More Flirts! 5 Romantic Short Stories (The Flirts! Short Stories Collections) (18 page)

She walked down to his office and knocked on his door. “You wanted to see me, Harry?”

He looked up from a baseball game playing on TV. “Miss Zoe. How are you?”

“I’m alive.” Which was a good reminder to enjoy what Jenny didn’t have.

“Always a good thing. I’ve got a rather large package for you.”

“For me?” Lord, had she been sleep shopping again? She really had to figure out how to block QVC from her cable box. The perfume of the month was more expensive than you’d think.

He picked up the big box and handed it to her. The return address showed a post office box, but no name. “Thanks, Harry.”

“You’re welcome. You have a nice weekend. Hope it’s full of more surprises.” He smiled at her and turned back to the game.

She took the elevator up to her apartment and set the delivery on her kitchen table. She put her ear to the box, and didn’t hear any ticking or smell anything weird. With a shrug, she grabbed a knife and sliced through the packing tape.

Slowly, she opened the package. Whatever was inside was surrounded in bubble wrap. She tore that off and her jaw dropped. Then she laughed. She laughed until she cried, then laughed until she had to run to the bathroom to pee. She ran back to the kitchen table and looked at it again “An accordion!”

She lifted it out of the box, and an envelope fluttered to the ground. She picked it up and slid out a note card. “Dear Zoe, I hope this helps fulfill your cousin’s quest. It’s a great thing you’re doing. Try to have some fun with it. I imagine that’s what your cousin wanted. Nick.”

“Nick?” How in the world had he found out where she lived? If she hadn’t met him and seen for herself that he had zero interest in her, she might have been a little creeped out.

She picked up the accordion, and looped the strap around her neck. She pressed the keyboard, and pulled the accordion in and out, but it sounded like she was killing something. Before her neighbors called the police, she took it off. Mrs. Beener next door didn’t tolerate much nonsense. Learning how to play the darn thing might be even harder than finding one in the first place.

Not willing to deal with that search yet, she popped open her laptop and emailed Nick. “I cannot believe you got me an accordion. That was really kind of you. Thank you. If you’ve got a hot air balloon stashed away somewhere, let me know. Zoe.” She hit send and made herself a cup of herbal tea.

When she sat back down to search for accordion teachers, she spotted a new email in her box. It was from Nick. “No can do on the hot air balloon, but I did find out what zorbing is. You in?”

“Is it legal?” she emailed back.

“Totally.”

“Moral?”

“You can hold your head up high when we’re done. And no fair searching it online now.”

She twiddled her fingers for a moment before typing a response. “You really want to do this with me?”

A response zinged back a few seconds later. “Yeah, I feel bad about the other day.”

Her fingers flew over the keys. “I don’t want a sympathy date, Nick.”

“It’s not a date.”

Ugh
. She quickly responded. “Right, no. It’s just an expression.”

His response took a few moments. “No, I was going to say ‘It’s not a date, it’s a dare.’ I was trying to be funny. It doesn’t always work.”

Thank god he couldn’t see how red her cheeks were. “So, when do we do it?” She typed out, hitting sending before she realized she’d just invited him to do it. She dropped her head back against the couch.

But he was a gentleman and didn’t run with the joke. “How about tomorrow? I’ll pick you up at noon.”

“Right. You’ve got my address.”

“Internet search engines are remarkable things, and your security levels are too low. My fingers are wearing out. Can I give you a quick call?”

“Sure.” She typed in her phone number and he called a few moments later.

“Where did you find the accordion?” she asked, without even saying hello.

“Ebay.” He had a nice, deep voice. She’d been too nervous to notice the other day.

“Well done. And thanks again. Really. So, did you see the real girl in the pink hat again?” Zoe asked.

“No. But I did see someone in a black beret. Good to know what that’s called finally. So, what else is on the list?”

Something felt off. “Why are you so interested in the list?”

He said nothing for a few moments. “Maybe because I know something about not being able to reach your dreams. Coming along for the ride to fulfill your cousin’s is a lot safer than coming up with my own.”

Zoe toyed with the tag at the end of her tea bag. “What kind of dreams did you miss out on?”

“Nothing I want to talk about today.” He paused. “Sorry, that was rude. Let’s just focus on your list. And zorbing. Wear comfortable clothes tomorrow, and leave the hat at home. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

***

Zoe waited in the lobby of her building; surprised she’d agreed to see Nick again. Their first meeting had been one of the most embarrassing moments of her life, but like her new pink hair, it no longer seemed like that big of a deal.

But her heart swelled when he walked in the door. He was so cute, and every part of her seemed to agree he was her type, no doubt. Too bad she wasn’t his. It would be interesting to see if she could set aside her lust so they could develop a friendship.

Nick scanned the lobby and his eyes swept right past her. She waved at him. “Over here. The girl in the pink hair.”

His eyes bulged. “Zoe? Wow. Did you do that so there’s no mistake again in another missed connection?”

“Ha ha. No, that is not the reason. But it’s a good bonus. Coloring my hair a crazy color is on the list.” She reached up and smoothed her hand down the back of her head.

He walked over to her, still staring at her hair. “That must be one of the ones she added after the fact.”

“No, it’s something she wanted to do. I’m feeling lucky that I have the chance.”

Nick put his hands on his hips, smiling. “Thanks for letting me be part of this.”

“I still hope you’ll explain it to me someday.”

He nodded and looked down at the floor. Then his good mood returned. “You ready?”

“I hope so. First, this is for you.” She handed him a jar of jam she’d shoved in her purse. “It’s from my first homemade batch.”

He took the jar from her. “First batch?”

“There have been several batches. Turns out I like doing it. It’s a good stress reliever.”

He held up the jar and looked at it. “What kind is it?”

“Spicy strawberry.”

“Spicy? Can’t wait to try it. Thanks! And I’m going to lock this in my trunk, because you might take it back out of spite after you see what we’re doing.”

***

“I’m not getting in that.” Zoe stepped back from the giant plastic ball. She’d pestered him during the nearly hour-long ride, but he wouldn’t tell her what zorbing was. It was probably a good thing. “You expect me to get into that thing and roll down the hill?”

“Don’t worry, they strap you in,” he said.

She put her hand behind her ear and titled her head. “Listen. I can hear Jenny laughing at me now. She knows I hate roller coasters and spinning rides. At carnivals, I’d wait for her while she went by herself.” She looked up and shouted, “You’re hilarious, Jenny! You hear me? Super funny.”

Nick laughed. “Yell all you want, but it’s on the list. Get in, you might like. Want me to go first?”

“No. I’ve got this.” Couldn’t be scarier than meeting a stranger for coffee. Her breathing quickened and her heart pounded as they fastened her into the harness inside the ball. She gripped the straps and said, “Let’s get this over with.”

In moments, flashes of green grass and blue sky whizzed by as she turned head over heels down the hill, screaming the entire way. When she stopped, she watched Nick tumble down after her. Zoe was pretty sure he was screaming just as loud as she had been.

“That was insane,” Nick said, laughing after he got out of the contraption. “Want to go a second time?”

“No, I’m confident one ride down the hill allows me to cross it off the list. You’re smart for locking up that jar of jelly.”

He laughed. “Speaking of which, want to get something to eat?”

“Not for a few days,” Zoe said, placing her hand over her stomach.

“If you’re up for it, I’ve arranged for us to do a few more things on the list.”

She shrugged. “What could be worse than this?”

***

An hour later she found out what could be worse, as she zip-lined through the forest, possibly shrieking even louder than when she’d been zorbing. When she finished, Nick was waiting for her. “You were awesome!” He wrapped his arms around her.

She wanted to curl into him and hug back, but this wasn’t meant to be that kind of hug. Instead, she patted his back, all friendly like. “Thanks! And no, I don’t want to do that again.”

“Good. Because we’re going bungee jumping now.”

She plopped onto a nearby bench. “I was thinking I might work up to that—in a few years.”

“Well, we’re here now,” he said. “Let’s just go check it out.”

***

She stood on the bridge over a river, unable to move. She tried not to look at the huge drop below her, but it was too tempting. Her stomach churned just peeking at it. “I don’t think I can do this. Not yet. Maybe never. I told you this list was going to be impossible.”

Nick rubbed her arm. “No, it’s not. You can do it. Do you want me to go with you? We can do a tandem jump. That’ll still count. The list doesn’t say you have to go solo.”

Her teeth chattered, but it wasn’t cold, not at all, not even while standing so high up where a strong breeze blew past them. “Okay. Let’s try it together.”

The guide restrapped them both in. “Wrap your arms around each other.”

“Really?” Zoe asked.

“Yeah,” the guide said.

Nick put her arms around in her a quick, strong hug. “Close your eyes and it’ll be over in a minute.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls,” Zoe said, frowning.

Nick gave her a dirty look. “I promise you I do not.”

Closing her eyes, she snaked her arms around his neck, pressing her face against her chest.

“Now wrap your legs around him,” the guide said.

Zoe’s eyes flew open and she pulled away from Nick. “Excuse me?”

The guide looked at her like she was a dolt. “It’s the best way to do it.”

“I’m sorry about this,” she said to Nick. “Like you said, it’ll be over in a minute.”

“I’ve had far worse experiences, Zoe.” He grinned, and she could imagine for a moment how fun this must be for couples in love—to literally take the plunge together. Gripping his neck, she hopped up and wrapped her legs around him.
This embrace should get special mention on the list
, she thought.

“You guys ready?” the guide asked.

“Yep!” Nick said, while Zoe shook her head no.

“Three, two, one—jump!” the guide shouted.

Nick jumped, taking her with him. This time, she couldn’t scream, she just hung to Nick, wondering if she was going to die, wondering if she’d leave claw marks on Nick’s skin, feeling the rush of air and the warmth between them.

Nick hollered and cheered as they bounced and bobbed at the end of the rope. Then she started screaming.

“You did it, Zoe! I told you, you could do it.” Nicks arms tightened around her.

Their bouncing slowed and the guides lowered them to the ground, and helped them out of the gear. “Let’s watch the next people and see how it looks,” Nick said.

They waited a few minutes until the next pair jumped off the bridge, holding hands. Zoe’s face felt hot. “Why aren’t they hugging like we were?”

“They must not be a couple like you guys are,” a guide said.

“Oh, we’re not a couple,” Zoe said.

The guide shrugged. “You look like a couple to me. The guy up there must’ve thought so, too.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, looking at Nick.

He grinned. “I’m not.” He reached out for her hand. “Come on.”

“What now?” Zoe said, not certain she could take another adventure, certainly not with her limbs wrapped around Nick.

“Let’s go get a drink,” Nick said. “We deserve it.”

***

“Let me pay for these,” she said, as they settled at the bar. Had she ever been at a bar looking so disheveled? Her pink hair was back in a ponytail, her clothes were grungy at best, and she didn’t even want to think about how she smelled. But she didn’t care. It had been a great day with a great guy.

“I’ve got it.” Nick pulled out his wallet.

She set her hand on his. “You’ve paid for everything today—even when I put up a fight. Let me get the drinks.”

“I’m independently wealthy,” Nick said.

Zoe laughed. “Me, too. I just live like I do to keep it real.”

He squeezed her hand. “No, it’s true. My mother left me a lot of money when she died. A lot.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Twenty-grand would be a lot to me.”

“Slightly more than that. We’re talking eight figures. I’m paying for everything we do together.”

Zoe paused to remember how much money eight figures was. Her eyes must’ve been bulging when she figured it out. Still, everything they’d done today had been for the list. He shouldn’t be paying for everything even if he was a gazillionaire. She opened her mouth to argue but he pressed a finger against her lips. “I haven’t been interested in anything for a long time. Please let me do this.”

As if she needed a reminder that their time together wasn’t about her. She blinked a few times, and then nodded. “I’m sorry about your mother. When did she pass away?”

“Five years ago. None of us knew she had this fortune set aside. We lived a very middle-class life. I was actually quite angry for a while once I found out. We could’ve grown up much differently.”

“How had she set aside all that money?”

“My grandfather died before we were born. Before she was married. He left it to her, but they had some sort of falling out. She was too proud to spend it. So she invested it, hoping to give it to her kids today. She ended up having three boys and a girl. Even so, there were still millions for us to split.”