Page 2 of In You

Bitter Beginnings

Tamryn

A Year And Three Months Ago

Father's Day

Walking down the cobblestone sidewalk I hum to myself as the morning breeze flickers my wavy hair against my face and the sun warms my skin just right.

I ignore the various families with their dressed-up fathers walking with their kids decked out in their Sunday best, and pause outside my favorite flower shop to gaze in on the display of bouquets and Father's Day cards through the window.

I hesitate for some reason, idling outside of the little shop, window browsing. There's big ones, small ones, even a few cleverly curated gift sets designed to look more masculine. People normally don't celebrate Father's Day with their mother, but I do.

Go inside, you always get mom flowers…

Seeing one I'd like, I push my way through the doors and greet the cashier with a smile and a friendly wave.

"Hey, Vanessa! Lookin' good, girl," I compliment her, eyeing her trendy new hair cut and pop of purple eye shadow to match the new lavender do. She's behind the register bagging up flowers for a customer, chatting up a storm like always.

"Thanks, Tamryn!" she calls out, throwing me a bright toothy smile. "I thought it might be too short."

I scoff, waving my hand as I select the bouquet from the display I want and wait patiently for the woman in front of me to pay. I step up to the counter when she leaves, and place the deep green vase down, admiring the blooms.

"Vanessa, I'm utterly convinced you could go bald and you'd look like you belong on someone's runway. Next time go a bit shorter!"

She touches her hair self-consciously and then cuts her eyes to the door.

I turn my head too, wondering why she's staring so hard, when a stunningly handsome man walks in.

He's old school handsome; even more so in his gray pea coat, navy blue scarf, and hat.

It's a bit of a colder day than normal, but I don't know if it's cold enough for his outfit.

Though I'm sure he's turning heads for his looks, not his weather appropriate get-up.

But again, it's Father's day, maybe he has a fancy lunch or dinner to go to. Who am I to judge?

"Seventy-three dollars," Vanessa says, turning my attention back to hers.

I swipe my card and then tap it on the counter.

As I wait patiently my eyes go back to the man.

He's walking slowly through the shop reaching out a finger to touch a bloom every so often.

His concentration is single-mindedly on the flowers in front of him but I wish he'd turn his head and notice me.

My heart beats wildly as I get my wish.

"Tamryn," Vanessa calls me back in a low voice. As I turn my head, tearing my gaze from the man, her eyes meet mine. Nice and soft with kindness. "Can you swipe it again?" she asks in a quiet voice as to not embarrass me. "I don't think it worked the first time."

"Oh, sure," I say, swiping it again.

Vanessa's eyes goes to mine once more, and this time a look of pity graces her face. "It declined again," she whispers.

I suck in a sharp breath and then shove my hand in my purse for my phone. "Oh no," I whimper, heaving a deep sigh.

This just isn't turning out to be my year.

I was hoping that due to the holiday that my student loans wouldn't clear until Monday.

But when I pull up my banking app on my cell, I see I'm thirty bucks short of getting this arrangement.

I've never been so broke before in my life, but I can't bring it in me to ask my mom for help.

She's all on her own, just like me, and at this point I feel like I should be able to make it without her.

I know she stresses about me all the time, fueling this desperate desire I have deep down inside to show her all the years she spent raising me weren't in vain.

"Here, add them to mine."

My head whips to the side to clash gazes with the handsome stranger. Despite my predicament, I can't help but be a bit star-struck. He's really that handsome.

"Oh, no, sir," I say, flustered. "No, that's okay.

I couldn't. I can't pay you back." I tap my card on the counter anxiously when his stare begins to eat down to my soul.

"But that's really sweet of you…" My worlds trail off when his eyes warm right as a smile tips the left corner of his mouth, revealing an adorable dimple in his left cheek.

"Well, if you want to pay me back so badly then I insist on you coming to dinner with me," he says smoothly, handing his black amex to Vanessa and instructing her to put my flowers on his card, leaving me no room to protest. "And this one as well, please."

As I work to put my card back in my purse, he adds a third bouquet to our two. A lovely two dozen, long stemmed white roses.

The total comes to two hundred and fifty dollars. Being as I'm single, I don't see any harm in accepting his proposal. A soft smile curves my lips and I flush pink as Vanessa hands him his receipt and she begins to box up our flowers. Failing to be discrete in her effort to eavesdrop.

"Thank you," I say with a shy smile, nibbling my bottom lip. "You just made my whole day.

"You're very welcome. So," his eyes flick to my lips, making me feel laid bare to him, "about that dinner?"

"Well, uhm, not tonight," I say, flushing when his eyes snap back to mine.

Thankful for his generosity, I reach out and touch the sleeve of his gray coat.

His eyes turn amused as he looks down at my fingers, and he covers them with his in a surprisingly soft caress.

My heart flutters at the gentle action, and I find myself curious about him.

"I always spend Father's Day with my momma," I explain, "so I have plans today.

But I can come to dinner with you tomorrow after I get off work. "

His eyes flicker up to mine. "No father?" he asks, tilting his head. I wet my lips, shifting my weight from foot to foot as I hesitate.

You can tell him. You can share…

I feel a wince pass my face as that pain that's always present burns a bit hotter at the mention of my father. "No," I say, pulling my hand from under his and avert my face. "I've never had a father, unfortunately."

He eyes me contemplatively as he turns smoothly back to Vanessa and picks up his two boxes of bouquets, thanking her for the care she took with securing them. I'm in awe at how polite he is. I readjust my purse on my shoulder and step to the side.

"Come on," he says with a smile. "I'll walk you to your car so we don't hold up the next person in line." He turns, giving the woman behind us a charming smile. "We're so sorry to hold you up, miss."

She blushes, giving me a knowing look and a tiny grin. "It's no problem at all, have a good day."

"You too." I nod and grab my own bouquet, and we push out the intricately trimmed door out onto the cobblestone sidewalk.

"I'm that way." I tilt my head south. "Two blocks down.

I couldn't find a closer spot. I can give you my number real quick so you don't have to walk all that way," I offer suggestively.

"That's okay," he says, giving me a grin. "I don't mind the walk if you don't mind the company."

I gesture to the flowers in his arms. "But you have two bouquets, surely your arms will get tired."

His eyes flash as he gives me a panty wetting smile.

"I'll walk all over the city with my arms laden down for the chance to accompany you to you car.

And besides, one of these are yours." He flicks his gaze pointedly at the roses, and I melt a little, tilting my head up slightly to accommodate our size difference.

He's about six-foot to my five-foot-four height, and though I'm not the smallest woman in the world, next to him I feel petite.

"Alright." I giggle, feeling a bit taken aback. I'm not a dater having spent much of my time in school before working as a billing specialist for a nearby clinic. Doesn't make for good money, but it's enough to afford my studio apartment on the North side of town.

We begin to walk, and I find myself brushing against him now and then as we have to move closer to avoid running into other people walking towards us. A man catches my eye, staring a few beats too long.

"So, what are you doing with your mom today?" he asks casually, giving the gentleman a smile and a nod of his head. The man averts his face quickly, and begins to walk a little faster.

"Well, every Father's day she makes us a lovely brunch, and then we go treat ourselves to a spa day." I laugh nervously, always a bit conscious and not wanting to feel judged. "We look forward to it every year, it's kinda our thing."

He looks down at me. "Where's your father?"

"What father?" I breathe, looking down at my feet now as we journey along, not really wanting to get into it. "Probably dead. It'd be better than the alternative."

"The alternative?" He raises a brow.

Looking up, I give him a sad smile. "I'd rather believe that he died than believe he abandoned me."

"I'm sorry," he says in a low voice. It goes silent when we reach the crosswalk, and it isn't until we're on the other side does he speak up. "I don't have a father either."

I tilt my head up to look at him. He's staring straight ahead, and his eyes are squinted a little. "No?"

He shakes his head, getting a sad smile on his face.

"Well," I bump my arm into his, "that makes two of us, so you won't need to feel alone.

" He's busy staring into my eyes as we're walking, no longer seeming to care about the oncoming foot traffic as we near my car.

I reach into my pocket for my keys and then hit the button to unlock it.

"This is me," I say sheepishly, watching as his eyes slide to my beat up black Honda with peeling paint.

He waits patiently as I place my bouquet in the front seat and then turn back to him, rubbing my hands together. "Uhm, I can drive you to your car so you don't have to walk back?" I offer, hesitantly as he's still a stranger to me. Albeit a charming one.