Any Blooming Thing: Contemporary Second Chance Romance Novella (Clean Romantic Comedy) (Flower Shop Romance Book 1) Read online

  Chapter 6

  Alfie and Jessica were sitting in the corner of a dimly lit restaurant. Their kiss in the backroom of Any Blooming Thing led to several more kisses, and exchanging of numbers, and a few dates about the city. This was their 4th date. Jessica, more open than she’d ever been with Alfie, and Alfie even more wonderful than how she’d imagined he would be.

  He was chivalrous and silly all in one. He opened her doors for her, but he’d also make faces at her from across the table. It felt a lot like spending time with your best friend. It was as if nothing had changed between them, only now on occasion, Alfie’s fingers would brush against her own…and even rarer still, his thumb would find her cheek and lightly touch it while he looked into her eyes.

  “This is a pretty snazzy place,” Jessica said.

  Alfie shook his head with mock disgust.

  “I think the term you’re looking for is fancy as hell. Decorum please, dear.”

  Jessica had to cover her mouth to keep from snorting with laughter.

  “I really like making you laugh,” Alfie said. Jessica smiled at him from across the table. She couldn’t believe that this was happening. After each of their dates, she had to stop and process all the time they spent together to see if this was really happening.

  “Can I be serious for a second?” Jessica asked.

  “Uh oh,” Alfie frowned. “What did I do?”

  Jessica smiled briefly, but quickly went back to having a serious face. This wasn’t the time to joke. She toyed with her food for a second before speaking up. Her face was getting warm. She was nervous about what it was that she was about to ask him.

  “I guess I wanted to know what made you ask me out after all this time.”

  “I asked you out because I wanted to,” Alfie replied simply. He stiffened just a bit in his seat, getting a bit uncomfortable at what was possibly the beginning of an interrogation.

  “What about high school?” she asked.

  “What about high school?” he echoed patiently. He took a sip of water and gently placed the glass back down on the table. He clasped his arms and leaned forward so that Jessica could see that he was giving her his full attention.

  “You didn’t ask me out then,” she pointed out.

  “I guess maybe it wasn’t the right time then,” he said. All of his responses were matter of fact, and they came almost like clockwork, like he was anticipating this very conversation.

  “So it has nothing to do with the fact that I’m not fat anymore?”

  Jessica didn’t mean for her voice to sound defensive. This was the case for a lot of people who knew her before she lost her weight. They liked her enough to be her friend, but when she was taller and slimmer was when they paid her enough mind to ask her out. It didn’t build up her confidence in fact, it lowered her self-esteem more. She didn’t know which version of herself she was more comfortable with, and now her insecurities were pouring out onto the table between them.

  “What are you talking about Jess? No. That’s not why.”

  “It’s just…it’s happened to me before, and this seems like very convenient timing for you.”

  “Jessica, if you want me to be honest, then I’ll do that. I always knew that you liked me. I kind of liked you too in Junior year. That’s why I partnered up with you for our project on Macbeth. But then Stacy Links asked me to prom…”

  “She asked you?” Jessica interrupted him. Alfie nodded his head and continued.

  “She asked me to Junior prom, and then it looked like you didn’t really want to hang out with me anymore. So Stacy and I got together, and we stayed together until after Senior year. I just thought you didn’t want to be my friend anymore. Then when I saw you at the flower shop, it was like this weird twist of fate. I mean I moved here a few months ago, my business is so close to yours, and there you were. I thought this must have been a good thing. This could be my chance to get to know you like I had wanted to back then.”

  They sat in silence for a bit. Jessica felt a bit funny for accusing Alfie of being insincere, but she knew that if she didn’t ask then it would have nagged at her internally until she said something anyway.

  “If I hurt you in high school, I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intention. All I know is that when I saw you again, I felt this similar connection like we had when we were hanging out. It was this friendly and familiar warmth, and I just got so drawn to you. I wanted to see what all of that meant.”

  Jessica could feel tears welling up in her eyes. She was overcome by emotions. All of this time, she thought to herself. Over a decade of pining and what ifs and thinking of him, and he had felt something for her. The feelings were reciprocated, and if she wasn’t too afraid, she could have stayed his friend through senior year. Something could have happened between them from a long time ago. But that would have meant that he wouldn’t have had Lydia.

  No, Jessica couldn’t regret anything. She was luckier than most. She was getting a second chance with the man of her dreams. She was sitting across the table with Alfie reassuring her that he truly and deeply cared for her beyond any shallow ideas that she may have assumed of him.

  Alfie took a hold of Jessica’s hand, and a tear escaped her before she could wipe it away.

  “I didn’t want to make you cry. I just wanted you to know that I really like you. Ginger curls or Courtney Cox black hair,” Alfie said. Jessica couldn’t help but laugh. He was finding ways to make her happy, even when she was feeling insecure about herself.

  “You’re so lame,” she said when she was finished laughing. There were no more tears coming out, and Alfie was grateful for that. “Thank you for making me laugh.”

  “I told you that I like seeing you laugh. I want to keep doing that.”

  “So…keep doing it,” Jessica said.

  “I want to. I do…but…” Alfie’s voice trailed off.

  “But what?” Jessica asked. She anticipated a rug being pulled from under her. Alfie looked serious and almost worried now.

  “If I may get serious for a moment too, there’s something important that I need to talk to you about. It could change everything.”

  Chapter 7

  “Alfie has a flair for the dramatic,” Chleo said. She was dunking a tea bag in and out of a mug. It was a beautiful Monday morning after Alfie and Jessica’s date.

  “Meeting his daughter is a big deal. I don’t think he’s being dramatic,” Jessica said. She was unpacking some new flower pots that she had ordered.

  “You’re basically a kid yourself, so I bet she’ll love you.”

  Jessica through a handful of bubble wrap at Chleo and laughed.

  “He hasn’t called me since our date, but he wants us to meet soon. I’m pretty nervous though,” Jessica said.

  “Don’t be,” Chleo pat Jessica on the back. “You have a good heart, and kids can always see that. I know she’s going to love you.”

  “I hope so. I really do…”

  ***

  Jessica hadn’t heard from Alfie in a week. She was already anxious after just a few days, but not seeing him made things worse.

  Was he worried that they were moving too fast? Just because they knew each other when they were in high school didn’t mean that they knew each other now that they were adults and one of them had a child. Things were different now, and they had both changed a lot since they were teenagers.

  Whenever Jessica texted Alfie, his responses were vague, and it made her wonder what it was that could have happened. She hated the idea of pestering anybody, so she kept her texts short and casual. After a few days, she noticed that his replies to her were getting less frequent.

  She would have been less anxious about it if she at least saw him passing by to go to his coffee shop, but she didn’t even see him. Since he was the owner, he didn’t have to go every day of course. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt so that she wouldn’t over-think their relationship. They had only started reconnecting just a month earlier. She just wanted to k
now why he had already started being distant just after letting her know that he wanted her to meet his daughter.

  When another week had passed, Jessica decided to go to the coffee shop. His last message to her was a few days prior, when he was letting her know that he was very busy, and he would message her at some point during the next week. He seemed to need space, and she was going to allow him his space. She wasn’t the smothering type anyway. She was just curious about why he hadn’t gone to his store, even if it had nothing to do with her.

  Chleo said that she would man the fort while Jessica went to investigate what happened to Alfie. Jessica headed for the coffee shop.

  “Welcome to Dream Coffee, I’m Delilah. How can I help you today?” said the woman behind the counter. Jessica didn’t recognize her, even though she had had coffee from there before. When she figured that Alfie needed space, she had kept her distance.

  “Oh, I’m actually looking for your manager,” Jessica said. She didn’t want to talk in front of the customers, and the thought made her uncomfortable.

  “I’m the manager,” Delilah said without losing her smile.

  “Oh. Well…hi Delilah. I was wondering what happened to your boss, Mr. Reynolds? I’m a friend of his and I haven’t seen him in a while,” Jessica started.

  “You must be Jessica!” Delilah said with a bit more excitement. “Mr. Reynolds talks about you all the time. Wait, you don’t know where he is?”

  Jessica looked as confused as Delilah now did, but for a different reason.

  “Mr. Reynolds is upstate. He’s supposed to come back in the next few days,” Delilah said. She was still smiling, but she looked a bit troubled.

  Jessica had no idea why Alfie didn’t let her know that he was away. Now she wanted to know what it was that he could have been hiding. She thanked Delilah and stepped out of the coffee shop.

  There was something extremely fishy going on. She didn’t know what it was, but she was going to find out what.

  ***

  “Hey you.”

  Just as Delilah had said, Alfie was back in the city by Wednesday. He texted Jessica the night before, apologizing for being so distant, and asked to see her at her apartment on Wednesday night.

  “Hi,” Jessica said flatly. “Come in.”

  She moved away from the door so that Alfie could step into the apartment.

  “So, I’m an asshole. I know. I would have brought you flowers, but you own the best flower shop I know, and that would have been a dead giveaway,” Alfie said, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Please don’t joke,” Jessica said. Alfie nodded and looked down.

  “I’m really sorry Jessica. Some things came up, and I didn’t know how to tell you.”

  “I guess if this is something that you want to do with me, then maybe it would be a good idea to let me in a little,” Jessica snapped.

  “That’s fair,” Alfie said. “I didn’t know what was happening, and I didn’t want to worry you.”

  “A good way to worry me more is by disappearing and not letting me know what the hell is going on.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.”

  They were both still standing by the door, but Jessica held out her hand and gestured for Alfie to step into the living room. He obliged and sat close to the center of her sofa. She sat beside him.

  “Jessica, life just took a bit of an unexpected turn. It’s a great turn, and it was something that was kind of in the works even before you were in the picture.”

  He was stalling, Jessica knew. She sat and waited patiently for him to get to the point of what it was he wanted to say.

  “My business is expanding. It wasn’t really the plan to stay in the city this whole time. It was for one semester of Lydia’s school, and then we were supposed to move upstate to open another chain,” Alfie said after a long silence.

  “What are you saying?” It was a stupid question, Jessica thought. She knew what it was that he was saying. She just wanted it spelled out for her. Alfie knew too. He couldn’t find the right way to say the words again.

  “You’re moving?”

  “I don’t want to. Well, I did want to…but then there was you, and…”

  “And I’m making this decision hard for you,” Jessica interrupted.

  “It’s not just that. Lydia likes her school here, and I like being here. She’s moved around a lot, and she thought this was where we could settle down. I just have a lot to think about.”

  “That’s something you couldn’t tell me?”

  “It was hard for me. I still don’t know what to do.”

  “I think you should leave,” Jessica said. It was harsh and it was a rational remark, but she needed to be alone before her thoughts spun out of control.

  “Jess…”

  “Please. Go home, Alfie.”

  He didn’t protest again. He sat still and looked at her for a minute, and reached out with his hand. He was just about to touch her arm, but he thought better of it, and brought his arm back to him. He stood up and started walking away.

  “Jessica,” he said weakly. He stopped but didn’t turn around. She didn’t respond, but he knew that she could hear him.

  “I know it’s a little too late to say this, but I think…I think it was always you, Jessica.”

  Without another word, Alfie stepped out of the apartment and shut the door behind him. And Jessica cried herself to sleep.

  Chapter 8

  It wasn’t like Jessica to lie to Chleo. Of all people, Chleo would have understood. She was the one who knew how much Jessica had been in love with Alfred Reynolds since they were all 15. She knew after countless obnoxious and self-righteous boyfriends, in the back of Jessica’s mind, it was always Alfie. But Jessica couldn’t bring herself to be at work.

  The coffee shop was in too close a proximity. She wasn’t a coward, but the idea of bumping into him now scared her. She was the one who decided to end it. When he called, she wouldn’t answer. She didn’t read or even respond to any of his texts. She shoved her cell phone underneath one of her couch cushions and put it on silent.

  If he was going to leave, then he was going to have to hate her. It would be easier for him then. He could move on with his life and not have to worry about Jessica or how she was feeling. She wanted that; she lied to herself. She wanted him to hate her and forget about her, and forget they even had a brief chance at love. It only made it harder since she knew how he felt about it.

  “It was always you, Jessica,” his voice echoed in the back of her mind. No matter how hard she tried to shut him out, those words remained. The last time she remembered his voice was when he told her she was beautiful, and that took almost 15 years before they faded, and that was only because they had now been replaced with, ‘It was always you’.

  Jessica lied to Chleo the next morning. She told her that she was sick. Chleo went to work alone, and filled Jessica in on the boring details of the day.

  After day three, Chleo knew that something was up. She showed up, unannounced at Jessica’s door.

  “How are you feeling? I brought you some soup,” Chleo said when she stepped into the apartment. She headed toward the kitchen and rummaged around a bit until she found a tray.

  “Get into bed and we can talk when you have some food in your system.”

  Chleo felt Jessica’s head before shooing her off to her room. It didn’t take long for Chleo to come inside with the soup.

  “I feel pretty awful to be honest,” Jessica was sitting up in bed. She didn’t have much of an appetite. She had been stuffing her face earlier with confections and junk food.

  “That crazy science teacher guy came in today. It was his two year anniversary with the pink haired teacher. Did you know she’s black?” Chleo said. She saw Jessica looking gloomily into her soup, and wanted to take her mind off of whatever it was that was making her feel so bad.

  “I bet she was really pretty too,” Jessica said. She smiled, but it was a weak smile.

  “Yeah, she
was,” Chleo said. She put her hand on Jessica’s forehead. “No temperature.”

  “Maybe I’m getting better,” Jessica offered.

  “And maybe Alfie came to the store today looking for you, and spilled his guts about everything,” Chleo said. She didn’t sound angry, and she wasn’t accusing Jessica. But she was hurt that Jessica had kept something so important like that from her.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

  “That’s ok. I’ll live. I’m sorry about Alfie. He really wants to talk to you.”

  “Did you get upset and tell him to leave me alone? I know you were worried about him hurting me,” Jessica said.

  “Are you kidding? The last time I saw you that happy was the last time you saw Alfie. He brings something out of you that no one else ever has,” said Chleo. She took Jessica by the hand and squeezed. She was beginning her mama bear mode. It always started with a meaningful look or squeeze of the shoulder or hand.

  “He told me,” she started and stopped, not knowing if it would be a good idea to say what she was about to say. She decided to say it anyway. “He told me to ask you if you’d go with him. He said he knows it’s soon…but when you know, you know. He said he asked you in a bunch of messages, but you didn’t answer them. It would have been way better and way more romantic if he was the one to tell you. But you might not have checked your messages until it was too late.”

  Jessica shifted so that she was sitting straighter in her bed. She stopped playing with her soup, and squeezed Chleo’s hand back. It was more a response to panic than it was a squeeze of reassurance, but Chleo didn’t mind.

  Then Jessica’s hand went limp. The brightness of her eyes went back to a dull blue of defeat.

  “I can’t go,” Jessica said.

  “Why can’t you?”

  “I’m not going to leave you, or the store. I can’t leave my best friend and my own business to go traipsing upstate.”

  “But you love him.”

  “Yes, I do. But I love you, and I love me. In fact, I love me most. And I can’t give up my life for someone else. It just wouldn’t make me happy if I went,” Jessica said. She hated to say it, but it was the truth. There would be nothing for her upstate. She also hadn’t even met Lydia yet. There were so many things to consider, but it melted her heart knowing that Alfie wanted her so close to him.