Yesterday`s flower by Michelle Tarynne (uplifting book club books .txt) 📕

♥

As always, Jared was already out of bed when Erika woke up. She could hear him outside on his phone. Slipping on her sandals, she found him standing facing the ocean.

Positioned behind Jared, she put her arms around him, listening to the tail-end of his conversation. He jumped, finishing it off quickly.

‘Well, I’m sorry you feel that way. That’s not at all what I meant, but it’s up to you ...

No, I won’t be back this evening, not till late anyway ... I told you, I’m at the flat ... Fine. Why don’t you call when you’re ready? Bye.’ He turned, pocketing his mobile phone. He kissed Erika, just a peck.
‘Hello, gorgeous.’
‘What was that all about?’ Erika asked.

‘I shouldn’t have phoned her,’ Jared replied. ‘Never do business when you’ve taken the day off.’
‘Is everything okay?’

‘Brilliant,’ Jared said, cupping her bo om. ‘Because I have the sexiest woman in the world wearing nothing but a T-shirt standing right in front of me. What could possibly be wrong?’
‘If you say so.’

Jared checked his watch. ‘Although, unfortunately, we have to leave in ten minutes ...’ ‘Where are we going?’
‘Well, if you think this view is beautiful, wait until you see the next one.’

♥

They skipped all the queues for the cableway. Erika didn’t ask Jared how he’d managed it and he didn’?t tell her, but she suspected this was not the first time he’d bent the rules, nor would it be the last. Jared positioned them so that they were at the closest edge to the city. It wasn’t dark yet, but the streets below were just beginning to flicker with evening lights.

The cablecar lifted, and the city bowl swept out below them. Then the harbour, the V&A Waterfront, and the ocean beyond. Soon the cablecar began to rotate, offering them a 360-degree view all the way up. Over a thousand metres, but it was ten short minutes and the ride was over. Jared held Erika’s hand as they were buffeted by the other departing passengers.
‘This way,’ he said, leading her to a rocky outcrop just off the pathway.

Just next to them, li le rabbit-like creatures bounded away to just beyond their reach. ‘Dassies,’ Jared said. ‘You should see them in the middle of the day; they simply stretch
out and absorb the sunlight.’
‘Do people feed them?’
‘I guess so, but we’re not really supposed to.’

Si ing next to each other on a flat rock, both of them fell silent, their words stolen by the majestic colours of the changing sky and the city life below. Jared picked up his cooler bag and pulled out two glasses and a bo le of Le Domaine sparkling wine. The cork popped, and Jared poured generously.
‘Cheers,’ he said.
Erika shifted closer to kiss him. ‘This is magical,’ she said.
‘No, ’ Jared replied. ‘You are,’ and he kissed her back.

Erika didn’t know how to broach the subject. Jared seemed unconcerned as to Max’s

opinion and though she’d asked Jared several times, he’d made no effort to chat to Max on her behalf. She realised finally that she’d have to do it herself. Knocking on Max’s study door, she waited for him to wave her in. Max nodded for her to take a seat while he finished his phone call.

‘What’s up?’ he asked, plugging his mobile phone in to charge.

Erika handed Max a file. To protect them, she’d placed every illustration in a plastic, punched folder. They were all in order, tracing a three-hundred-year history in a mix of media, sizes and styles, a deviation from her normal mode. Usually, she stuck to one style throughout a book, but there was something about Le Domaine that had inspired more creativity than she’d ever thought possible.

‘I think I’m done,’ she said.

Max took the file from her. Though he’d seen many of the illustrations before, he hadn’t seen them presented like this. As he flapped through, his expression was unreadable and Erika felt her stomach twisting. She knew she’d already let Max down once; she didn’t want to do it again.

Max got to the last page, then closed the file.

‘They’re fabulous,’ he said. ‘Well done.’

Erika studied Max, and though his words were the right ones, his eyes said something she couldn’t quite hear.

‘Are you sure?’ Erika said. ‘Are you happy?’

‘They’re great. Really.’ Max turned his back to Erika as he fiddled in a drawer behind him.

‘You don’t need me to change anything?’ Erika prompted.

‘No,’ he said without turning around. ‘I think we’ve covered it. Of course, my publisher will have an opinion, but I doubt there’ll be much more to do.’

Erika couldn’t stand it. She slipped behind Max’s desk, forcing him to turn and face

her.

‘Max,’ she said, ‘what’s going on?’

‘Nothing, nothing,’ he said gruffly.

But then his hand lifted to trace her face, his fingers raking gently through her hair, his touch as tender as a feather passing. Erika didn’t move. Max stepped closer to her, touching his lips to her hairline, then traced her forehead with kisses. A surge of emotion passed between them.

‘I’m sorry I’ve hurt you,’ Erika said.

Max remained silent, kissing the bridge of her nose, then her cheeks, her eyes, as though he was worshipping her, memorising every inch of her face. He didn’t have to say anything for Erika to know how he still felt about her.

To stay here with Jared was cruel. The gallery they’d found in town had a li le apartment above it that Jared was planning to rent out. But rather than staying here and torturing Max, she should move in there. Her question was answered: it was impossible to talk to Max about staying on at Le Domaine. She couldn’t even a empt it.

Max kissed her once softly on the lips, then let her go.

‘I’ll miss you, Erika,’ he said.

And Erika smiled, then stroked his cheek. ‘And I you,’ she said.

♥

Jared stood by the bed watching Erika pack.

‘I don’t get it,’ he said. ‘You want me to trek into town to come see you? What’s wrong with staying here?’

‘It’s five minutes’ drive, Jared. And you can stay over any time you like.’

‘Well, I don’t like it, actually. Max is a selfish git and I don’t see why we have to run our lives according to his timetable.’

‘Max doesn’t even know,’ Erika said, trying to put her arms around Jared to pacify him.

‘Well, fuck it, Erika, maybe I should march into his office and tell him what he’s doing. Moping around like some love-struck teenager. He made the decision, and don’t you forget it.’

‘I don’t think Max felt he had any choice,’ Erika said. ‘He already knew how I felt about you.’

‘So now you’re moving into that cramped apartment because of him?’ Jared’s eyes blazed.

‘No, I’m moving there for you. I’m not going to be the cause of strife between you, and I’m certainly not going to rub Max’s feelings in the dirt. We need to give him time. Having me in his kitchen every morning isn’t helping things.’ Erika put the last of her things into her suitcase.

‘What about the co age?’ Jared asked. ‘You could move in there?’

‘I really don’t think Max needs to see me for while,’ Erika said. ‘The co age is in his back garden.’

‘It’s also my back garden,’ said Jared.

‘I’m sorry,’ Erika said. ‘We just need to give him a few months.’ ‘Meanwhile, I’m schlepping out every time I want a shag.’ Erika’s heart went cold. ‘Is that all this is about?’

‘It’s not all it’s about,’ Jared said. ‘You know I want to spend time with you ... preferably when you’re naked.’ He laughed, and even though Erika laughed too, she didn’t think it was all that funny.

‘Five minutes,’ Erika reminded Jared. ‘I promise you it will be worth the effort.’ Prudence emerged from the kitchen as Jared lifted Erika’s suitcase into her car, a smile

across her usually broody face. She was carrying a basket containing a few bo les of pickles that she’d made, some chicken sandwiches and a litre of home-made lemonade.

‘In case you get hungry,’ Prudence said, not unkindly. ‘There’s also a spare ke le, a few teabags, milk, sugar ...’

‘Thanks, Prudie. And thank you for taking care of me so well.’ Erika looked towards the house. ‘Have you seen Max?’ she asked.

Prudence shook her head. ‘Not since this morning. He went out riding.’

‘But he knew I was leaving this morning,’ Erika said, trying to keep the hurt out her voice. ‘Can you at least tell him I said goodbye?’

Prudence nodded.

‘I think that’s about it,’ Jared said as he loaded the last of her canvases onto her back

seat. ‘I’ll meet you there, Erika. Park under the shade cloth – I’ll just park at the pub and walk across.’ He smiled at Prudie. ‘Guess it’s just the three of us again tonight,’ he said. ‘Any chance you could whip up some oxtail? Tell Max I’ll be back around seven.’

‘Okay, Mr Jared.’

Erika felt a twinge – of what? Jealousy? Nervousness? Regret? She hadn’t even left and Jared was making plans. Starting up the engine, she resolved to ignore any feelings she wasn’t entitled to: this was her choice, after all.

As she drove down the avenue, she glanced towards the stables where she’d spent so much time over the last few weeks. Her heart shifted as she saw Max, still mounted on Pinotage. Their eyes locked. A nod from Max. There was just so much Erika still wanted to say to him, and she almost stopped the car to run back.

But she didn’t.

♥

They’d rented the apartment furnished. It wasn’t at all to Erika’s tastes or, judging by his grimace, Jared’?s. Nevertheless it was convenient, and the gallery area down below was spectacular. Well lit. A clever use of space, and huge windows offering a backdrop of the Wemmershoek mountains.

Jared yanked her bags up the staircase.

‘You’re going to lock this off, right?’ he said. ‘When you’re downstairs in the gallery, make sure no one can get in here.’

Erika was touched by his protectiveness. ‘If you think that’s necessary.’

Jared dumped the bags in the si ing room upstairs. ‘It’s necessary,’ he said. ‘Trust me.’ And she took him at his word, writing down ‘locksmith’ on her long list of to-dos. Erika hadn’t originally planned to open the gallery to the public until the beginning of

January; she didn’t have enough paintings yet. But Madeleine, hearing of her plans, was immediately supportive.

‘Your own gallery, wow,’ she’d said. ‘Would you like to fetch the ones from the café? And maybe you could use the one in Donald’s house. You wouldn’t have to sell it, but it would make an impressive backdrop ...’

‘What about the new paintings I’ve done for you, Madeleine? I was going to bring them through –’

‘Keep them there, honey. I’ll get by.’

Erika was amazed by the kindness she encountered. The florist across the road brought her a huge bunch of streli ias to brighten the starkness of almost-empty walls. On her second day, her neighbour from the Huguenot coffee shop brought a la e and a muffin as she was scraping old flyers from the gallery windows. Jared organised a rush job