Exquisite

by Ella Frank

  Lena winced a little Why wouldn’t he, indeed. She waited for the story since the show had cut to commercial break and when it came back on, she reached under the television and turned the volume up a little.

  “Okay, all you single ladies. We bring you a report today on our favorite local bachelor, Mason Langley. We all know the story of this handsome young man but it seems now the whole country is aware of it. It was reported recently in Elegant Dining magazine that this Casanova is up for grabs and he actually has two mystery women out there vying to be next in line.”

  Lena felt her whole body stiffen and she actually felt her jaw drop open as the reporter continued.

  “Reports mention that a ‘stunning red head and a buxom brunette’ were arguing over the smoking hot chef on Friday night at his restaurant Exquisite. Now ladies, since we’ve just let the whole country in on one of our city’s best-kept secrets, you hometown girls better hurry and snatch him up before he gets snagged by an outsider. Reports keep tossing around the number 34 like this should be the next lottery number you play. However, sources confirm that this would be the number of women the hunky chef has dated while looking for love. So come on, ladies; time to get down to Exquisite and see if you can stand the heat in the kitchen.”

  Lena felt all the blood drain from her face and watched in complete horror as the show moved on to the next story. Now it all started to make sense. No wonder he hadn’t called her; he must be furious with her right now. Oh god, what on earth had she been thinking when she’d thrown that unforgivable fit of jealousy in his place of business? She would’ve had him castrated if he’d done that to her at the hospital. She started to turn and walk to the door when she heard one of the women behind her.

  “Heck, if I was a little younger I’d be running down to that place myself.”

  Lena closed her eyes, took a breath, and walked out of the room, mortified that she had caused that horrific scene on Friday night. She quickly made her way back to her office, completely ditching the idea of eating, walked in, shut her door, and picked up the phone. She dialed Mason’s cell phone, not really knowing what she’d say, but when she got his voicemail, she paused for a moment before continuing.

  “Langley, ahh, hi, it’s Dr. O’Donnell. Lena.” She paused, rolling her eyes at her own stupidity. She let out a deep sigh and then continued, finding out for the first time in her life that she was horrible at groveling and even worse at apologizing.

  “I just saw a report on the television this morning about the restaurant. Actually, it was more about you. They had a great picture of you on the report, by the way.” She stopped and winced. “Listen, I’m calling to tell you I’m sorry. I’m assuming that’s why you haven’t called me because you’re pissed off.” She stopped, leaning back in her chair. “I don’t blame you. I’d be pissed off at me, too. Let me tell you this, though, and then I’ll leave you alone.”

  Taking a deep breath, she shut her eyes and took courage in both hands. “I didn’t want anyone in my life until you fought your way into it and I miss hearing from you, even if it is just to argue.” She laughed a little at that. “And Mason? I want to be number thirty-four. So pick me, not the stunning redhead.” Then with that, she hung up the phone.

  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 her parents 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 had never called. She’d wanted him gone from her life only days before that disastrous interview and he’d gone and done it for her by never calling her after that horrible report. However, she couldn’t help but hate the fact that she’d called and left that horribly embarrassing, soul-baring voicemail. She could just imagine the great laugh he’d had every time he thought about it. Asking to be number thirty-four. 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 fine just looking around and 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 lose 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. As he stood there in front of her, wearing one of his mother’s work aprons, he could tell she was trying to work out what the hell he was doing there.

  She looked around him and 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 was going to lose her and he hadn’t quite known what he would do about it. Rachel had been a mess, not 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 might 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 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 too 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 okay? Which hospital?”

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

  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 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 his mother, 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 okay. 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 told her quietly.

  She seemed to gather herself 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, 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 is 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. Her sense of betrayal by Catherine was stronger than she would have ever expected. 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 buy 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 and 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, rein 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, she realized.

  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 an older lady.

  “Thank you, dear.”

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

  The little lady nodded and 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 as the lady flirted with Mason, 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 any more interruptions. He wanted to talk to Lena and he planned to do it now. He turned back, 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 in case he felt the need to either kiss the daylights 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 you’re 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 between us 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 Elegant Dining. 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. He’d had no time between booked-out nights and interviews surrounding the fallout from that blasted article. Then his mother had fallen ill and well, 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, almost as though she was trying to pull her anger inside of her and let it go. Her remorse becoming obvious. “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. In my own defense, I had no idea who that man was that night.”

  “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 want 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 and then Mom had her spell.”

  She bit her bottom lip and nodded in silent understanding. This was the quietest and most unnerved he’d ever seen her and he knew why. She’d put herself out there and he hadn’t answered. She must be feeling vulnerable, hurt, and naked. However, he was going to make her go one step further 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 and then took all the courage she could find and for the first time in a long time, she placed all her trust in someone else. Feeling completely idiotic, she whispered, “I want to be number thirty-four, Mason.” She watched his eyes crinkle at the sides and his lips tug up in a smug little grin. “Let me? Please,” she whispered softly, eyes pleading with him to understand her, accept her, and still want her anyway.