Addison

 

Thank you so much for getting my things! I owe you big time. Anything you want, and it’s yours.

Sitting on the F-line tram, bound for Embarcadero, I reread Sabrina’s text message, pressing my lips together. Whatever I wanted? Something told me Sabrina wouldn’t be quite so generous if I told her what I wanted was her ex-fiancé—and that I wondered whether the “moment” we’d shared showed he wanted me, too.

No. I had to push that whole inappropriate feelings toward Todd thing from my mind. Even if something could have happened at his apartment, it was completely irrelevant. Todd was Sabrina’s. End of story.

Even if she seemed to be moving on.

And anyway, if Todd did have a fleeting interest in me, it would only be as a rebound from the goddess Sabrina.

Wouldn’t it?

I scrunched my eyes shut and shook my head. I needed to focus on other things now. And that meant The Flower Girl and working out what I was doing with my life.

You see, I had started to wonder how long I would be here in San Francisco. Was Sabrina getting ready to come back? It seemed as though she was moving on from Todd, but maybe she’d fallen in love with Orlando? Maybe she wanted to stay for a little longer?

Maybe she never wanted to leave?

I bit the inside of my lip, feeling myself start to wind up like a spring. With recent events—Prickle’s breaking and entering, the confusing subject of Todd—it was beginning to dawn on me that I’d really thrown myself into this whole life-switch thing without thinking it through.

At the time, the idea of being able to escape my life, trying something new in a new city, had felt exciting, like I was living life on the edge. Like I was in a movie.

But this wasn’t a movie, this was my life. Or Sabrina’s life. Or me leading Sabrina’s life. Argh!

It was seriously hurting my brain.

I stared out the window as the tram rattled along the tracks, past the buildings with glimpses of the bay beyond. I yawned, covering my hand with my mouth. I’d already been up before the sun this morning, purchasing flowers from an online market, ready for the upcoming Thornhill wedding.

I pulled my phone out of my purse and flicked through my messages until I came across one from Geoff. Geoff of the “ex I’d left to chase Jon to Orlando” fame. I knew Tonya had said he was still in love with me, but was she right? I found myself smiling, remembering all the good times we’d had together over the years.

I opened his message and read it.

I heard you’re in San Francisco. I hope you’re having fun there; it’s such a great city. Rent a bike and cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge. The views from the other side are stunning.

So far it was just his travel recommendations. I skimmed over the next couple of paragraphs, suggesting I check out the Painted Ladies and take a ride on the cable car, until I got to the last one.

I think about you sometimes.

I chewed the inside of my lip. Maybe Tonya was right.

There was an attachment at the bottom of the message. I clicked on it and was immediately met with an image of the two of us, dressed in ski gear at the top of a mountain, sunglasses on, our arms wrapped around one another. Our grins were as wide as the horizon.

I smiled to myself, remembering that trip with friends to Queenstown, down south in New Zealand, where we’d skied all day and partied all night. Geoff and I had a stack of such memories together.

I fired off a quick response.

That was such a great trip! Thanks for your suggestions. I will definitely do them.

I paused before I typed the words, I think about you, too.

Did I? My finger hovered over the keyboard on my phone. Sure, I thought about Geoff sometimes, but was it in an “I wish I’d never left him” kind of way?

I deleted the words and hit send, slipping my phone back into my bag. I looked out the window once more. If what Tonya said was true, it would be cruel to give him that message—unless I really meant it.

I reached The Flower Girl and went straight into an especially busy day, with arrangements for a charity luncheon a client was running, and the usual workload with walk-ins and deliveries. I was once again so thankful for Leonardo.

Hot, gorgeous, sarcastic as hell Leonardo.

He made me smile and totally took my mind off Todd and Geoff and the whole question of what I was going to do with my life.

And that was a very good thing.

Around lunchtime, I was putting the final touches on a bouquet that was due to join some other arrangements to be delivered around the city when I half-noticed someone walk into the shop.

Designing bouquets was my favorite part of being a florist, especially when a client wanted to leave all the design decisions to me—and had a large budget. Today, I got to do just that, and I was in my creative element.

I was vaguely aware of Leonardo talking with someone over the other side of the shop. I looked up from the arrangement, the pale pink ribbon I was in the process of tying in my hands. My fingers froze as my heart leapt into my mouth.

It was Todd.

Todd was here, at The Flower Girl.

Pushing him from my mind was all very well, but it was a little hard not to think about him when he was standing right here in front of me.

My heart rate kicked up a notch. What was he doing at the shop? He couldn’t be looking for Sabrina, because he knew she wasn’t here. Was he here to buy some flowers? I mean, that’s usually what people went to flower shops for, after all.

Or . . . I barely allowed myself to think it. Could it be possible he was here looking . . . for me?

I put my head down and pretended to tie the ribbon as I surreptitiously watched Todd and Leonardo through my lashes. My fingers fumbled, unable to get a firm hold, and I made a total hash of tying a bow. Exasperated, I gave up and pretended instead to study one of the pieces of greenery in the bouquet.

“Addi!” Leonardo called over to me, making me almost jump out of my skin.

I looked up at him, plastering on as innocent a look as I could manage—flushed with guilt as I was.

“Look at who’s here to see you,” Leonardo said, his eyes wide and sparkling with mischief.

I just knew he was loving this. The boss’s ex, here to see the new girl.

Ooh, the scandal!

As the self-confessed Leonardo Dicatrio, I was quite certain he would be dining out on this tonight.

I softened my features the way I’d seen someone do once on a YouTube video on how to look cool in the face of adversity and smiled. “Oh, Todd. Hello. How lovely to see you again,” I said, putting on my professional, “you can only be here on business” voice.

I suspected I sounded a little too much like Mrs. Thornhill, though, with her over-the-top airs and graces.

Todd’s smile teased me as he moved closer. “As it is to see you, too, Addison,” he said, imitating me with a cheeky smile.

I swear my heart skipped a beat.

I stayed behind the counter, needing it for stability—and protection. Not that it could do anything to stop those body tingles Todd’s presence elicited.

I was wearing The Flower Girl light green-and-white striped apron over my floral dress. I wiped my clammy hands on it and said a silent apology to Sabrina.

“What can I do for you this fine day?”

I did an internal eye roll at myself for using such polite and proper language. I was desperate, and he’d caught me totally off guard.

I placed my hands on the counter, lacing my fingers together. A warm flush crept up my neck, and I could feel it blooming in my cheeks.

Dammit! I was such a teenage girl around this guy.

Todd raised his eyebrows at me, biting back a smile as he took a step closer. “It certainly is a fine day, Addison.”

I glanced at Leonardo, standing behind Todd. He had crossed his arms over his chest and was shooting me a look that was both judgmental and enthralled at the same time.

Oh yeah, he was loving this bizarre little interaction.

I cleared my throat. “Why, yes, Todd. Yes, it is. Quite a fine day.”

This really had to stop. We sounded like we were in a black-and-white film from the forties. Any moment now, we would break into a song and dance routine about the weather.

My tone still professional to the point of sounding like I was reading the news on TV, I asked, “Can I help you with a nice floral arrangement? We have some lovely flowers in today, as you can see. Maybe something nice for your mother?”

I instantly thought of Sabrina’s mother, Prickle, pacing the living room floor, and almost giggled. I wondered if Todd knew I’d had a run-in with her?

“Ah, no. I—” he began, leaning his elbow on the counter and speaking in a quieter voice.

He paused, and we both looked over at Leonardo. He was making no effort whatsoever to hide his fascination with us. I raised my eyebrows at him and shot him a look I hoped he would read as “this is private, now get on with some work!”

Instead, he waved his hand in the air. “Oh, don’t mind me.” He batted his eyelids—no, really—and smiled at us both.

Todd turned back to face me, and we shared a look.

“Wha-what were you going to say?” I asked.

“I wanted to ask if you’d like to go out with me so I can show you some of the sights. You know, as friends.” He cleared his throat, looking distinctly uncomfortable. “Just as friends.”

I swallowed. “That sounds great. Going somewhere as friends would be nice. What did you have in mind?”

“How about you leave that up to the local? I have some ideas.”

I couldn’t help but wonder whether any of those ideas involved us kissing the lips off one another. I mean, kissing was friendly, right? I forcibly pushed the thought from my mind.

“That sounds awesome!” I replied, doing my Mickey Mouse impersonation once more. I lowered my voice back to human range. “I mean, that would be nice. Thank you.”

We arranged a date and time and agreed to meet right here, outside The Flower Girl.

“Bring a warm jacket, okay?” he said.

“Got it.”

“Great. See you then.” He turned to leave. “See you later, Leonardo.”

“Oh, bye, Todd. I totally forgot you were here.”

I watched as Todd exited the shop and turned to face Leonardo. I shook my head at him, pursing my lips.

“What?” he said, his hands facing palm up.

Yeah, like he hadn’t been trying to listen in on everything we’d said.

I put my hands on my hips. “You know exactly what.”

“Come on, babe. If you have something for Todd and he has something for you, then go for it. Sabrina literally ran out on him, like literally. The guy could use some attention. And he’s hotter than a habanero chili. You get in there, girl!”

“Oh, no,” I replied, vehemently shaking my head. “It’s not like that at all.”

He arched one eyebrow at me, like Dr. Evil from the Austin Powers movies. I had always wanted to be able to do that, going so far as taping one of my brows down to train it to stay put. It was an abject failure, of course, and I even managed to pull a few eyebrow hairs out on the tape.

“It’s not,” I said with conviction, even though not even I believed it.

“Whatever you say, princess.” His one eyebrow was still arched as his eyes danced with mischief.

I shook my head at him. I knew it was obvious, so I decided to come clean. “Okay, you got me. I . . . like him.”

“I knew it!” He was so excited, you’d think he’d just solved one of those old mysteries no one knew the answer to, not just worked out I had a thing for some guy.

“But you have to know, it can’t go anywhere.”

“Honey, if Todd weren’t straight, he could go anywhere he liked with me.”

I let out a laugh. “Good to know. But for him and me? It can only ever be friendship.”

“Why?”

“He was engaged to Sabrina! I couldn’t do that to her.”

“I love Sabrina, but she’s not here. And if you ask me, things were not perfect in ‘Sabrina-and-Todd Land’ long before she left him on their wedding day. My bet is she’s moved on, and Todd’s not far from doing the same.”

I knitted my brows together. Sabrina had said she’d been unsure about marrying Todd, that in the end it felt like they were getting married more because everyone expected them to than because they actually wanted to.

Maybe Todd felt the same way.

A man dressed in a business suit approached the counter and cleared his throat, interrupting our conversation. He was looking for a bouquet of roses for his wife, and I set about helping him.

But for the rest of the day, I couldn’t get Leonardo’s words out of my mind.