:: Emma's POV ::
"Emma, delivery!" Tonya announced in a sing song voice as she pulled me away from my thoughts for a brief moment.
I had spent a good portion of my morning working on a display in the back of the shop for new inventory expected to arrive. I was in my zone and the last thing I wanted to do was lose my train of thought to sign for another delivery. I looked at the clock. 11:37am.
"Is it Shawn? Tell him you can sign for it." Shawn was our regular UPS delivery man; he usually graced us with his presence several times a week between 11am and noon.
"It's not Shawn." Tonya found my assumption comical.
I heard her footsteps growing nearer and I was suddenly intrigued about this delivery. I spun on my heel and my eyes widened at the site of Tonya holding a vase full of lush pink peonies, my absolute favorite. I stood for a moment in a state of shock. Peonies were not an easy flower to get through a florist in mid October, let alone any time of the year. Whoever sent these flowers must have gone above and beyond. Above and beyond... for me.
"Where did these come from?" I looked at her, confusion and shock evident in my voice as I took the vase from her hands.
She laughed at me as if it was the dumbest question she had ever been asked, "I don't know. The florist just dropped them off. Said they were for you."
"Didn't you read the card?" Michelle, another employee of mine spoke up as she looked at us over the jewelry she was organizing.
"Girl, that's personal. You don't just go around readin' someone's card." Tonya shot Michelle a death glare.
I knew some of the girls struggled to get along with Michelle due to the drama she usually brought to most situations; however, I personally never had a conflict with her and she was a hard worker, while I was around anyhow. I always tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. I tried to give everyone the benefit of the doubt; that was just me.
"Now read the damn card, let us know what it says."
Tonya had us laughing, we were all anxious to see who the sender of these flowers was, including me. I couldn't even tell you the last time I received flowers, gosh, it's been ages; but these flowers certainly surpassed the half wilted, discounted "I'm not really sorry but want you to think I am" grocery store flowers my jerk of an ex used to buy me.
"They've got to be from this mystery man you've been talkin about." Michelle smiled as she left her place sorting jewelry to get a better look.
I pulled the card out of the little envelope and the smile on my face was instantaneous. JJ. I don't know why that wasn't more obvious to me. Maybe because once we shared that moment in the park, we hadn't really spoken much. I knew I shouldn't take it personal, I know how busy he was with the football season but, I'm a girl. It's my job to over think and over analyze things.
"Come on! What's it say?" Tonya pressed.
"Just because it's Wednesday. J." I felt my cheeks growing hotter and I was sure they matched the rich pink color of the flowers before me.
"Shut. Up." Tonya pulled the card out of my hands to read it for herself as if she didn't believe me.
Michelle placed her hand over her heart before she crooned, "Awwww."
"Just because it's Wednesday. J." Tonya reread the card aloud, shaking her head as she looked at me, "Okay girl spill. Who's J and does he have a brother?"
I closed my eyes as I stuck my nose into the peonies and inhaled their sweet scent. They were gorgeous. Beyond gorgeous. They brought me so much happiness when they blossomed in my garden each summer, year after year I was always sad to see them go as their season came to an end. As a little girl I dreamed of carrying a peony bouquet down the aisle to my awaiting "prince", to me they just embodied romance. In my opinion, sending these flowers was quite the statement.
"This guy is obviously smitten with you." Michelle chimed in.
I looked at the girls, their eyes glued to me, waiting for a response as to who my mystery man was. It just wasn't something I was comfortable talking about or announcing for obvious reasons. One being I don't even know where JJ and I stand right now. I mean the flowers certainly seem like a romantic gesture but I didn't want to over think things.
I laughed as the Michelle tried to guess the name of the mysterious man. She threw out every name of any guy that I had contact with on a weekly basis. Our delivery drivers, our vendors, some of our regular customers, even the Brinks man for goodness sake. I couldn't help but to find amusement in her failed attempts to guess. Especially because I knew it was not someone they'd expect, not in a million years. Heck, a month ago I wouldn't have expected it, I'm still trying to take it all in.
"Oh my God... JJ Watt."
"JJ Watt?" I questioned, my eyes darting to her.
I was so confused as to why that would be her first guess at who my mystery man was. I hadn't shared with anyone about JJ other than my parents and my younger sister, Rachel. So, why on earth would she have come to that conclusion?
"No, really..." She pointed towards the front of the store, my eyes following the direction in which her finger was aimed, "JJ Watt."
Tonya and Michelle instantly grew giddy, trying to mask their squeals. My eyes widened as I watched him walk towards us. His white Texans t-shirt hugging his biceps perfectly, almost as if the sleeves were too tight, his gray sweatpants hanging from his hips, I knew he must have just come from practice. My heart was fluttering in my chest; I couldn't believe he was here. I was speechless.
"Can I help you?" Michelle batted her eyes as she walked towards him, very flirtatiously.
When JJ neglected to respond to Michelle she followed his gaze to see what had him so distracted. I was proud to say it lead her to me. My eyes met his and our smiles seemed to grow in sync with one another. I walked towards him, still in disbelief he was standing in front of me, in my boutique.
"What are you doin here?" I was certainly curious, not that I was complaining, "The flowers are beautiful. Thank you."
Without notice he leaned down closing the gap between us placing a swift yet sweet kiss on my lips. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't caught off guard; but, in a good way. I had been my own worst enemy for days trying not to over analyze everything I could but definitely failing. I was so glad to know that anything negative I was thinking; wasn't true.
"Just finished with practice and wanted to come see you." He shrugged his shoulders, "Thought maybe I could steal you for lunch."
I wrapped my arms around his strong core. Even in my heels I was much smaller than him, my head just making it to his arm pit; but I loved the way my petite 5'3 frame disappeared into the embrace of his large 6'5 frame.
I looked up at him and nodded my head, "Yeah."
"Whoa, hold up!" Tonya's voice practically boomed through the brick walls of the shop, "JJ Watt is mystery man?"
We all laughed in unison. God love Tonya but she always tended to be over dramatic at times. Now being one of those times.
"Damn Emma." Michelle looked at me, hand on her hip as she shook her head looking JJ up and down, "Lucky you."
Call me jealous, call me crazy. I don't care; after the way she had just sized up JJ, I was definitely on board with the other girls. Part of me couldn't fault her because there was no doubt about it; JJ was handsome, definitely easy on the eyes. All I knew was that if she kept that up, there'd be conflict.
"I'm the lucky one." JJ spoke up and I immediately felt at ease.
"Oh my gosh." Tonya cooed, "Swatt is a softy."
He let out a laugh, "Don't mistake that for weakness though!"
We all laughed at his response.
"Go to lunch Em, I can keep things under control here."
Tonya was my assistant manager; she ran things for me when I could not. She had grown to become one of my best friends and I trusted her with my life. Oddly, as kids growing up, we loathed each other. It's funny to see how much things change, how much people change. We were both glad we were able to look back on things and laugh.
"Are you sure?" I looked for reassurance from her that she didn't mind even though I already knew she didn't.
"Yes! Go!" She insisted, chuckling through her words.
I looked up at JJ, "I'm just gonna grab my stuff."
I walked to my office in the back to grab my things. I was still trying to process the recent events, it seemed surreal. I was curious to know what was going through JJ's head. Hell, I really didn't even know what was going through my head.
...................................................................
:: JJ's POV ::
I looked over to see Emma sitting beside me on my couch, her eyes on the television screen, periodically laughing at the jokes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She was always a site for sore eyes; I never got tired of looking at her. It was a feeling I wasn't used to, it was strange but in the best way possible. If that even makes sense. A commercial came on and her attention turned to me, she caught me staring at her and I honestly didn't care.
"What?" She giggled, her cheeks developing a slight rosiness.
I shook my head, not saying a word. Instead I leaned in, capturing her lips with my own. I felt her smile against my lips as her soft, warm hand came up to rest on my cheek. I loved when she did that, it drove me crazy. I parted from our kiss and watched as her eyes slowly reopened.
"I'm sorry." I uttered.
"What? Why are you sorry?" She seemed shocked by my apology.
I shrugged my shoulders, "My schedule being so hectic. Not having a chance to take you out on a real date." I gestured to the pizza box that lay on my coffee table.
She turned herself toward me, kneeling on the couch beside me, "Don't be sorry." She pushed her hair behind her ear before grinning at me, "I love pizza."
I softly laughed; she just had a way about her. She had all the right answers and responses without even trying. She had no idea what she was doing to me.
"Oh yeah?"
"Love it." She nodded, her smile still plastered on her face.
"You blow me away." I reached for her hand, it was small and feminine and I loved the way it felt in mine.
"I blow you away?" Her voice held a sense of wonder.
I bobbed my head, "It's Friday night and on a rare occasion you have a babysitter. But you're sitting here on my couch with me eating pizza, watching Fresh Prince reruns all while I ice my ankle."
"What am I supposed to be doing?" She smirked.
"Texas nightlife..."
I felt somewhat relieved by the soft chuckle that escaped her lips, "I wouldn't have spent my night any other way."
She punctuated her statement with a kiss as she pressed her lips against mine. Her lips were one of my favorite features. They were full, soft and always looked so inviting. She playfully bit my lip before she pulled away, she was killing me.
"It's getting late, I should go." She spoke softly, "You should get some rest, you have a really early morning."
I dropped my head back on the sofa, I was exhausted, that was for sure. As much as I didn't want her to go, I liked that we weren't rushing anything. Every time we were apart I craved to be near her. I found myself missing her more and more as the days went on.
I rolled my head to the left to look at her, "I'll walk you out."
"No, no..." She held her hand up in protest, "Rest your ankle, I can show myself out."
She leaned over giving me a brisk kiss before she pulled herself up from her place on the couch. My lips tingled at the absence of hers, I already couldn't wait to see her again and she hadn't even left my living room.
"Call me when you get home." I couldn't help that I had protective tenancies when it came to her; I just wanted to know she was safe.
She blew me a kiss as she made her way out of my place and I smiled instinctively. Things had seemed to be going so well between us; we had never really put a title on what we were. I guess it never really seemed to be a topic. We were open about our feelings for one another, the only other woman in my life was football and I knew the only other man in hers was Noah. If she was happy, I was happy. The rest would come when it was time and I was okay with that.