Free Blue Roses by Mimi Strong Page B

business. She worked for months trying to put together a deal on another garage, and she took it poorly when I bought a different one.”
    “Oh. I thought maybe you slept with her and never called the next day.”
    He reaches out and squeezes my bicep. “You’ve got some muscles there. Can you do a chin-up.”
    “Of course I can.”
    “Prove it.” He holds his arm straight out.
    My heart is still pumping hard from the altercation. I feel like I could lift a car.
    I grab hold of Luca’s upper arm. I bend my legs and lower myself so my arms are straight, then pull myself up with a grunt.
    Now I’m hanging from his arm, my knees bent.
    His arm wavers, but he holds it steady. His eyes dare me to let go. I flash my eyes at him, inviting him to set me down if he starts to get tired.
    Through gritted teeth, he says, “In the interest of full disclosure, I didn’t call my former real estate agent the day after I slept with her.”
    Through equally gritted teeth, I reply, “I knew it. She was way more pissed than someone who didn’t get a business deal.”
    “I thought it would cheer her up about not getting the commission.”
    I’m breathing heavily, but I won’t let go. “You really don’t know the first thing about women, do you?”
    “My mother passed away when I was five. I was raised by my father and uncle. I only know two things about women, and that’s all I need to know.”
    My muscles are burning, but I hang on. “What two things?”
    “That I like women, and that you’re the cutest one I’ve ever met.”
    “For a big, tough guy, you sure say the word cutest a lot.”
    He groans and lowers me to the ground. “You win.” He shakes out his arm, then massages the red marks left by my fingers.
    “What do I win?” I ask.
    “My heart.”
    He reaches into his pocket and hands me a tiny, heart-shaped charm.
    He explains, “I didn’t want to scare you, so I took it off the bracelet before I gave it to you.”
    “Cute!” It’s just cute enough that I’m not quite so upset about the news he slept with the crazy real estate agent. I accept the heart and hold it on my palm.
    “Now you have my heart,” he says. “Promise you won’t break it.”
    I attempt to pick the heart up with my fingers to examine it closer. My arms are shaking. My hands are numb from hanging off Luca’s arm like some wild-eyed sugar-crazed kid on the monkey bars. I fumble the heart and drop it on the ground.
    Luca frowns at me. “That’s not a good sign.”
    “Says the guy with a stalker.”
    He crouches down and grabs the heart charm, then tucks it into his pocket again.
    I put my hands on my hips.
    “Well? Why didn’t you text me back?” I ask.
    “My spelling is atrocious,” he says. “If you would have phoned, I would have picked up and talked to you, though.”
    I’m so surprised, I actually take two steps back. I am literally taken aback by this strange confession.
    “You blow me off all day because you’re a bad speller?”
    He looks sheepish. “Plus, I don’t do texting.”
    “Just because you’re a bad speller? You can always use Autocorrect.”
    He winces and looks even more uncomfortable. “Tina, I don’t do text messages, because I’m an adult. That’s kid stuff, with the little pictures and whatever.”
    I stare at him in astonishment. “Excuse me for being into kid stuff.”
    He rubs his forehead and looks over his shoulder toward the door.
    “I should get back to the garage. Let me know if any of my other stalkers come by.”
    “You know I will.”
    And then he leaves.
    I check the calendar to see if it’s a full moon. I’m not surprised to find it is. I have had some weird Mondays, but this one takes the cake.
    I try to get back to work, but now I’m thinking about that skanky blonde. Yuck. I’m so grossed out that he slept with her. Even if it was just once, I’m not happy about it.
    Now that I know the story behind the first apology arrangement, I wish I didn’t. I hope I never find