“Well.” She pouted playfully. “Don’t, ‘kay? Because maybe you messing with me will make me climb out of bed …”
I laughed and pulled her closer. “Just try it, Nancy Drew,” I growled, biting her lips softly. “See what happens. Anyway, what’s your point?”
“You’ve never bought me flowers.That’smy point.”
I leaned back to see if she was serious. But she had that wicked just-Grace gleam in her eye. That was one of the things I loved about her. She knew how to banter like a bloke, always finding an opportunity to take me for a ride.
“All right,” I said. “What kind do you want?”
“Sunflowers,” she said without missing a beat.
“Why?”
She turned her face away as though embarrassed. “I don’t wanna say.”
“Comeonnn,” I teased, tickling her.
Gasping for breath as she writhed against me, she snapped, “Okay, okay. It’s no big mystery. Just when I was a little girl my grandmother had sunflowers and I used to help her in the garden. They remind me of her.”
I always remember that and, when I was trying to get into contact with her again, I even went so far as to send sunflowers to her house. But just like the letters and the phone calls, none of it did any damn good.
***
I make myself a double espresso and sit at the desk, slamming the coffee and then refilling the blue mug with another one. The caffeine hums around my system and lets me get some admin-type work done, which is the most boring part of my business.
But a CEO’s life isn’t all fun and games.
My phone buzzes from next to the keyboard, making a wood-on-plastic noise as the case bounces around. I grab it and answer it, bringing it to my ear. “Yeah?”
“Ooh, that’s how you answer the phone, is it, bad boy?” Grace giggles.
The smile that smooths over my stern lips is inexorable. I grin like a damn fool, leaning back on the chair and resting my crossed feet on the edge of the desk.
“If you’ve got a problem with that, come and deal with it,” I laugh.
“Oh, maybe I will,” she says. “But I actually called to say thank you. It only took almost a decade, but youfinallysent me some flowers.”
“I sent you some before,” I say, unable to stop myself before the words come out.
“Huh? When?”
When? Is she fucking with me?
“I sent them to your house after … after things went weird between us.”
“Oh,” she mutters after a pause. “I guess Mom must’ve thrown them out or something. Anyway, are you free?”
“Sure,” I say, uncrossing my legs and springing up. “Just don’t keep me waiting too long.”
“Jeez, playboy,” she chides lightly. “Way to make a girl feel guilty for wanting to say thanks.”
I hang up the phone and walk across the office, which is bright now with the morning sunlight. The dorm alarms have already sung across the complex and Nate is out there leading a session of Capture the Flag.
I pull on my T-shirt, since today it’s hotter than the devil and I’ve been working shirtless. Then I grab my tennis ball and wander to the window, tossing it casually.
I stare past the assembled camp-goers to Grace’s dormitory, watching as she pushes the door open and walks across the office. I can’t take my eyes off her as she strides with long, confident steps across the green toward my office building.
A minute later, her knock comes at the door.
