Page 7 of Weekends with You

“Finn!” Raja scolded. “You can’t just ask people that.”

“Just did,” he said, flashing us a cheeky grin.

“Lucy, you do not have to answer that,” she said.

“No, you don’t, but then we’d be even more suspicious,” he said.

“Well, I hate to disappoint, but no,” I said. “Not often impressed by a man at the pub, to be honest. And I like to have my bed to myself.”

“Smart woman,” Henry said, tipping his drink in my direction. “Finn and Jan are the only ones still shagging a rando from the pub. Finn’s newly out of uni, though, so we can allow it for another year or so. Not sure Jan’s excuse.”

“Jan’s excuse is that he somehow always bags the hottest guy in the place,” Raja said. “Makes the rest of us look like peasants.”

“You would look like a peasant either way,” Finn added, only to be flicked in the ear by Raja’s perfectly manicured fingers. “And Hen’s only saying that because he also hasn’t brought anyone home in ages.”

Jackpot. I didn’t want to risk being too forward by asking, but I had been holding my breath waiting for this information.

“That’s because I’m hardly ever home, you tosser. Besides, you have no idea what I do when I’m on the road.” The way Finn and Raja both cracked up made me think Henry was terrible at being coy.

“Sure we do,” said Raja. “You take photos, you take long contemplative walks, you eat alone in bars, scribble in your journal, sleep late, and try to imagine living wherever you are. Definitely no women involved.”

Henry rolled his eyes in defeat. “Only because I’ve no time for women,” he explained. “Not because I couldn’t chat them up if I wanted to.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Raja shoved him lightly and we settled into a comfortable silence, staring out at the city lights. I didn’t think we were supposed to have access to the roof, but I was glad we did. There was a small garden of chipped ceramic pots and dying plants up here, which I was determined to tend when I had the time, and a handful of mismatched chairs, not unlike the ones around the kitchen table.

Sleep nudged my eyelids and I had reached the end of my drink, hardly able to concentrate on small talk any longer. Raja’s obnoxious yawning told me I wasn’t alone.

“Time for me to head in,” I said, stretching slightly. “Need to get some sleep if I’m to stay awake for movie night tomorrow.”

“Good call,” Finn agreed. “Maybe for once you won’t be the first to pass out as soon as we turn the telly on.”

“I’m not always the first!” I said, though we all knew it was true. Embarrassing as it was, something in my chest warmed at hearing I had any kind of role in the flat. There were definitely worse things than becoming predictable to new friends.

“Lucy, please,” Finn said, scoffing so loud the neighbors could have heard. “Don’t kid yourself. Besides, I have a good film on deck, so you should all prepare yourselves.” He waggled his fair eyebrows, and we chuckled in return.

“Looking forward to it,” Henry said to Finn, though I could feel his gaze on me. My crush increased with each stolenglance, and I was sure I was setting myself up for disappointment. But nothing a good night’s sleep couldn’t fix.

“Luce, are you with me?” Renee stood over me with a bundle of roses in her hand, and the look on her face told me she’d been standing there far longer than I’d noticed.

“Yes, sorry, the roses.” I reached for them, and she was slow in her release.

“You look like you’ve not slept a wink. Why don’t you go down the block and get a coffee? I can manage here while you’re gone.” She gestured to the empty shop. And she was right, mostly. I had slept, but not well. Or for long. I had tossed and turned in a daydream like a teenager for the better part of a few hours before my body finally settled into sleep, which didn’t bode well for movie night later.

“I’m fine, really,” I assured her, discreetly pinching my cheeks as soon as she turned away to give them a bit of color. “Besides, we have work to do.”

“Listen, pet.” She sat on a stool and swiveled it to face me head-on. “I can manage here on my own. You know that, right? Just because I’m getting old doesn’t mean I’ve lost the plot. You don’t need to be here every hour of every day, weekends included, to check on things. You should make time for yourself and your life while you’re young! Otherwise, you’ll end up like me: a batty old bird with dirt permanently caked under her nails and thorns stuck in her hair.”

Where is this coming from?

“Renee, I love working here. I don’t come in on weekends because I think you can’t handle it. I come in on weekends because I want to. Because I love our work and our flowers and our clients more than anything.”Also, because I’m worried ifwe turn down a single client, we’ll have to close our doors. I didn’t quite think I needed to add that part.

She studied me under furrowed brow, taking an uncomfortably long time to respond. She did this sometimes, waiting so long to respond, knowing I had more to say. I fell for it every time.

“And I just think we could do big things here. Not that we aren’t already. But did you know the Jacobs bridal shower said we were in contention for hire for the wedding? Not that we do weddings, but if we’re both here all the time anyway, couldn’t we?” It slipped out rushed and insecure, but I was glad I’d said it. Until she sighed that familiar sigh and pushed her glasses up onto her head.

“Lucy, darling, you know the answer to that. I love that you have such big ambitions, I do. You remind me of myself at your age. But the Lotus just isn’t prepared for that kind of project. We’re a boutique shop, and you know we do only smaller arrangements because—”

“They’re artisanal and intimate, I know, I know,” I finished for her, the same familiar sense of defeat pricking my palms like thorns.