Maria had to agree. The buds, enveloped in sprigs of baby’s breath, were either closed or just barely beginning to wink open, and as she bent to smell them, she realized that the florist had been thoughtful enough to trim the thorns. “I can’t believe he would do this,” she remarked, inhaling the bouquet’s delicate scent.
“It’s almost sad,” Jill said, shaking her head. “He must have serious self-esteem issues. Since he’s always seeking your approval, I mean.”
“I don’t think Colin has self-esteem issues.”
“Then he must be needy. You should probably break up with him before it gets any worse. You need someone like Paul, a guy who thinks first and foremost about himself.”
Maria peered up at her friend. “Are you finished?”
“Did you get the sense that I’m envious?”
“Yes.”
“Then yes. I’m finished. And I take it that the two of you talked and all is well again?”
“We made plans for tonight, in fact.” She held out the bouquet toward Jill. “Would you mind holding this while I open the card?”
“Why not? It’s not like you’re trying to rub it in.”
Maria rolled her eyes as she slid the card out and read it. She blinked before reading it a second time, her brow beginning to crease.
“What is it?” Jill asked.
“I wonder if they attached the wrong card. This one doesn’t make sense.”
“What does it say?”
Maria held it open to show Jill. “It says,” she read, “You will know how it feels.”
Jill wrinkled her nose. “Is that a private joke or something?”
“No.”
“Then what is it supposed to mean?”
“I have no idea,” Maria answered, growing more puzzled by the minute.
Jill handed back the bouquet. “It’s a strange thing to write, don’t you think?”
“Definitely strange,” Maria conceded.
“Maybe you should call him and ask about what he meant.”
Maybe, Maria thought. “He’s probably at the gym.”
“So what? I’ll bet he has his phone with him. Or you know what it could be? Maybe the florist made a mistake. He either attached the wrong card or wrote it down wrong.”
“I guess that’s possible,” Maria agreed, and though she tried to convince herself it was true, she wondered whether either of them really believed it.
After putting the roses in the vase from the first bouquet of flowers, Maria continued to examine the card until finally deciding, Oh, what the hell? Pulling her cell phone from her purse, she rang Colin.
“Hey there,” he said. “You’re not calling to cancel on me tonight, are you?” He was breathing hard, and in the background, Maria could hear music and the sound of people running on the treadmill.
“No. I’m looking forward to it. Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“Not at all. What’s up?”
“Just a quick question. I wanted to ask you about your message.”
“What message?”
“On the card that came with the roses today. The card said, ‘You will know how it feels,’ and I’m not sure what you meant by that.”
She could hear him breathing on the other end. “It wasn’t me. I didn’t send you roses today. Or a card.”
Maria felt a sudden prickle on the back of her neck. You will know how it feels? It was weird enough if Colin had written it, but if it wasn’t from him, that made the note…
Strange. Even creepy.
“What’s it supposed to mean?” Colin said into the silence.
“I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure it out.”
“And you don’t know who they came from?”
“There was no name on the card.”
Colin said nothing to that, and trying to hide her own feeling of unease, she changed the subject. “I know you’ve got to get back to your workout – and I should get back to work – but what time will you be coming by tonight?”
“How about six thirty? I was thinking that we head down to the Riverwalk and play it by ear. I’m kind of in the mood to move, not just sit. And we can grab a bite while we’re there.”
“Sounds perfect. I’ve been planted in my chair the last couple of days, and a walk is just what I need.”
As they hung up, she was picturing the way he looked in the gym… but then she caught sight of the roses again, as well as the card. The card with no name.
You will know how it feels.
She examined the card again, wondering if she’d be able to call the florist and find out who ordered them, only to realize that neither the envelope nor the card bore any markings whatsoever.
“You’re distracted,” Colin said as they walked hand in hand on the Riverwalk, the popular promenade along the Cape Fear River. Because it was midweek, the streets weren’t crowded, and though it was still warm, the northerly breeze hinted at the possibility of cooler temperatures in the weeks ahead. For the first time in months, she was glad she was wearing jeans.
She shook her head. “I’m just trying to figure out who would have sent me the roses.”
“Maybe you have a secret admirer.”
“Aside from you, I haven’t met anyone new lately. It’s not as though I go out much, either. I’m either visiting my parents, paddleboarding, or at my place.”
“Except when you’re at work.”
“No one at work would have sent them,” she responded, but even as she said the words, Ken’s image popped into her head. He wouldn’t do that, would he? “Besides, the message doesn’t really reflect someone’s attempt to make me feel special. It does just the opposite, in fact.”