Page 20 of The Floral Arrangement

I blinked.What is happening right now?

“Olivia?”

She was even more beautiful than I’d remembered, her shiny brown hair framing her face in soft waves. For some reason, she appeared to be glaring at me.

Olivia’s eyes widened. “Roz?”

We stared at each other in silence.

“Oh, Olivia!” Mom exclaimed, pushing past me and enveloping Olivia in a hug. “When Roz said she’d been seeing someone named Olivia I didn’t realize she meant you! How wonderful! It’s so lovely to see you again. How’s your flower shop going? Those dahlias we bought from you last year were gorgeous.”

Olivia’s expression changed from anger to confusion as she shot me a questioning look.

Oh god.

Mom knew Olivia? And Olivia lived somewhere nearby.Shit.

“Mom, Olivia and I are not?—”

“Roz!” Behind Olivia, Fred stepped out of a black electric car in the parking lot. He flipped his sunglasses onto his balding head and waved before starting to walk toward us. Fred looked like he’d just come from the golf club in fitted navy pants and a white polo shirt.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

“Okay, sorry to cut things short, but I’ve got a meeting now with a potential investor for the farm. Can you both please leave?”

I couldn’t let myself get distracted by Mom or Olivia. I could clear up the misunderstanding later. For now, I had to stay laser focused on securing the investment from Fred.

“Roz!” Mom crossed her arms. “That’s no way to talk to your girlfriend.”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” I said through a smile directed at Fred, who had almost reached us.

“Sorry, what’s the word you use these days? Partner?” Mom tilted her head.

“Girlfriend, partner—I’m happy with anything,” Olivia said, grinning.

“Mom, Olivia, can youpleaseleave?” I muttered through gritted teeth moments before Fred reached us. “Hi, Fred!”

“Roz, it’s great to see you again.” Fred held out his hand.

“You too,” I said, grasping his hand firmly in mine. “Thanks for coming all the way out here.”

“And I’m Roz’s mom, Marie, and this is her girlfriend—sorry, partner—Olivia,” Mom chimed in.

Fuck.

Fred tipped his head. “Lovely to meet you both.” He shot me a glance, an eyebrow slightly raised. No wonder he was surprised. In the ten years he’d known me, I’d never had a girlfriend.

I had to fix this situation now, before it got even more out of control. “Actually, there’s been a misun?—”

“Lovely to meet you Fred.” Olivia shook Fred’s hand. “We’re so happy you could visit. Aren’t we, darling?”She shot a devilish sweet smile my way.

I stared into her brown eyes, lost for words.

She elbowed me. “Aren’t we,darling?”

“Um, yes.” My mind whirred. What the hell was she playing at?

Fred looked between us, his smile faltering. Shit, this was not a great start. And it would be even worse if I tried to explain that Olivia was not my girlfriend now that she’d started acting the part. It would probably result in Fred thinking we’d lost our minds and leaving. My best bet was to get rid of Mom and Olivia and go full steam ahead with the meeting. I could work out how to correct the record on our relationship status later.

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