tonight? Six?”
Keith gave her a thumbs-up. “I’ll be there. And call me if your stalker shows up.”
Elly nodded and practically floated back to her shop. Her thoughts lingered on Keith—his eyes, so kind and smart, the kind of eyes that gave you confidence from just a single, focused gaze, his adorable bald head, and how he always wanted his apartment spotless for her. Or house. Did he have an apartment or a house? Either way, he was the man she had been waiting for all this time. Elly shut the shop door behind her and started setting the table for her afternoon consultation. She began thinking back on the strange teenage kid, admonishing herself for being so paranoid. He was just a weird kid, that’s all. Still, she felt an urge to lock the shop door. She ignored that urge because she didn’t want to go out of business. Bending over, wedding floral books in hand, she heard the clank of the door bells, and felt a shove from behind her knees. Elly gave a shriek.
“Oops, sorry dear!” The two older ladies that she had seen with Keith on the street stood in front of her, their Coach bags clasped in hand, Yorkshire puppies sleeping inside their cozy leather homes. “Oh, lovely! I’m so sorry, we must have scared you. Are you alright? That door clipped you pretty hard.”
Elly gave a sigh of relief. “Sorry about that. I’m unnecessarily jumpy today. Welcome to Posies! What can I help you with?”
The women smiled and looked around. “Well, we came in because of your delightful window display. That was so interesting and modern, but I’m glad to see that the inside is more our style, don’t you agree, Gladys?”
“Why, it reminds me of my dear Aunt Sylvia’s house, you know, the one outside of Provence?”
Elly felt a twinge of annoyance. This store was for middle-age women. She was a middle-aged woman. Snarky Teenager had been right, and if that was true, nothing would ever be right in the world again.
Chapter Five
The idea of a new shop was still bouncing around Elly’s head the next afternoon as she put together a blooming azalea plant for delivery. Anthony, her other head designer was grilling her for details on the fallout with Snarky Teenager. “And then she just stormed out? Just like that?”
“Are you surprised? She’s a flipping banshee.”
He looked confused.
Elly clarified, “Something with a lot of feelings and a very shrill voice.”
He gave her a bemused look. “I’m going to guess by that retelling that you did not win the argument.”
“Well, she left screaming about how my store was old ladyish and that she would not be working today, so I’m not sure that there was a clear winner.”
Anthony perched on a wooden stool and rubbed his thin hair thoughtfully. “I know that she upset you, but you have to remember, she’s only eighteen and she’s not going to think through all her decisions wisely. She’s ruled by hormones.”
“ Psycho teenage hormones,” muttered Elly, scribbling a message on a client’s card: “ Congrats on your great new BOOBS!” She held up the plant in the sunlight, looking for browning leaves. If this plant was for great new boobs, it had better be flawless.
Anthony cleared his throat. “She looks up to you and Kim. You know she doesn’t have a great home life. Her parents are more worried about their next European vacation than their daughter.”
“That doesn’t excuse rudeness,” replied Elly quietly. “She didn’t even ask to take down my display.”
Anthony nodded, obviously trying to stay neutral, maintaining his role as the wise advisor. “That was very rude, I agree. But do you think she has a point? About opening another store?”
Elly sat down next to Anthony, balancing the heavy pot on her wide thigh. “Maybe. I just … I really don’t know if we could afford it. It would throw Posies’ finances for a loop, that’s for sure. We are perfectly comfortable in the black right now. And do I really want to make my life
Keith gave her a thumbs-up. “I’ll be there. And call me if your stalker shows up.”
Elly nodded and practically floated back to her shop. Her thoughts lingered on Keith—his eyes, so kind and smart, the kind of eyes that gave you confidence from just a single, focused gaze, his adorable bald head, and how he always wanted his apartment spotless for her. Or house. Did he have an apartment or a house? Either way, he was the man she had been waiting for all this time. Elly shut the shop door behind her and started setting the table for her afternoon consultation. She began thinking back on the strange teenage kid, admonishing herself for being so paranoid. He was just a weird kid, that’s all. Still, she felt an urge to lock the shop door. She ignored that urge because she didn’t want to go out of business. Bending over, wedding floral books in hand, she heard the clank of the door bells, and felt a shove from behind her knees. Elly gave a shriek.
“Oops, sorry dear!” The two older ladies that she had seen with Keith on the street stood in front of her, their Coach bags clasped in hand, Yorkshire puppies sleeping inside their cozy leather homes. “Oh, lovely! I’m so sorry, we must have scared you. Are you alright? That door clipped you pretty hard.”
Elly gave a sigh of relief. “Sorry about that. I’m unnecessarily jumpy today. Welcome to Posies! What can I help you with?”
The women smiled and looked around. “Well, we came in because of your delightful window display. That was so interesting and modern, but I’m glad to see that the inside is more our style, don’t you agree, Gladys?”
“Why, it reminds me of my dear Aunt Sylvia’s house, you know, the one outside of Provence?”
Elly felt a twinge of annoyance. This store was for middle-age women. She was a middle-aged woman. Snarky Teenager had been right, and if that was true, nothing would ever be right in the world again.
Chapter Five
The idea of a new shop was still bouncing around Elly’s head the next afternoon as she put together a blooming azalea plant for delivery. Anthony, her other head designer was grilling her for details on the fallout with Snarky Teenager. “And then she just stormed out? Just like that?”
“Are you surprised? She’s a flipping banshee.”
He looked confused.
Elly clarified, “Something with a lot of feelings and a very shrill voice.”
He gave her a bemused look. “I’m going to guess by that retelling that you did not win the argument.”
“Well, she left screaming about how my store was old ladyish and that she would not be working today, so I’m not sure that there was a clear winner.”
Anthony perched on a wooden stool and rubbed his thin hair thoughtfully. “I know that she upset you, but you have to remember, she’s only eighteen and she’s not going to think through all her decisions wisely. She’s ruled by hormones.”
“ Psycho teenage hormones,” muttered Elly, scribbling a message on a client’s card: “ Congrats on your great new BOOBS!” She held up the plant in the sunlight, looking for browning leaves. If this plant was for great new boobs, it had better be flawless.
Anthony cleared his throat. “She looks up to you and Kim. You know she doesn’t have a great home life. Her parents are more worried about their next European vacation than their daughter.”
“That doesn’t excuse rudeness,” replied Elly quietly. “She didn’t even ask to take down my display.”
Anthony nodded, obviously trying to stay neutral, maintaining his role as the wise advisor. “That was very rude, I agree. But do you think she has a point? About opening another store?”
Elly sat down next to Anthony, balancing the heavy pot on her wide thigh. “Maybe. I just … I really don’t know if we could afford it. It would throw Posies’ finances for a loop, that’s for sure. We are perfectly comfortable in the black right now. And do I really want to make my life
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