Single Weretiger DILF
Juliette took the roses, and closed her mouth when she realized it had fallen open a little. “How lovely,” she said. She put them on one of the tables and plucked the card from between two fat blooms. “Thank you,” she read out loud. Juliette smiled so broadly, she was glad her back was to Gunther and he couldn’t see it.
“Please tell him the flowers were unnecessary. But they’re beautiful, and I appreciate the gesture.”
“Certainly,” he said.
She turned and waved at Gunther as he left, then carried the gorgeous roses to the display counter and placed them at the end near the register.
“Oh my God,” Noelle said when she carried fresh croissants to the display case. “Somebody’s got a crush.”
Juliette sniffed the flowers and couldn’t seem to stop touching them. “I helped him yesterday. This was a thank you, that’s all.”
Noelle rubbed the back of her wrist over her forehead, a spatula in her gloved hand. “C’est des conneries. You expect us to believe that? The gentleman had the hots for you for months. I doubt those roses are only a simple thank you. Hey, Andy—” she called her co-conspirator, “if you were to give a girl you like roses, do you expect her to be just a friend?”
“Friendzoned? Hell no. I’d want her to sleep with me. Roses ain’t cheap.”
“I know, right?”
“Duh.”
She and Andy traded a mocking glance.
“Hey, I see that!” Juliette pointed out. “And nothing happened. This is just an elaborate thanks, that’s all.”
“Right. Did you sleep with him?” asked Noelle brazenly. Sometimes, that French girl lacked social filter. She wagged her tongue as she pleased. Andy looked surprised with her boldness this time.
“No. Like I said, nothing happened,” Juliette responded hotly.
“Do you want to?” Noelle wasn’t ready to let this one go.
“Get back to work, Ms. Busybody.”
Noelle nodded at Andy conspiratorially. “Yeah, she does.”
Andy chuckled.
“I heard that,” said Juliette. “Stop meddling in my personal life.”
“I’m a multi-tasker, Juliette. I’m perfectly capable of doing both.”
Juliette shook her head. She shooed her away and went back to arranging pastries in the case while admiring the bouquet every few minutes.
Before six o’clock and opening time rolled around, Juliette had made a decision. She took off her apron and her hairnet, put her hands on her hips, and addressed her employees.
“Kids, how’d you two like to run Bonbon for a whole day?”
*
As Juliette pulled up outside the mansion, she decided for the third time that it was a bad idea. It was too early to drop in on someone for a visit, but she knew Wilhelm was always up early, usually hovering outside her shop. He’d been through a lot in the last day, so maybe he’d slept in? She kept arguing with herself that this was foolish, an intrusion. The signed rental paperwork could be mailed.
But it made a great excuse to stop by. She could have waited and brought the paperwork to his office after he left for the day, but then she wouldn’t get to see the babies.
And damn if she didn’t miss them after being with them only a short time yesterday.
She wanted to thank him for the flowers too. Juliette felt a personal thank you would be better than a note or a phone call. And maybe in thanks, she’d kiss him on the cheek. Put her hands on his arms, maybe a light embrace. She wanted him to know that she was definitely open to something along those lines.
And she wanted to test herself, to see if what she was starting to feel was real.
It took a few moments before someone answered the door, and she chided herself for showing up at such a stupid hour again. Leanne frowned at her. “Yes?”