Vince and I talk a little while longer before ending the call. I’m scrolling through the site for one of the studios when Rose walks into the room.
Seeing the notepad, she stops beside my chair. “What’s this?”
I sit my phone down on the table, wrap my arm around her waist and pull her down into my lap. Rose automatically puts her arm around my neck and I reach up to kiss her before I explain.
“Those are the names of a couple of, somewhat local recording studios.”
She looks at the list and points to the first name, “Since this one has peach in its name, I’m guessing it’s in Georgia. Where’s this one located?”
“You would be correct, that one is in Atlanta, the other is in Orlando.”
“Have you used either one before?”
I shake my head, “No, I usually record in New York.”
Her brow furrows as she looks at me, “So why would you want to record somewhere new?”
I smile as my hand cups her cheek. “So I can be closer to you.”
She melts into my touch before leaning in to kiss me. “Alek, I love you, and I appreciate the consideration, but don’t change where you record or who you work with because of me.”
This woman amazes me. I love the fact that she is so unpretentious and so considerate of those she loves.
I tighten my arms around her waist, and nuzzle her neck, the whiskers of my beard tickling her delicate skin. “What if I’m not doing it for you? What if I’m doing it because I’m a selfish bastard that doesn’t want to be away from you?”
Rose giggles while wrapping both of her arms around my neck as she teases in a dramatic voice. “Well then, that’s something entirely different and you should take me with you everywhere you go.”
“That can definitely be arranged,” I promise as I stand with her in my arms and begin walking toward the stairs. “First stop on the tour, our bedroom at the top of the stairs.”
Rose giggles before her lips find my neck, "I think I'm very much going to enjoy being part of this tour. Very much indeed," she says as I kick the door closed, ready to show her just how much I love her and this life we are creating together.
Epilogue
Rose
One year later
Sitting at my desk I go through the order line by line ensuring that I have everything entered before I hit send, when Janet pops her head through the doorway.
“This is your final fifteen minute warning.”
I laugh and shake my head, “You’ve been giving me warnings since the top of the hour, are you sure this is the last one?”
Janet steps farther into the room hands on her hips. “Hey, don’t kill the messenger, I’m just doing as instructed.”
I glance over at her and smile, “I know you are, and I love you for it.”
I click send on the order and print the confirmation, before shutting down the program. “Finished, and I have ten minutes to spare.”
“Great! Getting you out of here earlier will keep me in Alek's good graces,” she says as she hands me my purse from the desk drawer.
I roll my eyes and tease, “Like you could ever get on his bad side.”
Over the past year, Alek has spent as much time at the flower shop as I have. He insists on being here on delivery days to help lift and store items for us, and took it upon himself to hire a couple of high school boys to help out when he’s away. During that time, he’s also managed to charm all of my employees. And when it comes to organizing surprises for me, they are more than willing to do his bidding.
I’m fairly certain he has something planned for tonight, but I’d never ruin his surprise. It means too much to me that he goes out of his way to make me feel special.
“Are you going home to change?”
I take my purse, dig out my keys and put it over my shoulder. “No, Alek insisted I could change at the venue, so he took everything with him when he headed over there.”
My hand is on the doorknob when Janet stops me.
“Don’t forget this.”
She hands me the basket I still need to deliver, making me smile as I take it from her. “No, I wouldn’t want to do that.”
She smiles as I open the door, “Have a great time tonight, I want to hear all about it tomorrow.”
“Will do,” I reply as the door closes behind me.
I unlock my car and place the basket in the back seat along with my purse, before climbing behind the wheel and starting the engine. I pull out of the parking lot and turn my car towards the performing arts center.
As I drive across town, I think about how we’ve spent the past year. I’ve gone from being a divorcee trying to survive on her own to being in a committed relationship with a world-renowned violinist.
Alek is amazing. Most days I still can’t believe that he tracked me down after his concert to ask me out. That first date turned into one of the best years of my life, although I could have survived without the broken arm. Then again, Alek and I might not be where we are now.
Once the doctor cleared me, Alek had Vince reschedule the performances he missed. Taking my business and me into consideration, Alek insisted the shows be scheduled in three blocks over two months. Our trips to the west coast were incredible, and seeing Alek in full performance mode was a remarkable sight.
Over Thanksgiving, Alek took me to Virginia to meet his family, which I immediately fell in love with. Since then, his parents have travelled to Charleston to visit and both his sister and sister in-law have begun texting me on a regular basis. I even did the “right thing” and introduced him to my mother on our way home from his
