by Susan Vance
“What? You met Jason?” she said, reaching for her forehead with a frown.
“He must have heard about the call to the flower shop and drove over to see if you were okay. The ambulance was just about to take you away when he got there. He got a quick peek at you just as they closed the door and drove away. He asked me to call him when you got to the hospital and let him know how you were.”
Emma was confused. She wondered how long she had been in the hospital and why she wasn’t going home now.
“Ambulance? I came here in an ambulance? Just for a cut on my forehead? Why aren’t I getting released? If it was just a cut I should be going back to the shop,” she said trying to get up.
Howard put his hands on her shoulders, keeping her on the bed. “Slow down, Sweetie, you bumped your head pretty hard and I think it sort of dazed you a little. How do you feel? Does your head hurt?”
“Yes, my head does hurt. It’s like a really bad headache. It’s getting better, but maybe I need some aspirin or something. Hey, who’s at the flower shop?” she asked, looking at her mother.
“Becky and Marie are there. I’ll go back and close up for you. Do you need me to make a deposit?”
“Thanks Mom, but I went to the bank on Friday. Just as long as the girls are okay, they can handle it. I trust Becky to close up, but call and see if Marie will stay today until closing. If she can’t then tell Becky to close up early so she isn’t there by herself. Actually I feel a little better and I’m sure this headache will go away soon. Maybe I should go back to the shop and finish up the day. What time is it anyway?” she inquired.
“It’s almost four-thirty,” Jody said.
“What? How long have I been here? Wow. That must have been some bump on my head.” She stood up and walked over to the mirror. There was a huge bandage across her forehead and dried blood throughout her hair. The sight of the dried blood frightened her and she began to panic, but Marilyn quickly put a towel around her head and patted her on the shoulders.
Emma looked dreadful. She turned around with horror on her face. “Did someone say Jason was coming here? Oh no, I don’t want him to see me looking like this. My God, I look like the bride of Frankenstein,” she squealed.
Laughing, Howard said, “Sweetie, I haven’t even called him yet. As far as I know he doesn’t even know which hospital you’re in. Don’t worry. I’ll call him and let him know you’re okay, but that you need to rest and we will be here with you.” Howard reached over and gave her a hug.
“Thanks Dad, I really don’t want Jason seeing me looking like this, really.”
“Too late young lady, I’m already here. Wow, you look a sight,” he said smiling. “Reminds me of an old movie I saw once. Hmm? What was the name of that movie anyway? Oh yeah, The Bride of someone or another. Hi everyone, I’m Jason Scott.”
Emma jumped back into the bed and pulled the sheet over her head, which made everyone laugh. “Well, if this doesn’t scare him away, nothing will,” she muttered.
Chapter Nine
Emma stayed home the rest of the week per doctor’s orders. She called the shop every half hour, but promised not to come in until the following Monday. She rested and spent some quality time with Sam. Jason came by in the evenings with food. He was becoming an incredible friend and Emma was falling hard. She was almost glad she had received the bump on the head. She got to see Jason everyday and it was an amazing time for her. She looked forward to every day she could spend with him. Marilyn went to the shop everyday and did the paperwork and locked up at night so Emma really had nothing to worry about. Her first day back Marilyn drove her in the morning and Jason was picking her up after work. They were going to have an early dinner and, finally, catch a movie at the Majestic.
That evening they went to a nearby Asian restaurant and shared a platter of Tempura veggies and had some soup. Emma couldn’t take her eyes off Jason. He was wearing a light blue shirt with khaki shorts. His shirt was tucked in and the fabric was silky showing off his muscular build.
“Emma, do you mind if we skip the movie? The one you wanted to see isn’t even there any longer and I really want to take you somewhere else.”
Intrigued, Emma agreed to skip the movie. “Where are we going then?”
“To my house. There’s something I want to do with you.”
He was smiling and Emma knew he meant her no harm. She was fairly sure he wasn’t talking about having sex, but she wasn’t positive. They had discussed the subject earlier and she made it perfectly clear that for her it involved a strong relationship first. She’d already dreamed of being with him, but she wanted their relationship to blossom. She felt so very comfortable with him, but still, was he thinking to take their relationship further? She just didn’t know. She was happy to go with him, though. She wanted to go with him. She loved being with him. Even if she wasn’t ready, she knew it wouldn’t take too much persuasion.
“Sure, we can go to your house, but what’s up? I told you I’m not ready for…”
“Emma, trust me, okay? I think it will make you happy.”
Jason was smiling and had this boyish grin on his face. Emma melted. He had seen her at her very worst when she was in the hospital and he still wanted her. Deep down Emma knew that she could easily take their relationship a little further. A lot further. She wondered why she even bothered to tell him she wasn’t ready. It made her shiver just thinking about it. Jason held out his hand and helped Emma out of her chair. They walked to Jason’s car and drove to his house. It was dark and Emma couldn’t really see the neighborhood or what the house looked like on the outside. Jason pulled into his garage and they went inside. They entered through the kitchen, which was glistening with all of the stainless steel appliances. The black granite countertops were beautiful. There was an island in the middle where a large empty glass bowl was sitting. It looked out of place, as if it was sitting there waiting to be filled.
Emma couldn’t take her eyes off the kitchen. It was so open and spacious. The tile was stunning. The floor sparkled. She thought about how fun it would be to cook in this modern kitchen. Jason held out his hand and Emma gladly took it in hers. Jason led her through the kitchen and into the dining room. She was surprised to see a lovely dining room table and a hutch to match. The hutch was empty and she wondered where his dishes were. Jason continued through the house showing her the other rooms. He showed her his office and the guest rooms, but he didn’t show her the master bedroom. He was proud of his work-out room. He had a lot of equipment. The living room was very nice. There was a large bluish gray sectional with colorful throw pillows of maroon, dark blue and greens. Behind the couch there was a live Ficus tree and a miniature Palm. On the wall was a huge flat screen TV and near the center of the room on the floor was a beautiful large area rug that ended at the fireplace. Some of the colors from the throw pillows were in the rug. Emma was very impressed. She wanted to ask if he decorated it himself or if he had hired someone, but decided to ask him another time. Jason took her through a sliding glass and they walked out onto the balcony. There was a slight chill in the air, but neither noticed. Jason pointed to an area below saying it was a new flower garden.
“Excuse me for a minute.”
He left her standing alone and went back inside. Suddenly the lights came on below. It was more beautiful than she could have imagined. It took her breath away. Summer was coming to a close, but this garden had blossomed out everywhere and mixed with the fall colors, it was magnificent. There were roses everywhere and in every color imaginable.
“Are you cold?”
She turned and he was holding a lightly weaved shawl type blanket. He placed it around her shoulders. He put his arms around her and kissed her lightly on her lips. Emma felt her legs go limp. She opened her eyes after the kiss and looked deeply into his eyes. He touched her forehead near her stitches and asked if it still hurt. She said that it didn’t. Actually at that moment how would she have known? She only felt excitement as he kissed her again. Thi
s one was more passionate and he pulled her closer. Emma was glad to be there with him. In a way, she felt as if she had waited all her life for a moment like this. Jason helped her to her seat and put his arms around her. He bent down and kissed her on the back of her neck.
“Jason…”
“Just sit here for a minute. I’ll be right back with my surprise.”
She obeyed his command and remained seated. The chair was a little cold, but she wrapped the cream colored shawl more tightly around her. Jason returned holding the large glass bowl that had been sitting empty on the counter in the kitchen earlier. Inside the bowl were beautiful strawberries and in his other hand was a small bowl of whipped cream and some napkins. He set the bowls and napkins on the table.
“Oh, strawberries and whipped cream?” Emma was touched. She thought for a moment about the day in the market when he had teased her in front of his mother with the strawberries and whipped cream comment. A little color entered her face and she felt strangely warm inside.
“Just for you,” he said, as he brought her to her feet and kissed her again. This kiss was very passionate and Emma found herself moving closer until there was no space between them. They both lingered. Just when Emma thought this was going to become a turning point in their relationship, he released her and motioned for her to sit back down. He sat very close to her in the other chair and took one of the berries and dipped it into the whipped cream. He took the covered berry and brought it to her lips. She opened her mouth and he put the tip of the berry passed her lips touching her tongue. She closed her mouth around the berry and bit off the tip with her teeth. She closed her eyes as she chewed and the sweetness of the cream was delightful in her mouth. Emma opened her eyes and Jason was smiling at her.
“Did you like it?” he asked. “Shall I give you more?”
“Yes, it was delicious,” she said barely able to breathe. Emma was experiencing something new. She had hardly ever kissed anyone before and certainly not like this. She was feeling things she had never felt before. She was eager to continue. Emma wanted to explore these feelings further. She felt as if she ached for him now. His movements were slow and deliberate. Emma felt like she needed to do something. She wanted to kiss him more, but he was preparing the next strawberry for her to enjoy. Jason reached in the bowl and got a new strawberry and dipped it in the whipped cream and gave Emma another bite. He dipped the rest of it and put it in his mouth. He reached in for another strawberry selecting a smaller one this time. Emma opened her mouth and closed her eyes. Slowly he moved the berry near her mouth and she could feel it getting closer. She opened her eyes and then took her hand and removed the berry from his fingers. She moved closer to him and then put the berry in his mouth. Without warning she let out a sigh and Jason closed his eyes. He chewed the sweet morsel and stood up pulling her to her feet and touching her with his body. Emma’s legs went limp. Her heart was pounding and her breath was short. She kissed him and again they lingered in the moment. She thought of nothing, but him. Being with Jason and having this moment last forever.
“I really want to be with you right now, but I’m going to take you home.”
What? Home, why would he take me home? I don’t want to go home, she sighed in silence. I want to stay and be kissed and...
Disturbing her musings, Jason sweetly ruined the moment.
“It’s very hard not to pick you up right now and carry you to my bedroom, but that isn’t why I brought you here. It was just for dessert and you still haven’t recovered from your bump on the head. So now is not the right time for us. Just know that there may be a time that I’ll bring you here and we’ll have dessert in the bedroom if that’s okay with you?”
Jason’s voice was low and Emma struggled to hear all the words.
“I want to be with you, too. Thank you for wanting to wait until I’m better. I know that one day we will have that moment. I don’t know if this is the right time to tell you or not, but, I don’t have any experience,” she said, as she lowered her face.
Jason reached for her chin, tilted it upwards and kissed her gently. “I’m not looking for experience.”
“Jason, it’s more than that. I’m a virgin.”
Chapter Ten
Friday was a busy day at the flower shop. The deliveries came early and Becky was just in time to help Emma unpack. Sam had arrived at 8 o’clock and began unloading the flowers.
“Hi, Sam, how are you this morning?” Emma asked.
“I’m doing pretty well.”
“Hey, did I ever tell you that I have a cat named Sam?”
Sam looked amused. “Did you name him after me?”
“Well, actually I named him Sammy to start with, but as he got older I called him Sam. How’s the wife feeling? When did you say she’s due?”
“Thanks for asking. Maggie’s due the middle of November.”
“This is your third, right?”
“This is our fourth. We have three girls now. I swear this one better be a boy.” he smiled. “Honestly, we don’t care. I was only kidding. Girls are wonderful. I wouldn’t have it any other way, but it would be nice to have a son. We’ll see.” Sam continued taking the flowers off his truck while Emma went back inside.
“Becky, do you want to do some arranging today?” Emma asked.
“Of course I do. Thanks. I mean it, really, thank you.
Becky had been waiting all summer for Emma to let her help with the arrangements. She’d put together a few, but only because Emma was running behind and then she and Marilyn had to do most of the arranging the week before while Emma was resting at home. Marie worked overtime helping as well.
“Can I do the Labor Day arrangements?” Becky’s eyes glittered with excitement.
“We can’t start those until next week. Labor Day isn’t until next Monday so by Thursday we better have plenty on hand. If I remember last year Carol had her busiest day Friday and Saturday. I was thinking about hiring a delivery person for a week. What do you think?”
“I think you better. I can only deliver so many on the bike. I think we need a truck. Hey, what about Sam? I’ll bet with the new baby coming he could use some extra money.”
“That’s a great idea. Sam’s still having his coffee, I’ll ask him right now. For the many reasons I like having you here, you’ve just added another one. Thanks, Becky.”
“Don’t mention it. I come up with some good ideas every once in a while.”
“Yes, you certainly do.” Glad she had hired the young girl, Emma smiled and gave Becky a big hug. She went out back and found Sam getting ready to leave. “Sam, what time do you finish with your deliveries each day?”
“I’m usually done by 10 o’clock. I have to get everything delivered before most of the shops open. I just have one stop after this one. Why do you ask?”
“I’ll need a delivery driver for about a week for Labor Day. Do you have a truck of your own?”
“I have a pickup with a tall camper shell. Will that work?”
“Are you kidding, that would be perfect. Can you work for me late mornings and afternoons?”
“Sure, that would be great. I can use the extra work with the baby coming.”
“That’s what we thought.”
“When do I start?”
“As soon as you’re done with your regular deliveries come on over with your truck. I’ll pay for the gas and you can start next Wednesday. Okay?”
“Great,” Sam said.
“Okay, see you tomorrow.” Feeling good about the arraignment, Emma went back inside where she and Becky started putting the flowers Sam had delivered in water and filling the cooler. Marie came around eight forty-five and pitched right in. Later around noon the phone rang and Becky cried out, “Emma, it’s for you. He said it was your local fireman.”
“Thanks, Becky.” Emma blushed as she took the phone. “Jason?”
“Hi, young lady, you girls want some lunch?”
“Sure, we were busy this morning and we’re all s
tarving.”
“Great, I’ll be there in five minutes with pizza.”
Emma went to tell the girls that lunch was on the local fireman. She was giggling as she told them. She was certain Marie and Becky had figured out they were dating by now. Actually, she could have shouted it from the roof tops. She wanted the world to know.
Jason showed up with the pizza and Marie got out the paper plates. Emma got the soda out of the refrigerator and, after the introductions, they all sat down to eat their lunch. After they finished Jason took Emma aside and asked if he could come over later to see her. He explained that he had to be at the station early in the morning, but he would bring over some Chinese food around six o’ clock if that was okay, but clarified that he would have to leave by eight o’ clock. Of course that was just fine with Emma. She was excited just to have him over at all. She would take what she could get. She had already fantasized how their life might be. In her mind she had pictured Jason rushing home late for dinner and telling her about a fire that was out of control, or how he had saved someone from a burning building. Her husband, the hero.
* * *
Later that afternoon as Emma was cleaning off a plant shelf near the front door and she noticed the sidewalk needed sweeping in front of her shop. She looked around for Becky, but she hadn’t come back from her last delivery. Marie had left for the day and so Emma grabbed a broom and went out front to clean off the sidewalk. The windows needed washing and she thought about calling a window washing service. They would do a much better job than she or the girls could do. As she stood there looking into the windows she caught a reflection behind her. She whirled around and across the street stood that man from before.
“This is enough,” she said aloud. “I don’t know what that son of a gun wants, but he’d better back off. I know he’s been following me and it stops now.”
Emma was still holding her broom as she walked across the street and walked right up to the man.
