Say it with Flowers  

Great, as if my day couldn’t get any worse! 

First I get summoned to the boss’s office only to be told the news we’d all been dreading for weeks, cutbacks had to be made and my job was among them, with immediate effect.  I had ten minutes to clear my desk before being escorted (yes I know, how humiliating after two years of loyal service) out of the building and having to hand over my security pass.

Secondly, it was raining.  Not just drizzle, but full on rain, the kind that bounces off the pavement, just to make sure you are drenched all over.  Just great!

“What am I going to do now?” I asked myself as I waited for the bus to take me home.

Over the next few days, I searched for a suitable job, but to no avail.  The recession had hit the job market hard and there just wasn’t anything out there, at least nothing I liked the look of.

Days turned to weeks and my small amount of redundancy money was running out.  I needed a job, any job; I’d dropped my expectations and no longer felt I could be choosy about the kind of job I took.  If I didn’t find something soon, I’d have to move out of my flat and possibly move back in with my parents, or advertise for a lodger.  There was no way I’d be able to afford to pay the rent alone.

After another long day delivering my CV to various companies in town, I decided to call it a day and head home.  Deciding I’d better save what little money I had left, I began walking instead of getting the bus.  The exercise would do me good anyway.

Lost in a world of my own, I didn’t even notice the hooded guy walking towards me.  Next thing I knew, I was being tackled to the ground and wrestled for my bag.

“Give me the fucking bag bitch!” he growled in my face

“No…get off me” I screamed and clung to my bag.  There wasn’t much in there – a crappy old phone, a lipstick, a compact mirror and just a small amount of money - but it was mine, why the fuck should I give it up just because some asshole wanted it.

“I was hoping to do this the easy way” he snarled and then pulled his fist back and punched me hard in the face, my head bounced off the pavement.

I was so stunned and disorientated that I let go of my bag and brought my hands up to protect my face from any possible further blows.  He snatched the bag and quickly got up, sprinting off into the distance at speed.

Was it worth reporting to the Police?  How serious would they take the theft of an outdated phone and a bit of loose change?  I decided I’d give them a call later rather than call in at a Police Station.  I’d also have to cancel my bank cards too.

Once I’d dried my tears and felt more together in myself, I picked my umbrella up off the street and turned to begin the walk home.  Strange how not a single person had even witnessed what had happened, but I guess the rain was keeping people off the streets.

As I turned to walk away, a sign in a shop window caught my eye…

SHOP ASSISTANT WANTED

MUST BE FLEXIBLE REGARDING HOURS

PLEASE APPLY WITHIN 

Maybe this was fate or something, albeit a cruel kind of fate.  But if I hadn’t just been robbed, I wouldn’t have even noticed the sign, I would’ve carried on walking in a world of my own.

“Should I go in?” I mentally asked myself and wondered how ruffled up I looked.

I supposed that I had as much chance as anyone else, except for the fact that I maybe had a red mark on my cheek and looked a little rain soaked.  Not ideal, I know.

“Hello, can I help you?” asked a rather feminine looking man.  Although to be honest, feminine wasn’t really the right word…unusual looking, that was how I’d define him.  He was wearing a pair of tight black ripped jeans with a patterned shirt and also a scarf.  On his head he wore a hat of some description, and were they cowboy boots he had on his feet?  He also wore black nail polish and heavy black eyeliner.  I wondered if he was gay.

“Erm…I noticed the advert in the window, so thought I’d come in and ask about it.  I’m sorry, but I had a little mishap just a few minutes ago, I don’t usually look this rough” I babbled nervously.

“You OK?  What happened?” he asked me

“Oh, it was nothing” I lied.  I didn’t really want to talk about it, especially as I was trying to make a good impression and maybe land myself a job.

“Sure?” he asked

“Positive” I replied

“OK…well I’d better introduce myself.  I’m Alex…Alex McLean and I own the place” he told me

“Kirsty Jenkins” I replied, shaking his soft, warm and tattooed hand. 

“So, have you worked in a florists before?” he asked

“No, but I’m a fast learner and am flexible about the hours” I told him and we chatted easily for a few minutes, after which, he offered me the job.

“Is tomorrow too soon?” he asked “it’s just that I’m a little short staffed at the moment”

“Not at all, what time would you like me here?” I asked

“Well, I usually like to get down to the flower market early, but I don’t expect you to be up at the crack of dawn to come with me, so how about we say seven o’clock, is that OK?” he queried.

I hadn’t really expected to have to be up that early, but who was I to query the hours?  I needed a job and would just have to get used to the early mornings until something else came along.

“Yeah, sure.  That’s great” I said enthusiastically.

“In that case, I’ll see you tomorrow Kirsty” he smiled

“See you tomorrow Alex” I replied

I made my way home as fast as I could and called up my bank to cancel my cards, and then called the Police.  As I expected, they were quite useless, but said they’d send out a crime report form for me to complete, but not to get my hopes up about recovering my bag or any of its contents.

~*~

Working with Alex turned out to be fun but also hard work, I’d had no idea how much effort went into making up those exquisite bouquets, floral arrangements, baskets and god knows what else.  If you could make it with flowers, we do it!  But Alex was patient and a good teacher, he was also pretty easygoing.

The weeks turned to months and although I hadn’t intended to stay here long when I first began working for Alex, I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else now.  The hours were sometimes longer than the average office job, but I loved my work and took pride in it.  I’d always been a bit of a perfectionist.

Although Alex and I got on together brilliantly, we never talked about our private lives, or should I say he didn’t.  He listened to me talk about disastrous dates and always offered me a shoulder to cry on when I needed it.  He was like the movie stereotypical ‘gay best friend’, although I still wasn’t 100% certain whether he was gay or not.  I mean, he looked like he could be, what with his fashion sense and the way he liked a gossip…but what if he wasn’t? 

Don’t even think of him that way Kirsty, you’ll only set yourself up for more heartache.  He may be kind of cute and have the dreamiest eyes you ever saw, but he’s off limits, remember that, unless you want to go looking for another job!

I was in danger of falling for my boss.  The more time we spent together, the more I liked what I saw.  If only he would give me a sign one way or the other.

“Kirsty, I’m going to need an extra pair of hands at the market tomorrow, is that alright?” he asked chirpily.  It was coming up to Valentine’s Day and I knew we’d have a hectic few days, it must be the florists equivalent of Christmas, or something like that.

“Course it is Alex” I replied.  I’d helped him once or twice on his early morning market trips and was surprised at the bustling activity at that time of the morning.

“Great, I’ll pick you up then, see you in the morning” he said “and wrap up warm, gonna be another cold one”

“Yes Dad” I teased and he threw a stray rose stem at me, missing by miles “see you in the morning”.

It was freezing cold the next morning, and I was glad I’d taken Alex’s advice and wrapped up well.  The market was alive and bustling with everyone eager to get the best items they could before they all went.  We were no exception.  We spent a couple of hours selecting our stock and then loaded it up into the van, ready to take back.

“Let’s get a hot drink before we go back” he suggested and took my hand gently, pulling me away from the van.

“OK” I replied and revelled in the feeling of his warm hand against my skin.

Unfortunately, he soon removed his hand.  It was as if he suddenly realised he was doing the wrong thing, and he tucked his hands into his pockets.

We sat in the café sipping our hot chocolates and the atmosphere between us was suddenly a little awkward.  We were never like this and I wondered what was troubling him.

“Are you OK Alex?” I asked and reached out to touch his hand across the table.

“Fine” he replied “just got a few things on my mind that’s all”

“Anything I can help with?” I asked

“I don’t know…anyway, we better be getting back, got a busy day ahead” he suddenly brightened up and put his troubles behind him.  But I was still curious and decided that I wasn’t going to let it lie.  I’d talk to him later.

We were so busy that we didn’t get a chance to talk for the rest of the day, and by the time we were finished, I was so tired, I could hardly think straight, never mind worry about Alex.

“Night Kirsty” he said as I put on my coat to leave.

“Night Alex” I replied and left, looking forward to a nice soak in the bath and then my bed.

Valentine’s Day came and it came as no surprise at all that I didn’t receive any cards, I wasn’t seeing anyone, so wasn’t expecting anything.

“So, has the postman been busy at your house this morning then?” Alex teased when I came into the shop for work that morning.

“Haha Alex!  For your information, I didn’t get a single card” I answered “what about you?”

“What happened to that guy you were seeing a few weeks back?” he asked

“Nick Carter, the guy from the coffee shop?  That was ages ago, and it was over before it began” I explained “and you didn’t answer my question”

“Didn’t I?” he said and avoided it further by getting started with one of the many orders.

We worked tirelessly for hours, making up bouquets for collection and delivery; there was no time really for chatting.  We were working to tight deadlines today and needed all our focus on the job.

After a really long day, in which couples all over were no doubt enjoying the most romantic day of the year, I was going home to an empty house, nothing to look forward to and no one to share my day with.  How depressing.  Alex wasn’t even back from a last minute delivery he’d had to go on, he’d called to ask me to lock up the shop only a few minutes ago.

Happy Valentine’s Day Kirsty I said to myself and stopped in the shop on my way home for a tub of Ben & Jerry’s finest, a bottle of wine and a chick flick from Blockbuster. 

I trudged home with my bag of goodies and rummaged in my bag for my front door key.

“Let me help you with that” called a familiar voice from behind me.

“Alex?  What are you doing here?” I asked, completely surprised to find him outside my house at this time of the day.

“Something I’ve wanted to do for the past few months” he said and with that, he slowly moved towards me, his lips inching closer and closer until I felt his soft, featherlike kiss.

“But…” I protested and then stopped. 

“I’m sorry” he said and pulled away a little

“No…don’t be, you have no idea how much I’ve wanted to kiss you too” I smiled

“You have?” he beamed

“Oh yes” I answered and wrapped my arms around him and kissed him again, dropping my shopping bag to the ground.

“Well, in that case, we have a lot of wasted time to catch up on” he pushed open my front door and lifted me up bridal style, carrying me into the house, all the while kissing me hungrily.

“Mmm, yeah” I murmured in agreement and couldn’t help thinking that maybe, just maybe, I was finally getting my happy ending.

THE END