"Ring-a-ring-ding". The old school bells on the door of the small flower shop rang as I stepped through the door. My girlfriend sent me here to pick up flowers for her Mom's retirement party tomorrow afternoon.
"Hi! Welcome to April's Showers! My name is Sydney if you have any questions." This voice came from behind the counter. Sydney must work here at the store. She was wearing a blue button up shirt, probably a men's shirt, with a green and white striped apron. She must not have much business, because she was smiling ear to ear and her eyes beamed through small but thick rimmed glasses.
"Thanks", I said. I was somewhat intrigued by this tiny flower shop. It was a small place in this neighborhood, and had obviously been around for a while. It was real vintage, but in a way that made you wish you could see it 40 years ago. The aroma of the flowers was actually very sweet and almost mesmerizing. I was reaching out and touching the green leaves on a bouquet of hydrangeas...
"These are our spring hydrangeas. Its not the season for the big full blooms, but I actually like these because they make a wonderful petite table piece."
Sydney had walked from behind the counter. She still had on the apron and was wearing dark blue jeans and mid-calf high cowboy boots, a dark caramel color. She was also still smiling.
"Yeah, they are very nice. Actually, I'm here to pick up an order placed a few weeks ago. Can you help with that?"
"Absolutely! What was the name?" Sydney turned around to walk back to the counter with an old cash register. As she turned, I noticed the green ties on her apron as they draped down her back and bounced with her energetic walk.
"Um, try under Becky Wainwright."
"Are you Becky?", she said and chuckled to herself.
"No, its my girlfriends mom. I've been drafted to help with her retirement party tomorrow."
As Sydney looked through a yellow legal pad and carbon copy receipt book, the look on her face changed and her smile faded.
"There isn't another name is could be under?"
"Maybe Leslie Ales?"
"This is not good... I'm not seeing it anywhere."
I was beginning to be frustrated. I took time out of my day to come and pick these flowers up. How could they not be here.
"Well, check again. Maybe if you used a computer or some better way of keeping records, you wouldn't lose orders."
"Here at April's Showers, we have done things this way for decades, since 1967, and I didn't ask for your help. Give me a minute."
For the first time, I noticed how beautiful Sydney was. She had strawberry blond hair and freckles, with deep green eyes. She was about 5'9" and slender, but the apron accentuated her hips and breasts with the way it was tied. Perky and full breasts, and I wondered what they looked like. Suddenly I stir from my daydream.
"I'm sorry. I'm just a little stressed. Surely you haven't been doing this in '67?"
"No, my grandmother April started this shop then. I came back to run the shop 10 years ago after I graduated from Art School. But you are right... Art School helped me make beautiful creations, but it didn't teach me how to run a business. I don't have the order here."
"I'll have to call my girlfriend..."
"Oh yeah, you have a girlfriend..."
What did that mean? Was Sydney hitting on me? It doesn't matter. I have to figure this flower situation out or my girlfriend will kill me.
"Hey Les. I've got some bad news... They misplaced the flower order." Sydney has to be able to hear Leslie screaming over the phone. "Its ok. They are really nice here, it was an accident. I know. I'm sorry. Don't worry about it. We will figure... She wants to talk to the owner.
And I hand the phone to Sydney, her hand grazes mine, and moment of excitement rushed through my body, and I forgot all about Leslie yelling at me for just a moment. Before Sydney put the phone to her ear, our eyes met and she smiled, and her tongue gently grazed her lips with bright red lipstick on.
"Hi. This is Sydney. I totally understand. Yes ma'am. Well, I close at 7 tonight, and I will work on those bouquets now and have them finished in time to pick them up. Ok. You'll have Danny pick them up? That is perfect."
"No, no, no! Roger and I were supposed to go golfing!" But Leslie had hung up.