Garden Girl

(Author's Note: This story takes place at two different times in the characters' lives. Each time shift is clearly marked, but I wanted to warn of the strange structure from the outset. I hope the tale isn't confusing. Well, in any case, enjoy!)

*****

-Present-

Gwen leaned against the table with a fabrication of patience; her hands folded together, her posture limp, and her expression that of strenuous concern. It was as if nothing had changed in seven years. The humid air of the greenhouse seemed stifling, making the situation feel even more awkward than it already was. She fiddled with her ponytail as she watched her old mentor and former boss meticulously inspect every leaf of every plant like he always used to.

There was a lot of pride being swallowed in this instance. Gwen always dreamed of having her own business and sharing her love of horticulture with the world. Though Scott always nurtured her green instincts and taught her more than any other human in her life, he was rather blunt on his opinions on her business sense, always encouraging her to work for him instead. Within a year of opening her organic food growing service, called Garden Girl, she had already made a slew of bad decisions, including paying for a greenhouse lease that was attached to a horrific interest rate. Though Gwen was finally able to find someone to sublet for her, the debt it incurred still remained, thus the need to return to old avenues of the past.

Gwen sighed after five minutes of watching Scott essentially grope a series of tomatoes, searching for imperfection. He was a tall and well-built man who always looked unkempt in a totally organized way. His jaw line was sturdy and his hair was full of short blonde curls, framing his green eyes, small nose, and strangely immaculate teeth. He stood at least a foot taller than her, making conversations always seem like a battle with a giant.

"Your skills are even better than they were when we worked together. I am quite impressed," Scott admitted honestly. If Scott was one thing, it was honest.

"I am so glad you approve," Gwen replied sardonically, arms crossed now. "Still, I don't know why we needed to drive down here. Hell, I fully don't understand why I even had to have an interview. Not that I want special treatment, but you've been bugging me to work for you for years. Why the circus?"

Scott formed his typical smirk that was intellectual and earnest with only a dash of smugness. "You know I am a meticulous man. If we are to be working together again, I want to make sure it is based upon your talents instead of any personal feelings. Besides, your hard work will sadly be destroyed or taken from you when you lose this place, so I wanted to see it."

Gwen formed her own smirk, though hers was mostly smug. "How sentimental of you," she chirped.

"Yes, well... I have very specific tasks in mind for you that should really test your skills," Scott explained. "Despite your internal resistance and feelings of failure, I am sure you will find that I will help you to reach your true potential."

Gwen paused. "I don't know whether that was a backhanded compliment or just a straight up insult."

Scott's smile grew warmer. "Neither. I forgot you are a tad bit paranoid."

Gwen sighed. "Great. The good old 'banter' is back. Maybe you should just punch me in the stomach next time instead."

"Oh please garden girl, you know that athletics are not my area of expertise," Scott chuckled.

Gwen let loose a casual smile and did a mock salute. "Hey, at least I know a can outrun you if I need to."

- - - - - - - - - -

~Past~

As Gwen walked back home after her interview, she remembered that things were both radically different and similar to when she first met Scott Booker seven years ago. She was just nineteen and had a lot to learn about life. Though not an introvert, she felt awkward interacting with others and was quite scared of intimate situations. Her love of botany was in full effect though, so when she finally was able to get into the college she wanted, her first task was to find a lab to work in.

The college had a good program for helping students find open positions within their desired majors. Unfortunately, freshmen did not receive anything besides what was considered to be the worse assignments. Gwen dreaded the idea of working a job that could turn into a hellish nightmare. She was relieved when the only initial downside to her fresh employment opportunity seemed to be the five nights a week, five hour work schedule. At that point, she didn't really have anyone that could be truly called a friend, so spending her evenings in a greenhouse did not seem so terrible.

Growing up tomboyish, Gwen was just learning about more girlish things like fashion and make-up. She knew that her roommate and her friends often joked about Gwen's fumbling with trying to look... well, competent when it came to that realm. Still, it was her first day on the job, so she wore her nicer cloths as well as way too much make up and perfume.

Gwen entered the medium sized greenhouse with an excited feeling in her stomach, ready for her first day. The glass enclosure was full of plants of various shapes, colors, and sizes. Walking into the place for the first time felt like journeying into a foreign land full of exotic mysteries and adventures. In the back of this grand temple of nature was Scott, studying a slide through a microscope.

Gwen stood there, inches in front of her new boss, clutching her purse in her hands. He did not look up. A tingle of anxiousness erupted in her shoulders, filtering to the rest of her body. Her mind raced, unable to decide on how she should handle the situation. Did he not hear her come in? Should she bother him? Was she even in the right place? Finally, Gwen was able to choke out... "Um... hello?"

Scott looked up immediately, his stare stern. This made Gwen squeeze her purse tighter. "Are you my new assistant?" he asked.

Gwen forced a smile and a nod. "Yeah... uh... yes. Yes."

Scott returned to his microscope. "You are wearing clothes too nice for a person who will be tending to plants all evening. Plus, you're overwhelming perfume will prove to be quite the distraction."

Gwen's face turned pale, suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious, slinking back. "Uh well... I didn't... well.. um..."

Not looking up, Scott interrupted her. "You seem to lack self-confidence or have some kind of speech impediment. From what little I know of you from you submission essay, I assumed you would be far more sure of yourself. Yet, on the other hand, at least you aren't arrogant. Well, I will always be truthful and straight forward with you and I expect you to do the same with me. Tell me exactly what is on your mind right now."

Gwen stood there, frozen, practically trembling. She swallowed hard, looking at the ground trying to find words to say and making no such discovery.

Scott sighed. "Judging by your profile on paper, I was hoping to get started right away. Alas, perhaps you should just leave now and try to find new position. I hate to be so boorish to attack your shyness, but I need more. I don't need another person here too scatterbrained or scared to say or do anything, I need-"

After listening to the man prattle on, Gwen finally found her courage to force out words, though in a sheepish tone. "I thought what you did when I walked in was incredibly rude. Also, most of what you have said so far is inappropriate and a tad bit sexist." Scott then immediately looked up, causing Gwen to back away a bit, mumbling, "in my opinion, anyway."

"Don't back down from what you think. You are essentially right in your assertions. As you may have gathered, I am a rather difficult person. Sadly, the best I can do is to acknowledge my difficulties, while your confidence issues will eventually be rectified. I am sure if you can put up with me, I can try to be less... well, rude."

Gwen raised an eyebrow as she did not expect such honesty despite the man's promise of it. "So, can I do things now?"

Scott showed his smirk for the first time. "Yes, though I swear things may be a bit unfortunate tonight since you are about to learn the ins and outs of manure... "

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

-Present-

Gwen pulled a few plates out of the cabinet as Mark, her boyfriend of a little under a year, looked at her skeptically. "Are you sure you want to do this though? The job market isn't great, but I'm sure you could find some other job."

Gwen sighed as she spooned some spaghetti on one of the plates. "It's fine. Really. It's a good paying job in which I have lots of knowledge and power. Hell, if I would have accepted the offer as soon as I graduated, I would have saved myself from this whole company fiasco."

"I don't know how I feel about you working for your ex-boyfriend," Mark snorted.

Gwen sighed louder. "For the last time, he is not my ex! He is just my close friend and my boss. That's all."

The skepticism did not fade from Mark's face. "You sure? You do talk about him a lot..."

Gwen smirked as she handed him a plate. "Well, if you know that, at least it proves you listen to me sometimes."

Mark didn't respond to that, picking up a fork, lazily scooping up some of the gooey noodles. "Look, I just don't want you to regret this. You tried your best with your business."

Gwen sighed one final time. "Well, sometimes, trying isn't good enough."

- - - - - - - - - -

~Past~

Gwen was surprised how strangely helpful and weirdly kind Scott was in the end, even if he was a bit mechanical and aloof personality wise. He taught her a lot about plant life and the curation of it. It was about two months into working together that he first coined the moniker of garden girl. Seemingly out of the blue, he insisted on using that as a nickname. She found it too on the nose and cloying at first, but the term grew on her and made Scott even more personable.

Gwen was also surprised to learn that Scott was not the pariah that rumors described him to be. He had a good repartee with his fellow grad students and most seemed to easily put up with his straightforward personality. While some found it off-putting, others found it quasi-endearing like Gwen did. Particularly, Scott's fellow doctoral candidate Gavin started to show up a lot to talk to Scott, speaking about scientific subjects that flew over Gwen's head. Gavin was almost Gwen's height with short black hair and a cute face, though he was a bit pudgy.

Scott, in his upfront way, encouraged Gwen to be open and try to talk to Gavin and the others who frequented the greenhouse. This helped her grow in social confidence. She started to make friends in her classes, where she learned that there were many people as awkward as she was. At Scott's behest, she joined the science club in order to become more comfortable around people.

Of course, she still wasn't the queen of sociality. Every time Gavin would go to leave the lab, he always made sure to talk to Gwen. She was improving, but many of her conversations were often examples of extreme social clumsiness.

"Hi Gwen," Gavin would say on his way out the door.

"Hey," Gwen would reply meekly.

"How are you today?"

"Good."

"Everything working out for you here?"

"Yeah."

"Class okay?"

"Yeah."

Then there would be a twenty second pause of silence.

"Well, I guess I'll see you next time."

To Gavin's credit, he always seemed courteous and kind during the exchange. Afterward, Gwen would go back to whatever task was at hand.

One time, Scott, not peering up from his microscope, said, "you know he comes by here so often to see you, right?"

Gwen's eyes nearly dropped from her head at that suggestion. "What? Really?"

"Yes. I am sure he can tolerate me well enough, but before you started working here, he did not stop by even the fraction he does now. Speaking of which, today is your three month anniversary of being employed here and you have not quit yet. You've officially been here longer than any assistant I have ever had. Congratulations."

That statement had a lot of information for Gwen to process. "Wait... so he... and I am... wait, what?"

"I would give you a medal if I believed in such nonsense, garden girl. By the way, Gavin is going to ask you out soon. I suggest you accept the invitation. It will help you conquer your social blocks. Besides, an attractive girl of your age should not be indoors all the time and actually should enjoy herself every once in a while."

Gwen's skin went an even lighter shade as she swallowed hard. "Wait, he is going to do... what?!"

"My, you are extra redundant today," Scott chuckled.

There was not much time for Gwen to meditate on the many bombshells before Gavin's head peeked back into the lab. "Hey Gwen, can I talk to you a second?"

Gwen anxiously journeyed to him, head pointed to the ground, hands behind her. Within a minute, she found herself in the hall with him, her smile wide and bright. "Well... uh... you see Gwen..."

Despite her current state of social anxiety, the idea of going out did sound like fun. It wasn't like she never had a date before, but most of them were awkward at best. "I'll go on a date with you," she randomly blurted out.

Gavin was caught by surprise, but responded with an elated grin. "Well, that was easier than I thought it would be," he mused. Suddenly, Gwen was surprised how relaxed she felt in that moment, letting out a natural smile.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

-Present-

In truth, Gwen did have mixed emotions about starting her "new" job despite what she let Mark believe. She conveniently left out the part where she was working for Scott directly at his home instead of at his office. While earning his PhD, Scott had gained recognition for the study of genetically modified plants and currently ran a small company that researched hybrid seeds. Scott hired Gwen to care to some of his personal projects, which made Gwen hope that she would be working on plants instead of... other tasks.

The acreage of Scott's property proved to be massive with just the drive up the dirt path to his house seemingly taking a century. Gwen was shocked how humble and stately the abode appeared. It was a simple green one story house with a set of four greenhouses behind it. Gwen wore a pair of jeans, tennis shoes, and an old t-shirt and was prepared for a day digging in the dirt. The sun hung low in the summer sky, the heat already beating down on her.

As she approached the house, Scott exited it, holding a granola bar and dressed in a suit. "Well now, you actually came. A small part of me doubted you would."

Gwen playfully snatched the bar out of his hand, taking a nibble. "Well, I may be squirrely, but at least I don't bail without warning."

Scott displayed his smirk, guiding her past the house and to a medium sized plot about fifty feet away from the house. "I must say, your moniker will be quite literal now."

As the two grew closer to the plot of loose soil, Gwen noticed an assortment of standard tools; everything a person would need to make a standard garden, from seeds to a hoe to a hose to fencing. Gwen couldn't help but raise an eyebrow with her hands on her hips. "Wait a minute. All you want me to do is set up a garden for you?"

"Yes, well... that is the first phase, at least. It is all part of an experiment I am conducting."

Gwen looked at Scott suspiciously, surveying. She then noticed that at each corner of the garden stood a wooden post. Each post had a camera on top of it. She peered at her boss with her nose wrinkled, her brow burrowed. "And why will there be cameras watching my every move? You better not be treating this like a game. I am not a student anymore."

Scott smirked yet again. "I respect you more than any other human that I know. I would not treat you like a child. As I said, this is an experiment. I need to gauge certain things before I put you on bigger projects. We have done this for... how long now? On and off for over six years? Don't you trust me?"

"Seven years," she corrected. "And I find anyone who is so insistent on being trusted usually is not trustworthy. From the second I have known you, you have been straight forward. Why now have you suddenly become obtuse? Old age?"

The smirk did not fade. "I am actually being rather direct. Just vague. You were always the one who needed to state the obvious out loud. There is more to this and I will be using you to your full potential, but you are my assistant, so you still need to obey my instructions. And you will be setting up a garden today."

Gwen sighed. Back to the same old, she thought. "Well, okay. I'll erect the best damn garden ever."

"Excellent. I will see you when I get home."

The two shook hands rather formally... and strangely. Scott entered his rather fancy car and drove off, leaving Gwen with an empty plot... and four cameras that constantly spied on her. With an eye roll, Gwen began, picking up the hoe and starting to make rows, strategically placing and marking areas as she went along, planting seeds accordingly. It may have just seemed like a simple garden, but Gwen was more than curious about the true purpose, especially consider their... history. She worked through the heat of the day, only stopping once midday in order to eat a sandwich she brought.

The work stunned Gwen by being fulfilling and satisfactory. The simple act of tilling the ground, planting seeds, and dumping dirt reminded her of why she loved botany to begin with. After a number of hours, she forgot about the cameras and even started to hum to herself, relishing the experience.

By five o'clock, nearly three quarters of the plot was meticulously plowed and planted. While taking a drink from a bottle of water, Gwen surveyed her work, quite proud of what she accomplished. She didn't even see Scott approach behind her, which caused him to startle her when he spoke. "Ah, so you didn't forget anything I taught you."

Gwen chuckled, taking another drink. "It is my nickname after all. Please don't tell me there is some weird fetish site focused around videos of women gardening and that is what this is all about. I'd rather not end up on the internet."

Scott patted her on the back. "You know that pornography perplexes me," he mused, half-jokingly, but only half.

Gwen sighed playfully. "Something has to perplex you, I guess."

The smirk appeared on Scott's face again. "Well, why not go home to that boyfriend of yours and get some rest? You have another long day tomorrow."

Gwen did one of her standard mock salutes. "Aye-aye."

- - - - - - - - - -

~Past~

As if by destiny, Gwen and Gavin became a couple. He had patience for her quirks and as Scott predicted, the experience had a profound and positive effect on her. The most shocking twist was the fact that Gavin wasn't much more socially acclimated than Gwen was. He just could hide his shyness better. With each date, Gwen felt herself open up more. She became more casual with her friends and felt more comfortable around new people.

Her new social life did not keep Gwen away from the lab. With each day, the work with the plants felt more and more rewarding. She kept learning new things from her boss, who turned out to be actually borderline brilliant and not just egotistical. He still spent time with her when needed, always making a moment to teach her new techniques and information.

In fact, despite his initially off-putting demeanor, she really liked spending time with him. As the weeks wore on, she realized that she preferred spending time with Scott more so than with Gavin. Gavin was sweet, but there was something about Scott's directness and intelligence that Gwen found appealing. There was no pretense to him. Most of the time, Gwen felt Gavin to be very fake, lying about his emotions. She noticed a change in Gavin when they both became intimate. After that point, things quickly grew stale. She enjoyed their experiences, and was happy to be done with virginity, but felt like something was lacking, like a sexual relationship could be much more.