Itโs been ๏ฌfty-three days since Ryle walked out of my apartment that morning. Which means itโs been ๏ฌfty-three days since Iโve heard from him.
But thatโs okay, because for the last ๏ฌfty-three days, Iโve been too busy to really give him much thought as I prepared for this moment.
โReady?โ Allysa says.
I nod, and she ๏ฌips the sign toย Openย and we both hug and squeal like little kids.
We rush around the counter and wait for our ๏ฌrst customer. Itโs a soft opening, so I havenโt really done a marketing push yet, but we just want to make sure there arenโt any kinks before our grand opening.
โItโs really pretty in here,โ Allysa says, admiring our hard work. I look around us, bursting with pride. Of course I want to succeed, but at this point Iโm not even sure if that matters. I had a dream and I busted my ass to make it come true. Whatever happens after today is just icing on the cake.
โIt smells so good in here,โ I say. โIย loveย this smell.โ
I donโt know if weโll get any customers today, but weโre both acting like this is the best thing thatโs ever happened to us, so I donโt think that matters. Besides, Marshall will come in at some point today and my mother will come in after she gets off work. Thatโs two customers for sure. Thatโs plenty.
Allysa squeezes my arm when the front door begins to open. I suddenly grow a little panicked, because what if something goes wrong?
And then I do panic, because something just went wrong.ย Terriblyย wrong. My very ๏ฌrst customer is none other than Ryle Kincaid.
He stops when the door closes behind him and he looks around in awe. โWhat?โ he says, turning in a circle. โHow in the . . . ?โ He
looks over at me and Allysa. โThis is incredible. It doesnโt even look like the same building!โ
Okay, maybe Iโm ๏ฌne with him being the ๏ฌrst customer.
It takes him a few minutes to actually make it to the counter because he canโt stop touching things and looking at things. When he ๏ฌnally does reach us, Allysa runs around the counter and hugs him. โIsnโt it beautiful?โ she says. She waves her hand in my direction. โIt was all her idea. All of it. I just helped with the dirty work.โ
Ryle laughs. โI ๏ฌnd it hard to believe that your Pinterest skills didnโt play a little part.โ
I nod. โSheโs being modest. Her skills were half of what brought this vision to life.โ
Ryle smiles at me and it might as well have been a knife to the chest, becauseย ouch.
He slaps his hands on the counter and says, โAm I the ๏ฌrst
of๏ฌcial customer?โ
Allysa hands him one of our ๏ฌyers. โYou have to actually buy something to be considered a customer.โ
Ryle glances over the ๏ฌyer and then sets it back down on the counter. He walks to one of the displays and grabs a vase full of purple lilies. โI want these,โ he says, setting them on the counter.
I smile, wondering if he realizes he just picked lilies.ย Kind of ironic.
โDo you want us to deliver them somewhere?โ Allysa says.
โYou guys deliver?โ
โAllysa and I donโt,โ I reply. โWe have a delivery driver on standby. We werenโt sure if weโd actually need him today.โ
โAre you actually buying these for a girl?โ Allysa asks. Sheโs just prying into her brotherโs love life like a sister would naturally do, but I catch myself stepping closer to her so I can hear his answer better.
โI am,โ he says. His eyes meet mine and he adds, โI donโt think about her very much, though. Hardly ever.โ
Allysa grabs a card and slides it to him. โPoor girl,โ she says. โYou are such a dick.โ She taps her ๏ฌnger on the card. โWrite your message to her on the front and the address you want them delivered to on the back.โ
I watch him as he bends over the card and writes on both sides. I know I donโt have a right, but Iโm brimming with jealousy.
โAre you bringing this girl to my birthday party Friday?โ Allysa asks him.
I watch his reaction closely. He just shakes his head and without looking up he says, โNo. Are you going, Lily?โ
I canโt tell by his voice alone if heโs hoping Iโll be there or hoping I wonโt. Considering the stress I seem to cause him, Iโm guessing itโs the latter.
โI havenโt decided yet.โ
โSheโll be there,โ Allysa says, answering for me. She looks at me and narrows her eyes. โYouโre coming to my party whether you like it or not. If you donโt show up, Iโll quit.โ
When Ryle is ๏ฌnished writing, he tucks the card into the envelope attached to the ๏ฌowers. Allysa rings up his total and he pays in cash. He looks at me while heโs counting out his money. โLily, do you know that itโs custom for a new business to frame the ๏ฌrst dollar they make?โ
I nod.ย Of courseย I know that. Heย knowsย I know that. Heโs just rubbing it in my face that his dollar will be the one framed on my wall for the life of this store. I almost encourage Allysa to give him a refund, but this is business. I have to leave my wounded pride out of it.
Once he has his receipt in hand, he taps his ๏ฌst on the counter to get my attention. He dips his head a little and, with a genuine smile, he says, โCongratulations, Lily.โ
He turns and walks out of the store. As soon as the door closes behind him, Allysa is grabbing for the envelope. โWho in the hell is he sending ๏ฌowers to?โ she says as she pulls the card out. โRyle doesnโtย sendย ๏ฌowers.โ
She reads the front of the card out loud. โMake it stop.โ
Holy shit.
She stares at it for a moment, repeating the phrase. โMake it stop?
What in the hell does that evenย mean?โ she asks.
I canโt take it another second. I grab the card from her and ๏ฌip it over. She leans over and reads the back of it with me.
โHe is such an idiot,โ she says with a laugh. โHe wrote the address to our ๏ฌoral shop on the back.โ She takes the card out of
my hands.
Wow.
Ryle just bought me ๏ฌowers. Not justย anyย ๏ฌower. He bought me a bouquet of lilies.
Allysa picks up her phone. โIโll text him and tell him he screwed up.โ She shoots him a text and then laughs as she stares at the ๏ฌowers. โHow can a neurosurgeon be such anย idiot?โ
I canโt stop grinning. Iโm relieved sheโs staring at the ๏ฌowers
and not at me or she may put two and two together. โIโll keep them in my of๏ฌce until we ๏ฌgure out where he intended for them to go.โ I scoop up the vase and whisk away my ๏ฌowers.
