A Hidden Danger

All I Wanted

Marigold

Two days. I had been receiving flowers for two days. Now it wasn't like I hated flowers. I loved them. But when you had so many flowers that there wasn't a clean surface in your home or office, it becomes too much. I sat at my desk and waited for the call. What would day three bring? More roses or spring arrangements? Would he venture out and add giant balloons to the bunch?

But the call never came. Two days must have been his limit for asking for forgiveness. I had hoped that the flowers would stop. But I hadn't thought that the attempts to gain forgiveness would have continued. Yet, I shouldn't have been surprised. I knew it was just a guilty conscience that made him want to apologize. Someone couldn't change that quickly. It just wasn't possible unless they were acting to begin with.

The way Data had acted didn't seem like he was acting. I tried over those two days to keep my thoughts away from him. I tried to not think about how Naomi had a hard time believing he would act like that. I was going to be strong and move on. But every damn time I took a breath and smelled those damned flowers I would think about him. Thought about how sweet he had been in the beginning and how horrible he was in the end. I thought about how hot he was and how I wanted to climb him like a tree. Hormones were making me horny, and I didn't know how to handle that.

"I guess he didn't want to send flowers today." Rachel said as we walked out to our cars.

"I guess two days was his max." I said with a sad smile.

As we got closer to my car, I noticed there was a man standing there. Rachel stopped and then shot me a grin and walked forward.

"Prospect, I see you've been given a job." She said to the man standing there.

"I have." He turns to me. "Data didn't think you were ready to see him yet, but he sent me with today's offering."

"Offering?"

"Yeah offering. He said that until he's able to get your forgiveness, he's going to be making an offering to you every day," the mans said.

"Wait, I don't want him buying me crap every day. That isn't going to prove he's sorry. It's just throwing some money at a problem." I said, huffing and trying to walk around the man.

"Wait that isn't what I meant. When I said offering,I meant he was, I meant he was going to give you a piece of himself every day. Some days it may be gifts, but then other days like today it will be something different."

"Okay prospect you need to show us why you're here or I'm calling Hammer to kick your ass." Rachel said.

The prospect went behind a truck that was sitting there and pulled out a guitar. He started playing and 'I soon recognized that it was the song All I wanted by Paramore. It was a song that played while we were care shopping and I had told him how much I had always liked them.

He had an amazing voice, and I could feel the emotions flowing through me as he sang. Rachel came and stood next to me and held my hand. The words hit my heart like a sledge hammer trying to tear a hole into the walls that I had built up. Every time he sang all I wanted was you. I could feel the hammer hitting the wall. The wall still stood though, when he finished. There were some small dents, but it still stood strong.

"He knows this isn't going to be enough, Autumn. But he wants you to know how he feels." He said and then leaves.

I stood there in shock, thinking about what in the world just happened. No one has ever done anything like that for me. The song itself is full of so much emotion and if he feels what the lyrics say, then he's hurting too. But that hurt is nothing compared to what he put me through.

"I know he's not nearly close to having groveled enough, but you have to admit that was pretty freaking sweet." Rachel said.

"Yeah, I have to give him props for that. I wonder how he figured out that guy could sing?" I said to her.

"Who knows? Those men live in their own world for the most part. Did you tell him you like that song?"

"I did. When we were car shopping, it came on and I said I liked them. I'm going to head home. See you in the morning." I said and got in the car.

I didn't want to talk about what had just happened. I knew the more I talked about it the more likely it would be that I would forgive him some. That had always been a problem for me. I didn't want anyone to be upset with me and knowing that he was worried about how I felt would have normally made me want to tell him it was okay and to let bygones be bygones.

I had to stop those patterns before I fell back into them. That was the opposite of what I wanted. The drive home gave me time to think about how I was going to handle all the things that were going to keep coming my way. One day at a time. That's all I could do.

"How are you beautiful girl?" Nadine asked as I got out of the car.

"I'm pretty good. How was your day Nadine?" I asked, walking over to where she was standing outside the office.

"Well, I'm feeling fantastic. Heard about your little serenade this evening." Nadine's smile was wide and I couldn't help myself but to smile back at her.

"It was beautiful. Do you know what happened in order for me to get that song?" I asked.

"I do and don't think I haven't smacked that moron upside his head. That boy knows better than to act like that. I'm not sure if you know why he acted that way but he thought he had a good reason to ignore you. That girl ran her mouth just because she wants to be someone's old lady." Nadine said as she walked over to some patio furniture. We took a seat.

"Rachel said the same thing. But what could possibly excuse him for acting that way and letting her say those things? She had to know something about why I was around for her to be able to say those things to me. She called me a charity case. Why would she know something like that?" I asked her.

It had been a thought that I couldn't get away from. How had the club whore known that the club had helped me in any way? Did Data tell her something? If she knew, then it would only be a matter of time before others knew and I would have to run again.

"I can see right where those thoughts are running and you're wrong. No one told her a thing. She thinks because you got a job at the clinic and were hanging around with Rachel that they were helping you. That idiot hasn't got a clue about anything that's going on. Hell, her bleached blonde self barely has a coherent thought in her head. You are safe my sweet girl. And as far as Data goes I think he thought he would protect you. Did you think he would fix your new identity without finding out who you are first? Maybe he thought it is best to stay away because of your husband's status? You said he was a bigwig in the business world."

I thought about what she said and it made sense. But I still couldn't let it go with how he had hurt me. Maybe I wouldn't need to run away again. I just didn't know what to think.

"He may be a moron, but I think Data had your best interest at heart. If you want my honest opinion i think he liked you too much and it scared him. Yours isn't a normal situation. If anything, he scared himself off, but you know what? Let him work himself ragged to fix things. That will show you if he's worth your time or not. I'm not letting you go to a man who doesn't deserve you." Nadine said, pulling me in for a hug.

"I'm so confused by all this. My marriage was arranged, so I have the experience of a child when it comes to matters of the heart." I said with a laugh.

"Funny thing is honey, I think he's the same. I've never seen that boy give anyone the time of day that he did those first two days. There was something there. Now is the time for him to prove it to you. Not everyone can forgive something like that, but if anyone can it's you honey. Your heart is pure and you have love in your heart that's just itching to get out. Watch him and listen to what he says and what he does. You'll get your answer on whether you should forgive him. Trust me."