"Beau," Mrs. Barton says in a sugary sweet voice.
I stand from my chair, trying to clear my thoughts as she comes over toward me. She’s coming in for a hug and a double cheek kiss. I can’t handle it today and I extended my hand for a shake to stop her, unable to stand the thought of her touching me. Right now, I’m filled with the memory of my sunshine’s sweet scent and I don’t want this woman’s perfume to invade that.
She rolls her eyes at me but takes my hand and shakes it. "Always so formal," she huffs before taking her seat. I take mine across from her, putting some distance between us.
"I told you to dress like you were going to church." My tone is bored but firm.
"Sorry, I don't own anything like that." She smirks before shooting me a wink. I bring my fingers to my temples and press them, questioning why I became a divorce lawyer.
"Lucky for you, I'm prepared," I say, letting out a sigh. We keep a closet of women's suit jackets and other pieces of clothing just for moments like this. Eighty percent of my clients are women. I won a giant divorce settlement for a woman my first year out of law school and now every woman wanting to divorce their husband thinks I'm the man to go to. Maybe I am because I'm good at it, but it’s not doing my soul any favors.
"I love having my own personal Boy Scout saving the day." She moves to the edge of her seat and leans forward, trying to give me an eyeful of her cleavage. I have to fight the urge to say something snide. Sadly I'm used to this kind of behavior.
"I sent over another offer," I tell her. "If they don't take it in the next…" I glance at the clock on my computer. "…Twenty minutes we’ll go straight to the court house." She gives me a pout, and I have no fucking clue why. "Let's go over a few things."
"We've gone over everything. I'm sick of talking about it. Let's talk about something more interesting. Like…" The pout is gone and a sinister smile spreads on her lips. How did her husband fall for this shit?
My mind flashes to my blonde ray of sunshine. I'd fall for anything when it comes to her.
"I'm going to be single and freshly divorced by the end of the day. What are your plans tonight?"
My plans are to have a beautiful blonde underneath me as my name falls from her lips and she begs me to stop eating her pussy. But I don’t tell her that.
"Beau!" Mrs. Barton snaps, breaking me from my thoughts of Dove. I fight back a growl.
"I'm seeing someone," I say simply, as if it's old news.
"Oh, well. No one has to know." The smile on her face grows even bigger, then she bites her lip. I'm guessing it’s an attempt to be sexy.
I've had enough. "Mrs. Barton—" I'm cut off when the intercom on my phone goes off.
"Call on line two, Mr. Heart. It's Thompson and Thompson," Katie says. I grab for the phone, glad to have the interruption. Hopefully this call is their client taking our offer so I can get Mrs. Barton out of my life by the end of the day.
Five
DOVE
"Earth to Dove." Sue snaps her fingers in front of my face, clearing thoughts of the coffee shop and Beau from my mind.
"Sorry," I tell her as I flip the page in the order book. I try to look like I’m working and not daydreaming.
"All I want to know is how coffee went this morning." She wiggles her eyebrows.
Why do I have such a big mouth? I can't stop talking about Beau to my friends. I had to, though. I needed their help. Well, I thought I did. Things look like they might be taking the next step on their own without me having to make a move. Thank goodness.
"I'm guessing by that blush it went well," Sue giggles.
Sue owns the flower shop. I've worked here for about a year and I really enjoy it. I love flowers and putting different ones together to make beautiful creations. I know they’ll bring joy to people, and that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
"I think we have a date tonight," I sheepishly admit. I glance over at her, and Sue is smiling at me. She does a little jump, making her short gray curls bounce. I swear sometimes she has more energy than I do.
She stops jumping after a second then looks at me seriously. "Wait, why do you think you have a date?"
"He said he'd pick me up after work, but how does he know where I work?" It’s one question that keeps running through my head.
"Maybe you told him?"
"Maybe." I try to think back. We've made small talk over the past few weeks, talking a little more each day. I know he’s an only child, went to Yale, is in his early thirties, and a lawyer. "He gave me his number."
I pick up my coffee cup and show her. "I was thinking I should text him?" That way I could double-check that he knows where I work. I really would hate to not have this date tonight. I don't think I've ever been more excited about anything before. He could have been caught up in the moment and forgotten he didn't know, and now he has no way to get a hold of me.
"You kids and texting." Sue shakes her head.
There’s no way I’m calling, but I keep that thought to myself. In a text I won't have to worry about forgetting to speak or stumbling over my words. I can plan better over text and not seem like a blushing schoolgirl. Which I totally am these days. But what if I did tell him where I work, then I’ll look clingy and too excited about a date. I’m sure a guy like Beau is used to dating lots of women. The thought makes my stomach sink. I'm in over my head and I hate the idea of him with another woman. One who probably doesn’t blush every two seconds.
He thinks I’m hot, and no one has ever made me feel like that before. I felt like a woman in that moment. There was a power that came with it, and I felt like I could have all of him if I wanted to. And boy, do I want to.
"Text him," Sue tells me. She probably knows I’m starting to second guess myself.
I pick up my phone and scroll to his number. I already programed it in as soon as I got to work. As I tap on my messages, the chime over the door rings, and both Sue and I look up. John, the new superintendent, walks into the shop. He’s been here the past few weeks and it’s been a godsend. He fixes stuff around the shop that Sue has been trying to get the landlord to fix for months. I guess the building got bought by someone new and he’s making sure everything is good to go.
"John, I don't think I have anything else for you to fix around here," Sue tells him.
"I'm going to be checking the water lines today. Can't have a flower shop going without water." He shoots Sue a wink. I love all that he's done around here, but I feel like he doesn't like me. He never meets my eyes and barely acknowledges I'm here.
"Hi, John," I try, but he only gives me a nod as he heads toward the back.
"Such a sweet boy," Sue says. "If you and this Beau don't work out—"
"Married, ma'am,” we hear John say from the back.
Sue giggles. I shake my head, feeling a little embarrassed. "Okay, okay. I’ll go text him," I say as she goes back to her arrangement.
I put in his name and type out the text.