Exquisite

Chapter Fourteen

Two weeks went by very slowly when you were waiting for some kind of sign that you hadn’t messed up the single best thing that had happened to you, Lena discovered as she walked into Precious Petals Monday night. Last night she’d sat through a very awkward dinner with her parents where they tiptoed around her and tried unsuccessfully to get her to go with them on Sunday morning to visit Carly’s grave. She just wasn’t ready and for some reason they just wouldn’t leave her alone about it. This just made her even more annoyed when added to the fact she was still pissed off that Mason hadn’t called her back.

Really she should’ve been happy he’d had never called. She’d wanted him gone from her life only days before that disastrous interview and he’d done it for her. However, she couldn’t help but hate the fact that she’d called and left that horribly embarrassing, soul bearing voice mail. She could just imagine the great laugh he’d every time he thought about it. Asking to be number 34. What had she been thinking? Or worse, he probably kept it and hit replay just so he could remind himself what an absolute moron she was.

Sighing she moved into the store walking through the flowers. Lena hadn’t seen or heard Catherine when she walked in and she was happy just looking around being alone with her thoughts. Eventually she knew Catherine would pop her head out and come help her because the chimes had sounded above the door. She was bending down to smell a beautiful red rose when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

“Can I help you?”

Mason watched Lena spin around so quickly he thought she may just loose her balance, but right before she toppled over he reached out and steadied her with his hand. She quickly moved back a step wrenching her arm free from his touch and he immediately dropped his hand down by his side. He had to admit he was surprised and a little bit taken aback to see her. He’d forgotten his mother had told him she was a frequent customer of her store and as he stood there in front of her, wearing one of his mothers work aprons, he could tell she was trying to work out what the hell he was doing there.

She looked around him then frowned as she tipped her chin up to look at him. “What are you doing here?” she finally demanded of him.

Not so much as a hello or how are you, just typical Lena style, get right to the point.

“Working.” he answered in a way he knew would grate on her nerves. He was right because as he stood there he watched her jaw clench and her eyes roll.

“Working? Here? At Precious Petals?”

Sighing he lifted his hand to run it through his hair. It’d been a horrible week for him. His mother had been rushed to the hospital last Tuesday after suffering a mild heart attack. He really thought he’d been going to loose her and he hadn’t quite known what he would do about it. Rachel had been a mess not being able to cope with the thought of losing their mother so quickly after their father, so he’d been consumed with trying to hold it all together.

Not to mention the shit storm that had hit after that horrible magazine article. So even though he’d wanted to call Lena a hundred times to explain, he just didn’t have it in him and honestly he wasn’t even sure she would care. Right now as she stood in front of him he was starting to think that may be the case.

“Yes at Precious Petals. My mother owns the store.” he watched her suck in a deep breath as her eyes widened and everything seemed to click together into place for her.

“That’s why you were delivering flowers that day?”

Nodding once he crossed his arms over his chest. She stood rigid with her hands by her side looking as though if he touched her she would crack.

“Where’s Catherine then? I don’t think she’s ever taken a day off in all the..” she trailed off toward the end of the comment when she realized she must have given away more than she wanted to. See that was the problem right there, Mason thought shaking his head slowly, she had to many secrets and didn’t want to share. She was like walking through a room full of minefields.

“She’s in the hospital at the moment.”

The only way he could explain the look that came over her face was one of pure horror. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth as she gasped in a deep breath of air. Then she asked quickly. “Is she ok? Which hospital?”

“She’s doing fine Dr O’Donnell. I assure you she is in the best care at St Luke’s.”

She blinked twice seeming to digest that. “I know I don’t have any right but can I ask what happened?”

Mason finally felt himself relax a little. It was obvious that Lena cared about his mother. After all she’d been coming to her store for a little over nine years, if his memory served him correctly.

“She had a mild heart attack last Tuesday here in the shop.”

Her eyes start to water and suddenly he found himself taking a step closer and reaching out to cup her arm. This time she didn’t pull back but he watched as her bottom lip started to quiver. It looked as though she was going to burst into tears. Over a virtual stranger? As far as he knew they were just employee and customer but apparently there was a lot more going on here.

“Hey, it’s ok. We were all shocked and worried about her but she’s a fighter and she’s recovering. Luckily she had her cell phone and called 911 when she started to feel ‘funny’ as she tells me.” he ended with a slight grin.

Lena seemed to be trying to blink back her tears then she swallowed and nodded. “Good, that’s good. I’d hate anything to happen to her.”

“Yeah me too.” he said with a kind of ironic tone.

She seemed to gather herself up then.“Well of course. She’s your mother after all.” she paused and shook her head, “What a small world. I can’t believe she’s your mother.”

Mason didn’t know if he should be insulted or complimented. “Why? Is it so hard to imagine I have a mom?”

“No, no. She’s just so warm and comforting. I’d always wished she was my own mom.” she stopped and looked at him with an almost sheepish expression. “I know that must sound ridiculous.”

He finally gave way and grinned down at her. Who was he kidding? He couldn’t help himself and she was standing here in his mother’s shop, who he loved with all his heart, telling him that she loved her too. How could he fight that?

“That doesn’t sound ridiculous Lena. She’s an amazing woman. I don’t blame you one bit.” he looked around the small space. “I’ve been coming to this store for years, since I was a little boy. I don’t have one memory of her in this shop without a smile on her face. Only an amazing woman can be that warm all the time.”

Lena couldn’t believe that Catherine was Mason’s mother. She’d been coming to this store for nine years. How had she not run into him before that day with the roses? It was almost unbelievable how often their lives must have come so close to crossing over, intertwining and yet just missing each other by a small fragment of space in time. Focusing back on the man in front of her, who kept surprising her at every turn, she said softly.

“Your mother, Catherine, has been doing something for me for years.”

She watched him nod. “The sunflowers.”

Lena narrowed her eyes and felt her heart squeeze tight in her chest. “How did you know about those?” she asked in a more accusatory tone than she was expecting. She just couldn’t fathom the idea that he’d known about her all along, all her deepest most private issues and not said anything to her. She hated feeling like someone was digging behind her back but that was exactly how she felt at this moment.

“Sheathe your claws Lena.” he said with, what seemed like, great patience. “I was telling my mother about the doctor who’d made such an impression, that I’d taken her to my kitchen and cooked for her.”

Lena swallowed but didn’t back down an inch. “I don’t like people discussing me.” she watched as he visibly stiffened and saw the temper flare in his eyes.

Once again he crossed his arms. “She wasn’t discussing you. I was and all she told me was that you’ve been a wonderfully loyal customer and you liked to by sunflowers. Jesus Lena! You would try the patience of a saint.”

Lena reached down and clutched the strap of her purse, she was about to say something when she heard the tinkle of bells and knew someone else had come in. Mason looked over his shoulder then back at her. “I’ll be back to help you in a minute.”

He walked away from her with what she could only describe as a pissed off march. Turning back to the roses she picked up the red one she’d been looking at earlier. She didn’t understand her need to lash out at him, but that was what she was doing. She needed to get it under control, reign in her emotions. Try to remember the poor man’s mother was in the hospital. However, all she could think about was the fact that he’d known about her all along and not said anything. He’d known about her weird little coping habit and just left it. He hadn’t bothered to ask her about it, hell maybe he didn’t care and now she was standing here being a raging bitch because she was also upset he hadn’t called her. She had serious issues.

Moving further down the aisle she saw the happy sunflowers in their usual aluminum can. She stopped in front of them and crouched down to look at the seven flowers standing tall. They were flawless as always. Catherine always picked out the ones that had no blemishes on the bright yellow petals. Standing back up she walked over to the counter where Mason was finishing up with a little old lady.

“Thank you dear.”

She watched as he smiled down at the lady. “You’re welcome. Make sure you come back soon.”

The little lady nodded then asked, “Are you that young chef that’s been all over the television?”

Lena watched as he seemed to tense up a little. He held the smile but it’d left his eyes.

“Yes I am.”

The little lady smiled wider. “You are much more handsome in person young man.”

Lena watched a blush creep up over his cheeks and she almost laughed until his eyes met hers. He looked mortified. She tightened her lips and kept her gaze on his. Finally after what seemed like minutes instead of seconds he broke the contact and turned back to the little lady. This time his smile was a little sheepish but completely genuine. “I don’t know about that, but thank you very much.”

She nodded and made her way out. The chimes tinkled and Lena watched as Mason came around the desk and walked to the door. She felt her heart kick up when he flipped over the closed sign and she heard the door lock.

Mason didn’t want anymore interruptions. He wanted to talk to Lena and he planned to do it now. He turned back and made his way over to the counter and walked behind it, so he was on the opposite side. He figured they needed a barrier just incase he felt the need to either kiss the day lights out of her or strangle her.

“So let’s clear the air here.”

“There’s nothing to clear.” she snapped back.

Mason leaned against the counter with his hip. “Yeah, that’s obvious by the warm way your glaring at me.” he paused, “Spit it out Lena.”

She narrowed her eyes at him in a move that was so much a part of her he found he’d actually missed it. Wow, that was demented.

“I don’t have a problem. If you have one maybe you should tell me so whatever this is can be over.”

He pushed up to stand facing her and placed his hands on the counter. “Okay let’s start with a little magazine called Delicious. Did you read it?” he watched as her eyes widened just the smallest fraction. He figured she hadn’t actually thought he would call her out on it.

“I called and apologized for that!” she shouted at him.

He nodded slowly. “So you did.”

“It’s not my fault if you don’t know how to accept an apology.” she grumbled.

“Oh I know how to accept one.” he crossed his arms over his chest, “I just needed some time to cool off before I spoke to you.”

He was a big believer in honesty and that was the truth. He’d been going to call her that Friday but things had been crazy at the restaurant over the weekend. Between booked out nights and interviews surrounding the fall out from that blasted article then his mother, he just hadn’t had the opportunity to get back to her.

“Wow. That’s honest.”

“I told you I’d always be honest with you.” he paused for a moment as he watched her clasp her hands in front of herself as though she was nervous. That seemed a little preposterous though, the Lena he knew was never nervous. “I needed to stop being annoyed at myself as well as you. Lena that article was a disaster. Did you read it?”

He watched her nod slowly. “After I saw the report on that morning show I looked it up online and read it.” she paused, “I can’t say how sorry I am.” Then her eyes flicked up to his. “But I can’t do anything other than say it Langley.”

“I know. Like I said. I just needed to cool off. I knew you were sorry just like I knew that it was partly my fault.”

She seemed to be wanting to say something but in the end she just stood silently waiting.

“I was planning to call you back Lena.”

Her eyes came up to meet his with a look of disbelief in them. He moved and made his way around the counter stopping right beside her. She tilted her head back up to look at him.

“I was planning to do it that Friday but things got crazy at the restaurant then mom had her spell.”

She bit her bottom lip and nodded in silent understanding. This was the quietest and most un nerved he’d ever seen her and he knew why. She’d put herself out there and he hadn’t answered. She was feeling vulnerable, hurt and naked. However, he was going to make her go one step deeper if she wanted this to work. He needed her to prove that she wanted this. That she was in this for the same reasons he was. Placing a finger under her chin he tilted her face up and demanded softly. “Tell me again, to my face.”

Lena wasn’t stupid, she knew what he was asking. She knew he was asking her to put her heart on the line. He wanted her to open up and declare that there was more between them than arguing and explosive chemistry. Blinking once she licked her lip then took all the courage she could find and for the first time in her life placed all her trust in someone else. Feeling completely idiotic she whispered, “I want to be number 34 Mason.” she watched his eyes crinkle at the sides and his lips tug up in a smug little grin. “Let me? Please.”

He leaned down and placed the most gentle kiss on her lips it almost felt like a feather sweeping across them. Too quickly he lifted his head so their noses were touching. He nodded once then answered softly. “Don’t you know by now Lena, you can never be number 34 because you’re the only 1 there has ever been?”

She grinned at him. “That was really corny Langley.”

He kissed her quick then moved back from her. “So? It doesn’t make it any less true.” he walked over to the sunflowers lifted one and brought it over to her.

“Now tell me, what do these mean to you?”