Elly in Love. Colleen Oakes

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СКАЧАТЬ “These look great, but they are almost too girly. Maybe some white or silver organic greenery would draw out the pink.” She illustrated it out before her and sat back with a smile. “Yes. Perfect. Anthony, I have a good feeling about this.”

      He looked up from the computer. “Those froufrou peonies are going to about two hundred dollars a bunch.”

      “They have no budget.”

      “What?”

      “You heard me.”

      “Holy crap, in that case, then yes. We can get those, lots of them.” Elly set down the silver pencil and stared out her store window. “Maybe …,” Elly paused, running her fingertips over her full lips.

      “Maybe what?”

      “Maybe if we book the BlissBride wedding, we could perhaps think about opening another store.”

      Anthony gave a wide grin. “Seriously?”

      “It’s just a thought, nothing more. Please don’t say anything to anyone. I need time to think about it, maybe talk it over with a financial expert.” Herself.

      “I won’t, I promise. But, in my opinion, it’s worth considering. You are at the top of your game right now. It’s a great time to expand your business.”

      Elly nodded. “Let’s get through the interview first. I need to call Wildflower Linens and see if I can get a pinstripe tablecloth—maybe with raised crystal beading….”

      Anthony held up his finger as he picked up the shrill phone on the desk. “Posies, this is Anthony speaking….” He put his palm over the mouthpiece. “It’s your hot sandwich man. Hey, ask him if I can run over and grab a cold cut special.”

      Elly winked at Anthony and grabbed the phone. “Hey!”

      “Hey, beautiful! How’s it going over there? Did Backpack Boy ever show up?”

      Elly looked out the front window. “Nope, no sign of him. Now that it’s daylight and I’m in the store, I’m feeling a little bit like an idiot.” She wound the cord around her wrist, actually feeling more like a sixteen-year-old than anything, swooning at the sweet voice on the other end. “Do you have plans tonight?”

      “Only you. What should we do?”

      “Well, I would love to finally see your place,” said Elly. “I want to see if you really are a secret hoarder like I suspect. Is it baseball cards? Creepy old dolls?”

      Keith laughed and then fell oddly silent. “Not tonight. I told you, I need fair warning to clean for you. I want you to still find me attractive after you see my place.”

      Elly smiled. “I’m sure that nothing could ever make you unattractive to me.”

      “What if I gained seven hundred pounds?” asked Keith.

      “Even then.” Elly laughed. “That reminds me, Anthony wants to know if he can pop over and steal a cold cut.”

      “Yup. I’ll start it now. Should I meet you at your place at seven?”

      “Sounds great,” said Elly. She paused, carefully weighing the next sentence on her tongue. “Keith, I’d really like to see your place.”

      “I know,” said Keith firmly. “You will, I promise. And I swear that I’m not homeless.”

      “Okay. I miss you,” whispered Elly.

      “I miss you more,” said Keith.

      Elly reached out for the yellow wall behind the desk. “You know, I’m only a few walls away.” There was a loud retching sound from the design area as Anthony made a puking motion with a shower of peach sweet peas. “Okay, we’re gross. I’ll talk to you later.”

      “Bye.”

      Elly hung up the phone and did a little dance. A date tonight, with Keith. In the short time they’d been dating, he had taken her to the St. Louis Zoo, on a riverboat tour, and to the famous Blueberry Hill. He always took her on creative, fabulous dates, and there was always a hot session of kissing to look forward to. Grinning from ear to ear and her heart tilting in her chest, Elly walked to the cooler.

      “I guess we better design today, huh?” Anthony looked up at her from behind a bucket of periwinkle scabiosa.

      Elly cringed. “That, and we have to scrub the floor today, as well as stock the new blue vases. You know, a new store is sounding better and better. If we’re only twirling a piece of grass in a glass tube, that will take a lot less cleaning.”

      Anthony wiped his forehead. “You don’t have to sell me on it. I know you’ll hate me for saying this, but I think you should give her a chance at running the store. I know she’s is only a senior in high school, but she’s more competent than you give her credit for. And trends are changing. You saw the cover of last month’s Floral Trends.”

      Elly began gathering a handful of white veronicas and tiny blue bachelor buttons to put into a moss-filled cylinder. She had seen it—a twisted root, a single orchid, a small puddle of water, and the headline, “Floral Design Sees a Hot New Trend.” One by one, she draped the flowers over the container lid. “We’ll see how the TV interview goes. Honestly, Anthony, we probably won’t get on BlissBride and this conversation will all be for nothing.”

      Anthony shook his head. “You never know what life will bring your way, Elly Jordan.” He straightened up and wiped his hands on a towel. “Well, time to go get my sandwich from Keith.”

      Elly smiled. “Give him my….”

      Anthony looked over at her, a smile stretched across his friendly face. “Give him your … love?”

      Elly bit her lip and looked away uncomfortably. “Just tell him I said hi.”

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