The Wrong Woman

"Thank you," Rick said to Elio and Candice as they walked away. "I'll arrange for the delivery right away."
Elio led Candice outside to the quiet street of the garden center. He turned to face her with frustration in his eyes.
Candice's heart pounded as she sensed his irritation. She swallowed hard, staring at him.
With his frustration barely contained, Elio lowered his voice. "Candice, let me make this clear one last time. I'm Jasper's uncle,
not yours. I have no familial connection to your parents. Do you understand?" Confused by his upset tone, Candice quickly
apologized, "I'm sorry. I understand now. It won't happen again."
Elio sighed, his expression softening as he gazed at her, who stared back at him. For a moment, an unusual connection seemed
to spark between them.
Summoning her courage, Candice asked, "Elio, are you and Josie truly not together?"
"No," Elio replied.
Candice's heart pounded as she continued, "Do you have a girlfriend?"
"No."
A wave of joy surged through Candice, and she bit her lip to hold back a smile. Striving to appear calm, she simply said, "Oh!"
Elio's tone softened as he suggested, "Let's head back. You could help me figure out where to place the plants when they arrive
so they look nice."
Feeling anxious, Candice asked, "I'll be going to your house?"
Elio sensed the hesitation and promptly explained, "We'll simply figure out where to place them. After that, I'll drive you straight
home."
"Oh," Candice murmured, lowering her head to hide a shy smile.
They returned to the car and drove off. During the journey, Candice wrestled with the urge to ask about Elio's thoughts when they
slept together. However, she decided against it, finding the topic too awkward. She thought men and women were different, after
all. Sometimes, loneliness and desire might lead a man to seek physical comfort from a woman with no deeper feelings involved.

Night had fallen by the time they reached Hillside Villa. The truck delivering the plants arrived just as they did.
Workers began unloading and carrying the plants inside under Candice's direction. Once everything was in place, the workers
departed.
The once cold, empty home now looked like a cozy little botanical garden.
Elio watched from the corner, gentle warmth filling his heart as he admired Candice's handiwork, His emotions were plain to see,
reflected in the unending smile on his face.
Candice surveyed her work with a frown of concern. She turned to Elo and said awkwardly, "I'm sorry, Elio. I might have gone
overboard with the plants. It feels a bit overwhelming." en.swhovels.net
"No, I love it. It looks great," Elio responded with a gentle smile.
Candice's face lit up with a smile at his praise. "Really? You truly love it?"
Elio nodded with a hum of acknowledgment. Then, gesturing toward the dining table, he added, "Dinner's ready. How about we
eat together before you head home?"
Candice glanced at the time and hesitated. She was mostly concerned about the potential awkwardness of dining alone with
Elio.
Noticing her reluctance, Elio quickly added, "Returning too early might raise Jasper's suspicions."
Candice thought he had a point. She usually only headed home after 10:00 pm when shopping with Vanessa.
"Alright," Candice said with a smile as she walked toward the dining table. Elio followed her with a smile spreading across his
face.
It was their first dinner alone, and the atmosphere was quiet yet cozy.
Candice noticed Elio's silence throughout the meal. Although he didn't say much, he continually attended to her needs, serving
her food, peeling shrimp, deboning fish, and ladling soup into her bowl.
She could see he was in a good mood.

After dinner, Elio sliced some fruit and brought it to the coffee table in the living room for her to enjoy.