Gail Sosinsky
Janet sipped her tea, watching out the sunroom window. Rob had been her gardener since she bought the house four years ago, and now he edged the wildflower bed along the drive. His careful, thoughtful movements created a comfortable contrast to last night’s date with Steven.
Despite the warm tea, Janet shuddered, finally admitting to herself that while Steven might check all the boxes she was supposed to admire—looks, a corporate title, money, and connections—he wrapped that package in an arrogant, self-righteous personality that left her exhausted and feeling like a bystander in her own life. And his temper kept getting worse!
She poured a second cup and noticed that Rob was removing a wasp’s nest the size of a large strawberry that had started under the eaves. She’d only mentioned one time the harm wasps did to the bees, and now he vigilantly removed any nests he found in her yard. She hoped he didn’t get stung.
Stung. That’s how she’d felt last night with Steven. She’d been exhausted from a full day of finance presentations to the CEO and had let her guard down, telling Steven about the upcoming beach vacation with her sorority sisters. Steven had exploded right in the middle of the restaurant, telling her that she had ruined the surprise vacation he had planned for that weekend.
Humiliated, Janet had walked out, ordered an Uber, and spent the night tossing and turning. Her friends, her family, everyone considered him a catch. Except she was the one who felt caught.
Outside the window, Rob trimmed the line of hedges that bordered her yard. After her vacation in France, she’d mentioned how she admired the topiary at the Marqueyssac, and since then he’d slowly been shaping the hedge—nothing fancy, just a series of whimsical hearts.
Well, it was time for Janet to do some trimming, too. Resolute, she set her cup down hard enough to splash tea on her Penn State T-shirt. She felt like a new person, from the tip of her messy brown ponytail to the ears of her fluffy old bunny slippers. No matter how much drama it created, she needed to cut Steven out completely. Just making the decision flooded her with relief.
Her phone beeped, her weekly reminder that it was 10 a.m. She stepped into the kitchen to pour cold tea over ice for Rob, one teaspoon of sugar, no lemon. She looked forward to her Saturday morning chat with Rob too much to skip it just because her romantic life had failed. She would call Steven when she came back inside.
Janet had almost reached the front door when the doorbell rang. Uneasiness washed over her, not because she didn’t know who rang, but because she did. She kicked off the bunny slippers and opened the door.
Steven stood on the landing with a fist full of long-stemmed roses and his charm turned up to ten.
“Oh, sweetheart! How can I apologize enough?” Steven declared. “I’m so sorry I got a little excited last night. It’s just that I hate spending time apart from you.”
Having seen behind Steven’s mask once, Janet couldn’t help but recognize the manipulation now.
“You’ll have to get used to it,” Janet said, surprising herself by stepping out onto the stoop, forcing Steven to backpedal down the steps. “I’m not going to see you anymore. You get upset every time I plan something with my friends. You even cut me off from my family! You need to leave.”
Shock momentarily silenced Steven. The gentle shower of water from the hose as Rob tended the flowers in front of the house filled the silence. Janet watched half a dozen unpleasant emotions slide across Steven’s face. From the corner of her eye, she saw Rob turn from the window box he was watering. He took a step toward her.
“Janet, I know you’re upset,” Steven said, his eyes dark, his left hand clutching the thorny stems like a club. He stepped up so quickly Janet stumbled, dropping the iced tea, shattering the glass on the stoop.
The water stopped, replaced by the sound of heavy footsteps.
“The lady asked you to leave,” Rob said.
Steven turned with a sneer. “Who do you think you are? Butt out!”
“The lady asked—”
Steven’s right fist shot from behind the roses, aiming straight at Rob’s face.
Rob ducked with the grace of a boxer and rose with his fist wrapped around the hose nozzle.
“The lady told you to leave,” Rob said as he doused Steven from belt buckle to nose.
Steven sputtered and waved the roses like an ineffectual umbrella. Janet took one look at his dripping dignity and did the unforgivable. She laughed.
Steven flung the roses to the ground and stomped to his Mercedes, backing out so erratically that he tore out a piece of lawn and wildflowers.
The laughter didn’t last. Soon, Janet’s frustration, fury, and fear left her shaking and crying. Guiding her away from the broken glass, Rob gently pulled her into an embrace, warm as the sunshine. Overwhelmed, she leaned against his chest and wrapped her arms around him as he whispered soft words that meant nothing and everything.
When the tears passed, she continued holding on, calmed by the steady beat of his heart—
He’d turned her hedges into hearts…how could she not have seen?
Janet leaned back to look up at Rob’s face. Concerned brown eyes, a bit of sunburn on his nose, a clipping from the hedge in his dark curls.
“I think we could both use a glass of tea,” she said, reaching up to remove the stray greenery. “Why don’t you come inside with me while I make it?”
He followed her through the front door.
Spark Flash Fiction 