Sabrina

 

I’ve fallen completely in love with San Francisco! I may never want to leave.

I was so thankful to get such a positive message from Addi. It definitely helped to break up the not-so-positive messages from my mother.

How could you do this to Todd, to yourself, and to all of us? My heart is broken.

 

I sighed as I put my head down on the desk. I’d just finished looking over Mrs. Watson’s floral order for the week. Thankfully, it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle, and I was grateful our difficult first encounter hadn’t scared her away.

Now, it was time to deal with my mother. I couldn’t put it off any longer.

Even though I’m an adult now, I’ve never been emotionally prepared for her overdramatic reactions after I’ve “disappointed” her. I knew this was coming, which is why I took my time responding.

Priscilla Monroe, also known as my mother, was a force to be reckoned with.

The endless guilt trip had begun about how badly I had hurt Todd and how much embarrassment I’d brought to the whole family. What she really meant was how much embarrassment I had brought to her, because, after all, it was always about my dear mother.

Our engagement, our wedding—all of it was about her.

After Todd and I had been dating for several months, we introduced our families, and from that moment on, they were inseparable. And then, after we officially became engaged, my mother and Todd’s mother, Bitsy, jumped right into planning, by making “suggestions” on what we should and shouldn’t have. Some of their suggestions were good, and we happily went along with them. Others—like my wedding dress—took more compromise. Finally, there came a point where I stopped caring.

It was then I realized I didn’t want to get married.

 

“Sabrina, are you okay?” Isabella asked.

I raised my head from the desk. “Yes, I’m just trying to decide how to respond to my mother’s message. She’s not happy with me right now.”

Hah! That was quite an understatement. I imagined she was ready to disown me at any moment.

 

“Oh, that’s right. You haven’t explained yet, have you?” Isabella asked as she ran her fingers through her shoulder-length black hair.

I shook my head, trying to avoid eye contact with her. I knew I was being a coward, but I didn’t care. Even though the past few days had been a whirlwind, I already felt different since I had been away. Those few weeks leading up to my wedding felt like I was suffocating.

Now, I was able to breathe again.

 

“Sabrina, I know it’s not any of my business, and I don’t really know you, but what are you so afraid of?” Isabella asked. “I’m sure your family would understand that you only left because you were having so many doubts. Surely they wouldn’t want you to stay in a relationship if you weren’t happy?”

 

I shifted around uncomfortably. I wished I believed they would understand. Judging by my mother’s tone in her messages, she certainly didn’t, which I fully expected. “You’d be surprised. This marriage meant a lot to our families. Uniting us into one family was supposed to be the end game. And with me hopping out that window, I blew it all to hell.”

 

Isabella forced a sympathetic look. I knew she thought I was overreacting, but she was right, she didn’t know me. She really didn’t have a clue.

 

“Anyway, I can’t hold off any longer. I have to talk to them—all of them.”

 

“Including your fiancé? Sorry, I mean ex-fiancé?” she asked.

 

My pulse picked up. As difficult as it was going to be to face the music with my mother, Todd was an entirely different situation. I would never forget the sadness and desperation in his voice in his voicemails.

“Yes, especially him.”

 

Isabella gave me a thoughtful look while she chewed on the top of her pen cap. “Do you think there’s still a chance for you two? Just because you needed to get away doesn’t necessarily mean it’s over . . . forever?”

 

I gave her a weak smile. “I get what you’re saying, but I have to be honest with myself and Todd. I will always love him, but I don’t think that means—” My phone began to ring, interrupting me. I glanced at the screen to see my mother’s phone number once again.

Speak of the devil! I took a deep breath.

 

I looked up at Isabella. “I have to answer this.”

 

She nodded as she hurried away, closing the door to Addi’s small office behind her.

 

I took a deep breath before hitting “answer.”

 

“Hello, Mom,” I said in the most confident tone I could muster.

 

“Sabrina Lynn Monroe, I don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed in my life! How could you do this . . . to all of us? And to make matters worse, you don’t even have the decency to call us and tell us where you are!” She paused to take a breath, before she continued her tirade. “Where are you? Apparently, there are videos of you wandering around the airport in your bare feet!”

 

“Mom—”

 

“You need to get home right away and work this out with Todd. How could you hurt him like this? I’m so ashamed.”

“Mom, will you give me a chance to speak?” I interrupted, raising my voice.

 

“Yes, please enlighten me on why you would climb out of a bathroom window,” she wailed. “A bathroom window, Sabrina! Oh, the humiliation! I haven’t been able to sleep one bit. And poor Bitsy’s blood pressure has been elevated. Do you realize what you’ve done? Do you even care?”

 

I wanted to scream, but experience told me it was the best thing to let her unload on me.

 

“Mom, will you let me speak?” I asked, very calmly once the tirade appeared to be over.

 

“Fine. Just as long as you tell me that you’re on your way home and you promise me you’re going to fix this. You can still get married, I’m sure it’s not too late.”

 

“Mom, I can’t promise you that, and I don’t want to get married. I know that isn’t what you wanted to hear, and I’m sorry for that. It’s just not fair to me—or to Todd.”

 

My mother was completely silent, which was never a good thing. I could almost picture her sitting in her plush white desk chair, her short bob cut perfectly coiffed, sipping on a martini to calm her nerves.

 

“Where are you, Sabrina? Someone needs to talk some sense into you.”

 

I didn’t want her to know where I was. Knowing her, she would be on the first plane here to drag me back to California.

 

“Mom, please just give me the time I need,” I pleaded, hoping to find some compassion in her.

 

“You’re being ridiculous,” she scoffed. “How could you throw away your future like this?”

 

I let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m not throwing anything away. I just need time to think. Please understand.”

 

“I can’t talk to you when you’re being unreasonable,” she snapped. “Call me back when you’re ready to have a rational conversation.”

 

The phone went silent. She actually hung up on me!

I sat back in my chair and let out a puff of air. Well, that went about as well as I’d expected.

But I couldn’t worry about that now. I had a more important person to call: Todd.

I held the phone tightly in my hand as I mentally prepared myself to call him. Just as I was about to press the call button, there was a knock at the door.

 

“Come in,” I called, a little too eager for the interruption.

Isabella popped her head in. “You okay?”

 

I shrugged. “I don’t know. What’s up?”

 

She slipped in and walked over to the desk. “So, I just learned some information about Fuchsia Flowers and Gifts.”

 

As much as I knew I needed to talk to Todd, hearing more about this new competitor of Blooms was a welcome distraction. I promised myself I would call him soon.

 

“What about it?”

 

“My friend knows one of the owners. It’s more of a gift shop, but they also do floral arrangements. I think we need to go to that grand opening event to check them out.”

 

I nodded in agreement. “Absolutely. If this new shop is threatening to take away Addi’s best customers, we have to let her know. We need to see what we’re up against.”

 

“Okay, I’ll get the details. We can go together.”

 

I smiled at her, and she left the room. That was really nice of her. It sure was helpful to have a friend here in this new life.

Speaking of friends, I should probably call my best friend and maid of honor, Naomi. I knew she was upset with me, too, especially because my escape left her in the trenches, having to field all the questions. I sent her a text.

 

Please don’t be mad at me. Just got off the phone with Priscilla. It wasn’t pretty.

 

She responded only a few seconds later.

 

She was furious! Are you going to tell me where you are? I stopped into The Flower Girl, and I met Addison. What’s happening with Todd?

 

I began to type.

 

I haven’t spoken to him yet. Trying to get up the nerve to call him.

 

I carefully avoided her question about my current location. I didn’t want anyone back home to know where I was, and that included Naomi. Even though she was my best friend, I didn’t completely trust her not to crack under pressure—namely, pressure from my mother.

 

I have to run. I promise I will keep in touch. And don’t worry about me, I’m fine.

 

I put my phone on the desk and rubbed my forehead. I needed to focus on something else. I logged onto Addi’s computer and typed in “Fuchsia Flowers and Gifts.” I wanted to find out more about this shop before Mrs. Watson, or any of her crew, became their new customers.

 

* * *

 

Holy Pink! Fuchsia Flowers and Gifts was definitely living up to its name.

Isabella and I arrived a few minutes after the event started. I took a good look around to see what all the fuss was about. It was a cute gift shop, except there was way too much pink—technically fuchsia, hence the name—for my taste. Everything, including the walls, the shelves, and every piece of furniture was the color of bubble gum.

Seriously?

I asked Isabella to pay attention to the customers, just in case they happened to be any of Addi’s regulars. I was already expecting Mrs. Watson to make an appearance, even though she told me she wouldn’t.

 

I noticed a woman with short strawberry blonde hair passing out glasses of wine and chocolate-covered strawberries. Free wine and sugar—that was definitely a brilliant selling point.

 

Isabella and I took off in separate directions. I made my way toward the free wine—for research purposes, of course.

 

“Hi there!” the woman with the strawberry blonde hair said in an over-the-top cheerful tone. “Thanks for coming to Fuchsia Flowers and Gifts tonight. Red or white? We also have bottled water, if you’d prefer.”

 

“White, please,” I said, trying my best to mimic her cheerfulness. I wasn’t doing a very good job.

 

“My name is Aubrey. I’m one of the owners. How did you hear about our little slice of heaven?”

 

Their what? Oh, this was going to be fun.

 

“I heard about you through a friend. I’m actually visiting from San Francisco for a few weeks.”

 

Aubrey’s face lit up. “How nice. I’ve never been there, but I would love to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge.”

 

I took a sip of my wine. This was one topic I could definitely get excited about.

 

“Oh, you should! It’s a wonderful city. Most people fall in love with it as soon as they arrive.” I couldn’t help but remember Addi’s message about her first impression. I hoped she was still loving my home city.

 

“Orlando is a great place, too. What brings you here?”

 

I forced a smile. “Vacation. What else?”

 

She nodded. “Well, please enjoy your evening. Make sure you enter to win some of our fantastic prizes and tell everyone you know about Fuchsia Flowers and Gifts!”

 

I took another sip of my wine. Don’t count on it.

 

“Thank you,” I replied with a fake smile.

A few other women approached us, and Aubrey gave them the same welcome speech she had just given to me.

 

As I wandered around, I made my way toward the floral section in the back corner of the store. There were a few bouquets on display, but nothing that could rival Addison’s creations. I began to feel more at ease. Floral design didn’t seem to be a main focus here, so maybe Addi had nothing to worry about after all?

I took another glance around the shop. Isabella was now talking to Aubrey and getting her free wine. I had no doubt she was pumping her for information, which was good.

 

I was just about to snap a few pictures to show Addi when someone caught my eye.

Someone very familiar.

I moved a little closer. Could it really be him? I maneuvered myself for a better view. He turned to face me, looking straight at me.

I was right!

It was Ethan, my neighbor on my flight from Dallas. I remembered those blue eyes very vividly from when we talked to each other during our journey to Florida. He gave me a curious look and smiled. I watched as he excused himself from his conversation and walked over to me. He was wearing a light blue buttoned-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of dark blue jeans. His shirt almost matched his eyes.

 

“Well, this is a surprise,” Ethan said with a smile, showing off his perfectly white teeth. I tilted my head back to get a better look at his face. I had to admit I was a little distracted by how attractive he was. I must have really been out of it on the plane, otherwise I would have remembered this.

I wasn’t surprised because it had been a crazy day for me.

 

“What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

 

“I was going to ask you the same question. The last time I saw you, you had just crawled out of a window and were moving into a stranger’s house.”

I shifted uncomfortably, wishing he had forgotten that little fact.

“Obviously, you’re settling into O-town okay?”

 

O-town? I had never heard that nickname before.

 

“I’m doing okay,” I replied, purposefully avoiding his reference to me being a runaway bride. “I’m just really surprised to see you here.”

 

He raised his eyebrows. “You don’t think I can handle being in a place that’s wall-to-wall pink?”

 

I giggled and looked around. There was only one other man in the entire shop. “No, I think it’s awesome. Both you and that guy over there.” I paused. “You two are either obviously comfortable with your sexuality, or you’re a couple of geniuses. This is probably a great place to pick up women.”

 

Ethan laughed. “That’s my brother. And we aren’t here to pick up women. His wife is one of the owners, and I’m hanging out with him tonight.”

 

Now that was interesting. Ethan’s sister-in-law owned this place. What were the chances?

 

“Oh, I just met Aubrey. Is she his wife?”

 

He shook his head. “Nope, Jackie is his wife. She’s the short blonde one over there.”

 

I looked in the direction of where he was pointing.

Crap! Jackie was standing near the front door, and she was talking to Mrs. Watson. I had a feeling she would show up tonight. What a liar.

 

“Sabrina, we better get going,” Isabella interrupted, appearing at my side. She looked at Ethan and raised her eyebrows. I could only imagine what she was thinking. Either she was mesmerized by his good looks or she was wondering why someone who was technically still engaged was standing so close to a super sexy man.

Or maybe she was thinking both?

 

“Isabella, this is Ethan. We were sitting next to each other on the plane ride here. Crazy coincidence, huh?”

 

“Wow, really?” she asked.

 

“His sister-in-law is one of the owners,” I added, shooting her a look. “That’s her, over by the door.”

 

Isabella’s eyes grew wide as soon as she saw Mrs. Watson.

 

“I’ll introduce you two, come on,” Ethan offered.

Both Isabella and I looked at each other in horror. No one here knew we ran Blooms on Valencia—except Mrs. Watson.

I considered our options. If we abruptly rushed out of the shop, it would look really shady. We needed to make a decision, and fast.

 

“Um, I have to make a quick phone call,” Isabella said, saving herself. “Why don’t you go and I’ll meet you in a few minutes?”

 

I knew what she was doing. There was less of a chance of Mrs. Watson recognizing me.

 

“Okay,” I replied uncertainly, hoping this plan would work.

 

Thankfully, Ethan didn’t notice Isabella’s abrupt escape. We began to make our way toward Jackie and that traitor, Mrs. Watson. The shop was starting to get crowded now, forcing Ethan to move a little closer to me. I noticed my heart rate kick up a notch.

What the hell was happening to me?

 

“I still can’t believe you’re here,” he said, leaning down to talk in my ear. I could feel his breath on my neck, which sent a tingle down my spine. I nodded quickly as I squeezed through a few girls, talking about the free wine.

Was Ethan flirting with me?

Did I even mind if he was?

 

We approached Jackie and, thankfully, Mrs. Watson had moved away. Potential catastrophe averted!

 

“Jackie, I want you to meet someone,” Ethan said, placing his hand on the small of my back. His gesture caused another tingle down my spine.

I shifted uncomfortably, trying to ignore the sensation.

“This is Sabrina, she’s visiting from California. We were on the same plane from Dallas.”

 

Jackie looked back and forth between Ethan and me. The way she sized me up gave me a weird feeling, a feeling I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

 

“We just happened to run into each other here tonight,” I added.

Why did I feel the need to explain myself?

 

“Wow, that’s cool,” she said, finally. “It’s nice to meet you, Sabrina.”

 

“You too, and your place is adorable.”

 

I wasn’t sure if “adorable” was the description she wanted to hear, but how else would you describe a perfectly pink gift shop? It really was overkill, almost as if Barbie had thrown up all over the place.

 

“Thanks so much!”

 

Before we had a chance to talk, Jackie was summoned away by another guest, leaving me alone with Ethan once more. We smiled at each other. My heart began to beat faster and part of me wanted to run.

It was much too soon to have these types of feelings for another man.

 

“I . . . I better get going. Isabella is waiting for me.”

 

He nodded. “Oh, sure. There’s just one thing. Normally, I wouldn’t be so forward, but I can’t help but find this really strange, us running into each other like this. It’s like fate or something.”

 

Did he say fate?

He paused. “Would you like to meet up for coffee sometime?”

 

My smile began to fade.

 

“As friends,” he added quickly, taking in my expression. “I know you’re just getting out of a relationship, but sometimes it’s nice to see a friendly face in a new city.”

 

Did leaving my fiancé at the altar count as “just getting out of a relationship”?

 

“I think that would be okay,” I said uncertainly.

What was I doing?

 

He grinned at me. “Great.”

 

This time Ethan asked for my cell number. Obviously I never called him after he gave me his number on the plane. I felt like I was in a daze as I recited it to him. A few minutes later we said our goodbyes, and I made my way toward the door, where Isabella was waiting for me.

“I think we should get out of here,” I suggested.

On my way out, I caught Jackie watching me, and once again I felt uneasy. Maybe she already knew I was spying on her for Blooms? Either that or she was being overprotective of Ethan.

Hmm . . . this evening certainly proved to be enlightening, in more ways than one.