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I don't even know why I'm here. Every year I do the same, lunch with the girls in Valentine's Day. For five years this lunch has been a blessing to me, it’s meant I could breathe from doing floral arrangements
like a maniac for 2 hours. It’s also meant not having to spend the day completely alone.

But this year is so much different, I'm not single! I actually have a boyfriend, an amazing one.

A boyfriend who hasn't called me today.
Not even a text, or one of those sweet emails I receive from him. And I have no idea why he suddenly disappeared. We’ve been slowly getting to know each other for eight months, and officially dating for three.
As I check my phone for any missed call or text for the thousand time, I start thinking about something that’s been bothering me this whole day, what am I…

“Naya!”

I looked up at the mention of my name to find 4 sets of eyes looking at me expectantly.

“What? What’s wrong?” I asked them when all they do is stare at me.

“What’s wrong with You?” Rachel asked me.

“You’ve barely talked today, and either the food is bad or you’re not enjoying our company because you’re holding your purse as if you’re about to run for the door!” I looked down at my hand and saw that Hannah was right. What is wrong with me? I’m never like this!

“Is something wrong at the store? We know you have a lot of work today, but the girls can deal for two hours so you can have a break! You deserve it!”

“No, it’s not the shop, Cass.” “Then tell us what is it?” Monique insisted.

I sighed and decided that maybe what I needed was to voice my concerns and listen to what my friends could advise me.

“All right. Howie hasn’t called me today.”

They all had knowing smiles on their faces and I was so mortified I covered my face with my hands. When I did, they started laughing at me.
I just groaned and said to them, “Please don’t laugh, at least make fun of me when I’m not present!”

“We’re not making fun of you, we’re happy for you!” Monique said while giving me a half hug.

“You’re happy my boyfriend forgot about me on Valentine’s Day? Thank God you’re my friends! ”

“Naya! Don’t take it like that. What we mean is we’re glad Howie matters so much to you that you’re actually feeling down because he hasn’t called. How long has it been since you felt like you do now?"
Rachel had a point, my last relationship was five years ago.

“But I don’t want to feel like this, I mean I have more important things to do like running a gift shop on the busiest season of the year than looking at the phone every five minutes and wondering…”

“What? Wondering what?” Cass was asking me and they were all looking at me for an answer.

“It’s just that, dating Howie feels so different from all the others, not because it’s starting, but because he truly is a great man, an older man, and that sometimes scares me because I don’t want to lose him. Even if it doesn’t work, I’d still want him in my life. I don’t want him to see me as a girl looking for a fling because I’m younger, I want him to see me as a successful woman. And I’m not making any sense, so let’s just change the topic please!” Saying it aloud sounded more stupid than in my head.

“Wow! That’s a lot of thoughts you had bottled up!” Hannah had no idea how many I still had left.

“Ok, first of all! You have to stop concentrating all your efforts into the shop and start living more for yourself. Naya, you have to take more time for yourself and live for God’s sake! The shop is a hit, it’s completely established, now start enjoying what’s leaving you. And if that time is spent with Howie, even better! He’s hot for you, everyone can see it when you two are together, it’s like he’s devouring you with his eyes and he doesn’t care who notices. Take more Sundays off and spend them with him in bed ravishing him! I would!”

“It’s not as easy as that, Hannah.”

“Yes it is!” All of them cried at once. They just didn’t understand.

“I know what’s really wrong with her.” We all looked at Rachel and I knew what she was planning on saying.

“Don’t you dare say it!” But she just ignored me and started talking to the others as if I wasn’t there.

“Naya’s real problem is that she wants to have sex with Howie, but is afraid of making the first move. Apparently Howie is too much of a gentleman and hasn’t tried to get into her pants yet.”

Rachel was so gonna get it later! Hannah, Cass and Monique were looking at me as if I had three heads or something.

“You haven’t jumped that fine piece of man? What is wrong with you Naya?”

“I just… I mean…” Ugh! I want this torture to be over!

“Ok I want to jump him, I want that fine piece of man, however you say it, I want him! But I just wanted to wait and make sure I wasn’t a meaningless girl of the moment for him. He’s been divorced for a year and I wanted to do things in a… I don’t know… a proper way?”

“I don’t believe that! Proper way shit! You are wearing a red dress!” Now I was looking at Monique with wide eyes.

“It is Valentine’s Day, I made everyone at the shop wear red.”

“Yes, but you’re wearing a Dress! And I can bet my paycheck that you have sexy black underwear underneath. No one goes to work, especially a florist on her busiest day, wearing that! Clearly, you were anticipating a visit from Howie, so you could go into your office and jump him in your desk!”
We all started laughing at that.

“Ok, that was the scenario in my mind this morning…” At that the girls only laughed harder. “But he has to come to me first if I want it to become reality!”

“Naya, you have to stop analyzing everything and just go for it! If you want him, get him. Don’t think about what you’re doing, what he’ll think of you, just do what feels right. I don’t think he’ll mind, I think he’ll love it!”

“Rachel’s right! We know you have a bad girl deep inside you that you’ve kept under control all this years. And while you’re one of the greatest persons I’ll ever know, we miss the crazy, spontaneous girl who used to give us ideas on how to turn a date from good to smoking hot!” I felt myself blushing thinking about those days Cass was describing.

“Let’s hope he does appear!”

“Have you called him?” Rachel asked me.

“One call, then one text, and before I got here, one e-mail. That’s more than enough, now is his turn!”

“Yeah, don’t you dare call him again!”

“You know I won’t. Well, it’s been as always, the best part of my day having this lunch with all of you, but I have to get going.”

“You have to call us tomorrow and give us all the dirty details!” Hannah told me while giving me a hug.

“If it happens…, that’s only If. Oh, I have something for each of you!”

After giving my friends a Gerbera Daisy tied to a small box of homemade cookies, many hugs and goodbyes, I went back to the shop. It was packed with clients on line to pay or waiting for gifts being wrapped, but I could tell everything was under control.

What I did notice was that all my employees were smiling at me. I just stood in the middle of the counter area between them and asked them what was making them so happy.

“You received a special delivery.” When I turned to the pointed location I immediately knew why they were smiling.

In a small table was a wide black pot filled with various Phalaenopsis Orchids planted in white zen stones. In a trance I walked to it and touched the shiny leaves and the delicate flowers that were as big as the palm of my hand. I could easily tell one of them was a rare hybrid and the others were mature and very healthy plants. As an expert, I knew this arrangement was carefully selected and directly from an orchid nursery, not a flower shop.

It was the best floral arrangement I’ve received in my life. I could feel my cheeks tingling from smiling, and I didn’t care who saw my watery eyes. I took the small white envelope and opened it.

It was his handwriting.

Beautiful, unique, delicate, exotic… I think the seller was describing you, not the flowers!
See you at 10pm when you close the shop. I Can’t wait to have you in my arms again.
HD