On Wednesday, Kim made her way to the on-site wedding to help set up the flowers. Kim was now a friend of a bride's after thousands of consults and wasn't just attending as the florist, but a guest.

She showed the bride on how to hold the bouquet; it was like a miniature version of a garden in the bride's hands.

During the ceremony, a few tears were shed by the hopeless romantic in hope that one day, it'd be her walking down the aisle. She admired her work with the flower arch behind the priest, the bouquets, the boutennieres, the crowns and all the arrangements surrounding them in the church. But the real anticipation was the recpetion, which she was making her way to now.

Kim's team did an amazing job. All the flowers and centrepieces were in place. It looked like a continuation of the outside garden. She grabbed a champagne glass off of the  waiter's tray and flashed her dashing smile. "Thank you."

"Okay, this is getting ridiculous. You need to stop following me."

Kim turned her head and found Gerald standing behind her. "Really. Because I believe I was the one who told you about this wedding. How do you know the Cookes?" She said leading the way outside.

Gerald followed her. "Jack's a partner. He's actually the first New Yorker I met after you guys. He taught me all the ropes to the job here, and Emmaline is a beauty."

Her smile faltered for a second when she heard that, and her gaze dropped. "Disappointed? You didn't meet her first?" She looked up, trying to keep the mood light.

"No," he answered. "They're great together. Look at them," he said looking back in. The newly married couple were dancing in the middle of the dancefloor.

Despite the fast tempo, they were swaying side to side with their arm around each other. "You know, the houirs of slaving away at the worktable and infinite number of cuts on my hands; seeing that right there - a couple madly in love - makes it all worth it." She took a seat on the steps and squeezed her left shoulder with her right hand. "But it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt," she chuckled.

"Maybe I can help with that," he sat down on the seat abover her, legs on either side, and replaced her hand with his own.

He worked his thumbs up the back of her neck, making her groan. His body reacted immediately, realizing he wasn't doing himself any favours. "So...now that the biggest deadline is finished with, what do you have to do tomorrow?"

"I need to go into town and order some more flowers, create a couple more creations for the window display and then work on the bank book for the store. It wouldn't be a really busy day tomorrow being Thursday, so I think I can close it early and have the relaxing night I was supposed to have last weekend."

She sighed again as his fingers did all the work and the feel of his warm breath hypnotized her bare skin. "Okay, you need to stop doing that. Between the champagne and your magic touch I'm going to end up taking a nap right here."
His chuckle tickled her senses. "Sounds to me like you work too much. Which means you need to relac while you can." He tortured himself by running his hands up and down her toned biceps and then back up her shoulders.

"And you should be upstairs enjoying the party." Kim leaned back, resing her arms on top of his thighs and moaned aloud, not ever wanting him to stop touching her this way.

Gerald voice went thick when he heard that heavenly sound. "I like it here."

Kim reached up to stop his hands from the work and realized that they were THIS close to crossing the line. The line between lovers and friends. "We should probably go back in."

"You're right," though his body disagreed. "I think they'll be cutting the cake soon."

"And I heard that it was good," she smiled straightening her dress from the creases.  "Emma said it was red velvet cake with vanills buttercream filling and chocolate ganache. Definitely don't want to miss it."

Gerald didn't answer her, only stared. She smelled like flowers, he thought. He didn't know which ones, but some sort of mysterious and lush bouquet that smelled sweet. Her eyes were dark, yet luminous, holding some sort of secret he wished he knew. And ...they were full and beautiful. Wouldn't they taste every bit as rich as the wedding cake?

The hell with it, he deemed.

"I know this is out of line, so I'm aplogizing in advance."

He took her shoulders and puller her to him. Those secretive eyes widened in surprise just moments before their lips met.

Kim didn't jerk away, or laugh it off as a joke. Instead, she made the same noise she made when he rubbed her neck, only a little more breathier. She grabbed hold of his hips and parted her lips.

Like her scent, she tasted sweet; sweeter than any type of cake he'd ever tasted, better than anything he's ever had in his mouth. She was dark, warm and sensual. When her hands moved up her back, he took a little more. Then he changed angles, took more still and pleasure hummed in .

All he could think about was snatching her in his arms and carrying her off to any dark room within the building to finish off what an impulsive moment started.

But the moment ended when her beeper went off on her waist. She jolted back, lips swollen from the best kiss she's ever experienced. And any of her friends could vouch that there's been a lot of kisses.

She looked down. "It's Shai," she said. "Um...hold that thought," she lifted a finger, and dug in her clutch for her cell phone. "Shai? I just got beeped, what's wrong?" Kim paused. "It's okay, it's not too late. I'm on my way. Don't worry, stop crying. I'm sure everything will be fine. Because I know," she insisted. "Listen, I'm getting in my car right now, and I'm coming over. Honey, I'm coming."

Kim looked at her cell phone and then at a staring Gerald. "Her Mom's in the hospital. I have to go."

"Do you want me to..."

She turned to look at him, "No, it's fine. Her mother just had a minor heart attack, she's out in recovery and is expected to come home in a couple of days, but knowing Shai, she's freaking out, and just needs someone to comfort her. Rayver's with her, but you know how us girls are. I'll call you tomorrow." She promised.

Gerald let her go, and rubbed his lips dry from the moisture left behind. Her moisture, he thought. He needed a long drink, a strong drink.

The next morning, Kim went to work as always, starting her day off with an extra large coffee and heading to the back room to do some stock up. She made a list of all the flowers she was short of and then sent Monica on an errand.

Leaving her alone in the shop only made it worse. The silence was taunting her, making her think of things she shouldn't be thinking about. Like Gerald kissing her the night before.

What did it mean?! Should it mean anything? A kiss was just a kiss, a product of a heated moment. And that's exactly what they had. They ignited such heat that a dozen candles would've been lit.

She closed her eyes at the recent memory. His hands on her skin, running down her bare arms, his breath dancing on her skin. His lips pressing against hers, his hard, tight body supporting hers. Kim sighed and could almost feel his fingers along her collarbone.

"Not again!" Maja intruded.

Kim jumped back, almost dropping the vase. She opened her eyes and cleared . "Stop," she laughed. "I'm not in the mood to be made fun of."

Maja shrugged. "I called Shai, and her mother left the hospital this morning. Thought you'd like to know."

"So soon?"

"It was a very minor heart attack. Anyways, I heard what you did last night."

"What!"

"The Cooke wedding? They are very famous around here. Vows? Number one wedding company ever known. I heard it went good. Meet any hot boys to add to our collection?"

Kim shook her head. "No," she lied. "I'm not exactly in the mood for men."

"That wouldn't include me, would it?" Matt said, going straight to the fridge for a beer.

"What are you guys doing here anyways?" Kim asked, taking a bunch of spider gerberas to start with.

"We were bored at work, and thought, who also has a boring job but could keep us interested for a few hours? And you came to mind," Mel smiled.

A scowl was returned for the ill-advised comment. "Anyways, are any of you going to see Gerald? It's just this is his third time forgetting his jacket, or third time I forgot to give it back. Anyway, I have his jacket and he may need it.

"Well, if he needed it so much, why keep forgetting it?" Mel asked.

Matt lifted Gerald's jacket. "I'm going down to the plant afterwards, I can hand it off to him for you.

Kim smiled, "Great. I mean, great that you're seeing him anyway."

"Okay ladies. I need to go. Thanks Kimmy for the beer, and I'll see you all soon."

"Bye," Kim waved.

Maj waited until she heard the door ring it's bell letting them know Matt left. She pointed her finger at Kim and smiled, "Gerald."

"What?"

"Gerald," she repeated.

"No," Kim said slowly, laying her hands over her breat. "I'm Kim. Kim-my."

"Don't be funny with me. I can see right through you. You said "anyway" three times in under a minute."

"What?" Her voice squeaked. "No I didn't." Maybe she had. Damn it, she was caught. "And so what?"

"So, what's going on with you and Gerald?" Maj grabbed Matt's beer and drank from it.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Don't be ridiculous." Her cheeks were burning. "You can't say anything."

"If I can't say anything, it's not nothing."

"It is nothing," Kim tried to convice herelf. Damn for having such close friends, They knew too much with nothing at all. "I'm overreacting.

"You're rambling and repeating your words too much. There's something obviously wrong in the Kim-verse. Spill everything."

Kim sighed in defeat. "Fine, but you can't tell anyone about this. Not your husband, not the girls, not anyone. Promise me."

"Fine. Do you need a pinky swear?"

For the fun of it, they did. Locking their pinkies together, the rest of their hand, kissing their hand and letting go. Something they've been doing since the third grade.

"He kissed me. Or we kissed each other. But he started it, and I don't know what would've happened next because Shai beeped me and I needed to leave, so I left. That's it."

"Hold it! I lost the sense of hearing right when you said Gerald kissed you."

Kim bit her lip from laughing. "Stop it. This is serious. Or it's not. Is it?"

Maja paused in silence. "Well, was he good?"

"Let's just say that the spark-o-meter is permanently broken."

Laughter ripped through the women. "I always expected that from Gerald. Those lips are just delicious to look at, imagine on them. So what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know. I can't stop thinking about it!"

"That's what you were doing when I walked in?"

Kim sheepishly nodded. "On one hand, it's Gerald Anderson - smart, interesting, funny, attractive, y guy who any girl would fall for." Maja nodded. "And then it's Ge - who's this guy I've known for three years and who I'm supposed to think of as a brother. I mean, when we kissed I soared to the sky and I haven't landed yet."

"I'm calling the girls. Girls night out STAT. You need to tell them."