Ken chuckled and said, “Oh, yeah?”
“Thank you. I honestly didn’t need any help thinking about you, but it’ll be nice to have a visual.”
“You’ve been talking about your love life, huh?”
She should feel nervous about flirting with him over the phone, but, somehow, she didn’t. “I was. I really enjoyed watching the ducks with you yesterday.”
“Me, too.”
“Are you free tonight?”What are you doing, Daisy?
“As a matter of fact, I am.”
This flirty banter is fun, but you have to tell him. You need to tell him. It isn’t fair to grow this relationship any further without total honesty.“Can I cook you dinner tonight?”
“I couldn’t imagine a more perfect evening. What time?”
Daisy silently pounded the flat of her hand against her forehead twice. “Six?”You have to tell him!
“I’ll see you at six.”
Say something. Say anything. Why did you call him in the first place? The flowers! Right!“Thank you for the flowers, Ken.”
“Oh, you’re welcome, Daisy. Glad they bought me a home-cooked meal.” She chuckled as he said goodbye.
When she went back to the counter, she watched Camila put the finishing touches on her bouquet. “This is beautiful. Thank you.”
As Camila pushed the vase toward her, she said, “You need to tell him. Quit putting it off.”
“I know.” Nerves danced in her stomach, and she picked up the vase. Her cousin kept staring at her skeptically. “I said I know.” Daisy angrily jerked her head toward Xavier, and Camila relented.
“Fine. As soon as you get home, put water in the vase. There’s already a solution in it to keep them fresh longer.”
As Daisy walked out the door, Xavier made kissing noises and said, “Say hi to Ken from me.”
Daisy chuckled and shook her head.
Inthe background, the hum of the dishwasher broke the occasional silence. Daisy sat cross-legged on her couch with her back to the arm and faced Ken. She held a glass of water and rolled it between her palms, hoping the cool feel of the glass might anchor her to her current reality and keep her grounded somewhere near sea level.
She’d grilled chicken and served it with Mediterranean flavored couscous and veggies. The baklava she’d found at the store had inspired the meal and provided the perfect ending to it.
Now, Ken sat in the center of the couch with his arm across the back and his body turned toward her. “Your cousin did a nice job with the flowers.”
“I hope she refunded you your delivery fee.” She smiled and turned her head to look at the beautiful bouquet sitting on her dining room table. The yellow flowers perfectly matched the turquoise and yellow decor of that room. “And yes, she did a good job with the flowers.”
“I remember Xavier, but I don’t remember Camila.”
Her mind went to the days of youth group at that church. Camila would ride the bus home with her on Wednesdays. Xavier and Diego would walk home together from high school. Her aunt or uncle would pick up the cousins in the evening. “The nights she came over, she usually stayed in my room. They would come home from school with us on Wednesdays, so she was usually holed away before you guys got there.”
He nodded. “Makes sense.” He set his drink on a coaster on the coffee table. “I have my Wednesday family dinner tomorrow. Want to join me?”
She bit her lip and shook her head, wishing she had the freedom to join him for family dinner. “I have to go to a fundraiser tomorrow.”
“For Gálatas Seis? What kind of fundraiser?”
“A local women’s club is having a silent auction dinner. I have to go with Irene. She sets everything up. I just talk when it’s my turn.”
“Do that kind of thing a lot?”
