Instead, he heads to the little round table by the window and picks up two narrow pieces of paper. He hands them to me.
“I’ll tell you what,” he says. “If you don’t want to go to this thing, I will give you all the blankets and orgasms you can handle. But if you want to go, you’re going to have to get up and get in the shower now.”
“What is it?” I ask.
“If you’d read the tickets, you’d know.”
I sigh, bringing the papers to my face. There’s a lotus flower in the upper right-hand corner and another on the bottom left. Confused, I sit up in bed and focus on the text.
There’s no way this is what I think it is. But it is. It says it.
I set the tickets on my lap. Urging myself not to leap off the bed and dance around the room until I’m sure this is what it’s supposed to be, I take a deep breath. “Trevor?”
He looks uncomfortable. “I mean, we don’t have to go. I just thought you’d like it with your new job and everything.”
I spring up, bouncing into his arms. He laughs, catching me midair and bringing me to his chest.
“That’s a yes?” he asks with a chuckle.
“Of course. This is the biggest flower show in the South. I had no clue it was this weekend or even that it was in Nashville this year. How did you know?”
“I didn’t.” He sets me on my feet. “I saw these on the counter at Dad’s. Meredith was going to go before we organized the party, so she said maybe it would be nice to take you. And I agreed.”
“I . . .” I squeal. “I can’t believe I get to go. And you’re coming with me. This is a dream.”
He smiles smugly and taps me on the ass. “Then get in the shower so we aren’t late. I heard the lines take forever.”
I bounce on the balls of my feet, already anticipating the things awaiting me today. I start to dart out of the bedroom, but pause. “Hey, Trevor?”
“Yes, pretty girl?”
“Thank you.”
I swear he blushes.
“You’re very welcome.”
Trevor
The convention center is packed. I’m not sure if there are more people or flowers cramming the room, or which I like less.
Various vendors are set up, most of them wedding-related, and Haley has to stop at every one. She gushes with the other women while I hang back with the occasional husband or boyfriend and talk about the weather and football like those topics will get our man cards back.
“Oh, Trevor,” Haley gushes. “See this one? It’s an anthurium.”
“It’s great.”
She rolls her eyes. “Meredith had these in the kitchen last night. Don’t you remember?”
“Of course.”
“You do not.” She shakes her head. “They represent hospitality and happiness. Must be why your dad’s place felt so welcoming.”
“I thought it was the bourbon, but whatever you say.”
She bumps my shoulder as we meander to the next booth. “You know what, Thief?”
“What’s that?”
“I think you like Meredith more than you let on.”
“Meh.” When she looks at me, I shrug. “It’s not like I hate her. I’m just skeptical of her motivations.” I watch Haley pick up another flower, a purple one this time, and think of my dad’s wife. “Men do stupid shit when they fall in love. If Jake and I don’t have his back, who will?”
She doesn’t answer as she turns to the attendant at the table. I watch her banter with the man, his face lighting up at her questions.
The place might be packed, but everyone here is happy. Maybe Haley’s right and there is something about flowers that brings out people’s good sides. She turns to look at me over her shoulder. The smile on her face is so big, I have to hope some of it isn’t just from the flowers, but from me.
“Do you know what this one is?” she asks, waving a flower at me. “I know you don’t, so I’m going to tell you. It’s a delphinium. And it’s known for fun.” She plunks the flower back in the container. “You need to be more delphinium-esque.”
“You weren’t complaining about how fun I was about six hours ago.”
She shoots me a look. “That’s not what I mean. I wasn’t complaining about that.”
“Good. Because I was there, all three times, and I vividly remember you yelling so loud about how amazing I am that the front desk called our room.”