Элла Франк - Exquisite

“Thank you dear.”

She watched as he smiled down at the lady. “You’re welcome. Make sure you come back soon.”

The little lady nodded then asked, “Are you that young chef that’s been all over the television?”

Lena watched as he seemed to tense up a little. He held the smile but it’d left his eyes.

“Yes I am.”

The little lady smiled wider. “You are much more handsome in person young man.”

Lena watched a blush creep up over his cheeks and she almost laughed until his eyes met hers. He looked mortified. She tightened her lips and kept her gaze on his. Finally after what seemed like minutes instead of seconds he broke the contact and turned back to the little lady. This time his smile was a little sheepish but completely genuine. “I don’t know about that, but thank you very much.”

She nodded and made her way out. The chimes tinkled and Lena watched as Mason came around the desk and walked to the door. She felt her heart kick up when he flipped over the closed sign and she heard the door lock.

Mason didn’t want anymore interruptions. He wanted to talk to Lena and he planned to do it now. He turned back and made his way over to the counter and walked behind it, so he was on the opposite side. He figured they needed a barrier just incase he felt the need to either kiss the day lights out of her or strangle her.

“So let’s clear the air here.”

“There’s nothing to clear.” she snapped back.

Mason leaned against the counter with his hip. “Yeah, that’s obvious by the warm way your glaring at me.” he paused, “Spit it out Lena.”

She narrowed her eyes at him in a move that was so much a part of her he found he’d actually missed it. Wow, that was demented.

“I don’t have a problem. If you have one maybe you should tell me so whatever this is can be over.”

He pushed up to stand facing her and placed his hands on the counter. “Okay let’s start with a little magazine called Delicious. Did you read it?” he watched as her eyes widened just the smallest fraction. He figured she hadn’t actually thought he would call her out on it.

“I called and apologized for that!” she shouted at him.

He nodded slowly. “So you did.”

“It’s not my fault if you don’t know how to accept an apology.” she grumbled.

“Oh I know how to accept one.” he crossed his arms over his chest, “I just needed some time to cool off before I spoke to you.”

He was a big believer in honesty and that was the truth. He’d been going to call her that Friday but things had been crazy at the restaurant over the weekend. Between booked out nights and interviews surrounding the fall out from that blasted article then his mother, he just hadn’t had the opportunity to get back to her.

“Wow. That’s honest.”

“I told you I’d always be honest with you.” he paused for a moment as he watched her clasp her hands in front of herself as though she was nervous. That seemed a little preposterous though, the Lena he knew was never nervous. “I needed to stop being annoyed at myself as well as you. Lena that article was a disaster. Did you read it?”

He watched her nod slowly. “After I saw the report on that morning show I looked it up online and read it.” she paused, “I can’t say how sorry I am.” Then her eyes flicked up to his. “But I can’t do anything other than say it Langley.”

“I know. Like I said. I just needed to cool off. I knew you were sorry just like I knew that it was partly my fault.”

She seemed to be wanting to say something but in the end she just stood silently waiting.

“I was planning to call you back Lena.”

Her eyes came up to meet his with a look of disbelief in them. He moved and made his way around the counter stopping right beside her. She tilted her head back up to look at him.

“I was planning to do it that Friday but things got crazy at the restaurant then mom had her spell.”

She bit her bottom lip and nodded in silent understanding. This was the quietest and most un nerved he’d ever seen her and he knew why. She’d put herself out there and he hadn’t answered. She was feeling vulnerable, hurt and naked. However, he was going to make her go one step deeper if she wanted this to work. He needed her to prove that she wanted this. That she was in this for the same reasons he was. Placing a finger under her chin he tilted her face up and demanded softly. “Tell me again, to my face.”

Lena wasn’t stupid, she knew what he was asking. She knew he was asking her to put her heart on the line. He wanted her to open up and declare that there was more between them than arguing and explosive chemistry. Blinking once she licked her lip then took all the courage she could find and for the first time in her life placed all her trust in someone else. Feeling completely idiotic she whispered, “I want to be number 34 Mason.” she watched his eyes crinkle at the sides and his lips tug up in a smug little grin. “Let me? Please.”

He leaned down and placed the most gentle kiss on her lips it almost felt like a feather sweeping across them. Too quickly he lifted his head so their noses were touching. He nodded once then answered softly. “Don’t you know by now Lena, you can never be number 34 because you’re the only 1 there has ever been?”

She grinned at him. “That was really corny Langley.”

He kissed her quick then moved back from her. “So? It doesn’t make it any less true.” he walked over to the sunflowers lifted one and brought it over to her.

“Now tell me, what do these mean to you?”

Lena reached over and took the flower. She lifted it to her face and looked at him over the top of the large petals trying to decide if it was time to take the plunge. He walked around the counter and sat down on a stool that must’ve been back there.

“Do you want a chair?”

Shaking her head she turned her back to him trying to decide where to start. She thought back nine years to all the memories she’d squashed down and couldn’t work out where to begin. She heard him shift on the chair behind her. Then silence.

“Around nine years ago my sister Carly died.” she paused, finally letting those words free. There was no sound or movement behind her just a new kind of silence that finally held all the pain she’d kept hidden for so long. A comforting silence. She knew he was there but he didn’t need to make sound, he just was.

“We’d gone to my parents house for dinner. I remember her calling me that night and complaining for at least thirty minutes that she needed to buy herself a car. I’d laughed at her and asked, why when she had me to taxi her around.” she heard him laugh a little at that.

“That sounds like you.”

Lena sighed, “It was like any other Sunday night dinner. Mom made lamb, a God’s honest Irish dish, as my dad calls it and we all sat down and talked about our week. At that stage I was pre med and was obsessed with studying and passing all my tests at the top of my class. Carly on the other hand had just graduated high school and was all about a good time.”

Walking over the one of the displays in the windows Lena reached out and spun the rainbow pinwheel that was stuck in one of the pots of colorful tulips.

“My mother had been driving me crazy all night. She’d gone on and on about how I needed to have more fun, get out from the library and date more, she’d told me.”

Lena turned and locked eyes with Mason’s. He was still sitting behind the counter and had his arms resting on top of it. “Can you imagine that?” she asked with a small smirk.

He grinned at her then shook his head, “Not at all.”

She nodded then lowered her eyes as she twirled the sunflower in her hand. “We finished up dinner around nine thirty. There were hardly any cars around. I guess because it was a Sunday, I’m not sure. But we kissed mom and dad goodbye and buckled up. I remember thinking as we drove home that maybe one day when I was finally a doctor if Carly still didn’t have a car, I’d by her one, because God knew she wasn’t going to save the money to get her own.”

She gave a little laugh then looked at him with tears gathering in her eyes. She gripped the stem of the flower tight and took a deep breath. “We’d stopped at a red light. I remember sitting there listening to Carly as she imitated mom harassing me. She really nailed it too. I remember resting my head back against the headrest and laughing at her as she smiled and stuck her tongue out at me.”

Tears were streaming down her cheeks now as she held his gaze, biting her bottom lip, trying to push through the most difficult part. The part that ripped her heart out and tore it to pieces. He hadn’t moved. He just sat watching her. “She was wearing her favorite red beanie, it was cold you see and she had a braid over her shoulder.” Taking a deep shuddering breath she licked her lips. “She smiled at me and called me a loser and I remember laughing at her then turning to see the light flick to green. I pulled out and then just like that,” she paused her cheeks wet with tears and her eyes filled with pain, “She was gone.”

Mason’s heart broke at the sorrow that was pouring out of her. She was rooted to the spot clutching a happy, bright yellow, flower that right now looked horribly out of place in her hands as tears ran down her face. Slowly he stood and walked very carefully around the counter. She hadn’t moved and her eyes followed him as he made his way over to her. He reached out and took the flower tossing it on the floor. She swallowed then looked up at him her eyes brimming with tears as he watched her finally let go and burst into tears. He reached out and wrapped his arms around her pulling her in tight against him. He felt her chest heave as a shuddering sob left her body. He gripped her tighter and felt her hands grip his chest as she sobbed uncontrollably against him.