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“Me too.”
We park the van behind Bloom and quickly head inside to grab our car keys so we can make our way home. Leah has locked up the store and gone home for the day, so our job here today is done. I follow Ellie out through the front door, and after she locks it, we both head towards our cars parked along the street. We agree that a hot shower and a quiet night in alone is all we can handle after the week we’ve both had.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Ells. Have a good night.”
“See you tomorrow, baby cakes,” Ellie winks, before sliding into her car.
Forty-five minutes later, I’m showered and full from a plate of leftover pasta from my fridge. I’m cozy on my couch with a blanket and a mug of peppermint tea. With the business of the day finally done, my mind immediately drifts to Parker. I find myself wanting to call right now, to tell him about the order and how well it all went. I want to tell him about Bianca and her completely over-the-top clam bake. I want to tell him about the largest order we’ve ever received and then watch his face beam with pride for me. I want him to run a hot bath for me because that’s exactly what he would do if I told him my legs were sore from walking the beach back and forth all afternoon. Then I would ask him to join me in the tub. We’d share a bottle of wine and swap stories from our week.
I pull the blanket up to my chin, wishing I could go a day, an hour, even a minute without thinking about him. Fat chance.
I flip through shows on Netflix, finding nothing that holds my interest. I’m in no shape for a rom-com and I’m sure my mind is too scattered for a drama. I sip my tea, finding myself staring into the steamy hot liquid a minute or two later. My gaze is broken when my phone lights up on the coffee table in front of me. My heart immediately leaps in my chest, wondering if it’s Parker. It’s not. It’s a phone call from Ellie.
“Hey, Ells.”
“Hey, Olivia. Shit,” she says, talking fast. “Bianca just called in a panic. She said she’s missing the table runner of peonies and her guests are arriving in thirty minutes. How did we miss that?”
“I don’t know, but that’s not good.”
“No, it’s not. I’m putting on my shoes and I’m heading to work. Can you meet me there?”
“You bet. I’ll be ten minutes behind you. I just need to change out of my pajamas and I’m on my way.”
“Great, see you soon.” I end the call disappointed in myself.
I get changed out of my pajamas as swiftly as possible, throwing on a sundress and a pair of strappy sandals. I take my hair down from its top knot and run a brush through it, in hopes of looking somewhat presentable for Bianca. I shake out my hair and it falls into loose, beach waves, making me thankful for the natural curls I used to curse when I was a kid. There’s not enough time for makeup but I manage to coat my lips in a thin layer of lip gloss and run a little blush over my cheeks.
Grabbing my keys, purse and cell phone, I’m out the door and on my way to Bloom to fix our blunder and make sure Bianca is happy with how we quickly remedy the situation. We’ve worked too hard on this event to have an unhappy client or worse yet, a negative review.
Ellie is waiting for me when I arrive, the runner of peonies safely placed in the Bloom van before I even put my car in park. Ellie offers to drive, and I don’t argue.
“So, should we be scared for our lives? How mad was Bianca when she called?” I ask Ellie.
“No, she was actually very reasonable. It’s going to be fine.”
“On the bright side, at least we will get to see the setup.”
Ellie’s eyes remain focused on the road, the corners of her lips turning up in a smile.
“Can I ask you something, Ells?”
“Of course, shoot.”
“Anything happening with you and Liam? You two were so cute that night at our beach house party. You haven’t said much since.”
“Nope, nothing.”
“Really? You two seemed like you hit it off. Have you heard from him at all?”
“Maybe once or twice.” She smiles.
“And you kept this from me? Ellie…”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d want to talk about a Bennett. You know I would’ve told you under any other circumstance.”
“I know, but I’m fine. I’m a big girl and I can be happy for you even if my own love life is a wreck. So, tell me more.” I shift in my seat. The sounds of a Friday night in Reed Point billow from the busy streets. I can’t help scanning the crowds for Parker.
“There’s not much to tell. We’ve traded texts a few times and he’s asked me to go out with him. But I said no.”
