The Big Boss - Penny Wylder Page 0,7

something for you.”

“That’s all you’re going to give me?” I ask, pouting. “Really?”

“I could give you more details about the sex and the fact that his tongue was like a goddamn hurricane, but I don’t think you want to hear about an old woman’s love life.”

I’m still tripping over the fact that she had a one-night stand with someone royal. That’s so cool. And I’m sure she’s concealing a lot of the juicy details. But if she thinks that I’m going to forget and not ask again, she’s dead wrong. I down the rest of my tea and load my cup into the dishwasher before following her over to her guest room.

“One of my downstairs neighbors passed,” she says. “And they were giving away her things. I thought of your friend with the flower shop, thought she could use them.”

“I’m sorry,” I say. I didn’t realize she’d had a neighbor that died.

Rose waves a hand. “She lived a long life, and we all knew it was coming. Went peacefully, and you would have liked her. But she would have smacked us both for being sad about it. I’m sorry I can’t lift this.”

I step around her and find a box on the floor. It’s filled with absolutely stunning flower pots. Some hand crafted and painted, and immediately I know that Rose is right. Lila will love these. “Are you sure? These are really beautiful. I could help you plant some herbs in your window.”

“No, thank you. I’ve got enough hobbies, and the flowers you bring me are as much as I can handle keeping alive.”

“Fair enough,” I say, laughing. The box is pretty heavy, but I can lift it. I’m glad I have my car with me today. On days with lighter loads, I’ll sometimes take my bike. But I wasn’t sure if Lila was going to need me to make deliveries today, and I had plenty to deliver to Rose anyway. Glancing at my phone, I wince. “I wish I could stay a little longer and make you tell me more about Mr. Royal, but I actually promised Lila that I would help her out at the store today.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me, honey. It’s just nice to see you every week.”

“Call me if you need anything, okay?”

“I will.” She’s never called me though, even though the post-it note with my cell number is still stuck on the fridge where I can see it. I would stay longer if I hadn’t promised Lila. Maybe I’ll drop by later this week and make sure that she’s doing okay.

Carrying the pots down the stairs make me incredibly grateful that Lila’s shop is on the ground floor. She must have had whoever was helping clean her friend’s apartment carry them up to hers.

It’s not that far of a drive to the flower shop, and I’m right on time. It’s only ten-thirty. Perfectly mid-morning. But when I walk in, I hear a shriek. “Oh thank fuck you’re here,” Lila says, running over to me and grabbing my arm, which nearly makes me drop the pots.

“Holy shit, slow down woman. What’s going on?”

“I need your help,” she says. “What are those?”

“Rose gave them to me for you.”

Her eyes go huge and round. “They’re beautiful!”

She tries to take them from me and I stop her. “You’re still barely recovered. I’ve got them. Tell me why you’re screaming?”

Jess—Lila’s part-time employee—sticks her head out of the back. “She’s freaking out about Mr. Silverman.”

I put the pots down in a corner and turn to face my best friend. “What the hell did he do now?”

She presses her lips together and looks nervous. Her hands are fidgeting. “Really, Lila, is it that bad?”

“It’s just weird, okay? He didn’t order flowers. Normally he orders flowers. Big bouquets like the one you took over yesterday. But today he ordered…a cactus. Just one. Like…that’s it. Just a cactus plant.”

Oh shit.

“And it’s not just that,” she says. “He wants you to deliver it. Based on his note, it seems like he wants you to do all his deliveries from now on. I guess he thinks you work here? I had a small panic attack about the cactus because it was so different, but if he wants more deliveries, that means he’s not just buying the cactus as a farewell purchase.”

That fucking asshole. He didn’t have enough playtime with me yesterday so now he wants more? And to think that he can just demand my time like he owns it makes me want to