Page 35 of Sunflower Persona (Classic City Romance #2)

Gage

A ir rushes through the open windows as I drive toward Kori’s dorm. The sun is out, birds are singing, and I’m…giddy?

The fluttery emotion feels foreign in my chest. But things have been good. No—more than good. My car is fixed, I’ve got my woman, and business has picked up at Cutter’s, so bills won’t be a concern again until December.

Minimum payments are still on-time payments.

The relief is like a thousand-pound barbell has been removed from each of my shoulders.

All week, we’ve texted back and forth, but I haven’t had a chance to see her since I drove her home from my apartment. Between her schoolwork and my jobs, it was impossible to find a few hours where we both could slip away. That changes now—I owe my girl a date.

As I pull into the lot outside her dorm, I fire off a text and climb out of my car to meet her.

I only make it a couple dozen feet in her direction before a bright-yellow blur flings herself at me.

Her arms wrap around my neck, and I instinctively catch her.

Those sweet glossy lips of hers find mine with unexpected zeal, and I’m powerless to do anything more than bend to her will and kiss her back.

“Hi,” she says, breaking the kiss far too soon.

“Hi,” I breathe back, and the bands of my arms tighten around her. I’m not letting her go anytime soon.

“I missed you,” she sighs as she melts into my hold.

The ache those words bring to my chest is hard to ignore.

“I missed you too. I don’t have to go into Cutter’s until ten, so I’m yours for the next few hours.”

I don’t put her down as I walk back to the car. Several students stare at us with disapproval on their faces, but as soon as they meet my hardened glare, their eyes fall away. They can look at me however they want to, but they don’t get to judge my woman like that.

“What did you have in mind?” she asks.

“I wanted to show you one of my favorite places. If that’s okay with you?”

“That sounds perfect.”

My lips find hers again for a quick kiss before I put her feet on the ground.

By the time I drop into the driver’s seat, she’s buckled in and practically vibrating with her uncontained excitement.

It’s infectious; her joy coaxes a smile to my lips.

I’ve never smiled as frequently as I do around her.

I turn up the radio and switch through the stations until I find something that matches the mood.

The upbeat pop anthem is new to me, but based on the way she starts to nod along to the beat, I know it’s the right choice.

I prefer to ride without music, but I noticed how antsy she got in the silence, so I’ll learn to love the noise.

“I don’t have Bluetooth, but feel free to change to whatever station you want,” I tell her as I pull out of the parking lot.

This time her leg doesn’t shake, but my hand falls to her thigh anyway. I’m not going to waste any opportunity to touch her. She lets out a content sigh and wraps her hand around mine. The small gesture has my chest tightening as my heart twists itself into knots.

Comfort this quickly has to mean something, right?

Sure, there are still awkward moments, but in the few weeks I’ve known her, she’s slotted herself into my life so seamlessly it’s like she’s always belonged.

I don’t know what to make of it, but I’m not about to squander it either.

A man like me doesn’t deserve something as perfect as her.

Until the day she realizes that, I am going to do everything in my power to make sure she knows how grateful I am that she’s mine.

A wave of unease washes through me as we approach our destination. The palms of my hands grow damp, so I move them both to the peeling steering wheel. Flakes of loose vinyl cling to my sweaty skin.

Oblivious to my growing nerves, Kori continues to sing along to the music under her breath. I shouldn’t be this nervous, but it’s only the second date I’ve been able to take my girl on, and I want her to love it here as much as I do.

This is my favorite place, and she is quickly becoming my favorite person, which makes it far too easy to build up some romanticized fantasy in my head. I don’t want to ruin today because I had some preconceived ideas that were never a possibility.

It’s so stupid—I don’t do fantasies.

I didn’t do girlfriends either, yet here I am completely enamored.

Fisting a handful of loose change from my cup holder, I jump out of the car to get Yellow’s door for her, and I’m gifted a brilliant smile as I open it and offer her my hand.

“Ever the gentleman,” she says with a chuckle and allows me to help her out.

The hairs on my neck tingle as her eyes bore into me while I grab the bag I stowed away in the back seat. Good, let her be curious. She will learn about my surprise for her soon enough.

“Ready?” I ask and entwine my hand with her tiny one.

“Yup. I can’t wait for you to show me all your favorite plants.”

“I don’t think I have a favorite plant. They are just plants,” I tell her as I lead her toward the visitors center.

“We can pick out a favorite together, then. I don’t know much about plants, if I’m being honest. My mom tried to start a garden once, but that experiment only lasted for a few weeks before she got bored and moved on to something else.

Scrapbooking, I think, or it might have been macramé.

You are going to have to teach me everything you know. ”

“I’m no expert—” I start to tell her, but I’m interrupted by a familiar voice calling my name.

“I haven’t seen you since the summer. I thought you had moved without telling me,” Miss Dorthey, my favorite of the staff here, chastises as she hobbles over from her spot behind the small podium that serves as a front desk.

“Never,” I tell her, and I don’t fight it as she pulls me into a hug. “Things have been crazy these past few weeks. My car was out of commission, and I’ve been busy.”

Her eyes move to Kori as I mention being busy, and her face softens with a knowing smile. “I can see that. Are you going to introduce me to your friend, or are you going to leave an old woman to make assumptions? You know I can come up with some quite creative ideas.”

“No assumptions needed. Miss Dorthey, this is my girlfriend, Kori.” I wrap my arm around Kori’s waist and tuck her into my side. “Kor, this is Miss Dorthey. She helps take care of the visitors center.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Kori says in a shy tone and ducks her head toward the ground.

“Oh no. The pleasure is all mine. You know Gage has never brought a woman here before, except for that wild hellion friend of his. What’s her name again…” She snaps her fingers as she tries to remember.

“Karis?” Kori supplies.

“Yes, that’s the one. At first, I thought they were together, but she about bit my head off when I suggested it.

I’m glad he brought you by. I’ve been worried about him being alone for so long.

Loneliness is nothing but trouble for the soul.

There are times I can see the dark cloud follow him in here.

He needs a good woman to help chase that darkness away and bring a smile back to his face. ”

I swallow back a groan. This is the exact sort of thing that doesn’t fit in the whole romantic fantasy date.

“I’ll do everything I can to make him happy,” Kori declares. The conviction in her voice surprises me and makes my heart ache in my chest.

Miss Dorthey nods along with the same seriousness before turning her attention back to me.

“What are you kids up to today?”

I don’t comment on the fact I stopped being a kid a decade ago.

“We’re on a date,” I tell her.

“That much is obvious,” she says, rolling her eyes, “but don’t let me hold you up. You go have fun, but bring her back one day when you have time to chat.”

“Yes, Miss Dorthey. It was nice seeing you.”

She gives me another quick hug and does the same to Kori before shooing us both into the conservatory. I drop the change into the donations box before we get too far. It’s not a lot, but I like to contribute where I can.

“She was so…” Kori says as we get out of earshot.

“Pushy?”

“I was going to say sweet. It’s clear she cares about you.”

I shrug, but her words make my gut turn uncomfortably.

“Do you want to explore the garden first or get your surprise?” I ask to change the subject. I want to focus on us, not on people who care about me when they shouldn’t.

“Surprise?” Her whole face lights up with the question.

“Mhm, or we could go walk around for a bit—”

“I want the surprise.”

I can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm, but the curl of my lips brings Miss Dorthey’s words back to the forefront of my mind, and my face hardens into stone. She might make me smile more than I have in years, but I won’t place the burden of my happiness on her.

“Gage? Are you okay?” Her voice cuts through the looming storm like a beam of sunlight.

“I’m fine. Let’s go.”

I grab her hand, leading her through the garden until we reach the large grassy field in the back, and find a quiet spot to claim.

Most families with energetic children stick to the play area near the front.

We aren’t alone, but the air here is tranquil.

The mild breeze carries the first hints of fall, cutting through the humid heat of summer, and both students and locals had similar ideas on how to take advantage of the weather.

Several other groups have set up blankets to lounge on around the edge of the field, and I pull one out of my bag to do the same.

I was going to bring the hole-filled throw I keep on the back of my couch, but James offered to let me take one of hers.

Morgan must have talked to her about my plans after we caught up at the gym during the week, but even then, the gesture was unexpected.

James and I have never been friends like that.

My pride almost made me turn it down, but the blanket is way nicer than anything I had to offer, and Kori deserves the best things.