Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95173 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95173 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
“Welcome,” Amanda says, coming to the front from the back and then smiling when she sees me. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the stuffed animal lover,” she says, and I walk to the wooden counter and lean over it to kiss her on her cheek. “What can I do for you? I’m even afraid to ask.”
I laugh at her. “I was wondering if you could make me a bouquet quickly?” I ask her, looking around at some of her flowers. I point at the pink flowers by the door.
“Peonies, that is a good choice. I have them in pink, a light purple, and a burgundy wine. That is stunning,” she says, walking over to one of the containers and picking up the flower that looks exactly like red wine.
“That sounds good. I love that color,” I tell her, and she picks the bucket up and carries it into the back.
“I’m assuming you want a big bouquet?” She winks at me. “In a vase.”
“Yes.” I nod at her. “Do you know what France’s flower is?” I ask her.
“It’s the fleur de lys.” She points over at the blue flowers in one of the pots. “You want one with those also?”
“Yes, please,” I tell her, and in twenty minutes, I walk out of there with two vases of flowers, and I set them on the floor in my back seat, hoping to fuck they don’t fall over.
When I pull up to her apartment building, I get out and motion to the doorman. “Is it possible to leave these with you while I go park the car?” He looks at me weirdly. “I’m visiting Vivienne Paradis.”
“Oh, of course,” he says. “I can take your keys and have your car parked if you like.”
“That sounds great,” I tell him, and he grabs the keys while I take the flowers with me and head in.
“May I help you?” the security man asks me.
“I’m here for Vivienne Paradis,” I tell him, and he picks up his phone. I’m assuming he calls her, his voice going low, and I’m suddenly nervous and annoyed.
“Very well,” he says into the phone. “Let me help you,” he says, walking into the elevator with me and pressing the button to her floor. When the door opens on her floor, she is standing there waiting for me. Her black hair is piled on her head, and her blue eyes bright. I am always shocked by her beauty, but now that I see her in her space looking just as comfortable as she is at my house, she just pushes her beauty a touch more. She stands there in a one-piece pink button-down shirt, but it’s long to her mid-thigh, and the sleeves are rolled up to her elbows. She spots me and then the flowers and laughs.
“I know that you don’t like living things, but …” I tell her. Walking to her, I bend my head to kiss her. “Hi,” I whisper to her.
“Hi,” she whispers back and puts her hand on my cheek. The smell of the food hits me right away.
“It smells amazing,” I tell her, and she takes a vase from me, bringing it to her nose.
“Welcome,” she says. Moving aside, she turns to walk down her long hallway lined with art. Totally Vivienne. I see the kitchen as we walk down to the huge room at the end of the hall. Two windows provide a view of Central Park at the end of the room with a long couch facing the room. With the same couch on the right and two double couches facing it. She walks toward the glass table in the middle of the couches and places the red peonies down. “Let’s put the purple ones on the dining table.” She motions to the table to my left, which is a marble table with six white chairs—clean, sleek, elegant, and totally her. She grabs the vase from me and places it in the middle of the table. “These are beautiful,” she says, leaning in and smelling them. As I watch her dress riding higher, I’ve had enough of not touching her. I walk to her, my hands going to her hips, and she looks over her shoulder at me, then turns and faces me.
My hand comes up, and my thumb brushes her cheek. “Your eyes get crystal blue when you smile,” I say softly, and she looks down and then back up, licking her lips “They turn just a touch darker when you are unsure, like right now.”
She laughs. “Let me show you around,” she says, and her fingers link with mine. “That is the kitchen.” She points at the doorway off the side. She takes me back down the hallway and turns down another hallway, pointing at the closed door. “That’s my office,” she says and then we pass another bedroom door that is open. “That is the guest room,” she says, and I spot the stuffed animals on the bed. “The girls are going to love those stuffed animals.” She walks me to the door at the end of the hallway. “This is my bedroom,” she says, winking at me. We pass her walk-in closet and the bathroom and then it opens to her bedroom, and I have to smile.