I roll my eyes, giving him a look and he just shrugs.
I walk over to look at a particularly large bunch. “They’re beautiful.”
“Yeah, but at this point, there’s a shortage of them in the world now,” my dad says sarcastically, and I can’t argue.
I touch a soft petal and laugh. He’s right. There are a ton of roses in here. “Who are they from?”
“I don’t know. The largest bouquet is on the table in the kitchen, and there’s a card sticking out,” he says, with his eyebrows almost touching his hairline as he gives me a knowing smile.
I can’t even see our dining room table under all the flowers. I pluck the card, wondering how someone could afford all these flowers. It had to cost a small fortune.
Zoe,
I hope you enjoy the flowers.
Their color pales in comparison to your beautiful hair, but I wanted you surrounded with a reminder that I’m thinking of you.
Can’t wait until our date.
Callan.
“I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.” My father says as I stand there, rereading the card to make sure I didn’t miss something. I’m smiling so huge that my face begins to hurt and my whole body feels as if there’s electricity running through it.
“I’m not,” I tell my dad, finally looking up.
“Then you must have someone’s attention,” he says. He’s looking for more information, but I don’t know if I want to give it yet. “Do you like him?”
“Yeah, but I shouldn’t,” I say with a grimace.
“Why not?”
“Because everything points to him not fitting into my world. I mean, look at these flowers. I’d almost guarantee that he spent more on them than most people make working for a month—heck, maybe two.”
My dad frowns for a minute as he thinks it over. “If it gets serious, I want to meet the guy.”
I lean my head over onto his chest before kissing his cheek. “You know you’ll meet anyone important in my life.”
He pulls me into a bear hug, kissing the top of my head.
“Now, how about some pizza?” I ask
My dad looks around for a minute and laughs. “We will have to eat at the counter because there’s no room anywhere else.”
Chapter 10
Callan
I lean back in my office chair as I order balloons from the same shop that delivered Zoe’s flowers. I wanted more roses, but they told me they got a shipment in, but the stock was low and other customers were beginning to complain because their orders couldn’t be filled. They limited me to balloons or carnations, so I went with the first choice.
I always like to deal locally when I buy things and they’ve been very accommodating. Otherwise, I would call every flower shop in town to get what I wanted.
“They need to be perfect. I think red and silver would be great,” I instruct the woman on the phone.
“What about hearts?” she asks. “We may have some other shapes, too.” She’s being very helpful, but then again, I’m giving her a lot of money.
“No, hearts are just too simplistic and expected,” I tell her. “Oval and round are fine.”
“What do you want the card to say?” She drawls, clearly typing my order in as I answer her. I can hear the keys clicking in the background.
“I’ll sign the card,” I tell her. Just as the words leave my mouth, Niko walks into my office. “I’ll be there later today to sign it and pay. Thank you.” I hang up before she can say anything else.
Judging by Niko’s scowl, he caught what I was saying, and he’s not too happy about it. It’s either that or he caught word from Emilia that I was pursuing Zoe.
“What did I tell you to do?” Niko asks, walking over to the chair in front of my desk and plopping down into it. From the growl in his voice, I can tell this goes beyond him not being happy about me pursuing Zoe. He’s downright pissed off. “Or, more specifically, what did I tell you not to do, Callan?”
I exhale my frustration as I pin my friend with a no-nonsense stare. “I know what you asked me not to do, but I’m not staying away from Zoe.” I don’t match his temper because I don’t need to. This is non-negotiable for me.
There’s just something about the voluptuous red head that calls to me. I need to be around her. Her telling me that she would go out with me did nothing but make me feel more convinced she’s the one. I’ve been working on autopilot while thoughts of her have taken over every part of my life.
“She’s Emilia’s best friend,” Niko growls. “This will cause problems when you break the girl’s heart.”
“That’s not going to be an issue,” I tell him dismissively.
“I’m fairly certain it will be.”
“I owe you everything. You know this, Niko. I’d do anything for you. I’d lay my life down for you.”
“Then stop—”
“But I can’t give up Zoe, Niko. I can’t turn my back on the pull I feel for her. There’s nothing to worry about,” I tell him calmly.
“Spoken like a lawyer,” he mutters.
“I’m damn good at it, too. I’m meeting Zoe Saturday. After I spend time with her and get to know her, we can revisit this subject.”
There’s a lull in the conversation as he grudgingly nods his head in agreement.
“Any word from Emilia and the contract?” I ask, changing the subject.
“No. First, she said she needed to take her time reading through it, and after a few days of putting it off, she flat out refused to talk about it at all.” Niko growls, opening and closing his fists.
Ah. So, there it is. He’s not that upset about me seeing Zoe. He’s upset that he’s not getting his way when it comes to Emilia. Zoe possibly being a hiccup in his plan is only secondary to the problems he’s facing.
“But I got inventive, and she will sign it tonight. I won’t give her much of a choice in the matter,” Niko says.
“I think you need to go easier on Emilia,” I advise him, trying to hide the smile playing on my lips. Niko is so self-assured and cold when it comes to everything but Emilia. I’m not sure he understands what that means—but I do. Niko, however, refuses to acknowledge Emilia’s power over him. “If you push her too much, you’re liable to drive her away.”
“This coming from a man who is spending a fortune on roses just to get laid,” Niko rolls his eyes.
I get that in the past I’ve been more of a lady’s man, a player, but I don’t like that being said even as a remote possibility when it comes to Zoe. I’m not looking to get laid here. Although, I can’t wait to have Zoe on my bed beneath me. I want to keep her, though—not hurt her. There’s a connection with her that I’ve never felt before. I can’t explain it, but with one look, I knew Zoe Cooper was the one.
Now, I just have to convince her.
Chapter 11
Zoe
It should be no surprise that I’m working late again. It’s eleven thirty, and I have thirty minutes to go. It wasn’t a surprise the other waitress couldn’t be bothered to show up. The owner was fit to be tied and fired her by leaving a message on her answering machine.