They're everywhere.
How did he do this, get so many flowers this early in the morning?
And then the answer hits me. Jack saw the ring. He thought I’d be home last night.
“Well, guess what, asshole, I didn’t come home.”
My nose tickles and my eyes water.
"He’s pathetic," I say to the empty condo before sneezing.
I shake my head as I move from room to room. If he were there, I'd throw one of the bouquets in his disgusting face.
He's not.
However, there is a note on the bed.
Samantha,
My love. I'm very sorry...
I don't continue to read or even bother to crumple the paper.
Jack isn't worth the energy. Instead, I drop the piece of paper in a wastebasket, strip out of my clothes, and get ready for a shower. As I do, I recall Marshal helping me out of my panties last night.
His hands, long fingers, and monster cock...
The memories wobble my knees.
I reach for the bedside stand to steady myself, but as I do, I brush my arm against another bouquet. "Ouch." Damn thorns. "Shit," I mutter.
A thin trail of blood oozes down my arm. The small puncture makes me grin.
If I needed any more proof that Jack is a prick, I now have it.
Marshal
I can't believe she left without a word.
When I woke, Sami was gone, and I never heard her leave.
Normally, I'm fine with waking alone. It's much easier than the sure, I'll give you a call speech, but this is different. This is Sami.
I have so many questions.
How is she?
Did she go back to that asshole?
Has she told her parents?
Are we still friends?
The questions run circles through my mind, nearly making me dizzy as I shower and get ready for work.
When I finally give her a call, it goes directly to voicemail. I imagine that she's turned off her phone or at least the ringer.
Did she see him?
The thought alone causes me to ball my hands into fists.
Why does it bother me so much?
Sami was engaged to the asshole.
Why now does the idea of her spending even five minutes with him upset me?
I know the answer.
My rage has nothing to do with the fact that we slept together. It's because he upset her.
By nearly noon, I can't take it anymore. Sami works less than ten minutes from my office, and I have to see with my own eyes that she’s all right.
The advertising firm where she works has a front office with a receptionist, Marcy. She's a friend of Sami's and recognizes me as soon as I enter.
"Marshal, are you here for Sami, too?"
"Too?"
"I have no idea what's happening, but she's had, roughly, fifty deliveries. I know it's not her birthday. But she's not spilling the beans." Marcy comes around the desk, steps closer, and flashes me a sexy grin. "Come on, you know everything about her. I bet you know what's happening."
Marcy’s one of those people who loves to get the dirt on everyone. She's pretty good at keeping the secret, but she hates being out of the loop.
I adopt my most innocent face and raise my hands. "Clueless. I just came to ask her out to lunch."
"Do you think stuffy Jack won't like her having lunch with other men after they're official?"
My chest aches at the thought of her being official with him, but I ignore it as I keep up my normal routine. "You know me, Marcy, I'm not just an other man: I'm Marshal." I lower my voice. "And between you and me, I don't give a shit what he thinks anyway."
She winks. "That's right, you're the man."
I shoot her a wink seconds before I enter the main doors and make my way back toward Sami's cubicle. As I turn the corner, I enter a jungle complete with a chorus of sneezes and sniffles. Maybe it's piped jungle noises like they have at Planet Hollywood. I'm waiting for an elephant to raise his trunk and trumpet.
By the way, I am literal with the description jungle.
Not as in, work is a jungle and only the strongest survive.
Sami's cubicle is literally a jungle.
Marcy was right. I have to wonder if there were literally fifty individual deliveries, or if one giant truck would have been easier. There's no open space. Even the hallway is lined on either side. The flowers and balloons have oozed out of her area to other spaces around her. Flowers are everywhere I turn, vases and planters, roses and lilies, daisies and irises.
"Achoo." Three rapid sneezes followed by yet another one echo from a nearby cubicle.
"Sami?" I call, looking into the sea of flowers.
"Achoo."
I follow the sound until I find her. When she turns, she's shaking her head. She has a tissue in her hand, her eyes are red, and her nose is running.
"Marshal? What are you doing here?" she asks as she dabs her eyes.
"I wanted...are you all right?"
She nods as an exasperated smile raises her cheeks. "I told you that I was allergic...achoo!"
A chorus of sneezes comes from around the room. Apparently, she isn't the only one who's allergic.
"What the hell?"
"I know, right?" Sami says. "My condo is full too."
I reach for her hand and give it a tug. "How about getting out of here for some lunch?"
"Throw in some Benadryl and you've got a deal."
I snicker as we make our way out to my car.
"It's not funny," she says with a welcome glint to her green eyes.
"It is. It's also pathetic. Have you talked to him or your parents?"
"Jack. We spoke briefly. I told him to get out of my condo. He did. He wasn't there when I got home, but there were—"
"Let me guess, flowers?"
"Oh my God. I never want to see another flower again as long as I live." She rolls down the window as we start to drive away. "Fresh air. I need fresh air."
Like a puppy on its first drive, Sami leans her face out the window, allowing the breeze to blow her hair back. I can hardly keep my eyes on the road. Considering she just emerged from an unwanted tropical nursery, she looks happy and carefree.
How can that be?
"Sami?"
She can't hear me. When she doesn't answer, I tap the button on the window to raise it just a little.
"Hey,” she yells as she pulls her head back into the car. “Are you trying to chop off my head?"
"No, I'm trying to get your attention."
Sami smiles. "You definitely had it last night."
Okay, that's good. She brought it up. Her bringing it up is good.
Right?
"Yeah, about that..."
She reaches over and covers my hand with hers. "As far as I'm concerned, we're still friends. How about you?"
I sit taller. "Still friends, and you were right, by the way."
"I was? About what?"
I turn my hand over so our palms meet and give her hand a squeeze. "Honey, you're a great lay."
Sami shakes her head as pink fills her cheeks. "You know, I'm not sad. I should be. I know my parents will be furious, but for lack of a better word, I'm relieved."