Page 24 of The Roommate Problem
Chapter Eight
Three days later, August had Mo in the car because the silly man refused to let her drive. Again, her driving wasn’t that bad. He was following her directions, heading toward the surprise destination. She knew he’d like this outing because she thought long and hard about what August would like. He’d almost smiled at the farmers market, so she tried to think of what else in the city would coax that half smile out of him. Once she thought of it, the answer was so obvious she almost smacked herself upside the head.
Of course an introvert who preferred plants to people would hate going out on the town. Why had she ever thought he’d enjoy that? August needed something more mellow, something outdoorsy, like the farmers market. Even though they were in the heart of the city, this was still Colorado. Outdoorsy was a staple in the Centennial state. Denver had dozens of parks and dog runs, and even the Cherry Creek and South Platte rivers ran through town.
It was a perfect city for a person who enjoyed the great outdoors, and she planned to prove that to August today. And it started right now.
He pulled the car into the car park across the street from today’s venture.
“Denver Botanic Gardens,” August read the sign as they entered the garage.
Mo smiled at the surprise in his voice, keeping her eyes peeled for a spot. The Gardens were popular, and the garage wasn’t big enough to accommodate everyone. Luckily, she found a spot in the far back and pointed it out to him.
“Yup,” she said as he put the car in park and turned off the engine. “Surprised?”
“Pleasantly.”
She placed a hand over her heart dramatically. “Ow, your lack of faith in me cuts deep, Gus Gus.”
“No,” he stated, getting out of the car and heading toward the stairs.
Mo followed suit, hurrying after him. “Oh, come on, I dropped the ‘grumpy’ part.”
He stopped in his tracks, turning to scowl at her. “What ‘grumpy’ part?”
Oops! She pasted an innocent expression on her face, smiling up at him. “Huh?”
He stared for another minute before sighing and rolling his eyes upward. She let out a breath of relief. It wouldn’t be good to start their Redo Roomie Friendship Day off on the wrong foot.
They headed out of the parking garage and crossed the street to enter the guest services/gift shop building. The vast and beautifully manicured gardens lay beyond. She really hoped August liked them. Their last adventure had been such a disaster, and truthfully, Mo was disappointed in herself for showing August such a bad time. Hopefully, today made up for it.
“Two adult admissions, please.” She smiled at the friendly woman working the ticket counter, handing over her credit card when the total was announced.
“I can pay for myself, Moira.”
The cashier sighed, as if she was used to people fighting over covering the entrance cost.
“No need. It’s my treat. As a welcome to the city present.”
He shifted his feet, clearly uncomfortable with her buying his ticket. Was it the idea of someone paying for him or her specifically? Didn’t matter. The card had been swiped and the deed was done.
“You can grab us dinner if that will make you feel better,” she offered. Mo was never one to turn down a free meal. Although she might not enjoy dinner as much if she let August pick the restaurant. He’d probably go for some salad place that didn’t even know what cheese was.
August accepted, allowing her generosity only—she suspected—because she offered a return situation. Guy doesn’t like people taking care of him. Noted. She was learning more about him by the minute. See, this day was already a success.
They stepped out of the building into the open-air gardens, and Mo heard August suck in a sharp breath. She snuck a glance at him and got the shock of her life. August Porter, Grumpy Gus Gus, was staring in awe at the vast array of plants, flowers, and vegetation before him. But that wasn’t what shocked her. She knew he’d like it, hoped he’d be a bit blown away. What knocked her on her figurative ass was the huge smile curling his lips.
Holy cow!
The man was hot, even when he scowled. Broody some might call it. Sexy if you went for that kind of thing, which Mo did not. But when he smiled, actually full on smiled like a kid on their birthday spotting all their presents, the way August was doing now, the man transformed into a redheaded, panty-melting sex god she would gladly worship with every inch of her body.
And there she went having inappropriate sexual thoughts about her roomie again. She really needed to stop that. But who could blame her when the man smiled like that? He even had…was she seeing this right? Did August have dimples? Oh hell, he did. Dimples. Her downfall. Maybe it was a good thing he was always so grumpy. If he brought out those cheek indents more often, she might throw her better judgment to the wind and jump him.
“I don’t believe it! Is that an actual smile on your face?” she teased.
August immediately frowned. She laughed, relieved and secretly disappointed to lose the view of that magnificent smile.
“There’s five different garden zones and a conservatory that holds tropical plants,” Mo said, reading from the map the customer service woman had given her. “And right now, the marigolds are in bloom, so we should definitely check that out, too.”
