Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 16678 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 67(@250wpm)___ 56(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16678 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 67(@250wpm)___ 56(@300wpm)
I nodded to his right. “We’ll begin with the seasonal display. It leads to the desert room, orchid display, and the bonsai exhibit.”
Kaylan walked in the direction I’d indicated. “Sounds like you’ve been here a few times before.”
“I pop in several times a year. They have different seasonal exhibits, plus it’s a quiet place to think and look for inspiration.”
We stopped just past the entrance to the smaller room, taking in the explosion of tulips and red roses artfully arranged around a three-tiered fountain in the center of the room. It was as though spring had erupted inside of the giant greenhouse.
“Beautiful,” Kaylan murmured as he started forward. He dug his phone out of his pocket and snapped a handful of pictures. He looked over his shoulder and grinned. I liked that. The man seemed to smile so easily, his face always incredibly expressive. As if he couldn’t hold his emotions back. There was no hiding for Kaylan. “I think you mentioned something about detailing all the reasons we’re so very undateable.”
“I did. Do you want to start, or should I?”
“I’ll go first, but I’ll warn you; I’ve got something that could end this competition right here and now.” Kaylan shoved his phone into his pocket and continued past the fountain to the far corner.
“Go for it.” Short of being a murderer, rapist, or serial cheater, I couldn’t imagine what he could do that would be such a deal breaker.
Kaylan stopped walking and leaned toward me. Dropping his voice to a whisper, he admitted, “I hate chili.”
“What?” I demanded in a choked laugh. Not what I’d been expecting him to say. “You hate chili? Were you even born in this area?”
“Born and raised. I went away to Boston University for college and then returned. But yeah, can’t stand chili. Any and all chili. Never liked it.”
I made a show of shaking my head and clicking my tongue at him. In Cincinnati, chili was serious business. Mostly because Cincinnati had its own distinct style and way of eating chili. You couldn’t swing a dead cat and not hit a chili parlor in this town. Every person born in the tri-state area had an opinion about chili.
“So there’s no point in asking you the perennial Gold Star versus Skyline question.”
“None.”
“Or if you prefer a coney to a three-way?”
“Ugh. Neither.”
As we reached the corner of the room and stopped under the lemon tree, I couldn’t help nudging his shoulder with mine. “Is there anything you like as a three-way?” I asked in a low voice.
Kaylan snorted. “Why do I get the impression you’re not talking spaghetti anymore?” He bumped me back. “I’m not much of a sharing person, so I can’t imagine there are any three-ways that I’d be a fan of. You?”
I shook my head as a bit of tension unwound from around my lungs. “The only three-ways I like are spaghetti, chili, and a mountain of cheddar cheese. And, for the record, I’m a Skyline fan, but I won’t turn my nose up at a Gold Star coney. Also, you not liking chili is not a deal breaker. Try again.”
My pseudo-date tipped his head up toward the tree and pointed at a lemon nearly lost among the dark-green leaves. “Stupid question: do you think that’s real?”
“Are you asking me if the flower conservatory has a fake tree in it?” I replied, trying very hard not to laugh.
Kaylan poked me in the ribs with his elbow. “Shut up. I said it was a stupid question. I was just thinking that I’ve never seen an actual lemon tree. Lots of lemons in the grocery, but never on a tree. That’s kind of cool.”
I was going to kiss him. If this man kept being so adorable, I was going to kiss him. It was taking all of my self-control not to dip my head and steal a kiss off those pink lips.
My companion narrowed his eyes at me. “What are you grinning at? I’m not always an idiot. This surprise arranged date caught me flat-footed. I’m not at my smartest right now.”
“So you’re warning me that I won’t be able to keep up once you get your bearings?” I teased.
A little scoff left his throat. “Whatever. Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re trying to decide between laughing and kissing me.”
Okay, that was rather astute.
Thankfully, Kaylan didn’t give me the chance to answer. He grabbed my wrist with his free hand and pulled me toward the open doorway. “What’s over here?”
“The Desert Room,” I replied, still smiling at the back of his head.
We left spring behind in the bright-and-humid exhibit hall for a more arid room overflowing with cacti and other plants only found in the desert. Everything in the room possessed prickles, which seemed very suited to Kaylan. The man still holding my wrist as we started along the aisle was full of protective prickles, but that didn’t deter me. There would be ways past the thorns to get to the softness I knew had to reside inside of him.