Page 43 of They Love Me Knot (Starsfalls Omegaverse #2)
Daphne
“ D oes that work for you? Poppy doesn’t enjoy designing arrangements very much, so it’s up to the two of us,” Anicka says while I try not to faint.
“Of course, I can do that, no problem,” I say.
Is it hot in here? It’s like, it’s hot, right?
I sit on a nearby stool, pretending to be trimming stems, while I process everything Anicka said. She continues sorting flowers into buckets, so thankfully she didn’t notice I’m freaking out.
It’s a good thing Sterling and Kieran told me about the Flowerfalls Festival last night, so I wasn’t totally blindsided today. But Anicka asking me to design multiple arrangements wasn’t what I expected. I thought maybe I’d create one or two.
I wish I had more time to prepare and come up with amazing designs to show off everything Queen of Hearts can do.
I guess it’s good that Anicka isn’t worried about my ability to do this on short notice .
I’ll just quietly freak out and mentally plan while we unpack the new flowers.
Several hours later, all the flowers are put away, and I have a few designs in mind.
Poppy bounces around humming while we clean up, carefree, no pressure to create something to represent our shop and town.
I wonder if my date tonight will involve as much stress relief as last night. I don’t usually use sex to relax, but now I’m thinking that’s a very clever idea.
Not that I’ll necessarily fuck Alister and Ciro, but if it happens, it wouldn’t be the worst thing.
I still don’t know what Ciro’s deal is, but Alister texted me that he’s looking forward to our date. He’s always such a gentleman.
The thought of our date perks me up, already helping me forget about work stress.
I start humming along with Poppy, working in tandem as we sweep up and wipe down the tools and tables.
“I’m worn out. That delivery was huge. Do you want to go get lunch?” Poppy says, wiping her brow.
“I could go for some food. Where do you want to go?”
“What about Miner’s Diner or Third Leg?”
“Oh, sandwiches sound good. Let’s get Third Leg.”
We’re re-energized with the promise of food and quickly finish up. We check to see if Anicka wants to join, but she has other plans, so it’s just Poppy and me.
We walk to the sandwich shop and choose a table outside after ordering .
I pick up half of my foot-long spicy Italian sandwich and take a bite, moaning as the tangy flavor hits my tongue.
“Is that what you sounded like last night?” Poppy asks, giggling.
I choke on an olive but grab my fizzy soda to wash it down without letting on that I’m struggling.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I say once my throat is clear, dabbing at my watering eyes.
“Your date with Sterling and Kieran was last night, right? Did you have fun?” Poppy says.
“Yes, it was great! We ate some amazing tacos.”
“That’s nice. Did they eat your taco too?” Poppy says.
I choke on another olive. Why did I take a bite while we were mid-conversation.
“Sorry, Daphne, I couldn’t help it,” Poppy says, still giggling, but she pats my back while I clear my throat.
When I can breathe again (reminding me of the good times last night), I give in and nod.
“Yes, they enjoyed my taco, thanks for asking. It was an amazing date with delicious food and delicious guys,” I say, not wanting to leave Feliks out, but not sure yet about telling her how many dates I’m juggling.
Poppy is too busy laughing to reply for a few minutes, so I safely eat more of my sandwich.
When she calms down, she says, “I’m glad you had a good time. They seem like a nice pack, and I’m only slightly biased because of how good Sterling’s desserts are.”
“Thanks, Poppy. They are great.”
“That’s the dream,” she sighs wistfully, “someone coming into your work and sweeping you off your feet. You totally deserve amazing, supportive partners, Daphne. Especially after your last pack.”
I’m too surprised to speak at first. I’m open about my life in general, but don’t remember saying much about my exes. Some things must have slipped through though if Poppy hoarded little tidbits about my past and put them together.
“My exes weren’t the right fit for what I need, I guess,” I say.
Even though I finally realized they suck, I still don’t want to talk about it. I’m kind of embarrassed I stayed in that situation for so long, even though I know logically I shouldn’t be.
I’m just not ready to let it all out yet.
“How are your dating adventures going? The last thing you mentioned was trying out the new Honeybuzz app,” I add as Poppy opens her mouth, heading off more questions.
That successfully sidetracks her, and she goes off about all the dates she’s been on since she joined the app.
We finish our lunch without further choking, but as we get up to leave, Poppy asks, “So when are you seeing them again? Tonight? Or is that too soon, even if they’re great at eating tacos?”
I blush as a nearby table looks over.
“I do have a date tonight, but it’s with different guys,” I tell her quietly, hoping the other diners stop staring.
“Ohh, which ones?” she asks at a normal volume.
She must not have gotten my psychic memo about not letting strangers in on my sex life. We’ll have to work on our friend telepathy.
“Alister, the alpha who came into the shop the other day, and, uh, Ciro, you know from Flower Gully,” I say nervously.
I forgot Ciro was connected to Queen of Hearts. Maybe I should have talked to Anicka about this first.
“That sounds like a fun pairing! What are you going to do? Something wild, or the classic dinner and a movie?”
Poppy doesn’t seem concerned that I’m dating someone we work with. Maybe in a small town it’s normal.
“All they said was dinner. I love eating, so food is always a great date idea,” I say.
Poppy laughs. “That’s true. Can’t go wrong with food.”