9. Chapter 9

B y the time Thursday came, my patience had decreased and my tolerance for inadequate work was down to nothing. So much so that Paul insisted I leave early for the day. He was aware of my date with Marley, not only because I had him block out tonight on my calendar, but also because he'd come in after Marley left on Monday, practically begging for details. I wasn't one to share all of my personal moments, but with how everything had played out only minutes before, it had been impossible to hide my joy.

"You're still here?"

"Yes. There's still work to be done," I grumbled.

Paul crossed his arms over his chest with a stern expression on his face. "And there always will be. But you are too worked up to be productive, and you're making the team nervous. Keep it up and you'll have to buy another apology bouquet."

"Is that so bad?"

Paul let out a laugh. "Maybe not when you are crushing on the florist. But I say give yourself and everyone else a break. They've been working really hard and you riding their asses isn't going to get the job done faster. Besides, isn't there another ass you'd rather be riding?"

I narrowed my gaze at him and said in a low voice, "Walking the line, Paul."

He raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, my apologies. But in all seriousness, go home. Work out your jitters and enjoy a nice evening. The company won't fall apart if you aren't here every second of the day."

I let out a heavy sigh. Early in my career, I vowed to work my way up so that I could work whatever hours I wanted. Except, with my upward movement came more responsibilities and I felt obligated to be in the office as long as everyone else, if not longer. Leaving early was once the dream, but now it wasn't even in my vocabulary.

"Fine. I'll go."

"You don't have to sound so thrilled about it," Paul said, looking rather smug.

I shot him a look as I closed my email and the other tabs I had open. "For an assistant, you're pretty bossy."

Paul's shoulders lifted and dropped. "Maybe, but when you have a boss with a strong personality, someone has to be able to stand up to him. Besides, that is one of the things my husband loves about me, even if he won't admit it out loud."

With a shake of my head and a roll of my eyes, I powered down my computer, forcing myself to walk away from it, knowing there were still a few unresolved problems with the perfume account. But those would still be there tomorrow, unfortunately .

"Call me if anything comes up."

"It won't."

"After six, if you need to get a hold of me, you can text."

"I won't."

When I hesitated at my doorway, feeling like I was letting my team down, Paul gave me a gentle push. "Go! Enjoy your date with Marley— and be nice to him. He deserves it."

" I'm nice," I grumbled to myself as I took my briefcase from the hook by the door and left.

As difficult as it was to leave, it felt better being home, and not having to work so hard to concentrate. But now, with nothing to do, panic began to set in. It had been years since I last had an official date, something more than a hookup. What should I do? What should I wear? Where should we go?

Opening Instagram, I went to Marley's page. The picture of him with the stuffed bear made me smile. He was adorable, and he looked so happy with the bear. Did he like animals? Clearly, he enjoyed plants and nature, perhaps somewhere outside with a view. Aha ! A restaurant that I'd been to with the family a few times popped into my head. It may not be a field of flowers, but if nothing else, at least the food was good. With that settled, I turned to face my next problem. Clothes.

I stared into my closet, lined with suit after suit, and a couple of sweaters at the back that my mom had given me for Christmas or a birthday. Marley didn't seem like the formal type, while suits were what I was most comfortable in. Maybe I could tone it down a little for tonight, for him.

Changing into a pair of light navy slacks, a white dress shirt with blue crisscross patterns, and a fitted heather gray sweater over it. I looked myself over. Mom would be pleased to know I was actually wearing something I promised her I would wear someday. I typically went from work to business meetings to home by myself, and there weren't a lot of opportunities for casual wear for me. Apparently, a date was the right occasion. With time to kill, I checked my work emails, pleased to see that the business did not, in fact, come to a halt because I left. It was hard walking away, but I was looking forward to getting to spend time with Marley.

There was still an hour and a half before I had planned to pick him up, and it would only take about thirty minutes to get to his house. Unable to wait much longer or I would undress and run on the treadmill for something to do, I sent him a message.

Me: Hi Marley, I don't mean to rush you, but I was wondering if it might be okay if I came over a little earlier?

Marley: Sure. I'm just about to hop in the shower, but come on over. I should be out by the time you get here.

Me: Are you sure? I don't want to put you out.

Marley: It's really no bother, plus it makes me feel like you're excited, and whether that's true or not, I'm going to live in that fantasy. I'll leave the door unlocked, so if I don't answer, just let yourself in.

I was nervous, anxious, and uncertain, but yes, excited was the undercurrent beneath it all.

Me: It's true.

Marley: Good! I am too! (grinning emoji) I'll see you soon.

With permission granted, I didn't hesitate to leave, driving straight to Marley's house. Though, as I pulled up, I wondered if I should have gotten him something. Another stuffed animal? Flowers? But then I wouldn't want to buy flowers from someone else and it felt strange to have him make a bouquet for himself. It was too late to get anything, anyway. Technically, I had plenty of time, but now that I was in front of his home, I couldn't leave without seeing him.

His house was…quaint would be the polite word, or cozy perhaps. Whatever real estate lingo they used to avoid saying small. It couldn't have been more than a thousand square feet, much smaller than my condo.

Not that there was anything wrong with that; it was simply a surprise to see such a little stand-alone house, especially when all the new homes being built were huge, beastly, cookie-cutter things. Marley's home was likely very old. It was a historic district; in fact, some homes in the neighborhood even had plaques on them stating their established dates in the early nineteen hundreds.

A large California Pepper tree stood in front of the house, providing shade over the short walkway made out of pavers that led to the front door. I knocked on the door and waited… and waited. Marley had told me to let myself in, but that felt too strange. Still, it seemed better than waiting outside for all the neighbors to see.

Cautiously, I turned the knob and pushed the door open slightly. Peering around the door, I called out, "Marley? It's Derek."

I heard a thump come from another part of the house before he shouted back. "Almost dressed. Come on in."

Stepping into his house, I closed the door behind me and looked around, struck by color from every direction. Two of the walls in the small living room were orange, the opposite walls were a dark teal. There were hanging planters in the corners, potted plants on either side of the TV stand, and the loveseat and two chairs that filled the space were all mismatched. My eyes couldn't focus on any one thing; there was simply too much to look at. And yet, it wasn't cluttered or messy, just bright and eclectic.

With a glance toward the direction I'd heard Marley's voice, I continued my perusal, feeling intrusive, but my curiosity got the better of me. The sound of a hair dryer gave me a few more minutes to continue snooping as I tried to ignore the strange swoop in my belly at the idea of him spending time getting ready for me.

He didn't have much by way of a dining room, but had a bench along one wall with a table in front of it that fit into the nook nicely. Despite the loud colors and pieces of furniture that had clearly not been bought together, it was… nice. And felt very much like Marley. Bright and happy.

A glass door led to a narrow yard with a small garden. I walked out and observed the labeled plants, and how perfectly spaced they were—very organized.

"Hey! You found my babies."

I turned around to see Marley wearing a black button-up shirt that had white and yellow flowers, hanging open over a pale yellow tee. His magenta hair had a nice poof to it before it fell to one side, leaving the buzzed side exposed. On his uncovered ear, he wore a cuff clipped to the top of his ear with a chain connected to a simple stud earring. I had been so caught up in his freckles, his smile, and his hair that I hadn't noticed an earring. Or maybe he hadn't worn any at the office. I didn't know, but as someone who had to pay attention to every detail, I cursed myself for not noticing. It made for a nice surprise, though. It was the perfect accent and balanced out the length of his hair covering his other ear really well. His dark brown scruff on his face made me long to reach out and rub my thumb over it. He looked…

"Beautiful." The word rolled off my tongue before I realized I'd said it.

Marley offered me that incredible smile of his before purposely dragging his gaze over my body, making my skin feel warm from his attention. He stepped closer to me and ran a hand over my shoulder, feeling the soft material of the sweater.

"Wow, Derek! You look great in a suit, I mean…really great. But this look? I think I like it even more. It makes it feel like you're more relaxed and approachable, even if I still feel underdressed in comparison."

I shook my head rapidly. "No. You're not. You look great. I just don't have a lot of casual wear, but if I make you uncomfortable, I can change."

Marley flicked his eyes up to meet mine. "Don't you dare. You look really good. You should just know what you are getting with me, because this is about as dressy as I get. "

I reached out and ran a finger over the open black collar. "Well, I think you look amazing. And you don't need to dress up for me. I want you to be yourself."

Lights twinkled in Marley's brown eyes as he stared at me with a look of affection. When was the last time someone had looked at me like that? I couldn't recall, but I really liked it.

Marley pressed up and placed a light kiss on my cheek, warming it as though it had been a touch from a god. "You're sweet, Derek."

One side of my mouth pulled up at his words, and I cleared my throat, trying to redirect my focus or I would get lost in him. "Your babies?"

Marley gave a little bounce before walking past me to the raised garden. "Yes! My garden! It's not the biggest, I know, but I grew up in apartments and have always wanted to grow my own fruits, veggies, and flowers. I've been working on it for a while, and it's so satisfying to see them producing. I've even had a few tomatoes and sweet peppers off of them and they were scrumptious. This is my happy place right here."

"Clearly, a labor of love. It's impressive." I watched him with awe as he beamed over the plants in front of us. His dedication and enthusiasm, even in a simpler task, was so fucking attractive. His pride in his work warmed him to me even more than I already had been .

Flattening his hands over his shirt, he glanced toward the door and smacked his lips. "Should we get going? You probably didn't come here to hear me babble on about my garden."

"We can go, but I want to be clear about something. This date isn't a means to an end. I want to get to know you, and that includes whatever interests you in any amount of detail."

Marley's eyes did that twinkling thing again, where they seemed to catch all the light from around him. "Well, I think you should take me to dinner now, or I won't want to leave and you'll be stuck."

"So, it's a win-win," I offered nonchalantly, because honestly, I saw no problem sitting here and listening to him.

Marley gave a slight shake of his head while his lips pursed as he fought a smile. "Come on, Mr. Smooth. You promised me food, and I am starving."

I held out an arm. "Lead the way."