WICKED { #Wattys2016 }

Chapter Thirty-Two: Flowers

Cordelia decided she loved the smell of aftershave. The smell filled her nostrils as Cal's mouth moved against hers. His hand moved up to the nape of her neck, and he shifted her head slightly so her mouth was more accessible to his. The slightly rough texture of his freshly shaven cheeks felt wonderful. His tongue moved inside. Slowly at first, then without hesitation. Warmth built inside her and she couldn't seem to get close enough to him.

But there was still a tiny annoying voice in the back of her mind that kept nagging and telling her this wasn't the place. That voice was proven right when Cordelia heard the sound of the front door opening.

To her horror, Cordelia pulled away to see her armed mother standing in the doorway, wishing she could unsee what she had just seen.

Cal -bless his heart- seemed to be the least flustered and threw Eleanor a tentative smile, "Good to see you Sheriff."

"Cal," Eleanor nodded, after having seemingly regained her sang-froid. "Can we expect to see you tonight?"

He flashed a smile and shifted his body so he was facing Eleanor and his hand rested on Cordelia's shoulder. "Yes ma'am."

Eleanor nodded in approval before looking to Cordelia expectantly. Realising that her mother wasn't going to let her have any more privacy with her boyfriend, she gave Cal a small apologetic smile, "I'll see you later."

"I'll be the one with the ridiculously big bouquet." He promised, daring to give her hand a squeeze before heading down the driveway into his car.

Eleanor waited until Cal's car had driven away before she pulled Cordelia inside. One look at Eleanor's face and Cordelia knew exactly the kind of conversation that was going to happen.

She groaned, "Mom. Believe me, we do not need to have that conversation."

"Well you never know!" Eleanor argued. "It could happen anytime! You could be driving around town and one thing leads to another and next thing you know it's nine months later and you're in labour."

"Mom."

"Just be safe!"

"I will!"

"Do you need condoms?"

"Jesus christ Mom, no!"

Eleanor pursed her lips unhappily but nodded towards the stairs, silently dismissing Cordelia.

Cordelia scurried upstairs and after shutting the door, she slumped against it and looked around the room, her eyes landing on a single snow white rose on her dresser.

She stood up and crossed the room to pick up the flower. It was perfect. It's stem was green and thornless, and the petals were a faultless pure white. She brought the flower to her face and took a sniff. It smelled like rain and nature. She held it to her chest and looked back at her desk for a note, but found none.

She frowned and headed down the hall to poke her head into her father's office, "Dad did you leave a rose in my room?"

Malcom was so engrossed in what he was working on, that he didn't even look up when she spoke. "No. We got you a bouquet of lilies for tonight." He replied absentmindedly.

Don't panic, Cordelia chided herself as she ducked back into the hall.

Just because it's not from your parents, and Cal said he would bring you a bouquet tonight does not mean the flower is poisonous, or dangerous in any way. Sure it's a little creepy, but who doesn't deal with a little creepy every now and then?

So far Cordelia hadn't convinced herself that the rose and it's significance was harmless. Because the question that kept reeling in her mind was; who had sent the rose?