Travis was over, they could be friends of a sort.
For the time being though, they were involved and she wasn’t going to hold back.
“I need some roses.”
Bella turned to find Mr. Martin walking toward her quickly. He’d never liked her, at least not after finding her and his nephew in the screwdriver section of his family’s hardware store.
She kept her gaze steady and hoped her voice matched. “I’m sorry. I just closed.”
“You’ll have to open up again. I need roses.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Martin. Mrs. Cleary’s orders. We close at five. If there are customers after that, they have to come back.” She pulled the key from the lock and turned around, looking for an escape or, at the very least, Travis’ truck. He said he’d take her home, but it was possible he was caught at work.
“She’ll make an exception for me,” Mr. Martin countered.
Bella shifted. She didn’t like the look on his face, the bright-red coloring, the cold gray eyes. He wasn’t an attractive man and his bullying only made him less so. She didn’t know if Mrs. Cleary would’ve made an exception for Mr. Martin or not and she wasn’t quite sure what to do.
“Young woman, if you don’t open that door, I won’t be giving my business to this flower shop any longer. Maybe loyalty means nothing to you and your brother, but Mrs. Cleary understands the meaning. Now, I need roses for my wife’s birthday.”
She hated being intimidated. She looked at him then back at the door. Bella unlocked it even though she didn’t want to. She would’ve rather stuck her tongue out at the man and walked away. She needed her job, liked her job. Hopefully Mrs. Cleary would understand.
She gave Mr. Martin a timid smile. “Come on in.” His stunned look made her smile bigger. “What color roses would your wife like? We have some beautiful red ones, but those are so commonplace. Mrs. Martin deserves something a little more special, don’t you think?”
Bella kept up the one-sided conversation, her tone as light and bubbly as she could make it, and didn’t even check to see if Mr. Martin had, in fact, followed her inside. She set her purse on the counter and stood in front of the cases, gazing at the variety of bright blooms.
“S-she doesn’t like red roses.”
“Good woman. I don’t like red roses either.” She sent a wink in the now-uncomfortable man’s direction. He’d followed her in all right, but only just. “My favorites are coral ones. Between pink and orange. Just gorgeous. But are you sure she’d prefer roses?”
“I-I don’t know what else to get her. I always get her roses for her birthday.”
“Maybe we can come up with something else. Tulips? Daisies?” At his shrug, Bella nodded. “Hmm. Well, let me work for a few minutes and I’ll see what I can do. Why don’t you pick out a card from the rack right there while I see to the flowers?”
Bella contemplated the options in front of her. Various blooms in a rainbow of brilliant colors stared back. Sometimes the fragrances and different hues of purples and pinks and yellows and reds were enough to make her smile when dealing with surly customers.
“What’s your wife’s favorite color, Mr. Martin?” Bella asked, reaching for sprigs of baby’s breath.
“Purple. That woman loves purple.”
Bella looked over and was stunned to find such a soft, tender smile on the normally gruff man’s face. “Purple it is then.” She set the baby’s breath back in its place and took out a handful of purple limonium stems. The tiny lavender blooms were used as filler as much as baby’s breath, but added an additional pop of color.
She also gathered purple daisies, pink and white carnations, and three white roses. “Shall I wrap the flowers or would you like them in a vase?”
“I, ah…I don’t know.”
“I’ll—”
“Bella? Why are you still here, dear?”
Bella’s heart plummeted. She swallowed and turned to look over her shoulder. “Hi, Mrs. Cleary.
For the time being though, they were involved and she wasn’t going to hold back.
“I need some roses.”
Bella turned to find Mr. Martin walking toward her quickly. He’d never liked her, at least not after finding her and his nephew in the screwdriver section of his family’s hardware store.
She kept her gaze steady and hoped her voice matched. “I’m sorry. I just closed.”
“You’ll have to open up again. I need roses.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Martin. Mrs. Cleary’s orders. We close at five. If there are customers after that, they have to come back.” She pulled the key from the lock and turned around, looking for an escape or, at the very least, Travis’ truck. He said he’d take her home, but it was possible he was caught at work.
“She’ll make an exception for me,” Mr. Martin countered.
Bella shifted. She didn’t like the look on his face, the bright-red coloring, the cold gray eyes. He wasn’t an attractive man and his bullying only made him less so. She didn’t know if Mrs. Cleary would’ve made an exception for Mr. Martin or not and she wasn’t quite sure what to do.
“Young woman, if you don’t open that door, I won’t be giving my business to this flower shop any longer. Maybe loyalty means nothing to you and your brother, but Mrs. Cleary understands the meaning. Now, I need roses for my wife’s birthday.”
She hated being intimidated. She looked at him then back at the door. Bella unlocked it even though she didn’t want to. She would’ve rather stuck her tongue out at the man and walked away. She needed her job, liked her job. Hopefully Mrs. Cleary would understand.
She gave Mr. Martin a timid smile. “Come on in.” His stunned look made her smile bigger. “What color roses would your wife like? We have some beautiful red ones, but those are so commonplace. Mrs. Martin deserves something a little more special, don’t you think?”
Bella kept up the one-sided conversation, her tone as light and bubbly as she could make it, and didn’t even check to see if Mr. Martin had, in fact, followed her inside. She set her purse on the counter and stood in front of the cases, gazing at the variety of bright blooms.
“S-she doesn’t like red roses.”
“Good woman. I don’t like red roses either.” She sent a wink in the now-uncomfortable man’s direction. He’d followed her in all right, but only just. “My favorites are coral ones. Between pink and orange. Just gorgeous. But are you sure she’d prefer roses?”
“I-I don’t know what else to get her. I always get her roses for her birthday.”
“Maybe we can come up with something else. Tulips? Daisies?” At his shrug, Bella nodded. “Hmm. Well, let me work for a few minutes and I’ll see what I can do. Why don’t you pick out a card from the rack right there while I see to the flowers?”
Bella contemplated the options in front of her. Various blooms in a rainbow of brilliant colors stared back. Sometimes the fragrances and different hues of purples and pinks and yellows and reds were enough to make her smile when dealing with surly customers.
“What’s your wife’s favorite color, Mr. Martin?” Bella asked, reaching for sprigs of baby’s breath.
“Purple. That woman loves purple.”
Bella looked over and was stunned to find such a soft, tender smile on the normally gruff man’s face. “Purple it is then.” She set the baby’s breath back in its place and took out a handful of purple limonium stems. The tiny lavender blooms were used as filler as much as baby’s breath, but added an additional pop of color.
She also gathered purple daisies, pink and white carnations, and three white roses. “Shall I wrap the flowers or would you like them in a vase?”
“I, ah…I don’t know.”
“I’ll—”
“Bella? Why are you still here, dear?”
Bella’s heart plummeted. She swallowed and turned to look over her shoulder. “Hi, Mrs. Cleary.
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