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next day. Not your typical long stem roses for Harry. No, these were a cacophony of colour and shapes and sizes. A huge bunch of blossoms that smelt divine. I’m embarrassed by how much time I spent with my nose buried in those flowers. But they were my first ever – if you don’t count the bunch of dandelions Smelly Stan gave me in grade three, and I loved them.
    ‘There you go,’ Liss said when she brought me in a vase for them. She placed it on the dressing table and put a few more identical ones with it.
    ‘They should all fit in one,’ I said.
    ‘Honey,’ she said, ‘if the way that man was staring at you is any indication, I’m sure there will be plenty more where these came from.’
    She was right. The next bunch turned up that afternoon. A huge arrangement of wildflowers. The next morning the sunflowers arrived, and that afternoon it was tulips.
    ‘Man’s got some class,’ Liss said, helping me carry a coffee table into my room. I had run out of surfaces to place vases on.
    I was disappointed when no more arrived the next morning. But not about the flowers – I mean seriously, I think I had enough. I was disappointed because I thought he had lost interest, or met someone else, or maybe given into Hillary’s charms. Of course my imagination put far more detail into those fears than that. It took those sketches and turned them into works of art.
    A blonde, no a brunette. Friend of the family, no someone he had met at College. One of his professors as besotted with him as I was.
    I told myself to stop being stupid, I mean nothing had happened between us. There was nothing to mourn. But the ache in my chest told a different story.
    Three days ago something had grown inside me. It had filled me with light and hope, and made me feel special and wonderful. Even though I had been content before, to now have to live without that, made the world seem dull and grey.
    Once a new path has been blazed within your mind there is no going back.
    So for eight hours I wallowed in my misery. And then the club front doorbell rang and there was Harry, his arms full of red roses.
    ‘I was wondering if you would allow me to take you out to dinner,’ he said while my nose was buried in the blossoms.
    I glanced over my shoulder at Liss.
    ‘I’ll have you back by show time,’ he added. ‘Thought we could go to a little Chinese joint up the road. They do great duck.’
    I had never eaten duck before, but if Harry had asked me to eat insects, I would have said yes.
    We were silent during the walk up the road. He was so tall and handsome, I felt inadequate next to him. Surely no matter what I said, he would realise me for the innocent that I was and lose interest.
    I didn’t realise yet that that was part of my attraction. Surrounded by loud, brazen women his whole life, he found me a refreshing change.
    ‘You didn’t need to send all those flowers,’ I said. ‘One bunch would have been enough.’
    ‘But I didn’t know which were your favourite.’
    ‘ Any flower you gave me would be my favourite.’
    Did I really just say that?
    Oh no. Kill me.
    Kill me now.
    ‘Here we are.’ He had a small smile on his face, and as he gestured toward the restaurant door his hand grazed my arm. A shiver ran down my spine at the feel of his callused fingers. He might be at college but he worked those hands hard. What would they feel like scraping over my naked skin?
    Oh yeah, and thoughts like that weren’t helping in the bid to not act like a blithering idiot.
    He led me to a table in the far corner and held a seat out for me. I couldn’t keep my eyes off his hands as he moved around to the other side and sat. Were they both the same?
    ‘What is it?’ He sounded uncomfortable.
    ‘Your hands.’
    He grimaced and put them under the table. ‘I work at a construction site to help with college costs. You probably think that’s a bit common.’
    It took me a few seconds to get my mouth shut again. ‘Common? You’re kidding right?