Roman beamed proudly at the smile on Talise's face when she smelled his scented candle. He had been given permission to play around with scents to create a new candle for her. It was his second day at the shop and his first attempt at creating a candle for her.
"That's really good," she said.
"Thank you," he said.
"Are you okay with me stealing your idea? I'll pay you for it if you want me to," she said.
He placed his hands on her cheeks and leaned down for a kiss.
"It's all yours. I'm just happy to somehow be part of this side of you," he said.
"You're awfully sweet," she said.
"You ain't seen nothing yet," he chuckled. "There may or may not be a surprise coming your way."
"A surprise? What kind of surprise?" She asked.
"You'll see," he said.
He smiled secretly at her and sat back down. The bell from the door rang and she went out in front to deal with the customer. He waited nearly an hour before his surprise arrived. A bouquet of pink camellias was delivered. He peeked out from the door to the back to see her thank the delivery guy. He locked eyes with the delivery guy and gave him a smile and a nod before returning to the back. She came walking out with the bouquet in her hands and a big smile on her face.
"You shouldn't have," she said.
"Yes, I should. You deserve it," he said.
"They're beautiful," she said.
"I remembered correctly, right? It's your favorite flower, right?" He asked.
"It is," she nodded. "Thank you so much, Roman."
She rushed into his arms and kissed him. He couldn't stop smiling at seeing her happiness. The bell from the door rang again and she went out to deal with another customer. Once the customer was gone, the phone started ringing. He stayed in the back but could clearly hear her side of the conversation.
"Cozy, how may I help you?" She answered the call. "Yes, that's me. What? No. What are you talking about? No, that's not true. Leave me alone."
She hung up and rushed over to the door and locked it. She ran out in the back and started cleaning the table Roman had been working at.
"What's going on?" He asked.
"We're leaving," she said.
"Why?" He asked.
She tossed some unused items into a box and looked at him.
"That was a reporter on the phone. He asked if I was dating you. When I said no, he said you were seen in my store," she said.
"Shit! The delivery guy saw me. He must have called the news," he said.
"Why the fuck would you do that to me? I told you to stay in the back," she said.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to make you happy," he said.
"I can't deal with this shit right now. Grab your things. I don't wanna be here when the reporter shows up to check up on his story," she said.
He grabbed his things and they went out of the back door. They jumped into her car and drove back to her place. Once inside she walked around and closed all the curtains in her house. His heart broke for her again. She hadn't asked for any of this.
"Talise," he said. "I'm sorry."
"You keep saying that," she said.
"I don't know what else to say," he said.
She ran a hand down her face and gave him a tired look.
"It's okay. I need a vacation anyway. I'm closing the shop for a couple of days. I'm gonna put on my facebook page that it's closed due to sickness," she said.
"I don't want you losing money because of me," he said.
"The online orders never stop. I'll be fine," she said.
"I still feel guilty," he said.
She sighed and walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around him and stood there for a long hug.
"I don't want them to find me. I don't want to be in the public eye," she said.
"I understand. It's way too soon for people to find out about us. We need things to go at our pace," he said.
He broke the hug and placed his hands on her cheeks.
"This is my fault. I won't fuck up like that again. I promise. I'll chain myself in the back of your shop next time," he said.
There was a hint of a smile on her face and it made him feel happy. She wasn't angry with him. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.
"How about we jump in some sleeping clothes and make ourselves cozy on the couch with some of your gourmet marshmallows and a horror movie?" He asked.
"I like that idea," she said.
"Yeah? How about I throw in hot chocolate too?" He asked.
"You're being a high roller now," she said.
"I might even cook dinner for you," he said.
She giggled and that was all he needed to hear. He had made her happy again. He bent down, wrapped his arms around her under her ass, and lifted her up. She laughed and wrapped her arms and legs around him while he carried her into the living room.