The Christmas Tree Guy

by Railyn Stone

  Giggling at the silly nickname they dubbed him with, Sydnee released the breath she was holding and glanced back at Quinn, whose intense gaze initiated a parade of chills to high-step across her skin. “That’s him all right.”

  “Well, I can say he wasn’t quite what I was expecting. He’s a whole lot hotter. Honey, if you don’t go over there and talk to him, I will. He is magnificent, but he looks familiar.”

  “Sara, he’s on a date. Are you crazy?” She paused, looking at her friend. Please don’t let him be someone Sara dated. “And what do you mean he looks familiar? Don’t tell me you went out with him before?” It was definitely a possibility. Sara had a tendency to date a lot. Not that she was promiscuous, she just couldn’t seem to make up her mind. She equated dating to fishing and Sydnee thought back to a conversation she had with Sara before. “Syd, sometimes you have to reel in a few minnows before you pull in the big bass.”

  “Puh-lease, if I had dated him, believe me, you would have known about it. Every nasty, sordid detail. Syd, seriously, he’s not on a date he cares anything about.” Sara continued, peering at Quinn. Sydnee could feel his eyes on her as she struggled to divert her attention elsewhere; failing miserably. Nervously, she rubbed her neck and placed her elbow on the table.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Look, he was sitting at that table over there before. You can clearly see he’s on a double date. However, he left the table, and he’s staring at you. He has no interest in the girl he was sitting with. If he was interested, he wouldn’t be at the bar making eyes at you.”

  “Whatever, Sara, guys do that kind of thing all the time. You do remember who my ex-husband is, right? They may be out with one woman, but they are scoping out another one. And just how do you know he doesn’t care about the date he’s already on?”

  “Oh get real, Syd. I’ve been on enough dates to know when I see someone doing someone else a favor.” Sara paused before continuing with her explanation. “The other guy is trying his hardest to get with the girl he’s with and she’s not really interested, but she’s out with him because he probably has money, or something like that. So, he got your boy there to go on a double date because she probably wouldn’t go out with him without having someone to go out with her friend. You know, like the movie Good Fellas, and how the girl wouldn’t go out with Tommy unless Henry went out with her girlfriend?”

  “You watch too many movies, and you’re crazy.” Sydnee laughed at the explanation Sara gave her. The woman was unbelievable, but her dating tips and tricks were always a great source of entertainment for Sydnee.

  “But I’m right. Go over there and talk to him. You know you want to.” Just the thought of going over to Quinn made Sydnee sweat in places she didn’t want to. He was such a beautiful man and the thought of being in close vicinity of him had her heart racing. She knew he looked good and she was pretty sure he was going to smell even better. The scent of his cologne had lived in her nostrils since the day he’d delivered their Christmas tree and she wasn’t sure she could handle another live whiff of it without wanting to inhale his entire being.

  “Sara, I-I can’t do that.”

  “Yes, you can, but hey, if you won’t go, I will. No sense in letting something like that go to waste.” Sara started to exit the booth before Sydnee spoke up.

  “No, don’t. I’ll go, okay. I’ll go.” Slowly, she slid out of the booth, smoothing her skirt and adjusting her blouse before walking over to the bar where Quinn stood. She could feel her heart beating furiously and she swore he could see it thumping through the thin material of her blouse.

  “Are you stalking me?” She swallowed hard and shuddered slightly as his voice somehow reached out and gently stroked her skin, making every hair on her neck stand on end.

  “I was about to ask you the same thing. How’s the hand?”

  Slowly, he turned his hand over to reveal his scar. “See, I knew you cared. It’s healing. How are your little guys? I guess Charlie’s on the mend? It’s Charlie, right?”

  “Yes. Thanks for asking. They are great. It’s almost like he never got hurt.”

  “Kids are amazing that way. And how are you?” He flashed his million-dollar smile at her and she felt her knees go weak. Standing so close to him, his cologne infiltrated her nose yet again and she leaned against the bar for support.

  “I’m okay, and you?”

  “Honestly, I can’t let you stand here and put yourself down like that, when clearly you are so much more than okay. And I’m great now that I’m getting the chance to talk to you.”

  “You’re quite the charmer you know that? You are also on a date, I see.” Sydnee looked over his broad shoulders at the table where McKenzie was still droning on to JJ and Kate, and he smirked in the same direction before turning back to her.

  “Jealous much?” He raised an eyebrow and she breathed deeply, clasping her hands together and tried desperately to keep them from shaking. Why was she so nervous? I’m a grown woman. Sydnee get it together.

  “No. Observant is all.”

  “Ah, well, I guess then, you’re observing I can’t keep my eyes off of you and I would much rather spend time with you than go back to that table.”

  “Well, that would be rude of you, and somehow, I just don’t see you as a rude kind of person.” She wasn’t sure she was hearing herself right. As much as he was flirting with her, she was flirting back, and it was shocking how easy it was.

  “I appreciate that. It’s nice to know you are interested, care about my well-being and are observant.” His eyes sparkled as he teased her and she could barely contain herself.

  Raising her eyebrows at him, she smiled and crossed her arms. “Well, you just know everything about me, don’t you?”

  “Not everything, but if we go get coffee, then maybe I’ve got a shot at it.”

  “Why?”

  “Why not?” he challenged as his eyes flashed underneath his dark lashes. “Sydnee, you are very attractive and that’s something that’s very superficial. Anybody who knows me knows I’m not a superficial kind of guy. So, that’s why I want to know more about you.”

  “Okay you can quit with the lines,” she laughed.

  “No lines. Just fact. I’m telling you the truth about how I feel. So what do you say?” He was so sure of himself. On any other guy it would have been a complete turn-off to Sydnee, but on Quinn it was the sexiest thing imaginable.

  Cocking her head to the side, she hesitated and then reached into her purse. She pulled out her business card and slid it to him. “I’m not sure if I should even entertain this, but you’ve been the most persistent man I think I’ve ever met, and I have to admit I’m a little curious. Why don’t you call me when you aren’t on a date?” She wasn’t sure of anything but how intriguing the man standing in front of her truly was.

  “Then I could call you right now.” He said, and she watched his delectable lips curve upward, exposing the one dimple she was quickly becoming enamored with and she swallowed hard, trying to maintain some sense of composure.

  “What about your date over there?”

  “Well, if you must know, I’m doing someone a favor. She’s a sweet girl, but I’m much more interested in a woman I met recently who was buying a Christmas tree.”

  “Hmm, okay. I tell you what, why don’t you enjoy the rest of your evening and give me a call when you’re free from doing favors,” she offered, playfully squeezing his arm before turning to walk back to her table. She knew he was watching her walk away and she couldn’t explain it but she felt energized and more alive than she had in a long time. Reaching the table, she sat down with the biggest grin on her face and looked back to see him wink at her before he turned and walked away.

  “So?” Sara asked as Sydnee sat down and took a sip of her drink.

  “I told him to call me. I can’t believe I did that.”

  “Why not?”

  “It was the most liberating thing I’ve done in a while. I gave him my ca
rd and told him to call me. I’ve never done that in my life.” It almost felt like her face would implode from the giddiness she felt. Honestly, she’d never even asked a man out. Never been the one to give out her number at a club. She was the friend that was usually the designated driver. Never the center of attention. She had to admit, for a change, it felt good.

  “Uh, oh, she’s on the prowl,” Sara laughed.

  “Whatever. I’m not a cougar.”

  “Yes you are and you should be proud of it. He’s gorgeous. Damn, just look at that body,” Sara sighed, putting her straw to her lips and sipping her drink as Sydnee laughed. “Makes me very sad I didn’t go buy my Christmas tree at that lot.”

  CHAPTER 4

  “Sydnee, you must have done an awesome job on the last ad for Brookdale Florist,” her co-worker chirped, carefully placing a bouquet of flowers on Sydnee’s desk. It wasn’t unusual for clients to send her gifts when they did well from the ads she created, or they just wanted to show their appreciation for her work.

  “Oh, that’s sweet, but I haven’t done an ad for them since August. They liked the last one so much they were going to continue running it for a while.” That’s interesting. A little puzzled by the gift, she reached for the card.

  “Well, whoever sent them sure likes you.” Her co-worker winked before walking away.

  Opening the card, Sydnee read the handwritten note. “It was great seeing you again. I’m not sure what kind of flowers you like, but I’m hoping to find out soon. – Quinn”

  “Oh, wow.” Sitting forward, she closed her eyes and inhaled the sweet smell of the various flowers in the bouquet. It looked like he’d gotten one of every flower the florist had, just to make sure he hadn’t left one out. Not really knowing what to do, Sydnee sat and stared at the gorgeous arrangement in silence. Dumbfounded, she was certain she had the goofiest look on her face. “This is crazy.” Just then, her phone rang. “Weston Graphics, this is Sydnee.”

  “I hope you like them. I wasn’t quite sure what your favorites were and then I thought, maybe she hates flowers altogether.” She heard Quinn’s velvety voice through the receiver and she sat back in her chair, holding the phone to her ear.

  “They are beautiful. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “You’re pretty quick with giving me a call. Didn’t even give me the chance to sweat and see if you were going to make me wait or anything.”

  “Sydnee, one thing you need to know about me is I don’t play games. There’s just no need to. Life’s way too short for that.”

  “Good to know.” She giggled and could have slapped herself for being so skittish. Calm down Sydnee. He’s just a guy. A very gorgeous, young guy.

  “So, if you aren’t busy, instead of coffee, maybe we could grab lunch?”

  “Today?” He caught her a little off guard. He was moving pretty quickly with this getting to know one another thing and she definitely wasn’t accustomed to it.

  “No time like the present. So, what do you say?”

  Sydnee contemplated his proposition. What could it hurt? She had given him her card and told him to call, so... “Actually, my calendar is somewhat clear, so, sure, why not?” Once they decided on a place to meet and hung up, Sydnee sat for a moment chewing on her bottom lip. She still couldn’t fathom the fact she gave him her number, much less agreed to go to lunch.

  Picking up the receiver, Sydnee dialed and waited.

  “What’s up Chuck?”

  “I won’t be meeting you for lunch today.” A broad smile spread across her face as Sydnee drew circles with her pen on the pad of paper on her desk, listening to Sara on the other end of the receiver.

  “What? You’re canceling on me? It better be good.”

  “I’ll let you know,” she answered cryptically.

  “You’ll let me know? Sydnee, what’s going on? Are you sniffing glue or something at that design shop?”

  “No, I just have a lunch date.” Sydnee was a little wary and she could only imagine what Sara was going to say.

  “Lunch date? With who, a client? I know you—oh wait—did he call you already?” Sara asked, cutting her own thoughts short.

  “Yes. I just got off the phone with him.” She turned back to the bouquet of flowers, fingering the petals of a rose before leaning over to smell the sumptuous scent infusing the air.

  “You were right. He is a persistent little something.”

  “Yes he is. And on top of that, he sent me a bouquet of flowers this morning.”

  “You’re kidding. Awww, he’s so cute.”

  “Stop it. I can’t believe I let you talk me into this. What have I gotten myself into?” She was sure this was going to be some kind of ‘little boy with a crush’ situation and she was starting to think better of going with him to lunch. What was she thinking? She was a grown woman with two little boys to raise. She didn’t have time to raise another one. She was clearly older than Quinn. Couldn’t he see that? She could only attribute her rash decision to the undeniably sexy way his voice rumbled through her phone and his unmistakable charm. He was downright magnificent. She’d had a hard enough time trying to forget just how rock hard his bicep was under her fingertips when she had squeezed it at the club. “Maybe I should call him back and tell him I can’t go.”

  “Sydnee, don’t you dare. He’s sweet okay? And it’s not going to hurt anything for you to go to lunch with him. Once it’s done, then you don’t have to deal with him anymore. You might crush his little ego if you cancel on him now.”

  She sat up and it was as if common sense had come knocking on her door and Sydnee realized what she was doing. She was getting ready to go on a date with a man much younger than her and, oh what am I doing? “What if it gets weird? Sara, I have children. I don’t need some crazy crush drama going on.” She could feel her palms starting to sweat as her heart rate increased. What am I doing?

  “Look, if it gets too weird, just make an excuse and call me.”

  “All right, but we’re going to Deuce-22, so if I text you 911, you’ll know where I am.” Sydnee had to laugh at herself and her paranoia. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t think of one viable excuse not go out with Quinn. Honestly, even as nervous as she was, she didn’t think she wanted one.

  “Okay. I don’t really think you have a thing to worry about, but I’ve got your back,” Sara snickered through the receiver.

  “Pray for me.”

  ###

  Walking in to the restaurant, Sydnee removed her coat and let the attendant know she was waiting for someone, and she headed to the mahogany bar to wait for Quinn, taking in the cozy atmosphere of the place. The beautiful hardwood floors shone as if they had been buffed that morning and she loved the way natural light filtered through the floor to ceiling windows on the far end of the dining area. The walls were decorated with paintings by local artists and she inhaled the aromas of the freshly baked goods at the counter closest to the door. She hadn’t been to the restaurant since it opened a couple of years ago and she designed an ad for them to run in the local newspapers and magazines. It was fairly busy even though she was meeting Quinn at his request for a late lunch.

  Straightening the cowl of her heather gray oversized sweater, she scowled, wishing she had worn something different, prettier, or nicer, but the boys had dawdled getting ready for school, and she’d thrown on the first clean thing she could find. Oh well, it’s too late now, she thought glancing at the black corduroy leggings and boots she wore. Her thick mass of hair was subdued in its usual ponytail and she was happy she had at least managed to put on some makeup. As she continued to look around, she turned to discover Quinn walking towards her with his same beguiling countenance.

  “Hi.” He’d removed his jacket and was holding it in one hand as he extended his other to help her down from her perch on the barstool.

  “Hi.”

  “I hope you weren’t waiting long.”

  “No, just got here a few minutes ago.” She was
trying her best to look away from the wide expanse of his shoulders and the way the crisp white button down hung on his body. He wore a simple t-shirt beneath it, and a pair of jeans. It would have been just a regular outfit on any other man, but on him, he looked like he should be sprawled across the centerfold of a magazine. His hair was a little damp as if he’d just stepped out of a shower and she caught a whiff of the clean smell of his cologne when he approached.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked, pulling her chair out for her, and she realized she must have been smiling the entire time she was engrossed in appreciating his appearance.

  “Oh, nothing, so, you’ve been here before?” She picked up the menu trying to take her eyes off of his beautiful face and change the subject.

  “Yes, it’s pretty nice and the food’s great. I know the owner.”

  “Oh, that’s nice. I guess they can give you the ins and outs of the place.”

  “Yeah, something like that. So, Sydnee, tell me about yourself. How old are your boys?”

  “Five, going on fifty.” Her nervous hands were betraying her and she quickly placed the menu on the table and clasped them together. What is wrong with me? It’s just lunch.

  “Sounds like a handful.”

  “They are, but I don’t really think I’d be as sane as I am if I didn’t have them.”

  “Again, I’m sorry about your husband.”

  “Ex-husband, and it’s okay. You didn’t know. It’s been an adjustment for us, but we’re making it okay.” Sydnee frowned at the mention of Matt. At the moment, she didn’t want to think about Matt or anything else but the man sitting across from her. His gaze had her melting in her skin and she knew by the end of the meal, she would be a worthless pool of goo.