Bloom of Love (Long Valley #10) - Erin Wright Page 0,14
recommend asking to go over Carla’s books as a first date. Or as an ever date.” She let out a huge sigh of disappointment at the quality of her husband’s input. “No, Carla is a true romantic. I mean, I don’t know her all that well because I didn’t grow up here, of course, but what I’ve seen of her around town, she wants big. She wants romantic. She wants to be swept off her feet.”
Christian, who’d been thinking that asking Jennifer for help had been a stroke of pure genius, was now seriously regretting his decision. Big? Romantic? Swept off her feet? Dinner and a movie sounded doable. This…this sounded like Christian needed to rent a limo and fly her in a helicopter and…
This was not going well.
“You could give her flowers!” Stetson interjected.
Jennifer gave him another dirty look. “She’s a florist. Flowers are not going to impress her. How is it that you got married again?”
“My charm, and that move in bed…” He whispered something in her ear and she went bright pink, shoving at his shoulder.
“Behave yourself,” she scolded him, but the look in her eye told Christian a different story. “Okay, Christian, what do you like about Carla?”
“Her…smile,” he finished lamely. He was about to say her tits but then realized at the last moment who he was talking to – his boss’ wife. He was not going to discuss Carla’s tits with Mrs. Boss.
“She does have a very friendly, warm smile,” Jennifer said seriously, but he could see the sides of her mouth twitching and was just sure she was laughing at him.
Yesenia it was. He’d ask her for help. She’d been laughing at him since the day she was born; at least that wouldn’t be something new.
Frustrated, he turned to walk away, and Jennifer called out, “No, sorry. I’m sorry. Come back. Let’s brainstorm. Other than Carla’s, uh, smile, what do you like about her? Like, what do you like about her personality? What does she like to do?”
Do? Other than arrange flowers in vases? Hell if he knew. In fact, this seemed like a damn good question to ask her on that mythical first date he was never gonna get planned at this rate.
“That funny movie!” Stetson burst out. They both turned to look at him, surprised. “You know, that cult classic. She’s always quoting it.” More blank stares. “There’s a giant in it, the guy almost dies, there’s a marriage in it. Mawage,” he intoned in what had to be the world’s strangest accent. “Mawage is wot bwings us togeder today.”
Christian just stared at his boss wide-eyed. He’d lost it. His boss had officially gone ’round the bend.
“Princess Bride!” Jennifer burst out, whacking Stetson on the arm in her excitement. He rubbed at the spot ruefully, but Jennifer ignored him. Considering the fact that she only came up to Stetson’s shoulder and must’ve weighed at least a hundred pounds less than her husband, Christian was pretty sure Stetson was going to live through the experience. “I’d forgotten about that, but you’re right. She just loves that movie. Have you ever watched it?” she asked, turning back to Christian.
Her bright green eyes practically pinned him to the spot. She was a petite, gorgeous thing, but she’d always made Christian just a little bit nervous. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but over the years, the feeling had never subsided, and here it was again.
He was going to fail her test.
He mutely shook his head.
“There you go. You can watch The Princess Bride together, then. If you’re going to date Carla, you definitely need to watch that movie. Otherwise, half of what she says to you won’t make sense.”
Date Carla? That sounded…serious. He was going to go on a date with Carla, and then decide after that. He hadn’t had a steady girlfriend since high school.
His nerves were starting to crawl up his throat, strangling him in place, when Stetson interjected. “So, darlin’ wife, you think they should sit in a dark room for two hours and stare at a screen, eh?” he asked dryly. “What a…novel idea.”
She turned and glared at him, lips pursed, hands on hips. “This,” she informed him haughtily, “is totally different. This isn’t just a movie. It’s Carla’s all-time favorite movie. By watching it, Christian will understand her better. Now,” she said, turning back to Christian, supremely confident that she’d made her point, “do you have a place to watch it with her?”