Something Great
Page 17

“I don’t know. I didn’t open it. And they’re not for me…they’re for you. So the question is, who sent them to you?” She giggled with a smirk on her face, like I already knew who sent them. Becky handed me a card and placed the vase and the box on our dining table.
Leaning against the chair, she waited for me to open the card. They had to be from Luke. Who else could they be from? As my heart pounded from anticipation, I opened and read the note. I was in shock, and my heart beat even faster. Did I somehow misread the sender’s name? I read it again and stared at the name.
“Who is it from?” I heard Becky’s voice ring in my head. Peering over my shoulder, she read out loud.
Dearest Jenna,
Hope you had a wonderful week at your new job.
Until we meet again.
Lunch buddies share their feelings, stories, and even goodies.
Thinking of you!
Your lunch buddy, Max
“I knew it,” Becky squealed. “Luke never sent you flowers. He’s not the sending flowers type of guy. Wait…are you not telling me the whole story?”
I turned stoically. “I told you everything.” My voice was soft and still unbelieving.
Turning my gaze to the flowers, I couldn’t help but smile. They were the most beautiful roses I had ever seen. They must have been expensive, because roses that exquisite were hard to find. Leaning over, I smelled the scent and touched the silk like petals. “They’re beautiful.”
Then my eyes shifted to the white box and I pulled it to me. An oval sticker on top read Café Express. Using my nail to break the seal, I opened it. Inside were a dozen heart-shaped Rice Krispies Treats.
“Oh my God! This was really sweet of him, but I don’t think he thinks of himself as just a lunch buddy. He wants more.”
“But I can’t,” I sighed lightly, feeling confused. “I’m dating someone else.”
“True, but did Luke say he wanted to date exclusively?”
“We never talked about that.”
“So you’re assuming. Maybe he’s dating someone else while he’s dating you. Have you thought about that?”
Becky was right. It was a possibility. Just because I was a one-man-at-a-time dating type didn’t mean he was. “I don’t think he would.”
Draping her arm around my shoulder, she shook her head. “My inexperienced, innocent friend, who only thinks the best of everyone, you need to figure out what you want. I think you feel safe with Luke, but at the same time, you want to jump into bed with Max.”
“Becky!” I said, a bit too loudly.
“Admit it. You’ve got the hots for Max. Who in their right mind wouldn’t? But you’re scared that he’ll hurt you once you let him in. I understand. I’ve been there before, and so have you. But Max may turn out to be different.”
“First of all, Max hasn’t even asked me out. He’s just having fun flirting with me, because I’m not giving him the kind of attention he probably gets from other women, like throwing myself at him. He probably sees me as a challenge and nothing more.”
Becky released her hold on me. “Don’t judge him without getting to know him. To me, he seems like a great package, but….” Both of her hands went up. “I don’t know him. And you won’t know until you try. You don’t ever want to regret, and think of ‘what ifs,’ because that will eat you alive.”
“You sound as though you have a regret of your own,” I said, but when I saw the impassive expression on her face, I knew I’d touched a sore topic.
She pulled her lips into a thin line that curled into a quick smile. “Let’s not talk about me. If he asks you out, what are you going to do?”
Pulling out the dining chair, I slumped down on it and placed my fist under my chin as I stared at the roses in a dream-like state. “He sent me flowers and my favorite…Rice Krispies Treats. He also shaped my treat into a heart shape when we had lunch together. That was so sweet. What am I going to do?” Then I plopped my head on the table.
Sitting adjacent to me, Becky started laughing lightly. Copying my position, she looked squarely into my eyes, seemingly preparing to give me good advice. “Why don’t you sleep with both of them, and see who makes you sing hallelujah?”
Sing hallelujah? My eyes grew. I couldn’t hold it any longer, and I spit out a loud laugh. Becky joined me and I pulled her in for a hug. Then she squeezed me tightly and spoke into my ear. “I just want the best for you; you know that, don’t you?”
I nodded. “I know. I don’t like being confused. We haven’t even gone out on a date, and he’s invading my thoughts…not to mention my body. I want him out of my mind.” I wasn’t ready to let Luke go. We were just starting to get to know each other. I had to give him a chance, but what would I do if Max ever asked me out?
“I know. Just follow your heart.”
But what if my heart split down the middle? Then I popped the question that was on my mind earlier. “How does he even know where I live?”
Becky released me. “I don’t know, but that should tell you he’s slowly making his move. He’s feeling the water first. He knows you’re dating someone, but he’s trying to find out how serious your relationship is. And the fact that you had lunch with him gave him the okay sign to send you flowers.”
“It did?” I sighed. Extending my arm to reach for a treat, I gave it to Becky. “How do you know so much?”