The Right One - Felice Stevens Page 0,23
my clothes off, and you’re blaming me?”
Dumbfounded, Morgan began to shake. “Talking about sex? Rip your clothes off? Jesus, you have a high opinion of yourself. Either that, or the endorphins from all that exercise have altered your brain chemistry.” Morgan reached behind him, felt for the doorknob, and wrenched open the door. “I came to talk about flowers. That’s it.” He inched away.
Leo turned his back. “Do whatever the hell you want. Plant your fucking flowers. I don’t give a shit.”
“You don’t give a shit about anything, do you?” Morgan flung over his shoulder, and without waiting for an answer, ran down the hall.
What the hell was wrong with him, saying that to Leo? It wasn’t nice, but every time he saw the man, he got angry.
Angry and turned-on. Admit it.
Not going there.
Once in the safety of his apartment, Morgan figured he might as well start as soon as possible, so he opened his laptop and searched for a nearby nursery where he could get what he needed. With the rest of the summer stretching out in front of him until school started, he couldn’t think of anything better than to fix up the garden. Leo the super might not care about living surrounded by beautiful things, but Morgan did.
***
“Over here is where I want to plant the impatiens and pansies.” Morgan pointed to the flower beds he’d dug out. After finding Berger’s Home and Garden Center, Morgan made a quick trip over and purchased a large quantity of flowers and supplies. Several of the tenants had stopped by as he was digging, and a few offered to help. Leo, of course, had said nothing as he passed by with his tool belt, and Morgan ignored him.
Aaron, who’d helped Morgan at the store and delivered the plants, nodded, then motioned toward the building. “And here you have a nice mix of sun and shade. The rosebushes will grow against the brick wall, and in the fall you can get mums and plant tulip and hyacinth bulbs. It’ll be a really pretty garden.”
“I think so.” Morgan gazed around with satisfaction. “Thanks for all your help. I appreciate it. I’m surprised the store manager makes deliveries.”
“We like to give personal service. It’s what kept Berger’s in business all these years. We know our customers. The owner, Rose, told me when she gave me the job that customer service is the most important thing. That and good sales.” He flashed a smile. “Now I gotta go. My husband is giving a dance recital, and I promised to video it for him. They’re entering a national contest.” Pride overflowed from him, and Morgan’s heart squeezed tight.
“That’s cool. Where does he teach?”
“In the city. It’s a modern-dance studio for kids. Frankie teaches the four-year-olds. Been doing it for years, and even though he sells real estate now, he still does it on the weekends and fills in when the owner can’t make it.”
“That’s great. Have a great time, and again, thanks for everything.”
Aaron waved Morgan off. “Not a problem. Call me if you need help with anything. See ya.” He hopped into the van and took off.
Morgan loved how freely and easily Aaron spoke of his personal life, and he couldn’t help the twinge of jealousy at Aaron’s obviously happy marriage. It had taken him long months of intense therapy to recognize what he’d had with Jeffrey wasn’t love but a sick kind of dependency. He wondered if he’d ever find a love like it seemed Aaron and his husband shared.
“How beautiful, Morgan. A flower garden is a wonderful idea.” Reasa Blakely beamed a big smile and handed him a glass. “Here. I brought you some of my homemade iced tea—Agua de Jamaica—I always keep a big pitcher in the refrigerator for hot days like this.”
He wiped his brow and took a long drink of the sweet, flowery-tasting iced tea. “Oh, this is delicious. You’ll have to give me the recipe.”
“Of course, darling. I’m so glad Leo let you do this. All these flowers remind me of my home in Jamaica.”
“Well, Leo wasn’t that interested, but he said he didn’t care if I did it or not. I love all the flowers too. Brightens things up.”
“Most definitely. And that sounds like Leo. That man can be sweet one minute but sour as a lemon the next. He must be battling demons. That’s the only explanation I can think of.”
A movement caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Leo strode toward him with