Bring Me Flowers (Garden of Love 5)

by Melanie Wilber

  He had been somewhat shy, keeping him from saying hello to her until she turned around and asked if he was new. She’d never forgotten the look on his face. A teasing smile emerged that she had always found endearing from that day on.

  “I never thought I’d see the day when Kendra Swan would flirt with me,” he said.

  Although his voice had deepened, she recognized him immediately and felt her face turn as red as Trevor’s hair had once been. “Oh, my gosh! Trevor! I didn’t-- Oh, my gosh this is so embarrassing!”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone,” he replied graciously. “That is, if you make it a habit to talk to me sometimes.”

  “Trevor,” she defended. “I talk to you. We haven’t had any classes together for awhile.”

  “‘Hey, Trevor. Can I borrow a pen?’ is not exactly what I call talking.”

  She had wanted to defend herself, but in all honesty she knew he was right. Ever since she’d entered the world of junior high where being cool and popular had become a priority in her life, she had ignored many of her grade-school friends, especially the ones seen as nerdy or socially challenged by some. She’d never treated Trevor badly, but she hadn’t gone out of her way to be nice either.

  From that day on she had talked to him on a regular basis and discovered that not only his appearance was appealing but his personality as well. He was smart, funny, sweet, and a really good listener. He always had time for her, even when she was running off at the mouth over something he probably couldn’t care less about. But he cared for her, and it showed. The day he gave her a ride home because her mom had needed the car she usually drove, he asked her to the concert, and she had said yes without hesitation.

  By far it had been the best first date she’d ever been on. She felt totally free to be herself and comfortable around him. He hadn’t kissed her at the door after he drove her home like most of her dates tried to do, but he did say he would like to take her out again sometime, if she wanted to.

  “I’d like that very much,” she said, bringing an endearing smile to his face. The rest was history.

  After a restful night’s sleep, Kendra showered and dressed, left for her morning class, and breathed in the beautiful spring air on her walk across campus. Mondays were her fullest days, but even when she walked back to her apartment at four-thirty, she still felt a spring in her step as she ascended the stairs to her apartment.

  Abby came by an hour later. Lacey and Sara were with her. They grabbed a bite at Taco Bell and then drove to the church where the concert was being held. Finding seats near the front, they reserved some for friends they were expecting and chatted above the music being played over the sound system.

  Ten minutes before the concert was scheduled to begin, Kendra went to use the restroom, not wanting to have to do so in the middle of the concert. She waited in the short line, used the facilities, and then returned to the lobby. Walking past the tables where t-shirts and CDs were being sold, she proceeded to the door leading into the auditorium.

  “Nice to see you again, Kendra,” she heard a deep voice say from the side. Turning her head, she saw Jordan, the guy from the supermarket, standing less than two feet from her.

  “Hey,” she said, feeling a smile form on her face. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m here with a couple of friends,” he said, pointing to some guys in the CD line. “I thought that was you when you walked by.”

  “It’s me. Hey, do you guys have seats yet?”

  “No. We just got here.”

  “We have some extra ones up front,” she said. “Unless my friends already gave them away. Some of our group called and said they aren’t going to make it.”

  Jordan walked with her down to the front. No one had claimed the seats yet. Jordan thanked her and went to get his friends.

  “Kendra, who is that?” Abby asked, her eyes following Jordan back up the aisle.

  “A guy I know,” she said for lack of a better explanation. “Cute, huh?”

  “Seriously,” she said, her mouth still gaping. “Is he fair game, or do you want him all to yourself?”

  She laughed. “He’s all yours, Abby. I’ve got my eye on someone else right now.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Abby inquired about Kendra’s current love interest, but she remained vague. “No one you know,” she replied.

  Jordan and his friends returned, and Kendra purposely sat on the other side of Abby to allow Jordan to sit by her friend. She saw Abby’s cheeks flush when Jordan smiled at her.

  The concert began and Kendra enjoyed the opening bands as well as the main attraction. After following the crowd out of the building and making her way to the parking lot with her friends, Kendra turned to say good night to Jordan. She had tried to get something started between him and Abby several times throughout the evening, but Abby had been too shy to say much, and Jordan didn’t appear interested. Kendra had found his eyes on her most of the night instead.

  “Can I drive you?” he asked.

  “Didn’t you come with them?” she asked, pointing to his friends.

  “I came straight from work and met them here.”

  “Oh,” she said, not wanting to be rude and refuse his offer, but not wanting to make Abby mad either.

  Leaning close to him, she whispered, “My friend likes you, so leaving with you would probably not be a good thing.”

  He appeared disappointed but seemed to understand. “Does that mean you’re never going to call me?”

  She glanced behind her to make sure Abby wasn't in hearing distance. “Why don’t you call her instead?” she said. “She’s really sweet. She talks more once you get to know her. I promise.”

  “Is this a nice way of giving me the brush-off?”

  “No,” she replied. “I just think you should give her a chance. Come on, one date. Please?”

  He gave her a closed-lip smile. “What was her name again?”

  “Abby,” she whispered, feeling exasperated. She checked her phone for Abby’s number and gave it to Jordan, making sure he put the digits into his own phone. Flashing her best smile, she begged. “Please. For me?”

  “If you give me your number,” he bargained.

  Kendra agreed to his request, and so did he.

  “All right,” he said, sounding less than enthusiastic.

  Kendra didn’t say anything to Abby on the way home in case Jordan didn’t follow through with the plan, but she hoped he would. Abby needed a guy like Jordan in her life. Someone who would treat her right and make her feel good about herself. She’d had a string of bad boyfriends, mostly because she had settled for anyone who asked her out rather than waiting for someone who deserved her. She didn’t seem to have the ability to make that determination until it was too late

  Kendra had told herself not to be disappointed if Trevor didn’t email her for a few days. She knew he was probably busy. For all she knew, she was the only one having special feelings about the past and hopes for the future. Trevor could have a girlfriend or simply not be interested in being anything more than an old friend.

  A flutter tickled her heart when she saw his name highlighted in her mailbox once again. Stay calm. Don’t get your hopes up. She tried to remind herself to keep her feet on the ground, but she wasted no time in seeing what he had to say.

  Hi, Kendra. Me again. I hope you don’t mind me tying up your mailbox, but something happened today I just had to share with you. Do you remember T.J. O’Riley? He went to Willamette and played football and baseball too. Well anyway, he ended up coming to USC, and we’ve been roommates for two years. I didn’t know him that well in high school, but we’ve gotten to know each other here, and we ended up getting an apartment together at the beginning of senior year.

  He didn’t grow up going to church, and I’ve been trying to share about God with him off and on. About three months ago his dad died suddenly of a heart attack. T.J. took it really hard, but it’s given me lots of chances to talk to him more. Today
he finally admitted his need for God in his life. I am so stoked! I never thought he was going to believe anything I had to say, but I guess he was listening more than I thought. He said he’d been thinking about it for a long time, even before his dad died, but he was always able to put it off before.

  Anyway, just had to share that. I hope you have a great week.

  With a joyful heart,

  Trevor

  Kendra felt excited for T.J. and for Trevor. She was glad to hear him sounding so solid in his faith. She had worried about him after he left, thinking he may be so focused on sports and achieving his dream that he would push God to the bottom of his priority list. Well, she didn’t know what had happened during the last five years, but God hadn’t let him slip away. He’d been watching over him this whole time, just as she had prayed for so often.

  ***

  Abby Morris kicked off her shoes and inwardly fumed at Kendra. Her so-called friend had flirted with Jordan all evening, not giving her a chance to talk to him. Thinking about how they had walked together so closely from the church to the parking lot, whispering at one another and smiling, she only got angrier. Why did guys always like Kendra? Just because she had a great body, and nice hair, and beautiful brown eyes, and a great personality underneath it all--well, she did know why. Kendra was perfect in every way.

  Going to the bathroom to brush her teeth, Abby gazed at herself in the mirror. Her wispy blonde hair had gone completely flat. Blowing her bangs out of her eyes, she felt like crying. It was always the same. Anytime she got around an attractive guy, she’d clam up. No guy wanted to talk to a mouse. She knew it wasn’t Kendra’s fault Jordan hadn’t said more than two words to her. She was the one to blame.

  Climbing into her bed, she turned off the light and laid in the darkness, wishing she had someone to love her. Even the guys she had managed to attract hadn’t treated her all that well. She’d put up with their annoying habits and boring conversation and roving hands so she would have someone to go to the movies with.

  Her most recent one, Reese, had been sweet at first, but then began pressuring her too much sexually. She had almost given in, not wanting to lose him too, but once she had made the mistake of talking to Kendra, she knew her friend would never stop bugging her about if Reese was treating her right or not.

  Once again her fury toward her friend raged. Sure, Kendra, it’s easy for you to break up with a guy. There will always be another one waiting. But I don’t get that many opportunities. I may just end up settling for the next guy that comes along, no matter what you have to say.

  Turning onto her side, Abby caught sight of her Bible lying on her night table. The moonlight streaming through her window caught its smooth cover and made her feel guilty. She hadn’t been reading it much lately. God seemed far away. At the concert the lead singer of the music group had talked about trusting in God no matter what life threw at you. Well, she had been hoping and praying for a decent guy for a long time. God didn’t seem to be listening.

  Abby’s week passed much the same way as always. Spending her days at her job at the supermarket, coming home to her one-bedroom apartment and having dinner alone. On Friday she was tempted to call Reese. She missed him. Maybe he would back off now that he knew she was serious about retaining her virginity. Maybe he deserved one more chance. He had treated her well otherwise.

  She tried to call, but he didn’t answer. She decided not to leave a message. Opening the freezer and seeing her last microwave meal in the mostly empty space, she took out the box and warmed up the entrée. Taking it to the living room and planting herself in front of the television, she began flipping through the channels when her phone rang.

  She picked it up and clicked it on. “Hello?”

  “Hi, Abby. It’s Jon.”

  Abby wondered why her boss was calling. She had just left work thirty minutes ago.

  “I was wondering if you might be able to work tomorrow?” he said. “I know you usually don’t, but Maryanne called and she’s got the flu and won’t be able to make her shift. You could have a day off next week to make up for it.”

  Normally she refused to work Saturdays, even if her boss was being nice, but she’d been so depressed this week anytime she wasn’t working, she decided a day at the grocery store would be better than a day by herself.

  She told Jon she would be there and said good night. After finishing up her lasagna, she went to grab the last of the ice cream, making a mental note to do some shopping after work tomorrow to restock her freezer.

  The phone rang again. This time it was Kendra.

  ***

  “Hey, Abby. How’s it going?” Kendra asked. She hadn’t talked to her all week, and she was anxious to find out if Jordan had called her like he promised.

  “Okay,” she replied. “How about you?”

  “I’m glad the week’s over. Any plans this weekend?”

  “I have to work tomorrow.”

  Kendra thought her friend sounded a little down. She was used to that. Knowing she had broken up with Reese less than two weeks ago, she wasn’t surprised. Abby was one of those girls that needed a man in her life. When she didn’t have one, she seemed lost. Kendra didn’t understand that, not being like that herself, but she accepted it as a part of her friend’s personality. She just didn’t do well alone.

  “Do you want to come over and watch a movie or something? I’m sitting here doing nothing.” In reality she had a paper to write, but cheering up Abby seemed more important.

  Abby tried to get out of it, she could tell. What girl in her right mind would rather stay home and do laundry than watch a chick flick with a girlfriend? She didn’t give up.

  “Okay,” Abby finally said. “I’ll be there in ten minutes. Do you want me to pick up something on my--oh, can you hang on a sec, I’ve got another call.”

  “Sure,” Kendra replied and waited for Abby’s voice to return. As she did so, she tried to think if there was a movie she had been wanting to rent. She also thought about the email she had received from Trevor today.

  Kendra suddenly remembered something, and she glanced at her calendar and felt her stomach drop. She had promised to baby-sit for Kathleen tonight and had completely forgotten until now. She dreaded having to cancel on Abby.

  “Kendra?” Abby said, returning to the line and sounding a little out of breath.

  “I’m here. Look I--”

  “You’re never going to guess who just called me!” Abby said, sounding like she’d won the lottery or something.

  Kendra smiled, having a pretty good idea whom Abby was talking about.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Jordan sat on the edge of his bed debating about making the call. He’d promised Kendra, but he hated doing stuff like this. It seemed deceitful in a way, asking a girl out because her friend had asked him to and hoping to get a date with Kendra in the end.

  But he knew he’d never have a chance with Kendra if he didn’t. Of course he didn’t know if he would anyway. Kendra wasn’t the type to do anything to hurt her friends and might not go out with him to avoid hurting Abby even if he followed through with his promise.

  Sighing heavily, he said a quick prayer. “Okay, God, I don’t want to hurt this girl just to get to Kendra, but I promised Kendra I would take her out at least once. What am I supposed to do? I kind of got myself into a sticky situation here.”

  Not hearing any clear direction, he decided to go ahead and call Abby and leave the rest in God’s hands. If he was meant to go out with Kendra, it would work out somehow. If not, what difference did it make? Just one date wasn’t going to affect anyone, he supposed.

  Calling her number, he only had to wait for it to ring twice before she picked up. He introduced himself, wondering if Abby would even remember him. By the surprised sound of her voice, he supposed she had but had definitely not expected him to call.

  “How did you get my number?” she asked.

  “Kendra.”

  “Oh, okay,” she said, a hint
of disbelief edging her voice.

  “I’ve been thinking about you since meeting you at the concert,” he said, hoping his words sounded sincere. “We didn’t get much of a chance to talk there, and I was hoping to take you out to dinner or something so we’d have more of a chance to get to know each other.”

  “Okay,” she replied.

  “How about tomorrow night?”

  “Okay.”

  “Six o’clock?”

  “Okay.”

  “Ummm, can I get your address?”

  “Oh, sure,” she said, laughing nervously.

  He wrote down the address and the directions she gave him to her apartment and then read them back to her to make sure he hadn’t missed something. She had spouted them off quickly, sounding nervous and excited. He began to get an uneasy feeling. This date may not mean much to him, but it was certainly going to mean a lot to her.

  Once he hung up, he prayed again. “God, I don’t want to hurt this girl. I’m sorry if calling her was a mistake. Will dating ever be easier?”

  ***

  Telling Kendra she wasn’t going to make it tonight after all because she needed to go shopping before tomorrow night, Abby hung up the phone, flipped off the television, and grabbed her purse. Driving to the mall, she went straight to her favorite clothing store and browsed the racks for the perfect outfit for her date with Jordan. She couldn't believe he had actually called, that he had gone to the trouble of getting her phone number from Kendra, and that he had noticed her at the concert after all.