Page 25 of Picking Daisies on Sundays

It felt like our years as friends were being peeled away slowly to reveal what was left: my past romantic feelings for him, and the lack of his for me. But hearing that nickname—my nickname—one that was only used by a select group of people, felt so much more intimate coming from him. And I knew,I knew, that he thought so too from the look of surprise that mirrored my own.

He looked away for a moment, collecting his next words presumably, with a clenched jaw. “I know that you don’t think you have the skills to do it, butIknow you do. If you don’t have the time for it”—I definitelydid nothave the time for it—“then I won’t mention it again, I promise. But if you do…” He left his unspoken question hang in the air.

If I took this on, it only added more work for me to do when the wedding and runway exhibit were in four weeks, and my graduate applications were due in two. I’d have to make sure it was perfect and not a thread out of place because I couldn’t afford to replace a whole suit.

But it was Levi... Even four years later, he had gotten more handsome and more mature in a way that I wish I could’ve embroidered into fabric.

It’s exactly why I said: “Okay.”

His brows lifted with surprise and a glimmer exploded in his eyes. “Are you positive?”

I nodded. “But I’ll need you to come over as soon as possible so I can get your measurements, and have it finished early enough,” in order to have him try it on again and check to see if any other adjustments were needed. This was going to require a few fittings.

I should not have put on liquid blush today.

“How’s Friday?” he asked.

I paused, realizing what Friday was. “I have a date.”

There was a look that went across his face, but quickly disappeared, not giving me a chance to understand it. “Who are you going on a date with?”

“Jia—I have to watch her date,” I explained briefly.

“Oh, of course, normal. Why?” he responded with a light laugh that made him sound like a confused dad.

I smiled. “To make sure her date isn’t an axe murderer, obviously.”

“Obviously. Has there been a past run in with an axe murderer?” he inquired, his glasses and light academia outfit only making him look more serious.

“If you would count the southerner Gabe once went on a date with that chopped trees for a living.”

“Doesn’t sound like a run-in at all, but that does sound slightly exhilarating. Need company?”

“Oh, are you sure? I don’t usually buy food or anything, I kind of just sit there, watch, and commentate.”

“I can buy us food,” he responded, gnawing on his bottom lip, fully aware that food was the way to my heart.

“And the fitting after?”

“Or before, whichever works best for you.” He almost sounded shy. Like I was a professor, and he was my student nervous to speak up. Jesus, his glasses were doing something to me.

“After. I have a meeting on campus beforehand that won’t end until 7.”

“I’ll pick you up here then, on Friday. Maybe you can

introduce me to your friends,” his eyes flickered to the door behind me where…Oh my.Discretion was innoneof their vocabulary. All of the girls had their ears or eyes peeking out of the crack of the door. I tried my best to not turn the color of cherry pie.

“It’s been many years since any of them have been with a man, let alone seen one.” A choking noise, or several choking noises, sounded from behind the door.

He laughed, causing a beautiful smile to sweep across his face. “It’s a date. I’ll see you Friday.” And just like that, he was walking down the stairs and out the door.

I turned around slowly, hoping to make myself look like a possessed doll in a grungy horror film. “You couldn’t have at least CLOSED THE DOOR?!”

Instead of the five girls running away or shutting the door in my face out of fear, they ran towards me with questions.

“Thatwas Levi?” Lexi shouted in shock.

“Did he say he was ateacher?” Camille asked with amazement—to which I quickly clarified.