Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 53349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 213(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
“That sounds good,” Tamara said. “I could really go for a slice of pepperoni pizza.”
They ordered, grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge, and headed out onto the terrace to wait for the pizza delivery. It was a beautiful evening, and they kicked back and watched the sun go down in companionable silence. It felt a lot less like a date than the previous evening. Even so, there was a perfect view out over the gardens toward the beach, a beautiful sunset fading into shades of crimson, and a gentle breeze coming in off the sea. Nate couldn’t think of anything to say, even though he was meant to be talking about Kate’s birthday. All he could think about was how beautiful Tamara looked in her sundress, lit by the fading sunlight.
Tamara glanced at Nate and then laughed. “Honestly, it’s like the world is conspiring to provide us with ridiculously romantic moments. This sunset, the two of us on this bench. Anyone would think we were dating.”
Nate smiled. If only. Tamara was so beautiful when she laughed. Her natural good looks were enhanced by the musical, happy sound and the fact that she was simply enjoying the world around her.
“Well, I guess we’d better make sure we actually get around to sorting out Kate’s birthday,” Nate said, although right then it was the last thing he felt like doing. He just wanted to stay there and spend time with Tamara, eating pizza, drinking beer, and enjoying themselves.
“So, we’re going to get Kate out of here and over to the café by…” Tamara prompted.
“I figured I could ask her to do me a favor and get me one last coffee for the day,” Nate said. “That way, it feels natural.”
“That could work, or she might say she’s too busy, and then you can’t really argue with that.” She paused, looking thoughtful. “What if I say that I want to talk to her about some plants for the café?”
Nate nodded. That was a good idea. Kate loved anything to do with flowers and plants, and she was always eager to help anyone if she could. “I’ll make sure Liz asks Kate if she can walk across the street with her when the time comes.”
Tamara nodded. “Actually,” she said, “I really do want to get plenty of flowers for the party. I’m going down to the docks tomorrow morning to talk to one of my supplies about coffee beans, so I figured I could check out flower suppliers too.”
“That sounds like a lovely idea,” Nate said.
Tamara smiled. “I want to do this right. I thought a flower theme would be perfect. I figure we can use plates and napkins with flower designs on them, and I know Jenn will decorate the cake with flowers. If we filled the café with real flowers, wherever we can, it would look beautiful. Like a botanical garden.”
“Perfect. Kate will love it,” Nate said. “Do you need help? This sounds like a lot of work.”
Tamara thanked him but said she had it all figured out. “I’m taking the morning off tomorrow to go down to the docks. It’ll be the first time my new assistants will look after the place themselves. I think they can do it. Anyway, I’m going to need them this weekend when we go down to San Diego, so it’ll be a good rehearsal for them.” Tamara started laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Nate asked, a little concerned that she was putting her business into the hands of teenagers.
“Oh, I’m not worried. I told them that if they run into trouble, they should check in with you.”
Nate and Tamara couldn’t stop laughing at the idea, and every time they tried to change the subject, they just started laughing again. Nate knew less than the teens when it came to running Tamara’s business.
“The truth is,” Tamara tried to say through the laughter, “I really like Kate. It was harder to get to know her than the rest of you. She was really shy and didn’t seem interested in opening up, or talking about anything unless it was gardening. Now, it finally feels like she’s talking more about herself. In fact, the other day, she told me she was born in France.”
“What? France. No way,” Nick replied. “She doesn’t even have an accent.”
“I’m sure it’s no secret, but you should ask her about it.”
Nate agreed that Kate had been really quiet at first. “We’re all working together so much, and it feels like collaborating has really brought her out of herself. Just the other day, she was talking about how she and I are the only ones left at Married in Malibu who are single.”
Tamara paused for a moment, taking another bite of her pizza. “Since you’ve mentioned it, can I ask why a guy like you isn’t hooked up with someone already? I would have thought you’d have settled down with someone by now.” She blushed. “Not that I want to sound like one of your family members, trying to marry you off.”