The days went by without much thought to anything depressing for Kim. She was making progress on her social life. Making plans every other day so she wasn’t at home at all times sulking. Instead of day appointments, she made a couple of evening dinner appointments with clients.

The next morning, Kim walked into work with a smile on her face. “Good morning, Monica.”

“Hey, happy girl. What’s with the smile?” Monica followed Kim into the backroom and leaned against the door.

“I can’t be happy?”

“You could be happy, but does this have anything to do with a guy, particularly Gerald?”

Kim paused and gave Monica a sideways glance. “No, it’s not because of a guy. It’s because I just landed three clients and four upcoming ones. I actually have dinner with one tonight. And this one, this one’s the big one.”

“How big?”

“I’m talking raises, revenue, profit, all of the above. Okay, if we land this one, you can get your office, something we’ve been talking about for a long, long time.”

“Wow, really?” Monica jumped up and down. “My own office. Maybe we can move locations.  Oh, I always wanted my own studio. You know, instead of bumping into each other in this dingy place.”

Kim laughed, hanging her coat on the hanger. “Hey, I can fire you and just hire a whole bunch of people with this money.” They walked back to the main gallery. “I just can’t believe it. We’ve done huge projects before that paid well, but if we land this event, we can actually take holidays off. And if we pull this off, we’re going to be their official florists for all their events!”

“Kim! I’m so happy for you. You really are doing your father proud.”

“I’d like to think so.” She smiled.

Kim took the watering can and filled it with water, snatching a couple of packets of food for the flowers, while Monica sat by the register. It was still early in the morning for people to be thinking about flowers.

“Since you’ve got the job thing down, maybe you’d like to work on the whole love situation.”

As if she knew it was about to happen, the door opened with a delivery man walking in. “Good morning, ladies.” The two smiled. “I’m looking for uh – Kim Chiu.”

Kim put down the watering can and walked to the man. “I’m her.”

He gave her the clipboard for her to sign, and walked out to his car. Meanwhile, Kim heard her cell phone ringing in her jacket pocket. “I’ll be right back.”

Monica ran to the door and opened wide to what he was carrying in. Actually, to what three men were carrying in. “Oh..my...gosh”

“That was our ticket to fortune – oh my gosh!” She repeated every syllable carefully.

“Where do you want it?” They asked her.

“You could place it in the corner, thank you.”

Kim watched them with intrigue. It was a tree, she thought. They left almost immediately after they set it down where asked.

“I guess you’ve spoken to Gerald,” Monica teased. “He has great taste; knowing you work with flowers and probably sick of them. He gets you a tree.”

She couldn’t help the urge to smile. “He asked my father permission to love me.” The recollection ignited something inside of her, the same feelings she had when they were inside the hospital closet.

A customer entered the room to browse. Ignoring them completely, Monica pushed Kim an inch. “He did what? Asked your father if he could love his daughter. And why are you still single?”

“It’s not the right time for me to be in a relationship right now. I even told him that a couple of weeks ago.”

“And he’s agreeing to wait for you?”

“That’s what he said.” Kim started watering the flowers again.

“Kim, I could shake you right now!” She said a little louder than necessary.

The customer turned to face them, looking a little uncomfortable.

“Keep it down,” Kim warned. She gave the customer an apologetic look.

“Let me get this straight. You dated this guy for a almost a year – and known him for 3; fell in love with him. Your father passes away and you dump him like a disease and now that he’s doing all these things for you, like asking if it’s alright to love and buying a tree, you say its not the right time to be in a relationship?”

“I didn’t dump him like a tree, he lied to me.”

“He didn’t lie to you, Kim. He listened to what your Dad wanted. And honestly, Kim, it’s the perfect time to be in a relationship. You’re broken, fragile. What’s better than to have someone there to glue back the pieces? You’ve always talked to me about finding the one, and taking chances. So why aren’t you taking yours?”

It seemed as if all of Kim’s wisdom was passed onto Monica. She was right. Monica was definitely right about that one.

Kim was known to be the romantic one, giving everyone love advice. She was even known to be taking it herself; but everything changed after that one night. Her entire world was turned upside down. And it didn’t help that when she had one single drop of hope where she thought she was getting better, a reminder of never having her Dad by her side to share it with struck her down like lightening.

Her cell phone rang again, and she pick it up, pointing at Monica to help with the customer. “Hello?” She knew who it was by caller ID.

“How’d you like it?”

A smile spread across her face. “It’s very tall,” she chuckled. “But I love it, thank you.”

“How are you?”

 She could hear machinery in the background clueing her in that he was at work, possibly taking a break and calling her. Butterflies fizzled in her stomach, just like on their first official date. “I’m good. Better after the delivery. Monica thinks its very refreshing since all we see are flowers. How about you?” She took a seat on her work table in the back room, trying to imagine him with his yellow helmet looking glorious as ever.

“I miss you. I guess that’s why I’m calling.”

Kim could hear him smiling which tugged at her heart. She could just plunge into the deep end and hope that Gerald would keep her from drowning. Or she could wait a little while longer to have some sort of sign from her Dad telling her he was the one. “I miss you, too. Let’s go out tonight.” She proposed. “I have a dinner meeting at 5, but I’m free after 6. Let’s say Breadstix?”

“I’ll be the good who looks excited to be seeing a beautiful girl. See you then, beautiful.”

The deep end looked more appealing.

Monica offered to close the shop so Kim could go home and change to a different outfit. She chose something simple. A gray halter dress with a black wrap and matching stilettos.

The meeting ran quick, but not quick enough. Kim sold her product as best as she could, but the real excitement in her stomach arrived when one man left, and the other walked in.

Gerald entered with an open-collared shirt and navy trousers. She got up, “It feels like our first date.” Kim said, kissing him on the cheek.

He put a hand on the small of her back, breathing in her perfume. “This is definitely not our first date.”

The two of them took a seat in the intimate booth Kim asked purposely. For a moment, he started into her eyes, seeing how much courage it took her to actually ask him out tonight. The worry was eating away at her, he could tell from the way she fidgeted with her fingers.

Gerald took her hands into his. “Breathe, Kim. It’s just me. We’ve been out plenty of times, and stayed in.” He winked. “I hate to see you so uncomfortable around me. But I am glad you asked me here tonight. I’ve been dying to see you.”

“There’s a place I want to show you. It’s not too far from here.”

“Why didn’t you just say so?” He asked the waiters for their coats, and were on their way out.

He walked towards his car, but Kim grabbed his hand trying her best to ignore the jolt. “Let’s walk.”

Gerald continued to hold onto her hand, and she didn’t mind. The familiar contact gave her a sense relief that she didn’t forget everything about him. “I ask you tonight because I was talking to Monica and she made a good point.”

“Which was?” He probed.

“I’m the romantic one. I’m the one with all the love advice; or I used to be. And I’m always the one pushing people to get together, playing matchmaker. But when it was staring at me right in the face, I completely ignored it. I ignored you. I’m not ignoring you anymore.” She let go, and pulled away, walking into the darkness.

He stared after her confused. “Kim?!” He ran after her.

The moonlight spread across the field, illuminating the large abandoned land. “Dad found this,” she started when she heard his footsteps approach her. “When I turned twenty one, he brought me here and he told me this dream of his. He hated my place, and wanted me to build something right here. Its secluded, but not in the middle of nowhere.” She bit her bottom lip. “A three-story house with a black gate. I want windows everywhere, and a balcony for every room. I’d need a backhouse to probably do some inventory, and then a humongous backyard for my garden. I can see it overlooking the city, maybe cut down some of the trees, but keep a couple to keep the rustic, forest intrigue of it all.” Kim shrugged. “I haven’t thought about the logistics or the details, but the plan is there.”

Gerald walked behind her, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. His lips right by her ear. “A place to call home?”

“A place to start over.” With him, she added silently. Kim spun around, “What do you think?”

“It’s a good place to start.” His hands tickled her neck, bringing her to him, kissing her lips. “If you’re still hungry,” he whispered. “We could order Chinese. At my place?”

Hesitation filled her mind, but pushing those thoughts out, she nodded.

Kim loved his place. It’s been so long since she’s been it, it felt almost foreign to her. Gerald took her coat off from her, and placed it in the closet. “You must be cold, I’ll get you a sweater.”

Her attention was pulled to his fireplace. On his mantle stood a picture of the two of them early in their relationship, almost a year ago. She remembered the day perfectly in her mind. It was April, and they were in his bedroom. She sat down in between his legs, stretching the camera far out, and he was nibbling on her right ear. Kim laughed, it seemed so long ago, yet so close. But just like that, she knew tonight was a good idea.

Gerald returned with a black zipup sweater. “Thanks.” She smiled, meeting his intent gaze.

Kim knew exactly what she was doing here. Gerald invited her back to his place, she agreed. It wasn’t just to have Chinese food. They could’ve went back to the restaurant and had dinner, but no, they walked right to the restaurant to get Gerald’s car. She was scared at first. But this wasn’t going to be first time any of this would’ve happened.

The question wasn’t whether she loved Gerald. She knew the answer to that already. The question was if her heart would be able to open up completely. And how better to figure it out than by taking the problem and facing it head on.

Kim raised herself on tip toe and pressed against his. Her kiss was gentle, sharing. He responded in kind.

He pushed her hair behind her, walking backwards towards the couch. Kim followed him. It’s been so long since they had this type of contact; when it wasn’t just a few innocent kisses, when the physical contact was more than they both could handle.

Gerald found the couch, and pulled Kim down with him. He didn’t want to push her into doing anything beyond her capability, but this, he waited a long time to do this again. He leaned back, and Kim was on her knees, bending over him. Her hands reached for the bottom of his shirt.

The between them reached its limit weeks ago. Gerald knew it and Kim knew it. It was about time for them to really give in.

Kim pulled his shirt out from his trousers, began working on his buttons and pushed it off his shoulders. His hands did the same thing, finding the zipper and pulling it down, and freeing her upper torso.

His fingers branded her skin. He urged her closer, and she went willingly, her body nestling against his. Kim parted her lips, and he deepened the kiss. She met him willingly, enjoying the of his tongue against hers, giving herself over to the blood rushing through her body.

Everything about his touch was perfect, she thought. The way they manoeuvred from her exposed neck to her over-exposed waist. She shivered at the sudden warmth and smiled against his lips. He sat up, and lowered his head to her jaw, kissing his way to her ear. Then he dipped lower, nibbling along her neck and to her collarbone. Gerald paused there to taste her skin, an open-mouthed kiss that was surprisingly arousing.

Kim’s breath quickened, her hands resting on his shoulders. Before she knew it, he cupped her face and was kissing her again. He sat up, shifted and pushed himself over her so it was her back on the sofa. With one hand on her stomach, the other was pulling her legs free from the dress, and dropping it on the floor. He pulled her leg on his hip, and her upper thigh.

She used her hands to work on his belt. She was at a disadvantage. She arrived in barely a one-piece and had it off within two minutes.

Gerald pulled away, catching her confused gaze. “We don’t have to do this, Kim.” He assured her. “When I said we could order Chinese food, I meant it.”

He was trembling, she noticed. Kim shook her head, wrapped her hands behind his head and pulled him down. The last of their clothing was lost, and with one swift movement, he was filling her. It was her turn to tremble. She clung to him as the pleasure satiated her hunger.

The two months that separated them no longer existed. She came apart in his arms, and as he came down beside her, and pulled her against him, a tear of a different kind fell upon her cheek.