Marisa smiled as she ushered Blake into Lauren’s house. She could say the same thing to him. Dressed in a suit and tie, he looked more handsome than usual, the dark blue of his suit and the white of the shirt highlighting the tan he’d acquired while in Texas. “I hope you’re not allergic,” he said as he handed her what was obviously a florist’s box. Marisa opened it, sighing with pleasure when she saw an assortment of roses. Other than the single red carnation that Dupree High School’s graduates were expected to pin on their gowns and the yellow roses she’d rejected, these were the only flowers she’d received. She had bought Hal a boutonniere carefully dyed to match her prom dress and had expected him to bring her a corsage when he picked her up for the dance. He’d asked her about her dress color enough times that she’d believed he had something special in mind, and he had. It simply wasn’t the surprise Marisa had expected.
