By his second walk around the store, I start feeling sorry for the guy despite how amused I am. I lean forward on my counter. “Is there anything specific I can help you find?”
His head snaps up and there’s that same cringe marring his handsome face. The need to decline my offer shows on his face but his desperation for help shines through. He lets out a heavy sigh and starts making his way towards my counter. “Look,” he finally says in the deepest voice I’ve ever heard. “I’m going to lay it all out for you.”
Candice makes her way over as though it’s storytime and he’s about to give us the juiciest gossip. “By all means,” I tell him, raising a curious brow. “Hit me with your situation.”
“I, ah…shit. I hope you ladies don’t get offended easily.”
“No, Sir. We don’t,” Candice purrs.
I roll my eyes but I can’t help that slight thrill that pulses through me. Maybe Candice was right to settle in for storytime. Something tells me the next few minutes are going to be quite entertaining.
“Well, look,” he starts, gesturing down his body. “I’m not exactly a small guy.”
“That you are not,” I agree. “What are you? 6’6? 6’7?”
“6’8 actually,” he grins proudly. “And before you ask, yes, I play basketball.”
“Damn,” Candice sighs. “Are you single?”
“Well, that’s just the thing. I met a girl last weekend and she finally agreed to go out with me last night, and well, one thing led to another and…”
“You took her home?”
“Yep.”
“Ok…” Candice says slowly. “Am I missing something here? This doesn’t seem quite so out of the ordinary.”
The guy grins. “She’s 4 foot 11.”
My eyes bulge out of my head as Candice’s jaw drops. I can’t help but scan my eyes down his body towards his junk. Judging by the size of him, I’m assuming he’s the kind of guy you’d need both hands for, and if he was with a girl who can barely even reach the kitchen sink…well, damn.
“Fuck”’ Candice gasps. “Is she alright? You sent her to hospital, didn’t you? Oh, the poor girl. You probably tore her pussy apart and not in the good way.”
“No,” he laughs with a mischievous sparkle in his brown eyes. “Actually, that’s a story for a another time, but what I was getting at is that she took it like a fucking pro, and well, it’s not often I find a girl who can handle what I’ve got.”
Candice leans over the counter, showing off her cleavage. “Fuck it. I’ll climb on top and give it the good college try.”
“You’ll fucking rein it in and finish off the rose arrangement,” I tell her before turning back to the guy and noticing that Candice hasn’t moved an inch, though I’m not surprised. I wouldn’t want to miss this either. “I’m assuming that you want to see her again?”
“Fuck, yeah.”
“So, what you’re looking for is something that says ‘Thanks for leaving your gag reflex at the door and swallowing my cock like a fucking porn-star?’”
He grins wide. “You see, I was standing out there wondering if you chicks would even understand my issue and you just get it.”
I laugh as I walk out from around the counter and start making my way through the store, plucking out bits and pieces from all different arrangements, not giving a crap that I’m going to have to fix them all up later. This is a special case and this girl deserves the best. After all, the poor girl probably can’t even walk today and if this guy has a shot at hitting it again, then he needs to give her the best fucking flowers in Haven Falls. Hell, maybe I’ll throw in a ‘congratulatory’ balloon from me just to let her know the female population is bowing down.
I bring all the flowers back to my workbench and get busy doing my thing as the big guy leans over my counter and chats with Candice. I laugh along with their ridiculous conversation and shake my head as Candice somehow manages to convince the guy to set her up with his best friend who’s just as big and athletic as he is.
I finish off the arrangement and am just working out the card to go with it when Candice looks up and stares out the front window. “Well, damn. There’s a blast from the past.”
Oh no.
My eyes instantly snap up to take in Rivers across the road talking with one of the few mechanics in town. I don’t doubt they’re discussing his Firebird, or hell, maybe he’s looking for a job or something to keep himself busy until the Military drags him away again.
“He really has grown,” Candice murmurs, definitely approving of the new stronger, buffer, and overall intimidating version of the man I’ve been in love with since I was eleven years old.