Page 14 of Make Me

“Unimaginable happiness. The opposite of whatever you’ve had.”

Her smile fades, and she shakes her head. “You don’t understand.”

Her eyes lock with mine, and I hold her stare. “You’re right. I don’t. I’m looking at the most beautiful person I’ve ever met, and I’m not only talking about your face.” She blushes and tries to look away, but I don’t let her. “You’re the best kind of beautiful, do you know that? You’re beautiful on the inside as well as the outside, and what I’ll never understand is why you don’t know that.”

She blushes again, but she smiles at my words. She leans closer and lays her head on my chest. Unable to stop myself, I kiss the top of her head before laying my chin on her head.

“I’m not ready to talk about that yet, Cooper.” She pulls away and looks at me with her big, brown eyes. She bites the inside of her cheek and drops her eyes, but I grab her chin and force her eyes back on me.

“When you’re ready to talk about it, I’ll be here. You know where to find me. Just walk in. I never lock my doors.” She exhales and lays her head on my chest again. I let her hold on to me for support while I rub her shoulders in an attempt to erase her pain.

“How about I pay you back by making you lunch?” She steps away, and even though I miss the warmth of her body, her offer of lunch relaxes me.

She opens the fridge and pulls out several containers. “Aunt Mae has given me enough food to feed a family of six for a week. There’s meatloaf and mashed potatoes. That’s my personal favorite, but you probably don’t eat that. I have some roasted chicken and vegetables if you prefer. There’s lasagna too, but I’m sure that’s a no for you.” She opens up several containers and grabs plates. Instead of sitting at the table, I decide to stand next to her in front of the counter.

“What makes you think I won’t eat meatloaf and potatoes, or lasagna?” I ask.

“Have you seen your body? You don’t get those abs by eating potatoes and pasta.” She freezes after she speaks, then she looks at me like a deer in headlights.

I arch an eyebrow at her and say, “These abs?” I slowly lift my tee shirt and reveal my stomach. She looks down and her eyes widen, but she doesn’t look away. While I have her attention, I start to gyrate and give her my best dance moves. I see her blush before she averts her gaze and looks away. “You can touch them whenever you want, by the way. And for the record, I love meatloaf and mashed potatoes.” I grab the container of potatoes and put some on both plates while she does the same with the meatloaf. Once we’ve heated our food, we sit at her small table, and for the second time today, we share a meal.

* * *

Me: I couldn’t wait. I’m outside the flower shop. I’m coming in.

I can imagine the shocked look on her face. Ivy is going to spend the night at Aunt Mae’s since tomorrow is Laci’s Saturday to work. We’ve had dinner together every night since Saturday, but today is our first time alone. The plan was for her to come to my house at six, but here I am, two whole hours early.

Laci: We said six. AT YOUR PLACE!!!

The text comes through just as I reach the door. I open it to find a wide-eyed and frantic Laci standing in the middle of the store holding an orchid in each hand.

“Yeah,” I say, “but I told you I couldn’t wait.” I look around, and when I don’t see anyone, I give her a kiss on the cheek. “It’s our first official date without a two-year old and a hyperactive dog. Sue me for being early.” I shrug and kiss her again, but then she walks away and puts the orchids on the counter.

“Laci,” her Aunt Mae says. She walks into the room, an apron around her thick waist. She’s out of breath and lays a hand on her bosom. “Why don’t you take off since I’m picking Ivy up from daycare. Get some rest because tomorrow will be busy.” She finally notices me and says, “How can I help you? Weren’t you here with the Shaw girl? You want some flowers for your girlfriend?” She doesn’t wait for me to answer. She grabs a vase and says, “I’m going to make something special for you.”

Laci’s mouth opens like a fish. She widens her eyes and looks from me to Aunt Mae. I grin at Laci’s shocked expression. I wink at her and whisper, “I got this.”

“I’m not with Candace anymore, Mrs. Elston.” She waves a hand at me without turning around.

“This bouquet will help you get her back. I’ve brought back together more broken up couples than you can imagine. Even cheating husbands get their wives back after visiting Mae Flowers, though I don’t recommend that.”

“I don’t doubt that, but I’m here for Laci.” Laci lets out a strange noise at my announcement and puts both hands to her mouth. I wink at her again. Aunt Mae goes completely still and slowly turns around. Without a word, she walks over to Laci, cradles her face with both hands, and looks into her eyes. Laci’s mouth is still hanging open, and I wish I could take a picture so I can tease her about it later. Aunt Mae looks at me next, purses her lips, and drops her hands from Laci’s face.

“In that case, Laci, you are definitely getting out of here right now. It’s about time you have some fun.” She nudges Laci’s shoulder with hers.

“Oh, uh, Aunt Mae, Cooper is my neighbor, and Ivy likes his dog. He helped me with the bookshelves, and he lives next door. And I remember him from high school even though he was older. We’re friends, and uh, he lives next door.” After that word salad, she looks away and lets out a loud breath.

“Do you need a napkin to wipe away some of that word vomit?” Aunt Mae lets out a loud cackle at her own question. “Get out of here, you two. It’s summertime in Michigan. Go out and enjoy.”

Laci finally relaxes and runs to the back of the shop to get her purse. Once we’re alone, Aunt Mae says, “She deserves to have some fun.”

“She does. I’ve liked her since high school.” She nods, and when someone else enters the shop, she walks away to help them. As soon as Laci gets back, I take her hand and walk her to her car. “I’ll follow you home,” I tell her. I lean down and give her a chaste kiss on the lips before I open her car door for her and reluctantly walk to my truck.

An hour later, I knock on her door, and she opens it right away. The smell of her perfume hits me immediately. She looks the same, but different. Her hair is out in her signature tight curls, but for the first time, she’s not in yoga pants. She’s in distressed blue jeans, a white tank top, and a mustard, sheer cardigan that comes to her knees. She’s in a chunky pair of sandals, making her taller by a few inches.

“You look pretty,” I tell her. She blushes at the compliment and runs a hand over my pecs. It’s something I’ve noticed she likes to do.

“Thank you, Cooper. You look handsome.” I offer her my arm, and she hooks hers through mine. The ride to the restaurant is a short one, and I leave my hand on her knee the entire time. And because she told me she loves seafood, I take her to a restaurant in downtown Oak Bend. It’s a beautiful, warm June night, and we are seated outside, overlooking a manmade lake.

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