Page 19 of Whiskey & Honey
I’ve spent the last week cutting, pasting, organizing, and hanging up everything to make the kindergartners feel welcome and less overwhelmed. I look around my room and it’s coming along great. Thankfully I have another few days to finish it up before our weekend at the lake.
Normally Ashton and I will hang out a few times throughout the week or I’ll go in to Country Road at least once or twice, but I’ve been spending time with Netflix this week. I’m not avoiding anyone or intentionally keeping myself busy. Nope, I needed to clean out my closet, deep condition my hair, and alphabetize my canned goods.
There is always a silver lining to everything and, this week, that silver lining is not seeing Tony. Come to think of it, I haven’t heard from him either. That in itself is strange. I’ve never known him to give up on anything without a fight. Not a parking space, not a pick-up basketball game, and surely not a girlfriend breaking up with him.
I finish setting up the reading corner, choosing to stick with a classic Dr. Seuss theme this year, before deciding to call it a day. I grab my things and turn the lights off as I make my way out of the school to my car. I love the history of this school. When our grandparents attended this school, it was actually the middle and high school. Gradually, as the town grew the school changed along with it and is one of two elementary schools. I glance toward the playground and smile at the memories I have.
Lost in thought, I almost don’t see the flowers laying on top of my windshield. I look around and don’t see anyone who may responsible. No card, no surprise. I pull the roses from the windshield and it is less than ten seconds before my sinuses start filling and the pressure in my head makes itself known. Obviously the person who so lovingly thought of me didn’t know that I am allergic to roses. I walk the bouquet to the trash can on the sidewalk before returning to my car and taking the hand sanitizer from its home in the center console.
I slather on enough of the stuff to compete with an actual bath. My efforts are for not because the sneezing begins in sets of four with no end in sight. Damn flowers.
I’m in the middle of a set of sneezes when a knock on my window startles me.
I slowly peer up at the knock and see Ben with a concerned look on his face. I hold my finger up to signal for him to wait as I finish out the current set of sneezes. Once I finish, I turn my key and roll down the window.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah, just allergies. I’m fine, thanks,” I croak out. My voice sounds like I swallowed a jar of razorblades and I can feel my eyes watering uncontrollably. Sexy.
“Okay, if you’re sure.” He doesn’t sound convinced.
“I’m sure. I should go.”
“Wait, umm … what are you doing now?”
I want to tell him I’m currently trying to breathe and that I probably look like a raccoon with my mascara running down my face. I want to say that he’s making my stomach do flip flops standing here with his forearms leaning on my car and his dark, chocolate eyes looking at me with concern. Of course, he still hasn’t shaved so he has that perpetual scruff happening, too. Jerk. I look down as his hand touches my forearm and look up to see him looking at me confused.
“Huh? Oh, nothing. Why what’s up?”
“You sure you’re okay? Do you want me to take you to the doctor or something?”
“What? No, don’t be silly. I’m fine. Just the sneezing and all, I’m a little slow. Why’d you want to know what I’m doing?”
“If you’re sure. I wanted to see if you could help me figure out what to get Ashton for her birthday. We’re having family dinner tonight to celebrate and I haven’t picked anything up yet. I’m kind of at a loss at this point.”
“I-” That’s all I can say before I sneeze again. “Sorry. Ugh, stupid roses.”
“Why did you have roses? You’re allergic.”
“You know that I’m allergic to roses?”
“Of course. Remember that time my dad filled the house with roses for my mom’s birthday? You were sicker than a dog and my parents felt so bad.”
I start laughing because I do remember. Paul had wanted to surprise Patty for their fifteenth anniversary and filled the house with fifteen dozen roses. Like every other weekend I was spending the night and the minute I walked in the house I started sneezing. It got so bad they thought they’d have to call an ambulance. Instead they called my mom, who explained my allergy and came and picked me up. I was so embarrassed because Bentley and Jameson had been there to see me in all of my snotty glory.
“I forgot about that; it was awful. I can’t help you though, I really need to get home and shower. That’s all that will really help me get this pollen off of me. Plus, I will be at dinner tonight and I need to still pick up my gift before. I’m sorry, Ben.”
“Shit. I really need help, Piper. Please. What if I go pick up your gift for her and then pick you up? That’ll save you time while you get ready and then you can help me out. What do you say?”
I say he really needs to shave and not look so damn handsome leaning in my window looking helpless. I also say this is a bad idea.
“Okay.”
I say a lot of things. To myself, obviously. I’ll likely regret this but nobody ever said I was the smartest girl. He offers me a smile that sends the flutters in my belly to make their way downtown. Slow down there, lady bits, get a grip. I find the claim ticket in my purse for the engraved compact I picked out for Ash and hand it to him. The moment his fingers touch mine my breath catches and I swear I see his eyes go wide.
“Uh, yeah, so thanks for getting that for me. I’ll see you what, like an hour?”
“Forty-five minutes okay? We don’t want to be too late or Ash will never let us live it down. It is her day, after all.”