The Invitation
~
It had been a couple days since Elliot had extended a friendly invitation to dance with him at the flower festival. You had gratefully accepted, not wanting the drama of Sam or Sebastian asking you. Or God forbid, Shane. The memory of Shane’s body against yours flashed in your brain, followed by the memory of him hustling out of your house.
Elliot was a good friend. Polite. Steady. Reliable. But that wasn’t all he was to you. You thought of the way he carefully considered the waves, watching the seagulls, his long auburn hair flowing majestically in the breeze. Truthfully, the thought of him made your mouth water. But he hadn’t made any advances towards you, unlike most of the other men in this town, so you felt safe with him. You also considered him a real friend, not a man trying to get to know you to eventually sleep with you. No, not Elliot. He was far too much of a gentleman.
Today, the potatoes needed harvesting. You prodded at a small vine underneath the earth, and came across a few tubers at once. It seemed that for every potato you had planted, two or more were being thrown back at you. You easily filled up your basket, and had to make a few trips.
You stood at your kitchen counter, marveling at your potatoes. You had harvested three and a half baskets full. You’d sell three baskets, of course, but what good was being a farmer if you couldn’t share your harvests with those in the community?
You picked up your half full basket, and wandered into town, eager to share potatoes.
First, the clinic. No Maru today. There was only Harvey in the back room.
“Harvey! Look!” You held up your woven basket and wiggled it proudly.
“Y/n! Great job. Those look incredible.” He smiled at you, his mustache curling.
You handed him a few potatoes and he thanked you profusely. “You know, I don’t remember the last time I actually cooked a fresh vegetable. I mainly just eat frozen food…” Harvey smiled, wistfully considering the earthy potatoes in his hands.
“You’re a doctor!”
“I know.” He hung his head. “It’s so hypocritical, isn’t it?”
You could only think of how cute he looked when he was sulking. You’d never seen him like that. You quickly departed, eager to hand out more potatoes, and eager to not catch yourself in another complicated relationship.
Next, Pierre’s. Even though Abby and Sebastian had confided in you some pretty upsetting things about Pierre, he still was a big part of your business. So, you handed him a few potatoes as a gift.
“Thanks, farmer y/n! I bet I could get a good price for these.”
“No, these are a gift, Pierre. For you.”
“Oh! Thank you…” He said, his voice trailing off.
Next was Gus’s. You handed him a stack, placing the dirty potatoes on the counter, leaving behind some crumbling dirt.
“They smell so fresh.” Gus said, picking up one and lifting it to his nose. “Come back tomorrow night, and I’ll make you some fresh fries out of it?”
“Gus, they’re for you.”
“You’re sharing with me, can’t I share with you?”
You dropped some off at Evelyn and George’s house. You didn’t see Alex there, and that was fine by you. You gave an armful to Penny and she thanked you gratefully.
You had some potatoes left, enough to give some to Robin and Demetrius, and Jodi. Everyone you had missed you decided to give them something else next time you had a big harvest.
You walked into Jodi’s house after knocking the door and hearing her yelling at you to come in.
Jodi’s house always smelled clean and always looked bright. You loved it here. You took off your shoes, remembering the last time you left them on and she had scolded you.
“Jodi, I brought you some potatoes.”
“Oh, thank you dear!” You heard her voice drifting from the kitchen. You walked towards her voice, through her living room, and were stopped by a voice.
“Y/N.” Sam said. You turned, and saw him. He was wearing shorts today, and a vintage band t-shirt that was faded. He hadn’t styled his hair yet, so it fell naturally to his shoulders. You liked his hair like that. You smiled at him softly.
“Hi, Sam.” You said, your voice giving away more fondness than you would have liked.
Jodi walked out from the kitchen, drying her hands with a dish towel. “Those look lovely, y/n!”
Your eyes darted between Sam and Jodi, and you collected 7 potatoes for them. You handed them to Jodi, and she took them to the kitchen to wash off.
You and Sam stood in awkward silence while Jodi hummed happily from the kitchen. “Thank you, these are so beautiful!” She called.
“You’re welcome.” You said. You looked at Sam, making eye contact with his beautiful blue eyes. “Well, I should go…”
“Not so fast!” Jodi called. “You brought us these lovely potatoes, so why don’t you come join us for dinner tonight? I can make them mashed.”
“Oh, I couldn’t…” You said, your throat tightening as you gazed at the floor.
“Nonsense, sweetie. Come around 7, okay?” She called.
“You can’t refuse when she’s like this.” Sam smiled at you kindly. “Come, y/n. It’ll be fun.” He urged in his deep voice.
“...Okay.” You agreed. “I’ll be back then.”
You turned around, wanting to shove on your shoes, but felt Sam’s big hand wrapped easily around your forearm. He squeezed a little, sending electricity up into your shoulder.
You turned around to face him. He gazed at you sweetly. “You have a little…” He moved his fingers towards your face, brushing some hair out of your eyes. “There.” He said.
“Thanks…” You said, feeling your face become red. You turned around quickly. “I’ll see you guys later!”
~