Page 13 of Djinn in Love

With a sigh, Veronica replied to his text.

Veronica: I would love to, but I have to work late.

Three dots immediately appeared at the bottom of the text string, as though he’d been waiting by the phone for her reply. Nerves shimmered in her belly. God, this felt too real.

Jasper: Lunch tomorrow? I have an appt close to your office in the early afternoon.

I can do lunch. 1 p.m. work?

The three dots reappeared again, but Veronica was distracted by the door to the office opening. She frowned as she glanced at the clock. Her next appointment wasn’t for a couple of hours.

But it wasn’t a client. It was delivery. The woman smiled at her as she carried a beautiful flower arrangement up to her desk.

“Veronica Salt?” she asked.

“That’s me.”

The woman held out the flowers, but Veronica stared at them blankly until she spoke again, “These are for you, hon.”

“Oh!” Veronica got to her feet and took the bouquet from the woman. “Wow. These are lovely.”

“They are. The gentleman who ordered them put a lot of thought into’em,” the woman agreed with a wink. She whipped a small tablet out of one pocket and a stylus out of the other. “If you’ll just sign here.”

Veronica set the vase on the corner of her desk and signed her name on the line the woman indicated, wondering what the woman meant about the thought behind the bouquet.

“Thank you,” she murmured as the woman marched out of the office.

Veronica didn’t look up as the door shut, leaving her alone again. That giddy feeling was back in her belly, only this time it was stronger. She noticed the card nestled between a tulip and dahlia. With gentle fingers, she plucked it free and opened it.

I enjoyed your company last night.

Looking forward to this weekend.

~ Jasper

The bubbly nerves in her belly burst and swelled into her chest. She fanned her suddenly warm face with the card. Jasper wasn’t behaving as she expected. Based on his words yesterday, she assumed that they would meet once or twice to get their story straight before the wedding and he would treat her more as an employee or acquaintance than a date.

But this was a gesture a man made when he liked a woman. No, when he wascourtinga woman.

Her phone chimed and vibrated against her desk, distracting her from her racing thoughts.

Veronica moved the flowers to the opposite corner of her desk so she could see them even when she was working on her computer and sat down. She didn’t take the time to read Jasper’stext. She was too focused on figuring out how to word her thanks without seeming too…desperate? Emotional? She had no idea what to call the feeling swelling inside her, only that she’d never experienced it before.

Which was frightening in and of itself because Veronica thought she’d been through the entire spectrum of emotions, either through her own heart or vicariously through those around her.

After typing and deleting her message at least five times, Veronica settled on something appropriately gracious but hopefully not too effusive.

Veronica: Thank you for the flowers. They are beautiful.

She didn’t add that she was looking forward to the weekend too because it would have been a white lie. While she was looking forward to spending more time with Jasper, she wasn’t happy about the mental chaos that accompanied events that drew large crowds. Especially if Jasper’s family was anything like him.

If his relatives broadcast their emotions as intensely as Jasper, Veronica wasn’t sure how she would make it through the four days of wedding festivities in one piece. Or with her sanity intact.

Once again, his reply was immediate.

Jasper: You’re welcome. I have a meeting, but we’ll talk tonight and decide where to eat tomorrow.

Veronica: Ok.

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