Chapter 61
Wow.
* * * *
Levi: I’ll pick you up at four. Dress causal. And wear your beanie, you look cute in it.
The time had never moved as slowly as it did on Saturday. Each minute felt like an hour and I hadn’t been able to concentrate on anything all day. I’d even braved the cold temperatures and gone for a walk, trying to get rid of some nervous energy. When I got back, I showered and got dressed, and now I sat on the couch, pretending to read. But not even Harry, Hermione, and Ron could keep my mind from obsessing over our upcoming date. Levi had refused to tell me where we were going despite that I’d asked him several times.
“You’ll see,” was all he said before changing the subject.
Considering the casual outfit—my favorite pair of jeans, worn so frequently they were comfy enough to sleep in, a blue polo shirt and a black V-neck sweater—he wouldn’t take me to a fancy restaurant. That was a relief. I hated wearing suits and if it hadn’t been for work, I would have burned them all. If I ever got married, it would have to be to someone who would be okay with me saying our vows in sweatpants, or the deal was off.
But the question remained: where was he taking me at four PM on a Saturday afternoon?
The doorbell rang, making me jump. A glance at my phone told me he was five minutes early. I approved.
I stood and brushed off my sweater. I took a deep breath to try to calm the flutters in my stomach. Then I opened the door.
“Hi,” Levi said with one side of his mouth quirking up in a shy smile. The chilly weather had painted his cheeks a lovely pink shade, and his eyes shone happily.
He wore a pair of black jeans so tight I forgot how to breathe for a second. His green utility jacket was unzipped and revealed a charcoal sweater that hugged his body in all the right places. He took my breath away.
“Hi.” I wanted to put my arms around him and inhale his scent. Hug him tight and finally feel his body pressed against mine. But I did none of those things. “You look great,” I said instead.
“So do you.” He stepped close, reached for my hand, and weaved our fingers together. He leaned in and rested his cheek to mine. A shiver started at the back of my neck and raced down my spine. We stood like that for several moments, breathing together. His thumb caressed mine and I hummed out a happy sound. His now familiar scent of honey wound itself around me.
I could stay like this forever, but far too soon he took a step back. “I’m going to leave this here,” he said and held up a cooler bag I hadn’t noticed before. He put it down without letting go of my hand. “Ready to go?”
I nodded and reluctantly freed my hand to put on my jacket. When I pulled the beanie down over my ears, he shot me a brilliant smile.
A few minutes later we were in his car, on our way out of town. I no longer cared where we were going, I was happy just being with him. He held my hand the entire way, only letting go when he needed to shift gears.
Eventually, he parked outside a huge building that looked like a warehouse. A large sign on the side told me what it was.
Fluttery Wings Butterfly Garden was written in a curly font, with abstract images of butterflies surrounding the name
“Butterfly garden?” I asked as we approached the entrance.
“Yes. It’s a massive indoor garden with trees and bushes and flowers and loads and loads of butterflies,” he explained. “I’ve been here once before. We visited with the family, but I spent the entire time chasing after Leah. The only time I saw an actual butterfly was when I had to stop her from pulling the wings off one.” He made a horrified face. “I’ve always wanted to come back here with someone who’d appreciate it.”
I had no idea this place—or butterfly gardens—even existed.
Levi paid the entrance fee and we watched an introduction video on how to behave during our visit before we were allowed to enter the actual garden.
It was like stepping through a portal into another world. As if we’d ended up in Narnia.
It was an honest to goodness garden, only indoors. It was green and lush, with flower beds framing paths winding through the diverse vegetation, inviting us to stroll. Trees created spots of privacy. The sound of streaming water reached my ears, but I couldn’t see the source.