Page 143 of Spotlight
Olivia sticks close as I lead us around to the side to an open gate. Noise from the party inside filters out. There are lights strung up everywhere and people milling about.
The summer heat still hangs in the air and the smell of flowers is so strong it’s like walking into a garden.
“Oh my goodness, it’s so beautiful.” Olivia’s voice is filled with wonder. Her mouth hangs open as she looks around at the meticulously landscaped yard. Plants of all sizes and colors. It’s like something out of a magazine. In fact, I’m pretty sure this garden was featured in a magazine.
“These don’t look like baseball people,” she whispers.
“They aren’t.” I start to walk, and she pulls me back.
“Are we party crashing?”
Laughing, I lift our joined hands and kiss her knuckles and lead her through the party. I don’t know a soul. It’s mostly older people, a few kids that look like they were forced to attend.
We navigate to the back of the yard where a large cactus-looking plant is the star of the night. It stands about seven or eight feet tall next to a tree, stretching and climbing along the trunk and limbs. White, partially-bloomed flowers sit in the middle of spiky petals that are scattered along the stems.
Olivia gasps. She looks to me, then back to the infamous Queen of the Night.
“How?” she asks.
“I asked around, made a few calls, bribed a few sweet, old ladies with tickets to a baseball game.”
“Flynn.” Her hands cover her mouth and her eyes flood with tears.
“Pretty cool, right?” I’ll admit, I didn’t really see the appeal until now. This plant only blooms one night out of the entire year, and we get to witness it.
“I never thought I’d see one in person,” she says, voice filled with awe.
“Me neither. I wasn’t sure I’d be in town when it bloomed. The lady hosting the event could only give me a rough timeline of when it would happen. Ruby was my backup in case I couldn’t make it.”
“Ruby agreed to come in your place?”
“I had to bribe her as well.”
“With what?”
“By agreeing to buy every book she ever writes.”
Olivia lets out a laugh and then turns her gaze back to the cactus. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
“I’m evening the score. You do nice shit for me all the time.”
She faces me, then steps forward and rests one arm on my shoulder as she presses her lips to mine.
Then we stand there, staring at it. Well, she stares at it. I stare at her. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that.
Eventually more people start to crowd around, and we all watch as the flowers open to a full bloom. Goosebumps rise on my arms. It’s by far the coolest thing I’ve ever witnessed.
There are “oohs” and “ahhs,” followed by a long silence as we collectively take it in. I’m not sure how long we stand there before people start to trickle away.
Unsurprising, Olivia doesn’t budge. I’d stand here with her forever.
“I’m so glad I got to see it with you.” Olivia rests her head on my shoulder as she hugs my arm. “This was perfect.”
“Nearly.”
Her brows pull together as she stands tall and then turns to face me. I use our joined hands to tug her to me. No one knows us here, but somehow it still feels like the perfect moment. Just the two of us and a once in a lifetime encounter.
“Marry me?”
