Boyfriend by the Book: A feel good romantic comedy Read online

  “We should introduce you to some of this stuff while I’m here,” he told me. “Maybe rent a jet ski or something.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” I began, slightly nervous at this idea. “I have a thing about water.” I had never joined our classmate’s river rafting activities back in the day. A swift doggy paddle in the shallow end was my one attempt at anything more than sunbathing on days we had spent at the lake.

  Connor grinned, insisting, “You’ll love it once you get out there. Let me fix something up.”

  “I don’t think so,” I said. My idea of athleticism was a game of volley ball or maybe tennis. Even roller blades were a little fast for my taste. Jet skis were totally out of the question.

  “Think it over at least. I’m told I make a great teacher,” he added, with a teasing eyebrow waggle.

  I laughed, telling him, “Well, maybe I could try it. Once. But you would probably have to flunk me.”

  “I could never be that heartless.” His smile took on a more serious edge for a moment, his gaze lingering on mine.

  Maybe it was my secret Juliet self that was looking back, but I felt as if this moment was perfect. As if Connor was perfect for me. Maybe I had only been imagining chemistry with other people. Even Levi ....

  The waiter stopped at our table, Connor ordering another glass of the house red. “The only good thing about taking a cab is, you get to indulge a little,” he told me, sipping the new glass of wine. “Public transport is a pain in the neck, but it’s necessary right now, since my SUV just got totaled.”

  I gasped. “That’s terrible. What happened? Was anyone hurt?”

  “Some jerk plowed into me at a four-way stop. Whole front end was ruined.” He took another sip of his wine. “I was thinking of making an upgrade anyway, so it’s not a huge deal. My current model didn’t even have a push start button. Ancient stuff, right?”

  I wasn’t sure how to answer this, since my own car was a bit of a clunker. Connor didn’t seem to expect an answer, though. Giving a shrug, he continued on. “Maybe next week I’ll have time to find a car rental service with some decent options.”

  “You should have requested a car from the hotel,” I said, surprised he didn’t take advantage of the luxury selection. Mercedes, Porsche—surely those met his standards for ‘decent,' even if the models were a little older now.

  Connor shook his head.

  “I’m not at the hotel anymore," he said. "I forgot to mention it. My firm arranged for a temporary apartment at the Welby, so I’m moving over there the next few weeks.”

  “Wow,” I said, a little taken aback. “That’s a great place. And really exclusive,” I added, wondering how they managed to finagle such a limited arrangement from a place that upscale. The Welby was spoken of in hallowed tones by those who applied to live there, most of them turned down for persnickety reasons, such as not wearing the right clothes or belonging to the right kind of club.

  “Yeah, well, my bosses know that a great living environment is key for a good performance at work. And I just can’t cope with staying in some cramped hotel room for weeks on end.”

  The Regent’s rooms were hardly cramped at three hundred square feet each, but I resisted the urge to point this out. After all, there are lots of people who dislike staying in a hotel for long periods of time—even one as luxurious and elegant as the Regent. So don’t take it personally, I told myself, taking another bite of salmon.

  Work shouldn’t be invading my thoughts right now anyway. This was a chance to relax and enjoy myself, and despite the way I described it to my friends, this was definitely a date, and with someone I was attracted to. Any doubts about that were erased when Connor lingered beside my car, his fingers holding onto mine.

  “Can I call you again soon?” he asked. “I don’t know when I’ll be free, but I promise to make time for it. If you want to.”

  “Okay,” I said. Melting a little as he pressed my fingers to his lips in a gesture that seemed strangely sweet and romantic.

  Perhaps my friends were on to something with that Romeo thing after all.

  ~17~

  Gareth had to cancel our coffee date, his voice regretful sounding over the phone. “I hate to do this, but I am on a deadline, and I’ve hit a patch of writer’s block. I hope you don’t mind.”

  I could imagine his frustration over his current writing predicament. Gareth had told me that writer’s block was akin to moving a boulder. It just couldn’t be done without the right tools and momentum, and both were hard for him to apply when inspiration left him. Impishly, I suggested, “Maybe I could help somehow. Brainstorm scenarios or let you bounce ideas off me.”

  “Ah, well—”

  “It’s all right,” I assured him. “I know that people are distracting for you.” And damaging. That was his choice of words. I hadn’t forgotten it somehow.

  “I appreciate the offer,” he told me, but it wasn’t very convincing. He was thinking about his work, his tone already one of distraction. I knew I should mind this, but somehow I didn’t. I was beginning to think that neither of us did. If something didn’t change soon, I had a feeling my coffee dates with Gareth might be permanently canceled.

  _________________________

  I spent the next day on the phone with different plant nurseries, trying in vain to locate a rare orchid a customer wanted placed in their room. Unfortunately, none of the places I contacted seemed to have it in stock. I could order online, possibly, and risk the overnight shipping for a delicate species of flower, but I wasn’t ready to go there quite yet. Sighing, I hung up from my tenth call to find Natalia giving me a sympathetic look.

  “Still can’t find that hard-to-pronounce flower?” she asked. I had stumbled my way through the orchid’s name multiple times now, the only part of it I could say with confidence being ‘lady slipper’. I shook my head.

  “No luck. I’m starting to think this plant is basically an endangered species.”

  “What kind of plant is it?”

  We both jumped slightly at the sound of Levi’s voice. He had brought a stack of boxes to the desk without either of us noticing. “Sorry,” he told us, smiling apologetically. “I couldn’t help overhearing that. I thought maybe I could help.”

  “I wish you could,” I told him. “I’m running out of ideas. I’ve phoned every greenhouse in a fifty-mile radius and they don’t have it.” I showed him its name, written on a slip of paper from the customer.

  “Those can be hard to find, but I’m pretty sure my friend’s business would have them. It’s a plant nursery called Petal Pushers.”

  “I didn’t see that one in the yellow pages,” I said, almost certain I would remember the tongue-and-cheek name.

  “They raise a lot of orchids. Hybrids, rare ones, everything. I think they’ve even won awards for some they’ve specially bred.”

  “That sounds perfect,” I told him. “Can you give me their number? Or maybe directions for how to get there?” If nothing else, they might could handle the process of ordering one for me. I would trust a professional’s opinion more than my own when it came to picking the right supplier.

  Levi hesitated. “Actually, I’m going out there after work. I have to get some supplies for a project I’m working on. I’d be happy to give you a lift.”

  “Um, well,” I began. "I don't want you to go through the trouble of having to drop somebody off later ..." Now I was hesitating, and for reasons probably no different than Levi's. Was that such a good idea? It was for my work, of course. Not a social invitation in any sense.

  "A favor for a friend is no trouble," he answered. "I'll be coming back to the city as soon as I'm done."

  I really did need to find that plant. Like he said, it was just a favor for a friend. I summoned a smile as I answered him. “That would be great. I get off work around six.”

  He arranged to pick me up from the Regent at six fifteen. I had time to change into my usual clothes, my uniform swapped for a daisy print dress and black bal
let flats. My hair was pushed back in a headband. I wished I had brought something a little more practical and a little less girl-next-door, but I hadn’t planned for this. I would just have to go with it.

  Any other time, I would have been glad to be a little dressy around Levi. I'd been guilty of imagining it before, truthfully. But that had changed ... if not because of Levi's relationship status, then definitely because of dinner with Connor. I couldn't afford to entertain pointless wishes any longer if I wanted something to blossom between us.

  Levi was talking with Giles, the doorman, when I stepped from the hotel that evening. They turned in my direction, Giles tipping his hat at me. I had seen Levi in casual clothes only once before, at our chance meeting in the pub. He looked even better in the ones he was wearing now, a Henley shirt and a pair of jeans, with battered work boots on his feet.

  For a moment, I thought I saw something in his expression soften or change. It was so quick, I was sure I was imagining it. He gave Giles a farewell smile and a wave, then joined me.

  “Right this way,” Levi said, leading the way to the only pickup truck in the lot. It was an older model, but clean and well-maintained from the looks of it. Levi unlocked the passenger door, holding it open as I climbed inside. The cab’s interior was just as tidy as the outside. I noticed it had a cassette player installed in the dash, the tape sticking from the deck a selection of Jim Croce’s greatest hits.

  “This is so nice of you,” I told him, as he climbed behind the wheel. “I had just about given up finding a local nursery that carried a plant this exotic. Hopefully, your friends can help me out.”

  “I called them awhile ago and Heather—that’s the manager—said they have the plant you’re looking for. She’s kind of their orchid expert, so she ought to have some advice for you about it.”

  The words brought instant reassurance. I settled into my seat, its leather still comfortable despite the faded look. Levi told me it would take about thirty minutes to get to the nursery.

  It would be the most time I had spent alone with him since we met. For some reason, that made me nervous. Butterflies took flight in my stomach as he started the engine and shifted the truck into gear.

  I was having a difficult time thinking of what to say next. I kept telling myself it was just a job-related errand, like any other I had been on in the past. But it was hard to remember that, with Levi seated next to me in the truck’s small interior. I caught a hint of his aftershave, and was aware that his arm was within reaching distance of my hand. These were really silly observations, I decided.

  “So, what kind of project are you working on?” I asked, remembering his reason for going to the nursery. It seemed like a safe subject. “Are you landscaping your yard?”

  “It’s sort of for a job, actually. A nonpaying one,” he added with a slight smile. “I’m kind of hoping it’ll turn into a full time job with a salary one day. It’s what I earned a degree in, but for now, being a deliveryman pays the bills.”

  “What kind of degree?” I was curious. I knew Levi had a fondness for the outdoors, but I thought it was more of a hobby. This new aspect of his personality intrigued me.

  “It was for landscape architecture,” he said.

  My face must have looked blank, his laugh a good-natured one. "It's kind of like being a building architect, only with plants. Lots of businesses hire them to landscape the perimeter of a building, and parks consult them too. It can be hard to work your way up, though. I didn’t want to start as part of a mow crew or filing paperwork. I wanted to get to the hands-on part. So I work a steady job as a deliveryman and hone my landscaping craft on the weekends for free.”

  “That’s really ambitious,” I said.

  “And kind of crazy, right?” He grinned, showing me it was all right to agree with this. I shook my head.

  “No, really I’m impressed. That would take a lot of dedication. You must really love it to do that.”

  “I do,” he admitted. “Even if it stays a hobby, I’m glad for the opportunity to do something I’m passionate about. It makes it easier to do the job I’m not as crazy about in the meantime.”

  Levi maneuvered the truck down a series of side roads. It made me glad I had taken his offer for a lift rather than trying to get there on my own. I watched as unfamiliar territory flew past, including little antique shops and Mom & Pop-style grocery stores. I realized neither of us had spoken for several minutes, but somehow, it wasn’t that uncomfortable. I glanced at Levi, his fingers drumming casually against the steering wheel. He caught my eye and smiled.

  See? He’s not worried about this. You shouldn’t be either.

  “Here we are,” Levi said, pulling into a paved drive, big metal buildings lined up on a stretch of gravel. There were rows of potted plants and trees in between, a station for purchasing fresh-cut flowers near the middle. The letters for ‘Petal Pushers — Landscape Nursery’ spelled out on a blossom motif for the wooden sign.

  Levi put the truck in park and killed the engine. I reached for my door, but the handle seemed stuck. I was still fiddling with it, when Levi pulled it open from the outside.

  “I forgot to mention it gets stuck sometimes,” he explained, apology in the hazel eyes that gazed up at me. I felt a strange tingle in my skin as Levi offered a hand to help me out. I took it, letting him guide me smoothly to the ground. Our fingers stayed locked a moment longer, his gaze looking into mine.

  He let go first, stepping back as I pushed the truck door closed. It was nothing, I told myself. Just one of those absent-minded moments, and certainly nothing to get flustered about. I kept my gaze on the path as we moved towards the nearest greenhouse. Levi held the door open, my form slipping hastily past him.

  Potted plants stretched as far as the eye could see. A stunning display of color and greenery, the smell of wet earth and fresh blossoms mixing to create a heavenly aroma. I breathed it in deeply, starting to relax now that I had something to distract me. Several other people were milling around, studying the plants and pushing carts that held their selections. An employee was watering a row of potted trees, his jeans and t-shirt covered by a green apron.

  Levi was talking with another apron-clad figure, a woman, whose hair was partly concealed by a stylish scarf. She placed a hand on his arm, leaving it there as she told him something that made him laugh. I seemed to walk towards them without realizing it, my intrusion sensed as I drew within hearing distance.

  “Jodi, this is Heather, the manager for Petal Pushers. She can tell you everything you need to know about orchids.”

  “Well, most of it,” Heather said, tucking a strand of strawberry blond hair back into her scarf. “It’s nice to meet you, Jodi.”

  “You too,” I said. Feeling my stomach drop as I recognized the woman who kissed Levi in the pub.

  _________________________

  I tried not to look surprised as Levi introduced us. Heather was friendly and outgoing, showing me the orchid selection as Levi consulted another employee about his order. We could both see him from where we stood, my gaze drifting in his direction more than I wanted it to. Heather seemed to notice.

  “I don’t think Levi’s mentioned you before,” she said, sounding slightly amused. “Have you known each other very long?”

  “A few months,” I said. “He delivers packages to my workplace. That’s why I’m here actually. On behalf of a customer. Levi was nice enough to give me a lift.”

  Maybe she would see this was a professional arrangement now. I didn’t want her to get the wrong idea if there was something between them. I was doing my best now not to look at him, trying to think of something else. Plants, for instance.

  “Levi’s so great,” Heather commented. “You know, he does most of his landscaping work for nonprofit places. Charities, hospitals, shelters—that kind of thing. Right now, he’s working on a yard for the nursing home they’re building over on Newport Avenue. And he gives it a hundred and ten percent, the way he would for a paying job. It’s
kind of amazing. ”

  I felt my mouth drop open slightly. Levi hadn’t mentioned that part of his work. It impressed me even more than his dedication to making his hobby into a career. “That is nice of him,” I said. Quietly, my emotions busy processing this new facet of his character.

  “It’s just the kind of person he is,” Heather continued, moving aside a set of pots to reach a heartier-looking orchid in the back. “I can say that because I’ve known him a long time and he’s always been the same.”

  “You must be close,” I ventured. She nodded.

  “We are. It makes me feel a little bit protective of him,” she added, with a laugh. "You know how it is." She lifted down another plant from the shelf.

  How was I supposed to take that? I didn’t know what to say, so I pretended to study the flowers instead, their delicate stems reaching upwards from the rows of pots. Heather presented the best possible one from the bunch, its appearance flawless. I was sure my customer would be happy when they saw it.

  Levi had loaded the back of his truck with bags of potting soil when I stepped out of the greenhouse. I could see other purchases back there, including some crates of flower bulbs and some tools I couldn’t identify, even though I knew they must be for planting. “All set?” he asked, glancing at the orchid I held.

  I nodded. “This is such a beautiful plant. I know my guest is going to love it.”

  He opened the door for me and I climbed inside, holding the orchid in my lap. We had driven a few blocks when I told him, “So your friend Heather was telling me about some of the places you’ve landscaped for. I was picturing regular businesses, but you do it for the community, don’t you? She said you’re working on a yard for a nursing home that’s under construction.”

  He shrugged, a modest flush invading his features. “They’re the ones being generous, taking a chance on someone inexperienced like me. I’m really grateful since it helps me build a resume for the future. And like you said, it helps the community, so there’s really no downside to it.”