Love in February: Week One Read online

  “I thought it would be impossible for someone to look more stunning than you did this afternoon, but clearly I was a fool.”

  Crysta giggled. “Thank you so much for saying so, I will say I had the best nap of my life after I got settled into my room. But this is just my after-sleep glow.”

  “Perhaps I need to take more naps.”

  “From the looks of things, you don't need one.”

  Reginald smiled and Crysta internally cursed herself. That sounded way more cheesy than flirty. She needed to eat something so she could keep her mouth shut.

  As if sensing her thought, Reginald swept aside and guided her to a chair that he pulled out for her. She wasn't used to men doing such things. She tried not to swoon. Something told her this evening was only going to get more swoon worthy.

  February Sixth

  Gwen & Craig

  Gwen walked around the flower shop, brushing the petals of each flower that she passed. She truly loved this job. It was the one job she’d ever had that brought a smile to everyone’s face. Even when she was sending flowers to a funeral procession, she knew that it gave the receiver a small bit of joy to know that someone cared enough to buy them flowers. This was truly her dream job, worth the early mornings and long hours. Even when people came into buy apology flowers, she still appreciated they were trying.

  She had the door open behind her and turned to see a new customer kind. He was casually dressed but handsome. He had curly brown hair and big green eyes. He wore ripped jeans and a fitted shirt. He looked like he would be better suited to a surf board than her flower shop.

  “Good afternoon Sir. What can I do for you today?”

  “Yes ma’am, I would like to buy two dozen of the reddest long stem roses you have.”

  “Sounds romantic! I’d be happy to help.”

  Gwen began preparing the roses. Long stem red roses were usually reserved for either the biggest apologies or the most romantic occasions. Either way. she was happy to oblige. She got the bouquet wrapped and brought it to the counter.

  “Is this alright, sir?”

  “This is perfect. You deliver?”

  “Absolutely. Where would you like to go?”

  The man rattled off an address that Gwen took down. It was a home in the pricier area of town. This guy wasn’t doing too bad for himself.

  “Did you want to add a note?”

  “Absolutely. To Jim, last night was amazing. I can’t wait to do it again. Love Fiona,” he said with a grimace on his face.

  “Forgive me for intruding, but you don’t look like a Fiona and you don’t seem particularly happy to be sending these flowers,” Gwen said carefully.

  “You’re right on both accounts. Fiona is my ex-girlfriend. I caught her cheating on me yesterday with Jim.”

  “Oh my God. I’m so sorry, sir! But do you think that sending Jim flowers is the best way to approach?”

  “Normally, I would say no. But since good Jim is married, I think his wife has a right to know.”

  “You may be right, but I don’t make it a habit to send revenge flowers. Surely there’s something else that you can do.”

  “I’m sure there is, but I don’t know what else to do. What choice did she leave me? Where else can I turn? At least my heart won’t be the only one that’s broken.”

  “I just met you, but I don’t think that you’re the type that wants to break up a marriage or a home. I agree with you his wife should find out but you don’t want to do it this way. You don’t know anything about this woman. What if they have children?

  “I hadn’t thought about that.”

  “Exactly. So tell you what. You can leave these flowers. Or, we can send them to someone else and you and I can come up with a better plan. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to hurt any of these people. But, I think you’re right. If this man is a philanderer he shouldn’t to get away with it. But let’s brainstorm and see what we can do.”

  “It was really nice of you to do this. You don’t have to. This is still your business. You could just let me ruin this guy’s life and not give it a second thought.”

  “You’re right I could. But I’m part of this community just like you are, so we have to try to be better.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t get your name. I’m Craig.”

  “Nice to meet you Craig, I’m Gwen.”

  “I’m sorry to dump all this on you when I’m just going through a tough time. Actually it’s been a few weeks, but the wound is still a bit raw.”

  “I understand. Happens to the best of us. What’s important is that you find a positive way to move forward.”

  “You’re right. Do you think I could send these flowers to my sister instead? She has a two-year-old and I’m sure that she’s done something to deserve these flowers. Terrible twos are hard enough.”

  “I think that’s a wonderful idea. Will send those out right away.”

  “You always make it a point to help people coming into your?”

  “Only those who need it.”

  “Are you going to be here for a few minutes?”

  “Sure. We don’t close for another hour or so.”

  “Okay here’s the money for those flowers. I just need to run a quick errand now. I’ll be right back.”

  Gwen nodded but thought it was a bit strange. He was clearly having a hard time dealing with this breakup, but she thought they were getting along pretty well and then he ran away. She prepped his roses for delivery and contacted her courier to get them ready to go. Just when she finished setting it up he came back carrying a box of chocolates.

  “Oh that’s so nice! Do you want me to send those along with the flowers for your sister?”

  “Oh no. These are for you. I figured it would be silly to buy flowers when you worked in a flower shop, but chocolate seemed like a good way to say thanks,” Craig said, blushing ever so slightly.

  Gwen beamed at him, taking the chocolates and clasping them against her chest. “That’s so considerate of you. Thank you so much.”

  “And I know it seems crazy since I’m just here railing on about my ex, but do you think we can exchange numbers? You just have a great energy and I think I’d like to talk to you again.”

  Without giving it another thought, Gwen plucked her card from its display on the counter and slid it across to him. “Feel free to give me a call anytime, Craig. Just know that I go to sleep pretty early because flower shops open at the crack of dawn.”

  “I bet they do,” Craig said with a smile. “Thank you for stopping me from doing something stupid. I hope to speak to you soon.”

  “I hope so too.”

  February Seventh

  Nicole & Brent

  Nicole kicked her tire and tried to hold back her tears. She had made up her mind to leave town. She barely made it a few hundred miles before her car died. Now she was stranded in the middle of who knows where.

  After looking up and down the road, she saw nothing. She took a side route because it was supposed to avoid some of the traffic on the main drag. And her car died almost immediately. There didn't appear to be civilization in either direction.

  Nicole wracked her brain, trying to think of the last time she'd seen a gas station. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd seen another car. She was lost in the sticks.

  Nicole lifted the hood and looked underneath. She didn't know what she was looking for. She didn't find anything, anyway. Everything looked perfectly normal.

  Nicole walked back to the side of the car and leaned on the driver side door. Her whole life was packed in a car that was stuck on the side of this road. It was too much for her to take. Tears began to fall and her shoulders began to tremble.

  She was so lost in her emotion that she didn't hear a car pulling beside her until a voice called out to her, “Excuse me miss, you all right?”

  Nicole jumped. She looked up to see a black SUV with tinted windows. The rear window was down and a gorgeous raven-haired man whose hair was as black as the
truck’s interior was looking out at her with a concerned look on his face.

  Calling it a truck would be wrong. It was so much more than the standard SUV. It screamed luxury. She'd never seen a cleaner vehicle in her life. Every aspect of it gleamed from the black sparkling paint to the chrome accents. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. It wasn't quite a limo, but it was pretty close. And the look on the man’s face leaning out, while concerned, was still gorgeous.

  “Excuse me miss, is everything all right?”

  “No, not at all, actually. It seems that my car has died.”

  “Not to worry, I'll have my driver take a look. I insist that all my drivers be licensed mechanics just in case something like this happens to me.”

  Nicole wanted to refuse, but she really didn't have a lot of options. She never signed up for roadside assistance and there were no businesses for miles. She just leaned against her car while the man spoke to his driver, who immediately hopped out and went to look under the hood.

  The man got out as well and walked over to shake her hand. “My name is Brent. Brent Manly. This is my driver Mr. Stevens.”

  “Thank you so much for your help Mr. Manly and Mr. Stevens. I'm Nicole and this is my very broken car.”

  The man looked into her car and looked back at her quizzically. “Looks like you got a lot of stuff in there.”

  “Oh yes. I'm moving. Well, I was moving until my car stopped moving,” Nicole said and then chuckled at her own joke.

  Brent laughed with her. “That definitely will put a halt to things,” he said. “Heading anywhere interesting?”

  “I was heading south, but no particular destination. Somewhere that wasn't home.”

  “I can relate to that. That's how I left home to start my first business.”

  “Your first business?”

  “One of many. It's a long story.”

  “It looks like you've done well for yourself.”

  “I do okay.”

  The hood slammed behind her and both of them turned to see Mr. Stevens dusting his hands off on his pants.

  “It looks like it’s a transmission issue. It's not anything that I can start for you right away. We can definitely have it towed.”

  “Absolutely. We can have it towed to my estate. I have a garage on site where Mr. Stevens and my other men can work on it for you, and in the meantime I have a guesthouse that you can stay in while they work.”

  “All that won’t be necessary. That is such an imposition. I can stay at a hotel nearby.”

  “I don't know if you noticed, but there isn't much nearby.”

  “I'm not sure what to say.”

  “We can discuss it on the way to my place. Do you have anything you need to grab from your car?”

  “I just have my overnight bag here in the front.”

  Nicole cursed herself as she walked to the front of her car and grabbed her overnight bag. She couldn't believe that she was getting in the truck with a stranger, but what choice did she have? She overheard Mr. Stevens calling a tow truck before she even returned to Brent's side. At least she knew her stuff wouldn't be stuck on the side of the road all night. She just hoped that this was the right move.

  “Here, let me help you,” Brent said, holding out his hand and helping her up into the truck.

  She slid in and realized it was even more luxurious than she imagined. Nicole never felt leather that soft and the expanse of the seats meant that she could sit across from him without having to sit right on top of him. Honestly, that was a relief. She kept her purse and her overnight bag with her although Mr. Stevens offered to put it in the back. Nicole tried not to look around too much. She tried to pretend like she had seen this level of luxury before, but she was floored.

  “If you’re concerned about staying with me, you have nothing to worry about. The guesthouse is completely detached from my home and it's really more of a pool house. It's fully furnished so you will have everything you need. But, you will also have your privacy. I can call over and let you know when everything is ready if you prefer me not to walk over.”

  “It would be rude to tell you that you can’t walk freely on your own property, but I definitely appreciate the gesture. You have to forgive me, I'm just a little tired from the trip.”

  “We will be there shortly. Then you can rest as long as you need to. If we have to order a part for your car, there may be a bit of a delay, but you'll get wherever you're going.”

  “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

  They continued on their way in relative silence. Brent made little small talk here and there after offering Nicole a bottle of water from the fridge that materialized between the seats. She assumed it had been there all along, but it just blended in with the vehicle’s interior so well she hadn’t noticed it was there. It was nice to have a cold drink after a stressful day.

  She couldn't help but notice there was a bottle of champagne in there as well. Did he always travel with champagne, or was there some kind of special occasion? Nicole hoped that she wasn't crashing some sort of important event. She chose to remain silent.

  The landscape was still sparse when they turned off onto another nondescript road. She wasn't sure how long they drove until they turned once more and approached a pair of large wrought-iron gates. The gates parted upon their approach and they drove down the most sprawling driveway she'd ever seen. It reminded Nicole of the old show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. When they pulled up to Brent's estate, Nicole realized that estate wasn't even a big enough word. American palace would've suited it better.

  “Forgive the route, but you will have to come through the main house to reach the entrance to the pool house.”

  “I'm sure it's no trouble at all,” Nicole said trying to hide her amazement.

  Mr. Stevens offered to take her bag, but Brent stopped him. “That's okay, Mr. Stevens. I can take her bag from here. Just check to make sure that her car gets put into the garage and let me know if you have any updates.”

  Mr. Stevens nodded and returned to the truck and drove off to wherever the garage was while Brent led Nicole inside. She'd been expecting to find marble floors and crystal columns or something decadent, but she was surprised to find that while palatial, the estate had a very homey feel. There were gleaming beautiful wood floors as far as the eye could see. It was an open floor plan, but everything was warm and inviting, even the multiple fireplaces. Brent had decorated it tastefully, but he didn't seem to be showing off.

  Nicole didn't have too much time to look around since Brent took off at a clipped pace. She hurried to keep up as he made his way through the house. When he opened the rear French doors, Nicole found herself looking out to an Olympic style swimming pool that made her stop in her tracks. This was the place that you should have a photoshoot, not anywhere someone should live.

  “I'm so sorry. I know that you're tired. We’re almost there. We just have to come around the side of the pool.”

  “It’s not a problem,” Nicole said, not wanting to let on that it had nothing to do with the length of the walk, just the expanse of the place.

  As they cleared the patio area of the pool, she saw a full-sized house looming behind it. It was a bit of a distance, but not far enough that it wouldn't be called pool house. To be honest, it was only a pool house because it was a house next to the pool. This was the size of the house she'd grown up in.

  Brent unlocked the door and handed her a key before bringing her inside.

  “Here you'll find the foyer which leads to the living room. Past the living room is the dining room. As you can see, the large kitchen is fully stocked, should you want to cook. If you don't want to cook, you can always come over to the main house. My chef is on hand twenty-four hours a day. There are three bedrooms for you to choose from, and there is also an office if you have any type of work you need to get done. The bedroom, office and the main living room all have their own bathrooms. There is a laundry room off the kitchen area. If you'd like to swim, t
he pool is open and available to you. If you'd like to watch a movie, we have all the major channels here as well as a home theater in the main house. I don't want to keep you but if there's anything you need you just pick up any of the phones in this in this pool house and dial the number one. It will ring directly to my phone. Is there anything else that you need before I head to the house?”

  “I don't think I'll need anything else for the rest of my life.”

  Brent let out a hearty laugh and said, “I think I will like you, Nicole.”

  After he left, Nicole squealed and danced around the room. She felt like she had won the lottery with this place. She knew she would only be staying here for a night or two, but it would definitely make up for the last few years of her life, and probably the next few to come. She found the kitchen had a fully stocked wine fridge and any type of food that she could imagine. She wasn't sure where to begin, but after this long day she could definitely use a glass of wine. She sorted through the shelves. There wasn’t anything to make a quick meal with. She settled for chips and salsa. She was the cheapest thing in this place, but she didn't mind one bit.

  Nicole wasn't as tired as she pretended to be. She just wasn't sure how to behave around her new benefactor. When she finished her wine and her chips, she did some exploring in her guest house. She put her bag in the biggest one of the three bedrooms. Since no one else was staying there, she figured she might as well make the most of the situation.