Page 38 of Spotlight
My skin flushes at the indirect mention of Flynn. “How did you find out so fast?”
“Archer,” we say at the same time.
“We’re going to the nursery,” Greer tells Sabrina.
“Well, you are dressed perfectly.” She takes Greer’s hand and spins her. The two of them giggle.
“We can go later if you want to hang out,” I say.
“Can I tag along?” Sabrina asks.
“Yes,” Greer and I say in unison.
The nursery is within walking distance—one of the perks of our apartment location. Greer holds on to Sabrina’s hand and talks a mile a minute on the way, leaving me to my own thoughts.
I find myself wondering what Flynn said about last night and about me. As much as I want to pretend he hasn’t gotten under my skin, he has. I like him. Okay, I’ve always liked him. Basically, from the moment I laid eyes on him I felt something. But I’ve spent a lot of years second-guessing myself when it comes to feelings and navigating dating relationships. I don’t trust myself more than I don’t trust him.
At the nursery, Greer runs ahead to the cut flower display. Every morning, they put flowers that have fallen from their plant or needed to be pruned in a cute display for the kids made of pallets with attached mason jars filled with water for vases.
“You’re quiet this morning,” Sabrina notes as we watch Greer pluck a pink rose from one of the vases.
“I fell asleep in Greer’s bed last night,” I say as I absently rub at the sore spot on my neck again.
“Are you sure it doesn’t have anything to do with running into a certain baseball player?”
I cut her a look that must not be intimidating because she laughs.
“Fine. Not ready to talk about it,” she says.
Greer runs back with her flower clutched in one hand.
“An enchanted rose!” Sabrina picks her up and bops her on the nose. “I hope you don’t turn into a horrible beast!”
I grab a cart, and we wander down the aisles of the nursery. I’m easily distracted by the plants and flowers, and Sabrina and Greer chat happily about roses and beasts.
I got into gardening at a young age with my mom. She’d bring me and Ruby with her to pick out flowers or plants and then we’d get home and she’d plant them while we played in the yard.
As soon as I moved out on my own, I filled the apartment with greenery. Something about it just makes every space feel more like home.
I stop by a section of succulents. I need something small and low maintenance that doesn’t need a lot of sun for a shelf in my bathroom.
Sabrina steps up beside me while Greer wanders just ahead of us where I can still see her.
“I have news on the bachelorette party.”
“Ooooh.” I look from an aloe plant to Sabrina. For weeks now she’s been going back and forth on where and how she wanted to celebrate her upcoming wedding. She and Archer are getting married this summer. They want to keep the wedding simple, but they are going big on all the fun activities leading up to it.
“How do you feel about a mountain getaway?”
“What happened to Vegas?” That was her most recent plan. One night on the strip, gambling, drinking too much, and dancing the night away. Followed by a spa day.
“I realized I don’t really want to deal with other people. I just want to hang out with my friends.”
“Mountains are fine by me.”
“Perfect. There are these cute cabins just out of the city. We’d all go up on a Friday, have a chill night in and then Saturday do all the usual fun bachelorette things.”
“That sounds great.”
