The Bouquet List (13 page)

“I could do that while you work the business for a couple of weeks, and maybe then we could get Ari in on it too.” Her heart swelled. If her brothers helped, they could really make this happen.

Nick snorted. “You know there’s no one on earth who’s more cynical about weddings than Ari. And can you imagine him and me working together?”

Yasmin sighed, a tiny bit of her enthusiasm leaching away. “Not really, but if it meant we could get the Palace into a position where it was at least competitive, I really think that might be the boost both Mom and Dad need.”

“Lane says the relaunch is on Sunday.”

“Yes,” she said, suddenly feeling as though there was something positive coming out of this, that there was something that she could do to make this whole nightmare better. “Everything’s looking good.”

“Looks like you and Lane are getting on pretty well.” Nick had raised an eyebrow and Yasmin could feel her hand go to her throat as she stroked her necklace. “Gotta say I’m surprised, since you’ve never thought much of my friends. I wouldn’t have thought he was your type.”

She looked over to where Lane stood, and in that instant he caught her eyes and smiled and she could feel her face begin to burn.

“If you are involved, I’m not sure I approve.”

Yasmin huffed out a frustrated sigh. She didn’t need to have this conversation with Nick; she was sick of being told what to do and how to do it. “You don’t get to approve or not of my love life, Nick. See, this is why I don’t bring men home. If, and I say
if
I were seeing someone, it would be between us.”

“He’s my friend, Yas. I can’t imagine you fitting into his lifestyle.” He waved his hand toward the crowd. “You wouldn’t be happy living a life like this, I know you wouldn’t. Have you thought this through?”

“I’d thank you not to make judgments about what’s good for me and what isn’t.” But he was right, wasn’t he? Isn’t that exactly what she’d been thinking only moments before? Suddenly, she felt dizzy.

“Yas—”

“We should go back,” she said, cutting him off.

Nick nodded and they walked toward the group, but before they got there, Yasmin touched Nick’s arm and swallowed back the bile in her throat. “I’m going to hold up my end of the bargain and have a fantastic relaunch, but I want you to be ready to come in with something even bigger when that’s complete.”

“I’ll think about it,” he said.

…

Yasmin was quiet when she and Nick rejoined the group. She fingered the butterfly at her throat and although she was making polite conversation with Rachel about new possibilities for the Palace garden, Lane could tell her attention was elsewhere. She’d be worried about the news of her mother not coming home, and if he didn’t have to have a conversation with Nick himself—about what was going on between him and Yasmin—they might’ve been able to go home early. They still had work to do on the shelving at the waitress stations tonight, and they’d need to check on the delivery of those tables. The press were coming at eleven tomorrow and he wanted to be completely prepared. Although it wouldn’t be an all-nighter like some of their other days, he wanted a chance to speak to her properly.

He watched the way she nibbled her bottom lip. So much of the time that he’d spent with her she’d been happy and confident, almost fizzing about what she was doing and what she had to look forward to. Now she looked lost—small, alone, and pale. He wanted to reach out and quietly wrap his hand around hers, tell her that he’d do whatever he could to help, but he wouldn’t do it until he’d told Nick what was going on. And the sooner he did that, the better.

When he was about to pull Nick away for a quiet word, Rachel asked Yasmin if she’d like to come and look at the tropical plantings on the roof of the club.

“I’m not sure how long I can stay,” she said, throwing a meaningful look at Lane. “We have to work on our restaurant relaunch at night and we have a lot to do before the opening.”

He reached out and touched her arm. “You go. You might get some good ideas from looking at the Bluebird’s plantings. I’m sure your brother and I can talk football garbage for a few minutes.”

“Okay, I’ll be back soon.” She gave him a small smile.

He leaned close and whispered. “Are you okay? We can leave as soon as you come back if you like.”

“I’m not feeling the greatest,” she said, and turned to follow Rachel up the staircase. She looked like an exotic flower as she climbed each step, with her dark green dress and purple hair, and his chest tightened for all that she must be going through. He couldn’t wait to have her in his arms tonight and tell her everything would be okay.

As he turned back to speak, Nick got in first. “Let’s talk.” With a flick of his head, he indicated that it should be in private. “Wanna tell me what’s going on?” he asked as they walked away to a nearby column. He’d turned his back on the others and was regarding Lane with a look he’d never seen before. Defensive and a little unsure.

“Between me and Yasmin?” No point beating around the bush. They’d been friends long enough to know when to cut the crap.

“It’s pretty obvious that you’ve got more than a working relationship going. I haven’t seen you looking at someone in that way since…” He frowned. “Ever. Girls tell me I’m about as intuitive as a three-toed sloth, but I’d put money on the fact that something’s going on between you and my little sister.”

Lane slung one hand in a pocket. It was right that Nick should know the truth. It might take some time and effort to convince him that Lane still had Yasmin’s best interests at heart, but if they were to remain friends, Nick had to hear this from him first. “Yes, something’s going on between us. It’s nice and relaxed, and we’ve both gone into it with our eyes wide open. I really like your sister.”

Nick rocked back on his heels, his face unmoving. “So this isn’t some little fling?”

Lane held his friend’s stare, determined that Nick wouldn’t cheapen what he had with Yasmin. “I’m not sure it’s your business whatever it is.”

Nick lowered his voice further. “She’s not exactly your type, is she? And she’s clearly going through a weird phase with her hair and her piercing.”

Lane took a mouthful of champagne, giving himself a little space so he could make Nick understand what was going on. “No one’s ever listened to what she wants, and it’s made her feel insecure and uncertain about expressing herself. Yasmin’s a lot stronger than anyone gives her credit for. She chose to have a relationship with me. And I chose her back.”

“Or is that just what you want to believe? So you don’t feel bad about what you’re doing?” Nick said, his eyes shadowed.

“You’ve got to admit that you boys and your parents have always been protective of her. Perhaps too much. I understand that you wanted to look out for her, but it’s affected her ability to make her own relationships. I think she feels free to do that with your parents away, and a whole lot of new possibilities opened to her.”

Nick lifted a shoulder, then let it drop. “It’s part of our culture. Chivalry hasn’t died for us Greeks like it has for some people, and we like to protect our women. Which is what I’d expect you to do. I’m trusting you to watch out for her, man.”

Lane shook his head. Before he’d met Yasmin again, he would have been on Nick’s side, believing the same line. Now that he knew the person she was deep inside, he wanted her brother to see her the way she really was. Wanted to try to smooth things out between her and her family if he could.

He planted his free hand low on his hip. “The thing is, Yasmin’s been working in a highly competitive field with academics and professors, men who appreciate her intelligence and her creativity, and she’s come to like that. She’s ready to throw off the suffocating expectation of her as a good Greek daughter and sister.” Lane met his friend’s gaze squarely. “I think it’s time your family gave Yasmin a little credit for making her own decisions, Nick. If she’s decided that she wants to get to know me better, I think you should respect it.”

Nick blinked slowly and moved his jaw from side to side. “I only hope it doesn’t end badly. Who am I going to talk to when my sister’s left in a crying heap because things didn’t work out with you two?”

Lane finished the champagne and put the glass in the potted plant beside him. “You know how much I love your family, right?”

Nick lifted his chin and said nothing. For the first time in their whole friendship Lane wondered if he’d gone too far, if what had happened was too much for their friendship to bear. But he couldn’t not say this. What was going on between him and Yasmin was something he’d never experienced before, and he wanted his best friend to understand that.

“I haven’t gone into this with the expectation that this is some sort of sleazy fling. In fact, when the situation first presented itself I resisted for the exact reasons you mentioned. And the fact that we are in a relationship right now should give you some idea how much I value her.”

Nick snorted. “She was the one who made the first move?”

Lane didn’t blink. “The feelings were very mutual.”

“Promise me here and now you’re not using her,” Nick said, his eyes hard.

Lane felt the full force of Nick’s glare, and returned it. “I’m serious about her, Nick. More serious than I’ve ever been.”

The beginnings of a smile worked at the corners of Nick’s mouth. “You know my parents will be pretty pleased that you’re dating. It won’t really matter what I think when my mother gets wind of it.”

Lane nodded slowly, relieved that he finally seemed to be getting through. “I’d prefer we didn’t say anything to them right now, while they’re going through their issues. But when the time comes, I’ll tell them my intentions are honorable.”

Nick held out his hand and Lane stepped forward and shook it. “You’re not in too deep already, are you?”

Lane frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not only worried about
her
being hurt.”

A sliver of unease crept into Lane’s gut, but he knew Yasmin wouldn’t walk out on him now that she’d checked him off her list. What they had was way more than that. They had a future. Her list had only been about finding herself again, and now she’d found herself with him and what they shared.

It was ironic that the heart he’d thought closed to these sorts of feelings was so wide open. Everything was different with Yasmin; he couldn’t imagine not being with her now, couldn’t imagine a time when they wouldn’t be laughing and kissing and sharing jokes.

Now that Nick knew the truth, there was no stopping this relationship, and now that it was all out in the open, there was no need for anyone to get hurt.

Chapter Eleven

Lane pulled on the emergency brake and killed the ignition outside the Palace later that night, and Yasmin undid her seat belt. The journey from the Bluebird Club had been mostly filled with discussion about table settings and the press visit tomorrow, but Yasmin had been waiting for Lane to say something about the conversation she’d witnessed between him and Nick when she’d come back from the roof with Rachel. It had been serious, but ended with smiles and a handshake, and she had an uneasy feeling the two men had “come to an understanding.” About her. As if she were a child.

“Do you still want to come in and check the new tables before tomorrow?” she asked as she rested her hand on the door.

A small frown creased his brow. “Would you like me to? I get the feeling something’s bugging you.”

“I wouldn’t want you to do anything that was going to be a problem for you.” That sounded snarky. She hated snarky, and she hated that she’d responded in a way that she’d promised herself she wouldn’t. Seeing Lane with his group of friends and his life that she’d so conveniently forgotten about when he was here with her caused a sick feeling that was growing by the minute. It wasn’t his fault. If it was anyone’s fault it was hers, for not thinking about what would happen between them in the longer term.

And that just sounded like a big old cliché. Images of Lane talking and laughing with his friends reeled through her head. They were people who were so unlike her now they may have been aliens teleported from another planet. A relationship with Lane meant becoming part of his world, the same world she’d vowed to leave behind in her search for a new truthfulness. But where did that fit with the growing need to be with him, the deepening feelings she had for him, and the ticking time bomb that was his departure in a matter of weeks?

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” She scrubbed her hands over her face and then interlaced her fingers in her lap. She’d never felt more tired. “But yes, there are probably a few things that are bugging me.”

“Start with one,” Lane said, his voice calm.

“Did you tell Nick about us?”

Lane undid his seat belt and turned toward her. “Yes. I’m proud to be with you. I don’t think we should hide it anymore.”

Her stomach dipped. Was this the end of everything? Now that her brother knew about them there would be expectations about how things should work and what should happen next. She smoothed her palms down her skirt and looked straight ahead into the dark night. There would be pressure about what this relationship should be and how it should unfold, and none of that had factored into her silly little wish to seduce a man like Lane. She’d only considered what would be good for her, not him or anyone else.

She nodded. “If you’d given me warning that you were going to tell him tonight, then maybe we could both have worked out what we were going to say to him.”
And if you hadn’t said anything I could have gone on pretending this was some little fantasy.

Lane put his hand on her arm, but she didn’t turn toward him. She couldn’t believe he’d made the decision to tell Nick—something they’d acknowledged was a big deal—without talking to her about it. He’d treated her just like her family would have. Not as an equal partner, who should have a say in the things that affected her. She couldn’t live like that anymore.

“I thought you understood my frustration with being protected my whole life, Lane. I thought you understood that the whole reason for me wanting to live my own life now was because for so long I’ve been suffocated. And yet what do you do when you know my brother’s going to be at the party tonight? You decide to tell him without discussing how and what we say to him. You take it all into your own hands and do things the way you want to.”

“I think you’re missing the point here,” he said warily. “I was able to convince him. He’s fine with it now.”

She twisted in her seat so she could see him more clearly. “No, I think
you’re
missing the point. I don’t need to have things fixed for me or be looked after, Lane. Not by you or anyone. And it’s none of Nick’s business what’s happening between you and me. Telling him just gives him more reason to tell me what to do.”

He regarded her for a moment. “Yasmin, Nick asked what was going on between us and I wanted to tell him the truth. Like it or not, I’ve been his friend longer than I’ve been in a relationship with you, and I believed I owed him that courtesy.” He speared his fingers through his hair. “Was it only me telling Nick that bothered you? I got the feeling you were upset before that.”

She breathed deeply through her nose and kept her eyes fixed on the windshield. “I didn’t fit in with those people, Lane.”

“What do you mean? They all loved you.”

“They don’t know anything about me. Their lives are so different from mine. Their goals and their priorities.”

“They’re just like me,” he said. “People looking for solid relationships and a stable life.”

A chill swept over Yasmin’s skin. “Look, this is not the sort of conversation to have in a car,” she said and opened her door. This couldn’t be happening. Was Lane just turning into another person who had misplaced expectations of her?

She stepped out onto the pavement and was vaguely aware of a feeling as if all the blood in her head was rushing to her toes. She grabbed hold of the car and heard Lane calling her name.

“Yas, are you okay?” His voice sounded far away. “Yasmin, what is it?”

She tried to fight an overwhelming feeling of dizziness but it became too great. And then she let a soft blanket cover her eyes as she slipped beneath it, the heavy sound of her breathing echoing loudly in her ears.

When she came to, Lane was touching her face. The pavement was cold and hard beneath her back. “Hang in there, sweetheart,” he said as he pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’m calling an ambulance.”

“No,” she managed to say, speaking over what felt like a mouth full of cotton wool. “I don’t need an ambulance. I’ll be fine, please don’t call. I know what’s wrong. Can you help me inside?”

He lifted her into his arms and carried her through the gates, her bag slung over his shoulder. The security lamps were on and the fairy lights in the old sycamore tree twinkled. She snuggled into his neck as she saw Monty’s enclosure in the distance. Feeling caged and restricted like Monty was all in her head. She was free to spread her wings and fly away any time she wanted. Free to finish her bouquet list. The thought didn’t give her the same buzz as usual, but that wasn’t a surprise given the night she’d had.

Lane held her close and then stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “We’re not looking at the tables tonight,” he said in a low voice.

“But we’ve only got three days to go. And the press will be here tomorrow.”

“We’re on target. I’ll deal with the press while you rest tomorrow. We’re going to make it, Yas. After all our hard work, we’re going to make it. I just wish you’d told me you weren’t well.”

He began to move up the stairs.

“Then we might not have made it.”

Once they were inside, he laid her on the couch and put her bag on the floor beside her. She sat up and pushed damp hair from her face as she looked into Lane’s eyes. “I should have told you from the start but I was worried you wouldn’t let me work on the project with you. I didn’t want to worry Mom or Dad, either.”

A frown dug into his forehead and he held her hand. “Tell me what, Yas?”

“I nearly died in Borneo. It’s the reason I came back earlier than expected. It’s the reason I’ve put my studies on hold.”

“And the list,” he said.

“I called it my bouquet list.” His eyes widened, then he nodded in understanding so she continued. “I had dengue fever and I’m still recovering. I’m usually fine but I get tired.”

“But why didn’t you tell me?” he said, reaching for a bright red throw before gently placing it over her. “I’ve been pushing you ’til all hours of the night, not letting you have any time off. Why wouldn’t you tell me something like this?”

“Because I didn’t want to be treated any differently. I wanted to do my share, not be cosseted and sheltered like I’ve been most of my life. The only person who knew was Genie. She’s the only person who understands why I need to be taken seriously.”

“I take you seriously.”

“Do you?”

“Of course I do, but I’d have thought we were close enough by now that you’d have told me something so huge. It must have been terrible being so sick on the other side of the world.” He sat closer and laid a hand on her cheek. “I’m sorry about telling Nick about us, before you were ready, but it’s turned out fine.”

“Thanks for saying sorry,” she said, but she knew tonight had changed everything. She had to accept what they had for now. “You know that my mom’s considering not coming back?”

He squeezed her hand, and for the first time since she’d heard the news about her mom, she felt teary. When Lane drew his face close, then kissed her softly, all the tension from the last few hours simply melted away. “I’m here for you, Yas. Whether you’re sick, or you’re dealing with what’s happening in your family. I’m here to help you through all of it.”

“Thank you,” she said, snuggling against him. “I’ll be fine. Once the relaunch is over I can rest, and I promised I’d Skype with Mom tomorrow morning.”

“Will you talk to her about not coming back?”

Yasmin sighed. “No. That’s not the way we operate. We pretend everything’s fine and don’t mention what’s really going on.”

“Like you not telling them you’ve been sick?”

“Exactly like that.”

“I want you to know that telling Nick about us has changed nothing,” he said. “You and I are both consenting adults who like spending time with each other and who happen to make a great team.”

Triiiiing!

She slapped her hand on her bag. “I’m taking that damned app off my phone. It seemed like such a great idea at the time, but now it’s just irritating.”

He touched her chin with his fingers and turned her face toward him. “I kinda like it now. It’s made me more determined to have what I want in my life. And that’s you.”

Maybe Nick’s knowing hadn’t changed things, but had Lane seen how out of her depth she was at the party tonight? Did he understand that what they had right now could never last beyond a summer fling between two friends? Something in her heart told her he didn’t.

…

Lane opened his eyes with a start. He’d been dreaming he was fighting a duel with Nick, and that they’d reached the edge of a cliff and the person who won the next point would have the power to push the other over the edge. All he remembered was looking in Nick’s eyes and knowing that he could do it, that if he was challenged long and hard enough, he could push his friend off.

He blinked and focused on a spot on the ceiling as his heart rate returned to normal. Telling Nick about his relationship with Yasmin had been difficult last night, but he knew deep down that no matter which way his friend had reacted, Lane would still be here lying next to Yasmin.

This bed with its colorful quilt and curled iron headboard had become familiar to him now, as had the soft sound of Yasmin’s breathing as she slept. He turned his head and her face was only inches from his on the pillow, her eyes closed, lashes soft against her olive skin.

He’d finally gotten her to open up about her illness last night, but she’d made him promise not to treat her any differently now that he knew. She was so fiercely independent and determined to see this through that he’d had to agree with her. Didn’t mean he couldn’t bring her extra cups of tea and make sure she was eating well.

He lifted his wrist to look at his watch. Quarter past nine. She’d mentioned Skyping with her mom at nine, and he’d organized a nine thirty meeting with Grace before the press arrived for a walk-through at ten thirty. He touched a finger to her cheek, and slowly her eyes fluttered open.

“Good morning, sleepy,” he whispered. “How are you feeling?”

She murmured, shut her eyes again, and wriggled closer to him. He took a moment to appreciate the feel of her curves against his body before trying again. This time he nuzzled her shoulder, then laid a kiss on the warm skin exposed. “We’ve slept the morning away and it’s nine fifteen. As much as I don’t want you going anywhere, you said you needed to speak to your mom.”

She gasped and dragged herself upright, pulling the sheet with her so it nearly covered his head. “Yikes! I need to call her before she goes to work. It’s one of her saint’s days.”

She scrambled out of bed, pulling the sheet with her, but he held on to the end closest to him and grinned. “Oh, no you don’t.”

There was a momentary tug of war and then she let go, laughing, and stood before him, her beautiful body lush in the sunlight. She dragged open a drawer, pulled out underwear, and hurriedly slipped it on. “It’s so hard to leave you in there,” she said. “You look so lovely and crumply and sleepy. Will you wait there until I’ve finished talking to Mom? I want to come back and be crumply and sleepy with you.”

He propped himself against the headboard. “I’d love to, but we have the press coming in at ten thirty and I have to meet with Grace now, and you have those waitress stations to finish before tomorrow. What say we meet in the restaurant before lunch? We can work through the afternoon and if we get everything finished, tonight I can take you out for dinner, if you’re feeling okay, that is.”

“That would be lovely, and I’m feeling fine.” She grinned, then started searching for something on her nightstand. “Where’s my comb? Mom’s made so many comments about the color of my hair I don’t want her to think I haven’t brushed it this morning yet.” She lifted her bag from the floor and scrabbled through until she found it. She dropped the bag on the nightstand and then dragged the comb through her hair. How could anyone look so radiant after a night out and sleeping half the morning? Even the little diamond stud in her nose seemed alive as it twinkled in the sunlight.

“Where’s your butterfly necklace?” he asked.

“I took it off when I wasn’t feeling well last night.”

“You should put it on again. It suits you.”