Exquisite (11 page)

She moved over closer and looked at
the wide face of the flower. They were flawless. Catherine only ever picked the
best for her.

“They’re happy little things and
they make you smile. So they must be beautiful.”

Lena looked over her shoulder
toward the lady standing under the bright light of her shop. She had to be
around sixty Lena would guess and she had laugh lines around her eyes and
mouth, a testament to the fact, she’d enjoyed life. Lena had been coming to
Precious Petals since two weeks after Carly had been killed.

That was nine years ago. She
remembered walking aimlessly down the street in the middle of winter and she’d
heard the tinkle of some bells and turned to see a lady at the top step of her
shop sweeping them free of snow. The lady had smiled and waved her forward and
she’d gone because she had nowhere else to go. Catherine had taken her inside
and given her a cup of hot chocolate and she’d sat in the warmth of this lady’s
shop looking around when she saw three sunflowers, Carly’s favorite, smiling
back at her. It was the first time Lena had found herself smiling in the weeks
after her sister’s death and ever since then she’d ordered one sunflower a day
to be delivered to Carly.

“How much do I owe you?” Lena asked
as she stood up and walked over to Catherine.

“Just the usual dear.”

Lena shook her head, “You need to
let me start paying you the right price Catherine. How do you expect to make a
profit?”

“Oh pssh! You’re one of my most
loyal customers and I’ve been dealing with you since you were in college busing
tables to pay me. You almost feel like my own daughter. I will not change the
price now. No matter how successful you are.”

Grinning Lena reached down to hug
her. She was a virtual stranger to her but at the same time she was the most
familiar person in the world.

“Thanks again Catherine. Same time,
same place?”

“Always dear, always.”

Lena paid her the money then walked
outside back to her car. As she got in she thought to herself,
why on earth
would Langley be delivering flowers for Catherine?
Oh well, pushing that
thought aside she turned on the engine, maybe she’d ask them on their next
date, turning cautiously into the street she headed home.

Wednesday morning rolled around and
Mason was standing in the walk in fridge, taking inventory of what he needed to
order for the weekend, when he heard Rachel come in behind him. “So why do you
need the night off tonight huh? Got another 15 minute date up your sleeve?”

He grinned at her then responded as
any brother would. “Screw you.”

She laughed and pushed past him
reaching for the strawberries on the top shelf. “So what are you going to
do to impress the pants suit?”

“Her name is Lena.”

Rachel rolled her eyes popping a
strawberry into her mouth. “I know, I know. Dr Magdalena O’Donnell. I’m
impressed. Even for you a doctor is impressive.” she paused and cocked her head
to the side, “Is she a psychiatrist?”

“No you pain in the ass.” he said
snatching a strawberry for himself. “She’s a Pediatrician.”

Rachel’s laugh was loud and
obnoxious she even snorted at the end.

“What?”

“Well I guess that seems about
right. She’s use to dealing with people as mature as you are. Now it all makes
sense.”

Sticking his tongue out to prove
his maturity she laughed even harder. “Thanks a lot Rach.”

“Well I was starting to wonder. I
mean come on. The girls you date wouldn’t even be able to spell her name.”

Mason shooed her out of the fridge.
“Don’t you have some work to do? Cakes to bake? Plus they’re the girls I
use
to date.”

She stopped, “Really?”

He nodded, “Really. Now scram.”
Turning he stopped when he saw a box of ripe peaches on the shelf. He grinned
as he heard Rachel mutter. “Wow.”

“Wow indeed.” he murmured pulling
the box down.

Lena stared at the clock willing it
to hit 3pm. She’d blocked off her afternoon so she could go home and panic
without witnesses. It was 2.15pm when Shelly strolled in holding a small box.
She shut the door then sat down in front of Lena with a huge grin across her
face.

“What?” Lena asked when Shelly sat
silently.

“I’m waiting for a thank you.”

Laughing Lena replied. “Well you’ll
be waiting awhile.”

“I got you a date with one of
Chicago’s most eligible bachelor’s.”

Grinning at her friend she shook
her head. “No as I recall you set me up and left me alone with a man who wanted
to stalk me.”

“Oh.” Shelly sighed dramatically
putting her hand on her heart. “If only we could all be so unlucky.”

“Shut it Shelly. You still aren’t
forgiven. What’s in the box?”

She shook her head and slid the
small white box over to her. “I have no idea. Brandy said it just got here for
you. So I thought I’d be a pal and bring it in.”

Lena frowned as she looked at it.
There was nothing on the outside just a small envelope on top.

“Well aren’t you going to open it?”
Shelly demanded sitting forward. Lena took the card off the box and went
straight to the tape holding the sides down. As she battled with it Shelly sat
back and asked. “So what time’s the big date.”

Lena looked over at her. “You make
it sound like it is my first date,
ever
.”

“Well come on Lena. It kind of is
and look who it’s with?”

As Lena thought back to Monday she
succeeded in flipping the lid of the box up. Nestled inside under some orange
tissue paper was the ripest, juiciest peach she’d ever seen. Feeling a grin tug
at the corner of her mouth she sat back with the envelope and opened it. Shelly
sat forward and pulled out the succulent looking piece of fruit. She spun it in
her hand from left to right then looked over at Lena with an expression that
could have been accompanied by an imaginary question mark.

“I don’t get it, he sent you a
peach?”

Lena pulled the card out then
glanced down still grinning. Immediately she felt her grin drop and her cheeks
heat as a blush crawled all the way up her neck and onto her face. Shelly must’ve
noticed because she sprung up put the peach in the box and swiped the card off
of her. She took a moment to read the note while Lena still hadn’t budged, then
she whispered, “Holy shit. You lucky bitch.”

She dropped the card on the table
and grabbed the peach again. Lena picked the note up and doubled checked what
she’d read was right, yep there it was in bold masculine handwriting;

8.30pm, Exquisite

I’ve got the peaches, you bring
the cream.

Holy shit was right.

Mason was unsure how Lena would react
to his invitation, but he was hoping it made her as hot as it’d made him when
the inspiration had struck. He’d decided that for tonight he would do as he’d
said, he would cook for her. He was going to prepare a basic Italian Fettuccini
with his special Alfredo Sauce and for dessert, well that was still up in the
air at this point. After setting everything up in the private dining room
upstairs he stood at the small bar and looked around. The smaller dining room
was outfitted with a scaled back version of the commercial kitchen downstairs
and it had the capacity to seat fifty, however, tonight it was set up for two
and everyone was under strict instructions not to venture upstairs
unless
the place was on fire. For all intense purposes,
he
was
not
here.
It was just about to hit 8.30pm when the phone on the wall rang. Picking it up
he heard Wendy’s voice, “Your date just walked in.” she paused then added
quickly, “You must’ve done something right, she dressed up for you tonight.”

With that parting remark from
Wendy, Mason rubbed his hands together and walked to the stairs leading down to
the main entrance. The side stairs brought him out behind the crowd and he
spotted Lena straight away. Her long curls were clipped up on top of her head
in a knot of some sort and several little ones were escaping down around her
ears. From behind he could tell she was in either a dress or a skirt and he
looked down her long legs to be surprised by the bright red spiked heels she
was wearing.
Oh shit, they were hot.
He couldn’t wait to get around the
front of her. So he called her name.

“Lena.”

Lena heard her name and turned to
see Mason standing in a doorway off to the left. Leaning his left shoulder
against the frame he had his legs crossed casually. He exuded confidence and
had every right to. He looked sexy as hell. Dressed tonight in a white v-neck
shirt that looked to be made of the softest cotton you could find she noticed
it was so snug she could see the outline of his biceps where his arms were
crossed over his chest. Her eyes traveled past that magnificent sight and
zeroed in on the black belt with the silver buckle at his waist. Unconsciously
she licked her lips as she continued down his long legs which were wrapped in
some designer charcoal colored pants, that hugged perfect thighs and she was
sure, a perfect ass. Finally, when she was about to overheat, she looked back
at him as he smirked at her. Taking a deep breath she walked over to him,
reached into her bag then smiled as she handed him a small white carton. He took
it and looked down then laughed so loud everyone turned to look at them. He
lifted his laughing eyes from his hand to her.

“You brought the cream.”

Smiling she nodded, “I did.”

Moving to the side he motioned for
her to follow. “We’re going to be eating up here tonight.”

Brushing past him she inhaled that
amazing smell of his and started up the stairs. She’d picked out a black pencil
skirt with a flare around the knees, since he seemed so fond of them, and had
paired it with a siren red sleeveless blouse that dipped down between her
cleavage. When she hit the top step she opened the door and walked in then
stopped in her tracks.
Wow, when the man went all out, he went all out
.
The room was dimmed and there were lights sprinkled around the eves giving it a
night time effect. However, what made it so spectacular was the floor to
ceiling windows at the far end that showed off the night sky and melded it in
with the lights inside, making it seem like one. In the center of the room sat
an elegant table with a candle and off to her left she noticed there was a bar
with swinging doors that led into a kitchen she presumed. It was simply
breathtaking. She looked over her shoulder to where he’d stopped and spoke
softly. “It’s amazing up here.”

“Thanks.”

He placed a warm hand on her back
and ushered her inside then moved around to the bar.

“Bring all your dates here?” It
wasn’t a conscious question on her behalf, and she actually winced when he
stopped to look at her, but instead of being angry he grinned.

“Not a single one of the thirty
three.”

Lena swallowed then bit her bottom
lip looking around wondering what he wanted her to do.

“Why don’t you put your bag down
then come back here and tell me what you want to drink.”

Moving away to the table she placed
her purse on the edge. When she turned to walk back to him she noticed he was
standing with his hip leaning against the bar watching her. She made a
conscious decision right then not to let him intimidate her. She was who she
was, he knew that and had still asked her out. So she was just going to be
herself and see what happened and that started with finding some of that damn
confidence she knew she had. Locking her eyes with his she walked back over to
him.

Mason didn’t know what’d just
happened but whatever it was, he was enjoying it. Lena had seemed a little
hesitant at first and he was wondering how this was going to play out but as
she walked back toward him he could tell something in her had shifted, she’d
decided something. She looked amazing in red, that was the decision he’d come
to and when she finally reached the bar he pushed back off it and placed his
hands on the top in order to stop himself from reaching out and tracing the
curve of her cleavage that kept peaking out at him.

“What can I get you to drink?”

“Just a wine is good for me
Langley.” she hitched herself up on the chair then placed her elbows on the bar
resting her chin on one hand as she watched him reach for the bottle and uncork
it. “Red good?”

She nodded, “Red’s great.”

“Oh yes it is.” he grinned then
pushed a glass toward her while he picked one up himself. She lifted it and
sipped slowly seeming to swirl it around in her mouth before she swallowed it
down.
That was an erotic act all on it’s own,
he thought as she tilted
her head and sniffed the air.

“Hmm, dinner smells amazing.”

Smiling over at her he couldn’t
help but reach across the bar and twist a curl around his finger. Looking over
at him with sparkling eyes she smiled as he answered with a slow. “Thank you.”

Lena didn’t care about any promises
anymore, she’d decided that she had to kiss this man. She watched him as he let
go of her curl and picked up his glass, taking a sip. The air was heavy with
tension. She could feel it coming off her body as it itched to get closer to
him. She picked her own drink up, not taking her eyes away from him, and took
another sip. One for courage, then asked.

“Don’t you think we should just get
the obvious over with?”
What could she say? She’d never claimed to be
subtle.

He placed his wine glass down on
the bar and moved away. As disappointment mounted inside her she was shocked to
see him walk around the end of the bar and come toward her. Swiveling on the
stool to watch him as he approached the only way she could think to describe
the way he was watching her was, hungry. He looked at her like a starved man
would a meal. Stopping so close to her that she could feel the fabric from his
pants brush her knees he reached out and gripped the bar’s edge with one hand
and tried for a casual pose. It didn’t work. He looked as tense as she felt.
“And what Lena, is the obvious?”