Page 18 of Make Me

He’s dressed in another polo shirt with his company’s logo on it. He looks good. I’ve only seen him in passing for the past few days. I always make sure he’s not outside when I have to leave, but he always manages to come out at the same time.

“Can I help you?” I ask with as much professionalism as possible. I clear my throat loudly. Aunt Mae comes out, but she doesn’t say a word. She leans against a wall and watches.

“How have you been?” he asks. He closes the small space and comes to stand directly in front of me. I’m thankful for the counter between us.

“I’ve been well.” I type his name in the computer and don’t see an order. Then, I get a horrible thought, and my stomach drops to the floor. What if he’s here to get flowers for Candace or for someone else? “I don’t see an order for you,” I say, my voice strained.

“Check under Margie Solomon. She’s my sister.” He lays a hand on the glass counter, and I can’t help but admire his large hands. He has a scar between his left thumb and index finger. I remember holding his hand the night we went out. They were rough and calloused, and I never wanted to let go. “I was hoping we could talk, if you can get a break.”

I can feel the heat rush to my face. I sneak a peek at Aunt Mae, and even though she hasn’t moved, I know she’s hearing every word. She asked me about my date with Cooper only once, and when I waved it off and said it wasn’t a love connection, she stared into my eyes for so long that I had to look away. She never mentioned it again, and I was grateful.

“We’re really busy. Hold on, and I’ll get your order.” I leave him standing there, his request unanswered. I find his order immediately. It’s a colorful bouquet of Gerbera daisies. I take a quick look at the card, and I let out a sigh of relief when I see that it’s for his mother’s birthday.

A few other customers have come in, and Aunt Mae is distracted with an engaged couple. I ring up Cooper’s order, and our fingers touch when he hands me his credit card, but I quickly move my hand away.

“So, can you step outside with me for a few minutes?” he asks. He holds the vase of flowers in one hand, and he scribbles his signature on the receipt. When he hands it to me, he holds on to my hand.

“I can’t. We’re busy, and I have a lot of work to do.” I pull my hand from his, and I immediately miss the warmth of his skin.

“Okay. Well, my sister and I are taking our mom out to dinner for her birthday, so I’ll be home late.”

“Cooper,” I say, holding my hand up. “You don’t owe me an explanation.” No one has ever tried to explain themselves to me before, and I don’t know how to handle that.

“Can I come over afterwards?”

“No,” I say to him. “I told you I’m not available.”

He looks around the shop, and when he notices no one is looking at us, he leans in and whispers, “If you’ll let me explain about Candace...”

“You’ve already explained. Listen, I don’t know how many ways I can say this. I don’t want to be in a relationship, okay? Not with you or anybody. You’re just wasting your time.”

I whisper-shout my last words, willing him to understand and to drop the subject, but I know from the gleam of determination in his eyes that he’s not going to give up and go away quietly. And I’m barely holding on as it is. When he opens his mouth to argue with me, I add, “I just don’t like you that way, okay? Please leave me alone so I can do my job.”

I drop my eyes in shame when I see his cheeks redden, likely in embarrassment. A nearby patron, a regular customer who buys lilies every Friday, stares at us with her mouth open.

Cooper tightens his arm around his vase of flowers, turns on his heels, and walks out of the store without another word or a backward glance.

* * *

The remainder of my shift should have been too busy for me to feel guilty about what happened with Cooper, but despite the influx of walk-in customers and the deluge of online orders for the weekend, my mind would not leave him. Or the look on his face when I lied about not liking him.

The truth is, I do like him. I had a crush on him in high school, and he’s shown me nothing but patience and kindness since I’ve been here. Not only to me, but to Ivy. Not only that, but I’ve really come to like him and his ugly dog.

But I was telling the truth about the rest of it. I believe he broke things off with Candace, but I don’t think she’s ready to let him go. And I don’t need that type of drama in my life. I’m finally in a good place, and I intend to stay here.

“Are you going to tell Aunt Mae what really happened between you and that boy, or am I going to have to drag it out of you?” My aunt’s words pull me out of my thoughts, and I look her way. The store’s closed, and she’s closing out the register while I get everything in order for tomorrow.

“I already told you. There wasn’t a connection, you know. No chemistry.”

“Mmhmm,” she says while sticking roses in a foam base. “Try again. There was enough heat between you two to set this entire block on fire. And that was with you giving him the cold shoulder.”

I refuse to meet her gaze or answer her question. I carry a floral arrangement to the cooler, but Aunt Mae intercepts, takes it from me, and points to a stool. “Sit,” she orders. When I do as she commands, she says, “I’m here to listen, baby. This is a judgment-free zone, but I do offer advice. Most of it unsolicited. That’s why it’s free of charge.” She smiles at me, and I can’t help the laugh that escapes.

I run a hand through my hair and sigh as I think of how to respond to her. But Aunt Mae is nothing if not patient. The only time she’s ever been angry with me was when she found out I’d gotten married without telling her first.

“Okay.” I surrender under her stare. “We were having a good time. Scratch that.” I wave my hands as if to erase the words I just spoke. “We were having agreattime. It was the first real date I’ve ever been on, and it was everything I hoped it would be. We were laughing, talking. We even teased each other.” Aunt Mae’s gaze softens.

“That’s how it’s supposed to be, baby.” She walks over and puts an arm across my shoulder. “Then, why the coldness from you?”

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