Page 27 of Loving Violet
Violet: Thank you. See you soon.
I walk into the coffee shop right on time. I see Violet immediately, looking even more stunning than I remember from this morning.
“Hi, Austin,” she greets, taking a seat at a table toward the back of the shop.
“Hi, Violet. I’m glad you texted me,” I say, trying to look calm while on the inside I am burning just by having her close to me. “Shall we order first, and then I can show you the plans? I’m hungry and can go for a chicken wrap.”
“That’s fine by me,” Violet answers.
We stand from our table and walk to the counter to place our orders. I feel my excitement building; I’m about to reveal the plans I’ve worked so hard on.
Once our food arrives and we’ve had a chance to start eating, I pull out the folder containing the preliminary plans. I lay them out on the table, watching Violet’s face intently as she studies them.
“I’ve tried to incorporate everything you mentioned,” I begin. “Here is the cozy living room with a fireplace, the spacious kitchen, here are the four bedrooms, and I also added three bathrooms even though you only mentioned two. I figured that one more wouldn’t hurt. And, of course, a space for a soccer field and a future pool.” I point at each section while I mention them.
Violet’s eyes widen as she takes in the details. “Austin, this is incredible. It’s everything I envisioned and more.” She smiles the widest, happiest smile, and I know then and there I will never forget this moment.
I smile, relief and pride washing over me. “I’m glad you like it. We can make any adjustments you want, but I wanted to capture the essence of what you described.”
“It’s perfect,” she says, her voice filled with emotion. “I can’t wait to see it come to life.”
As we continue to discuss the plans, tweaking a few details and sharing our visions for the project, I start to ask personal questions.
"Are you from North Carolina?" I ask, genuinely curious.
“Yes, I’m from Sweet Springs,” she replies.
I nod my head in acknowledgment. “I know where that is. I love their hiking trails, but I haven’t been in a long time.”
“The view from the top of the mountain is gorgeous. I used to go with my high school friends and hang out at the top,” she says, her eyes lighting up with the memory.
“What brought you here instead of your hometown?” I ask.
“I was planning on going back home. My parents and siblings are there, but I wanted to start fresh. If I moved back home, I would have to stay in my parents' house, and even though I love my parents with all my heart, my mom can be a little too much for me. So when Josy told me that we could move to her guest house, I didn’t hesitate,” she explains.
“So, Josy is your best friend? When did you guys meet? I know that Josy is from here. We went to the same school. I was three grades up, but I always knew who Josy was,” I say, feeling a bit more connected to her through our mutual acquaintance.
“We met in college. We were stuck as roommates our freshman year, and from there we became best friends,” she says with a smile.
“Roommates in college, huh? I bet you have some interesting stories,” I say with a chuckle.
“Oh, you have no idea,” she replies, laughing. “We had some crazy times, but she’s always been there for me. Moving here was the best decision I could have made.”
“I’m glad you did. This town is better with you in it,” I say, my voice softer.
Violet blushes even deeper at my compliment, her eyes sparkling with a mix of surprise and amusement.
“Thank you, Austin,” she murmurs softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Of course. I also wanted to tell you that you have a beautiful smile,” I say, unable to resist the urge to flirt a little.
Her cheeks flush even more, and she looks down at the table for a moment before meeting my eyes again. “Are you flirting with me, Mr. Caldwell?” she asks, a hint of teasing in her tone.
I grin, feeling emboldened by her response. “Does it bother you that I’m flirting?”
She shakes her head, her lips curling into a small smile. “It doesn’t. I just don’t understand why?”
I raise an eyebrow, intrigued by her question. “What do you mean why?”
