"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.
"So you're Danny?"
"I guess", I sighed as I realized my golf trip was cancelled.
"Leslie didn't seem to happy, did she? You have to deal with that often?"
"Unfortunately. Thanks for taking care of that though..."
"Don't worry Danny. I'll make this up to you, I feel like I've been a really bad girl... I mean, I've done a really bad thing. I just need to write down your cell number so I can call you when its completed. About 7?"
"Yeah, thats fine. Thanks Sydney."
As I walk out of the flower shop, I'm angry that I'm missing golf, I'm pissed that Leslie yelled at me, but I'm still thinking about how my hand touched Sydney's hand. Her skin was so soft, yet warm and full of life. I guess I better call Roger. He will never let me hear the end of this...
I decide to just go to my office only a couple of miles from here. It doesn't make sense to go all the way home just to turn around and come back in three hours. I can't focus, I'm not getting anything done. I begin to fantasize about Sydney, the flower shop girl. What would she look like in a bikini? I wonder what she likes in bed? Does she have a boyfriend?
Next thing I know, it is 7:15. Suddenly my feelings towards Sydney have changed. She was supposed to be done. What is wrong with her? How can she be so incompetent. My anger was really boiling up when my phone received a text message. Its from a number I don't recognize.
I open up the message and it is a selfie of a single stem rose laying on a stomach with the bloom covering up the pussy. "What the fuck?" I text back literally, "What the fuck?"
Moments later, another text comes through from the same number. This time, it is a picture of a thin glass vase upside down being inserted into the pussy. What is going on? Who is sending me these pictures?
I text back, "Who is this?"
Soon, I get another message. This time, the picture is the glass vase between two breasts, and its Sydney's vase. "Your flowers are done. I'm ready for you."
"What is this? This isn't real..."