head. I go upstairs, changing into my blue tight jeans and baby pink linen top. The sleeves go tight around my wrist while the neckline falls off one shoulder. I grab my brown sandals to finish the outfit. I say bye as I grab my keys and head down to my studio.

I pull up to the curb across the street right in front of the park. The sound of children playing and dogs barking fills the afternoon. I run across the street, opening the door. “You were not kidding.” I smile, taking in more roses.

“At this rate, we could open up our own flower shop,” Stephanie says as she scratches her nose.

“Okay, let’s get them loaded up. I’m going to bring some to the hospital and maybe church?” I grab a bouquet and rush to the car. It only takes two trips this time. I roll away from the curb, waving goodbye. I’m down the street when I see the red and blue lights in my mirror. I turn my music on louder, thinking of the plan I’m setting into motion.

I pull into my favorite Whole Foods store, picking up my phone.

So change of plans, are you still free tonight?

I send the text to Noah, waiting to see if he will answer.

I get out of the car, going into the store with a list in my head. Pepper, onions, vegan margarine, package of seitan, some garlic powder, oh, and the dairy free provolone. I throw in some fruit, but then put it back when I think of the fruit baskets he had yesterday. I walk around the grocery store aimlessly while I wait for him to text me back. I take my phone out again to check if he sent me anything. Still nothing. The message shows that it has been delivered.

I make a call to Lauren to ask her. She answers breathlessly after one ring, “Hello.”

“Hey, so if you text someone and they don’t text you back, what is the right etiquette?” I ask her vaguely.

“What do you mean, like you text someone and then they ignore you?”

“No.” My voice comes out loud and then I lower it. “Or maybe. So I had a date yesterday. Today he sends me a million roses. When he asked to meet me, I said I had other plans. Well, then I changed my mind and texted him back and I haven’t heard anything.”

“How long has it been?”

“Seventeen minutes. Maybe. Give or take.”

“Kay, he could be driving, in the bathroom, working out, cleaning.”

“We really need to talk about the guys in your imaginary world who actually clean.”

“Hey, if a man passes my vacuum I would blow him. No questions asked.”

“I really have to wonder why you’re still single.” I laugh out. “So you think he’s busy? Oh my God,” I shriek out. “What if he’s on a date with another woman?”

“Kay, calm down,” she says calmly. “No one will send a million roses to a woman and then go out with another one.”

“This is true, unless he had a back-up plan.” I pick up a jar of vegan peanut butter, putting it in the basket. “Imagine I show up at his house to cook for him and there is another girl there.”

“Wait a second. Back up. You’re going to cook for him? You hardly know how to cook for yourself.”

“Very funny. I’m making him vegan Philly cheesesteaks. He won’t even know the difference.” I smile at myself.

“Oh, he’ll definitely know the difference, unless you’re sitting there naked. Then maybe he might forget that chewy thing isn’t actually steak.”

I roll my eyes at her. “So I shouldn’t text him again?” I ask, wondering if I should put everything back. “Or should I just scratch this plan and come home?”

“You like him?” She stops talking then continues before I can answer. “Holy shit. Hell froze over. Kaleigh actually likes a boy.”

“Hardy Hard Har.” I inhale. “I don’t like a boy; he just makes me laugh and he’s funny.” I shrug my shoulders.

“Oh, this is going to be good. Did you try calling him?”

“What?”

“Like actually dialing his number, waiting for the phone to ring, then having him answer? It’s an old-fashioned thing. Started in the 1800s.”

“No one calls anyone anymore,” I inform her.

“Shocking. Did you not just call me? Call him. I have to go. It’s bath time.” She hangs up on me.

I look down at the phone as soon as I see a text message come through.

I’m all free. How about you swing by in about thirty?

I smile at myself. “Call people my ass.”

Perfect. I’ll see you then! I’ll bring dinner.

Oh, I like this even more.

No actual food. See you soon.

I smile, pulling up the text thread to Lauren.

He answered the text. See.

Her answer comes right away

All is right with the world now.

I roll my eyes, walking over to the cash register and checking out my purchases. I walk out with a bounce in my step and then stop. Holy shit, I might actually like this guy!