"You don't understand," she shook her head rather passionately. "It's a business. The more people know, the better it is for your sales. And today the best way to market something is by giving it online presence. If you sell rare, expensive varieties of flowers, then you'll find more takers in cities. Imagine orders pouring in from far and wide, and your shop garnering more recognition..."
She glanced at Luke. "Why don't you ask him?" she said to me. "He has terrific knowledge about business. When I started out, he's the one who helped me expand the store and market it well. I had asked him to be my partner, but he had no interest in jewellery and bags."
Laughing, she looked at me. "He can help you have a website up and running in no time. He's a business consultant, it's what he does. You do have a name right?"
I nodded. "The Bloom Room."
"That's sweet," she smiled. "I love flowers. That happens to be my favourite tree."
She pointed to the myrtle tree, which produced spiky white flowers in late summer, followed by red berries.
"I think there's some problem there," Paul straightened his neck and looked at his daughters, who were herded under the myrtle tree and were looking up at a particular branch.
"I'll check." Luke handed over Harry to his dad and left his seat, walking over to his nieces, who had got their Frisbee stuck in the tree. Luke fetched it from the branch, but instead of returning to the table, he started playing with them. First was another round of Frisbee, where Luke was in charge of fetching the disc when it went flying too far. And then came an interesting game I had no prior knowledge of. It was called 'What's the Time, Mr. Wolf?' where Luke chose to be the wolf and stood about 10 feet away with his back to the children. The girls called out in unison, "Mr. Wolf, what time is it?" and the wolf (Luke) answered the call with a response of one through 12 o'clock, turning around to face the children as he did so. The girls took as many steps as the time announced, and when everyone had taken a step, the wolf turned his back to the girls again. The children cried out the same question again and it kept going that way until Luke finally said "dinner time!" and turned around and chased the children. The girls laughed and squealed as they ran towards the start line but Luke grabbed them with both hands, pretending to laugh like a wolf.
"Again, again, Uncle Luke!" the kids shouted in delight, and Luke obliged them happily as they played the game a number of times in a row. I loved the way he made them the centre of attention, talking, laughing and making the most ordinary things seem special to them.
Seeing all the excitement on the field, Harry too wanted to be a part of it, and he started squealing to make his intention known. Paul got up and put him down on the grass, holding his hand as the baby toddled unsteadily through the lawn, babbling and gurgling. I watched affectionately as the girls, obviously fond of their brother, came running towards him and held one hand each, leading him to their centre of activities. Luke picked him up in his arms, swirling and cradling him, talking to him like he was the most important person on earth. Harry responded by clapping and squealing and the girls laughed out of delight.
"He's a nice guy, isn't he?" Megan's voice brought my attention back to her.
"What are you talking about?" I said, having missed what she'd just said.
"I said Luke has a way with kids," she said the words slowly. "He's a nice guy."
"He is," I agreed.
"Do you like him?"
"I think so."
"You think so?"
I puckered my brow at her. "What do you mean?"
"He obviously likes you," she announced. "I can tell it from the way he stares at you..."
My cheeks flushed as I stole a brief glance at Luke and then turned my face away. I couldn't deny that I also liked staring at him, every opportunity I got.
"I'll keep the tray inside and be right back." Megan smiled at me, before arranging the cups, saucers, and spoons on the tray and headed inside the house. I leaned back in the chair and folded my arms, watching as Luke strolled up to me.
"Not getting bored, are you?" he asked, breathing heavily as he dropped into a chair next to me.
"No, I like it here," I smiled. "You are such a natural with kids."
"I hear that a lot," he wiped a trickle of sweat from his brow and proceeded to take off his jacket. "I just love playing with my nephews and nieces. These are the youngest of the lot, actually. The others are older and are slowly growing out of the playing stage." He leaned conspiratorially towards me and whispered: "Over the years, I've learned that the more you play with kids, the nicer you become in the eyes of their parents. The way to a parent's heart is through their children."
"I'm making lunch!" Megan called out from within the house. "A few more minutes, girls. Go and take your baths quickly."
"Are all your sisters like this?" I asked him, smiling.
"No. Megan is an enigma. I mean, she's my sister and I love her, but sometimes she just doesn't know what to say and what not to."
"She has an amazing confidence that I secretly covet," I said.
"That she does have," he nodded. "She speaks her mind. It's a good thing, but not always." He looked at me, and smiled. "Don't let her freak you out. She's cranky, but nice."
"I see that."
In the distance, Paul was herding the children back inside the house, and he stopped to wave at us, motioning us to come in. Luke had a naughty idea, and he quietly sneaked up on the girls, making them yelp and squeak. They chased Luke around the lawn, unable to catch him, while Paul carried Harry inside. The uncle and niece trio played chase for a few minutes, and I marvelled at the way Luke became a child with them, despite how tired and famished he looked. When our gaze met across the distance, he smiled at me, and I smiled back, thinking to myself that he'd make a wonderful dad someday.
***
"How long are you dating, again?" Megan asked as they cleaned up after lunch. Luke sighed, washing his hands at the kitchen sink. Lunch had been a big meal of apple ginger pork chops (while Harry had a pork stew), followed by a dessert of mixed fruit trifle. Cynthia had looked pleased with the meal, and Luke had stuffed himself to the throat. Over the meal, they had chatted about various things, including the times when they were in the band. Cynthia laughed hard when Paul told her about the drunken fruit fight they had once had in the dressing room where Luke had been hit by a watermelon. She asked if it was painful but Paul cut in that the alcohol had numbed the pain!
"For the hundredth time, Meg, we're not dating," he explained. Turning off the tap, he faced his sister. "Go easy on her, okay?" he requested, "All this is new to her. Don't freak her out."
Megan shrugged, as she sterilized the soother Luke had brought for Harry. "I like her," she said, "She's very open, quite a sport."
"She is," he nodded, leaning against the counter. "But then, you happen to like everyone I date."
"You said you're not dating." Megan raised an eyebrow at him.
"Yeah, that's right," he immediately corrected the slip. "But I like that you like her. She's lovely."
"She has a way about her," she smiled, leaning against the counter beside him. "She's so poised. She reminds me of Diana."
Luke couldn't deny that. Cynthia did remind him of Diana a lot of times. Although they were so different in so many ways, there were obvious similarities he found hard to overlook.
"How long has she been single?" Megan asked, turning off the steam sterilizer. Luke frowned at her.
"How do you know she's single?" he crossed his arms against his chest.
"She wouldn't have agreed to spend the weekend with you if she had a boyfriend." She opened the sterilizer and carefully took out the soother with a pair of tongs. She wiped it with a sterilized towel and kept it wrapped in it. "Besides, she blushes when you stare at her."
"I don't stare at her!" Luke protested, in vain.
"Oh, it's okay," she patted his shoulder. "She stares at you as well."
Luke looked through the kitchen doorway into the living room, where Cynthia was chatting with Paul. Lily Sue was on her lap, and Anna Rose next to her on the sofa, and all of them frequently laughed as she spoke to them. Little Harry was crawling about on the carpet, occasionally playing with the buttons on the walker. When Megan handed him the soother, he looked delighted and let out a few squeals to express his joy. He couldn't yet talk properly, except the occasional word like 'da-da' or 'birdie'. But Luke had a feeling that he'd grow up to be very mischievous, like his sisters.
"She is fond of kids," Megan had a broad grin on her face when she returned to the kitchen. "The girls have rarely taken a liking towards anyone so quickly."
Luke nodded, not for the first time thinking that she'd have made a capable, resourceful mother if she hadn't lost her baby. Yes, she was too young, but she had all the makings of a good mother. She was kind, caring, patient, and had a way of make everyone feel special and loved.
"You find her attractive, don't you?" Megan's voice came again, jerking him back to the present.
"I guess so," he sighed, rolling the towel in his hands.
"You guess so?" she cocked her head to a side.
"What else do you want me to say?"
"You like her. It shows." She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. "You're miserable when it comes to hiding your emotions."
The sound of Paul's laughter made them snap up in attention. He was almost rolling on the sofa, holding his stomach with one hand. Cynthia snickered, before sharing a giggle with the girls. Harry too looked on with much interest.
"Luke, you better come here before she kills me," he called out to him. Luke smiled, and set the towel on the counter.
"You know what, Meg?" he said to his sister as he walked out. "I think mum and dad secretly adopted you."
Megan cracked up, her laughter mingling with that of her husband's. Luke walked in to the living room, finding a place beside Paul.
"So what's the big joke?" he asked, putting an around the back of the sofa.
"Joke?! Oh man, you can be quite a clown." And with that, Paul was laughing again, almost hysterically.
"She was telling me about the time she took you to the flower market," he managed to say once he'd got his breath back.
"Oh god, no!" Luke groaned, and then looked at her. "I rather that you didn't. It was embarrassing as hell."
"I've already told him," Cynthia giggled, leaning back in the sofa that seemed much too large for her petite form. "Honestly, I'd thought he wouldn't want to go out with me again, after that day."
"But she was the best person to show me around the place," he told Paul and Megan, who had joined them, "If I'd run away from her, I'd miss enjoying the town like I did."
"Sounds like you had a great time," Megan observed,
"I didn't have the slightest idea that I'd have so much fun there when Scott asked me to visit or when Marielle convinced me to go." He paused, looking at Cynthia. "Scott is a fun guy," he said, "But Cynthia took it upon herself to acquaint me with the town. She loves the place so much, it rubs off on everybody who meets her."
"We had gone there once after we got married," Paul said, "It was a very brief stay, and we hardly saw anything. Scott used to be in the Army back then, but his sister was visiting, and we ended up spending a great time with her and her fiancé."
"It must have been Christmas time," Cynthia remarked. "That's the time Sophie comes to visit."
"Yeah, we got married ten days before Christmas," Megan smiled. "For that holiday and year-end, we travelled to various parts of the country." Her gaze sat on Luke for a moment, and an impish smile broke out on her face. "Luke was our best man," she said, "He was also the best man for Laird, Maureen, and his friend Nicholas."
"He has a lot of experience with weddings," Cynthia made a point, and Luke's eyes slowly crawled over her, as if warning her for siding with his sister.
"Yes, he's lucky." And then Megan was laughing, throwing her head back. "He goes through weddings without having to deal with the 'being married' part."
As the two women laughed, Luke stared out of the window to distract himself. The sun was low in the western sky, the shadows were longer and the sunshine had lost its brightness, the colours of lawn softening slowly. Despite how annoyed he pretended to be when Megan teased him and Cynthia sided with her, he liked that Cynthia got along well with his sister- and if she got along with Megan, then the rest of his family would surely like her too. Strangely, the only other woman in his life who had seamlessly become a part of his family was Diana, and he couldn't help but think how similar Cynthia was to her in certain things. He wished she'd stayed longer, spent some more time with him. But she was going back home in less than twelve hours, and he had a business trip to New York next week. He doubted if he could make it to Velmont Town anytime soon.
"I think we should leave now," he finally said, trying his best to ignore the sudden pulling in his chest. "It's been a long day and Cynthia needs some rest before she takes her flight."
Cynthia's face lost colour for a moment, before she gathered herself and smiled, nodding at him to convey that she was ready to go.
Megan and Paul reiterated how delighted they'd been to have her over, and Cynthia praised their warmth and hospitality more than once. Luke cuddled his nieces, and from the corner of his eyes watched Cynthia nuzzling Harry's face. She seemed amazing with babies. Very frequently that day, Harry had been up to some mischief or another, throwing things around, putting foreign objects in his mouth, and even managing to topple his walker, while he was in it. When he started to cry, Cynthia was quick to pick him up and take him outside while Megan and Paul argued over who was supposed to be watching over him. She was good at shutting herself from distractions to concentrate on what was important, and for the next few minutes, she gave her complete attention to the baby, until he forgot about the fall and was back to his happy self.
"Drop in again when you're in the city," Megan told her, as they climbed on to the bike. She had given her a brooch from her collection and Cynthia had thanked her profusely for the gift. Cynthia gave her a quick hug, before wearing her helmet.
"I will," she smiled at her and Paul. "Bye kids!"
The girls waved back at her, and very surprisingly, Harry, who usually needed a lot of prodding to wave or say bye to someone, waved as well. Luke started the bike, and as they zoomed out of the house, he and Cynthia waved back at their hosts for the day again.
"I had a great time," she said, once they were riding homewards. "You have an amazing family."
"I'm glad you liked them," Luke responded, raising his voice so he wouldn't have to turn his head. "Megan can take some time getting used to. But you did great."
"I liked her. She's so full of energy."
"She thinks we're seeing each other."
"So? When have you ever let that bother you?"
Luke frowned, resisting from craning his neck. He thought she was beginning to sound like Megan.
"It's great that you brought me to meet them," she said, and Luke felt her arms coming around his stomach. Gripping the handlebars tighter than he should have, he tried to not pay attention to her hands, or the things they did to him. "Or I'd still be morose for the rest of the day," she added.
"They live the closest to me," he said, "I end up visiting them the most. Liam lives a little farther off but he chooses to live there since it makes commuting to work easier."
He finally craned his neck. "Next time you're here, I'll take you to him."
"Does he have kids?" Cynthia asked, stifling a yawn.
"Yes, but not small kids. Liam's eleven years older than me, his eldest son, Jonathan, is passing out of school this year. His daughter, Joanna, is three years younger, still in school. Jonathan plays the guitar so well. They are great kids, and when the whole family gets together, I spend most of the time with my nephews and nieces. It's great to have kids in the house. They bring a happy vibe to life. Diana too was very fond of the children. She's the one who named Lily Sue when she was born. We were Meg's kids' godparents, by the way. They are probably the most active among the whole bunch. But it's a good thing. They won't remain small forever, and I'm sure going to miss playing with them..."
When he got no response from Cynthia, he craned his neck again to find her dozing against his back. She looked tired, and he figured she'd been up very early that morning. Smiling to himself, he lowered his pace, thinking that she indeed looked heavenly when asleep, much more than he imagined she'd be. The sky was cloaked in the most brilliant orange complemented perfectly with hues of red and crimson, hints of green lingering behind, with the bluish grey of the forthcoming night sky. As Luke rode home, negotiating vehicles and pedestrians and turning cars, Cynthia remained fast asleep, not stirring a bit. Luke often turned to see if she was okay, and held her with one arm to make sure she didn't fall off when he applied the brakes.
She finally woke up when he was pulling in to his garage and wondering how to get off without awakening her.
"Have we reached?" she asked, slightly dazed. Luke nodded, climbing off the bike and then helping her do the same.
"I'm sorry I dozed off," she said sheepishly, taking off her helmet.
"You still look sleepy," he smiled, as he covered the bike with the blue, plastic sheet, not sure when he'd ride it again. "When did you wake up this morning?"
"Five-thirty," she yawned, folding her arms around herself. Luke looked at her wide-eyed.
"What for?" he asked.
"I couldn't sleep well last night," she shrugged. "I tossed and turned before finally leaving the bed at five-thirty."
She looked at him, her sleepy, dazed eyes making her appear totally heart-melting. "I read for quite a bit after waking up," she said, smiling. "It's so quiet in the mornings."
"I know," he smiled, picturing her curled with a book in bed, twirling a lock of hair in her fingers while she read. Cynthia kept yawning through their ride in the elevator, keeping her mouth perpetually covered with her hand. Luke tried to look away, so as to prevent himself from laughing. That dainty young woman was absolutely a living doll, especially when her mouth opened into a yawn. Being beside her was a tough test of will power, because every few seconds or so, he'd have this uncanny urge to pull her close and claim her soft, sweet lips again. Last night had been heaven, but he couldn't take the liberty again and again. It wouldn't be right.
Of course, if she kissed him, he'd definitely let her...
"It's six already." Cynthia announced as they stepped inside his apartment, both of them spent and sluggish after the long day and a hefty lunch.
"What time do you have to be at the airport?" he asked, keeping the helmets on one of the sofas.
"Six." She yawned again, crashing into the biggest sofa. "Flight is at seven-thirty."
"I'll make some coffee." Luke dropped his jacket close to the helmets and headed for the kitchen, not wishing to think that the weekend was over and she had to leave. He had always known it was not forever when he invited her to spend the weekend with him, but he dreaded the emptiness that would engulf him once she left.
He brewed a pot of coffee, revelling in the strong aroma of the beverage that had seen him through many nights.
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