Poinsettia Lane

Chapter Fourteen

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

EVERLY IS DESPERATE for Asim to kiss her again, even more so after their brief text conversation the night before. She messaged him last night, partly as an excuse to suggest he bring Moose with him today, but also to thank him for his kindness when she does something stupid. He had replied in typical Asim fashion.

Asim: Everly, you aren’t stupid. Please don’t think that. We all embarrass ourselves sometimes, but know that I don’t think anything you’ve done is stupid or embarrassing. Quite the opposite, actually. I’ve immensely enjoyed spending time with you and am happy to help with your project.

Everly keeps reading that one line, “quite the opposite, actually” over and over again. Her brain circles around what it could mean. What is the opposite of stupid and embarrassing? Smart and put together? Everly can certainly acknowledge that she’s intelligent, and typically is very put together, but that hasn’t been the norm around him. She revolves around the thought that maybe he meant she’s attractive; he did make a comment about her being cute once, and there’s definitely chemistry between them so the idea doesn’t seem outlandish. She is generally considered to be pretty by societal standards, but that doesn’t mean her looks are to everyone’s taste.

She continues to ponder his meaning as she eats a light breakfast of toast with melted goat cheese and honey, and mentally prepares for his arrival, doing her best not to let any intrusive or anxious thoughts twist what she knows to be true.

To her delight, Moose jumps out of the truck as soon as the door is open wide enough for him to squeeze through, and his nose dips to the ground as he zig-zags his way across the driveway, taking in all the scents of a new place. Everly internally denies the undignified squeal that pops out of her mouth, and rushes in her socked feet out to the porch. As soon as he hears the front door open, Moose’s head swings in her direction, tail already wagging.

“Hi, sweet boy!” she says, not remotely ashamed of the baby voice she uses with him, because he is the best, most cutest, furry baby. Moose immediately trots over and noses into her, accepting her pets and praise while Asim ambles up behind him.

“And now I know the real reason you’re interested in me," he says, giving Moose a pointed look. The words are rueful, but the tilted half-grin on his face tells her he isn’t the slightest bit serious.

“Can you blame me?” she asks, grinning back at him from her crouched position next to Moose. “He’s so cute. Aren’t you? Yes, you’re the cutest. I should get some treats for you, I think. Yes I should.” The baby voice is out in full force and Asim shakes his head.

“Don’t judge me.” She playfully throws the words at him as she stands back up. “What does he need? Water, anything else?”

“Nah, he’s good. He can just chill in the back with us, though I’ll tie him to a long line so he doesn’t get distracted and take off.”

Everly nods and Asim clips an extra long leash to Moose’s collar, leading him around the outside of the house while Everly goes back inside for her shoes. They meet on the patio out back, and she shares the ideas she came up with that morning, thankful Asim doesn’t appear offended at her bringing her opinions to the table, even though it’s his area of expertise. They agree on a task list for the day, then get to work outside with Moose keeping them company from a shady spot on the lawn.

He spends the morning roaming around, snuffling through the grass and occasionally rolling in it, his legs thrashing wildly through the air and causing Everly to giggle at his antics, which subsequently catches Asim’s attention and brings out that boyish grin she likes. At some point, Moose finds a stick to gnaw on, and she sighs at how adorable it is that his tail wags the whole time he’s chewing on it and spitting out the little pieces that break up under his teeth.

When they break for lunch, Everly refills Moose’s water bowl while Asim secures his leash to a new area of the yard for him to explore. They wash their hands and refill their drinks in the kitchen together before grabbing the deli sandwiches Asim brought and settling back out on the patio to eat.

“You didn’t have to bring lunch, you know," she says. “I’m happy to feed both of us, since you’re already doing me such a huge favor.”

“I know,” he replies, “but I’m also happy to feed both of us.”

She rolls her eyes, knowing it won’t do any good to argue and not really wanting to anyway. They chat as they finish their meals, mostly about Moose, and Everly soaks in Asim’s rich tone and the way he adds extra vowels when he talks, the r’s he rolls with his tongue and how his lips form the words as he speaks. Those lips… she wonders if she should make a move this time instead of waiting for him to do so.

Asim stands when they’re done, strolling over to Moose to give him some love. She relishes the opportunity to get to know Asim better, and it’s easy to tell Moose holds a special place in his heart.

She’s happy Asim brought Moose today so she can see this side of him. The side that is playful and sweet, as he checks in on Moose periodically and makes sure he isn’t tangled in his leash or out of water. Tossing a stick for him and playing a quick game of tug of war. Even the part that doesn’t hesitate to stick his fingers under Moose’s lip flap and pull out a goopy wad of dead grass that was stuck to his gum. It’s gross and makes her nose scrunch, but it also makes her heart flutter—especially since Moose so easily lets it happen, his tail thumping the grass the whole time while his tongue lolls out the other side of his mouth. There’s a sense of trust and companionship between them that Everly longs to be a part of.

A loud crinkling startles her and she shakes herself out of her daze. Asim tosses the crumpled up paper from his sandwich onto the table and leans back in his chair, legs stretched wide and his head tipped back into the sun. Her eyes trace the length of him as she sips her iced tea, gaze darting to the side when his head starts to tip back down.

His phone buzzes across the table between them and Everly sees the name “Farah” with a picture of a beautiful dark-haired woman light up the screen. Asim immediately smiles and swipes to answer, holding it out in front of him for a video call. Everly isn’t sure what to make of it, but her questions are answered before she can even think them.

“My beautiful sister!” Asim beams into the camera and Everly’s shoulders slump with relief. “To what do I owe this unexpected video chat?”

Everly hears a scoffing laugh from his sister and she hides her own smile, but then the woman questions where he is and before she knows it, the camera is panning in her direction. She flares her eyes and shakes her head no, but there’s no avoiding it. Asim pulls her into the conversation with him.

“Farah, I’d like you to meet Everly. Everly, my sister Farah.”

“Nice to meet you.” Everly smiles at Asim’s sister, and she grins back.

“So you’re the one he won’t shut up about.”

Everly blinks at Farah, then turns to Asim, who has a scowl on his face. Everly bursts into a laugh at the peeved expression and Asim starts to pull the phone away, clearly trying to avoid the conversation.

“No, wait!” Everly grabs his wrist, keeping the camera where it is, and leans forward. “What has he been saying?”

Farah throws her head back and laughs. “Oh, my dear, the way he pines over you, asking me— ”

“Okay, that’s enough.” Asim narrows his eyes at Farah and yanks his wrist from Everly’s hold.

She bites her lip to keep in a laugh.

“We have a lot to get done today,” Asim says to his sister, “did you need something?”

“No, no, I won’t keep you.” Farah is still grinning.

“I’ll call you later," Asim grumbles.

“Sure, sure, I see how it is. Bye, akhi!”

Farah winks as she ends the call and Asim swipes a hand down his face. Everly decides not to give him a hard time about it, instead asking what ‘akhi’ means.

“It means brother, or my brother," Asim explains, a note of fondness in his voice.

“Oh, that’s sweet.” Everly tries to keep the wistfulness out of hers, but she knows it comes through anyways. She misses having a close-knit family.

“Ready to get back to it?” he asks. She glances back at him as he stands and grabs the trash.

“Let’s do it.” Everly stands up too, stretching her arms over her head with a sigh. He snags his empty glass and takes it inside as well while she wiggles her fingers back into her gloves, and all too soon they are getting down and dirty again.

Sadly, not the type of down and dirty she’s been quite literally dreaming of.

Every night.

It’s unlikely tonight will be any different.

Everly feels hyper-aware of him today. Each time Asim glances at her, she gets goosebumps and her heart flutters in what would be a concerning manner in any other situation. She can’t stop peeking at him too, and is caught more than once. He continues to smile at her every time, and he shot her another wink once when he caught her not even working, just blatantly staring. They talk easily with comfortable silences interspersed, and that’s one thing Everly hasn’t had a lot of experience with when it comes to other people. She has adequate social skills and does well in a professional setting, but when it comes to extended conversation, she’s typically not the best.

It’s different with him, though. They delve into more personal things today, topics outside of those right in front of them. Everly reflects on how she doesn’t think she likes living alone anymore and has thought about getting a pet, which he validates, sharing what a huge difference having Moose in his life has been. Asim talks more about his business, how he started it and what it’s like living above the main shopping area. They converse about the challenges and rewards of being business owners, and how isolating that lifestyle can be at times. Although their areas of work are vastly different, there are many aspects that are comparable, and Everly marvels at the feeling of understanding she gets from him.

She isn’t used to being seen.

“So what was that party for? The holiday one, it seemed like a pretty big deal," Asim says, snapping Everly out of her latest daydream.

“Oh, that.” Everly sighs, wondering how to explain and if she really wants to get into it. He looks up at her when she pauses, and his eyebrows draw together.

“It’s not good?”

She waves a hand in the air, pushing away his concern.

“It’s just a whole thing. The party, or gala ,” she draws out the vowels and rolls her eyes as she says gala, “as I’m supposed to call it. My parents used to host it every year, and it sort of fell to me after they died. I’ve been hosting for their friends ever since.”

“For their friends? What about your friends?”

Everly shrugs, pulling her lips to the side and wrinkling her nose. She doesn’t really have any friends apart from Frankie, but she doesn’t want to tell him that.

“Why did that become your responsibility? It seems you don’t enjoy it.”

He’s correct in that deduction. She has never enjoyed it, even when her parents were still alive and she didn’t have to host.

“It’s what is expected of me, I guess.” Everly shrugs again, then accidentally hurls her handful of dirt at the hole a bit too aggressively and it splatters across her legs. She huffs and sits back on her feet, legs folded underneath her and hands on her hips as she glares at the ground .

“But it’s not what you want.” Asim is hitting one nail on the head after the other.

“No, it’s not what I want.” The words come out softly, with more emotion threaded through them than she intends.

Asim eyes her for a moment, his lips pursed.

“Maybe it doesn’t have to be that way. If it’s not who you are, you could change it. Do something different. I don’t think it’s fair of them to put so much pressure on you, and you have the right to say no.” His voice is slow and steady, almost tentative, as if he doesn’t want to scare her away.

“Now you sound like Carrie," Everly grumbles under her breath and picks up another trowel-full of dirt. Everyone acts like it’s so easy to just do what she wants, but it’s not. There are people relying on her, people who plan their entire holiday season around this party. She can’t quit hosting it now, after so many years. Besides the fact that it’s always been her family who hosts. It’s tradition, and the elite love their traditions.

She flings the small pile of dirt at the plants roots, watching it crumble apart with the impact.

“Who is Carrie?” Asim is watching her with his eyebrows slightly bunched, having stopped digging and set his shovel next to him on the ground. He’s working on holes for the smaller plants now, so he’s using a hand trowel and is also on his knees a few feet away from her, though he looks like he wants to shuffle closer and is debating if she would welcome it or not.

Everly hadn’t intended for him to hear her comment about Carrie, unsure if she wants to share that part of herself yet. She picks up another handful of soil, letting it slowly trickle through her fingers around the roots she’s burying before answering.

“Carrie is… my therapist.” She swirls her finger through the loose soil, creating a pattern of loops around the base of the plant. Everly isn’t ashamed of going to therapy, but she knows many people hold a stigma or misunderstand it. She doesn’t want to feel rejected or disappointed if that’s his reaction, and she’s glad he decided on giving her space rather than crowding her.

“You don’t have to share if you don’t want to. I didn’t mean to pry into a personal topic.” Asim is eyeing her carefully, his gaze flickering from her gloved fingers to her tense shoulders to her downcast eyes and back. Everly realizes as he gives her an out that she actually does want to share. She feels more comfortable with him than she thought was possible, and the fact that he didn’t immediately scoff or judge her is a good sign.

“It’s okay,” she glances up at him to confirm he isn’t looking at her in any negative way, then continues. “I’ve been meeting with her for a while now. She’s really good, mainly she helps me with anxiety. You might’ve noticed.” Everly twists her mouth to the side and grimaces as she thinks back on how her anxiety did its best to sabotage her the first couple times they met.

“Well, you definitely couldn’t have missed it when I literally ran away that one time.” She glances up again to see he’s leaned forward, listening intently. He nods for her to continue, but doesn’t say anything yet. “That’s what happened. Outside the candy shop. I panicked and my anxiety took over and I ran away. I’m sorry.” She twists her hands together, fighting the urge to jump up and run away again.

“It’s alright.” Asim’s voice is softer than she has ever heard it. “I figured you were nervous or something came up, I didn’t know you struggled with anxiety though. Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me, but please don’t feel like you need to apologize for that.”

Everly stares at him, stunned. He thanked her? Is that something people do when someone tells them they have a mental illness and go to therapy? Not in her experience, but then again, Asim isn’t like anyone else she’s met before so she shouldn’t be surprised.

“That’s… huh. Okay," Everly says, feeling her shoulders drop and her body relax back onto her heels. She’s still trying to get her brain to start moving forward again. He offers her a gentle smile, then moves a little closer and asks what she meant earlier about him reminding her of Carrie. At the same time, he pulls that ever-present cloth from his pocket to clean the dirt from his hands.

“Oh, that.” Everly huffs at herself. “She’s been challenging me to be myself. Sounds silly, I know, but it turns out I don’t really know who I am. So I’ve been trying to figure it out. I think…” Everly trails off, casting her eyes to the side and looking at the plants surrounding her instead of him.

“You think what?” Asim prompts her to continue when she hesitates.

“I think you’ve been helping me with that. With being more comfortable with myself, and being who I truly am.” She’s starting to blush and turns her face downward again in an effort to hide it, but then she notices his reaction.

Asim’s thoughtful look transforms into a smile that takes over his face. His eyes crinkle up at the corners, and he slides next to her, taking her gloved hand in his.

“I have never been more highly complimented," he says, and gives her hand a squeeze, then brushes his thumb along the bare skin of her wrist above her glove, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

Everly is taken aback by him yet again. This man is unbelievable, and kind of strange, but in the best way. It takes her a breath to react in kind, and a smile spreads across her face too, deepening her blush. She pulls her hand from his and covers her cheeks with her fingers, not caring that she still has gardening gloves on. She needs the coolness of the rubbery material, and she doesn’t want him to see her blushing yet again.

“Please, don’t hide from me.” His voice is tender yet firm. Asim wraps his fingers around her wrists and tugs her hands down, then gently brushes the dirt off her face. He traces his fingers lightly over her cheeks, painting the blush on them. “You’re beautiful.”

This, of course, only makes her redden further. Everly sucks in her lips, biting them between her teeth in an effort to hold in the protest forming in response to his compliment. She’s beet red and likely covered in both dirt and sweat, probably as far from beautiful as she’s ever been.

Asim lets his hands fall from her face, and is now tracing circles on her palm as he holds one of her hands open in his. Everly wishes she didn’t have the gloves on so she could feel his skin against hers. His green eyes hold her captive, a willing victim .

“May I take you out on a date?” he asks.

“I would love that.” Everly blinks in surprise when she doesn’t hesitate in her reply. Her shoulders fully loosen, and her smile feels easy on her face. If this is what it’s like to let your inner self shine, her therapist deserves a raise.