by Crystal Dawn
Her breathing slowed as she thought of Hawaii, a place she’d always wanted to visit. In her mind, she could see it almost as if she was there. The sandy beach, the beautiful blue water, and the palm trees moving in the breeze. There were lovely exotic flowers with their sweet scent that came to her on the breeze.
At some point, she fell asleep because her alarm went off at the usual time. She needed to get up, get ready, eat breakfast and then start her work day. Once she was dressed, she headed to the kitchen where she fixed a bowl of oatmeal. She rarely used the coffee pot up here since she made coffee downstairs for her employees and customers. After she finished eating, she headed downstairs.
First, she put on the coffee then she pulled up the website that listed any orders she might have. Often there were some, sometimes there were several. People used flowers, plants, and the other gifts she carried to show love, celebrate, and send their sympathies. Today would be busy, there was a funeral and a baby had been born. It was sad that someone had left this world but they’d been well known and loved, judging by the orders.
She’d only be delivering a couple flowers to the new mother, but she probably received most of her gifts while still in the hospital. There was no hospital in her town. Andi immediately got on the orders. Unfortunately, she lacked the flowers for one of the custom orders and had to substitute. When that happened, she upgraded them to a bigger more expensive arrangement. For funerals, most people didn’t mind, especially since it was a better deal.
The coffee was finished brewing right after she got the orders printed off. She poured herself a mug in self-defense. Andi needed something to reinforce her, coffee usually worked best. After setting the mug near her work station, she gathered the supplies she would need for several arrangements at once. The potted plants came ready to go needing only the card, although she did do some custom work in those too.
After a couple hours of hard work, Harry came in to start work. All the pre-ordered arrangements were done and she was already working on some arrangements for people that wandered into the store. “Good morning, Andi,” Harry declared.
“Mornin’ Harry. Grab you a cup of coffee.”
“Glad you have some made. I brought a dozen donuts so we can snack until lunch,” he explained with a smile.
Harry often brought donuts when his favorite donut shop had day old ones available. He had a crush on the cashier and it gave him an excuse to visit her. One of these days he would actually ask her out. The young man was sweet and cute as a bug. Maybe that wasn’t the manliest way to describe a guy, but it fit. The girl he crushed on was a sweetie too.
“How’s Sandy?”
“Pretty as ever. I just can’t get the nerve up. You know what I mean?”
He often asked Andi for advice, even though she was only a few years older and had never been in a long-term relationship. She hadn’t even dated since she’d opened the store. How would she find the time? Between making her floral creations, putting in order, and delivery, there was little time left. It was okay because she had her eyes on the prize, a business plan she was getting closer to every day. At the rate she was going, two more years then it would all be paid for.
“She’s so sweet. I bet she would be nice about it no matter how she replied.”
“I know you’re right, I’ve started to ask and just chickened out.”
“I wish you luck. Maybe next time you’ll ask. I better grab a donut then get back to work. You want to grab some of these flowers and take them to the cooler?”
“I’m right on it.”
He was and now that he was here, the day would speed right along. It was a couple hours before anyone came in, but then it was crazy until lunch. Harry took lunch first while she covered the desk. People often came to put in orders or picked up flowers while on lunch break. Once she looked at the cooler to see what had sold, she made more to fill the empty spots.
The day was pretty typical since Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays were the biggest days. Wednesday was often so slow unless she had a wedding or a funeral, she didn’t have any help come in until the afternoon so Andi could do deliveries. That was one of Mary’s days because she could come in early if called. She also worked Thursday and half the day Saturday. Both her employees could help with arrangements, they knew how to check the website for orders just in case of emergencies.
Harry wasn’t the best at making them and preferred not to do it even though he could make them look okay. Mary was an artist so hers looked lovely. She also loved doing it so sometimes Andi would cover the sales desk to let Mary make arrangements. It gave them both a change of pace. Tomorrow, Harry would arrive at ten and work until six which was closing.
Now that Harry was back from lunch, she would grab a bite to eat and begin deliveries. Once she was back, they would see how business went, but usually he left at four. Once she closed at six, she would make more deliveries if necessary. If she had flowers that looked like they wouldn’t last, she called her cousin, Phyllis, who worked with senior citizens. She’d come over to help her fix arrangements using them and take them to the hospital or a senior citizens center.
It was nice that nothing was wasted, every flower brightened someone’s day. It was rare that she had any left over so once in a while, she would order extra so Phyllis could have something to work with. It was one of the benefits of being the owner, she liked to give stuff away to people who needed it. No, it wouldn’t feed or clothe anyone, nor would it put a roof over their head or keep them warm, but the spirit needed sustenance too. There was no doubt it would put a smile on someone’s face.
She was too busy to do that today, but maybe later in the week. Phyllis had a list of people at the nursing home that needing cheering up and several of them were regulars. Some had poor families who just couldn’t afford much, but some had families that had turned their backs on them, they’d forgotten them. One poor old lady even cried every day about how her family had thrown her away, placing her there so they could take her money as well as everything she owned. Sadly, Phyllis admitted it was true.
That sweet lady, Francis, was on the top of the list. Several others had conditions where their families visited when they could, but they never remembered them. They forgot the visit before the family was even out the door. So much pain and suffering to be found in that place. At least Phyllis had assured her the people were well cared for. The employees were sweet and caring, which counted for a lot.
Her back hurt, today had been challenging with some of the heavier pots being used. It would be nice to have a teenager help with deliveries, a strong young man preferably.
Andi just didn’t feel she could pay out that extra money until she had her business paid for. To her, paying it off was the most important thing. That would give her a sense of security and allow her to expand the business in ways she had been considering.
If there was any possible way to do it, she would pay even more on her loan. Right now, she doubled the monthly payment meaning some months she had little to live on. At least she knew how to make it on a small budget. Andi needed little, her business was her dream. She’d gotten an associate degree in business while she worked for a florist saving everything she could. Now, she was living her dream.
The week progressed much like usual except for a big wedding she handled on her usually slow Wednesday. She didn’t get many large weddings, so it was some welcome income. Andi somehow managed to push Sebastian, the lion shifter, to the back of her mind except at night when her dreams ran rampant. What was a girl to do? He was so damn sexy; it was hard not to think about him.
There was a strange guy that came in to buy some cut flowers. He pumped Harry for information being so obvious, Harry teased her about her new admirer. Andi had no idea who the guy could be. He came back on Wednesday, Mary said he gave her the creeps. She refused to answer his questions, so he bought a single rose then left. It was beginning to bother her. What was going on?
This guy was acting like a stalker. A
ndi didn’t know who he was nor did she want to. Things like this didn’t happen to her because she didn’t get out that much so she never met guys like him. Since he paid with cash, she didn’t even have a name. If he came back, she would get a picture of him just in case. For now, she needed to get back to work. It was just her and Harry, so there was no extra help to be had with lots of arrangements to be made.
The one she was working on right now was red roses and white orchids. It was for the wedding supper tonight. A family member would pick it up in an hour so she needed it done. The whole thing was huge with a bride held in the arms of a groom in the center. They were made out of glass so they could be kept as a keepsake. The ribbon was a double weave. Both red and white were used and clear crystal wedding bells were attached to the ribbon’s center.
The whole effect when she was done was gorgeous. A guy came to get it, the bride’s brother. He was attractive with the same coloring as the bride but he looked manly while she was cute. If she was honest, she was glad to be rid of it without having to deliver it. The figurines and the bells were delicate. That made it an accident waiting to happen.
Harry left early, but everything was in hand. It made her wonder what she would do when he was gone. Maybe a couple part time high school kids could be trained to help fill in the gap until a full-time worker was hired. They would still be able to work later, it just wouldn’t be as much. Sometimes being the boss was great but when it came to these decisions, it just sucked.
Once the day was done, she would be glad to get off work so she could sleep. Yesterday had been demanding and she had worked late. Mary’s kids had the flu which meant she’d had to leave early. If she got the flu, Andi might have to close the store for a couple hours to do deliveries. She still took calls by having them forwarded to her cell phone. That would be the best she could do.
No one came in the last hour and she got all the wedding arrangements for tomorrow done. There was no way to describe the relief when things worked out. Knowing she could deliver gave her piece of mind. Since she was so tired, she quit early then turned in for the night after setting her alarm. Hopefully her tiredness wasn’t a sign of an impending illness. The last thing she needed was to get sick when business was up with weirdos lurked about. She drifted off to sleep thinking only good thoughts.
The next morning, she got up to take care of the wedding order first. Someone came to the church to let her in and she set everything up quickly. As was often the case, they’d also rented some decorations that she would have to pick up tonight when the wedding was over. When she was done two hours later, the church looked gorgeous. The bouquets had been placed in a spare fridge the church had. Relief washed over her, she was done.
Andi got ready to leave when she noticed someone hanging out in the parking lot. It was a guy, all alone. He was big like a football player with a threatening look on his face. She went to get the deacon who had let her in to the church so he could peer out at the man.
“I don’t know him, but I have to agree, he looks threatening. I’ll call the local cop so he can come to check him out.”
The town only had one cop because it was so small. The city cop worked days, the sheriff’s department or the state patrol covered emergencies that occurred outside of regular business hours. Since it was nearly eight and the deacon knew the cop personally, he agreed to come and check out the guy. As soon as the cop pulled into the lot, the car started driving off. To Andi, that looked suspicious. She left immediately and was only a few minutes late opening the store.
It was clear to her that she had gotten busy enough she needed another even more part time worker. The job might develop more hours later. If things kept picking up as they tended to do in the spring and summer, she would be busy enough to need two. Today, since she had no one coming in to help, she closed an hour for lunch. It wasn’t to eat either, she had to make and deliver two arrangements. With just a few minutes to spare, she grabbed a sandwich upstairs and an apple to eat for lunch.
Once she was back downstairs, she opened the door right away. When she looked out the door, she saw the cop car drive by. It made her feel much better that he was checking on her. She’d mentioned her concerns about the guy in the parking lot. The cop knew Ariel, they were good friends from way back. Ariel had talked to him as well.
This whole thing was becoming alarming. The only thing that had changed locally was the cats building a community near town. They’d all seemed alright so she wouldn’t assume it was them. Andi needed to take some time to visit Ariel. Maybe if they talked this out something would come to light. This guy made her nervous. That was something she didn’t need as busy as she was.
Ariel had always warned them, all the cousins that was, that danger lurked nearby for all white wolves, especially unmated ones. Andi wasn’t on the list the wolf council had, so how would anyone find her? It was a mystery and Andi didn’t know if they were after her as a white wolf or for some other unknown reason.
Business was slow so she had time to stock up her cooler, fix the arrangements for online orders, and clean up the store. Once it was closing time, she prepared to deliver orders carefully scanning the area around the store but not seeing anyone who shouldn’t be there. It seemed, for now anyway, everything was back to normal. She was sure that it wouldn’t stay that way. Someone wouldn’t go through all this trouble to stalk her, just to quit because they were noticed.
Once the deliveries were done, she went to Sara’s diner to eat supper. It was a rare treat she gave herself. When Sara saw her, she sat with her to talk. “Ariel said you’re being bothered. I had a situation but it resolved itself without too much trouble. They weren’t true rogues, or at least their hearts weren’t in it.”
It seemed like most mated white wolves had a story about an abduction or at the least, an attempted one. Ariel had even been abducted after she had mated. That was unusual, but Ariel was the white wolf. She was considered the strongest and most powerful of their clan as well as the matriarch, once sweet Aunt Daisy had passed on.
“It’s a bit scary since the guy came into the flower shop twice. I also saw golden yes following me one night. Now, I have what I suspect is the same guy following me around. What will I do if he tries to take me?”
“We’ve all had training, don’t forget it.”
Sara was referring to the training Ariel had made sure they had gotten in self-defense. Sara had gotten scared and not used it. Luckily, her mate had saved her. Many of the other white wolves had used their training to avoid being taken. A few had used it but been overwhelmed. Those few had been taken anyway. Her food came so Sara left her to eat her meal in peace.
The food was good making this a worthwhile splurge. It was rare that Andi had a good meal like this. She could cook but didn’t bother to fix a meal often. Sometimes it just seemed like too much trouble when she was tired from work. Cold cereal, a TV dinner, or a heated can of soup or pasta was often her go to meal. That was easy as well as filling. Often, she had to tell herself life would change once her business was paid for. It was a worthwhile sacrifice to make. When it was paid for, a down swing in the economy or a bad cycle for the business wouldn’t cause her to lose it.
Now that she’d eaten, she paid then left. Her bed was calling her, an early morning would see her work done. Sometimes a good meal with a good night’s sleep after it would make her feel much better. Arriving back at her shop, which wasn’t far from Sara’s diner, she looked around to be sure no one was there watching her. As far as she could tell, no one was there. At this time in the early evening, the parking lot was empty and since it was a week day, there was little traffic driving by.
The shop looked just like it had when she’d left. When she woke in the morning, it would need to be cleaned up before she started fixing the needed arrangements. Maybe she was just getting spooked unnecessarily. It could be she was worried without enough reason. Still, Ariel cautioned them that they could be victimized by these groups that prayed on the whi
te wolf clan. That wasn’t a made-up worry, there was proof that it was a real concern.
Ariel wasn’t one of those crazy females that was always paranoid. She had real, proven issues. To ignore the facts just to set her mind at ease would be foolish. As soon as she turned off her security system, she heard a loud crash as someone tried to break in the door. Her car keys were still in her hand, they were the electronic kind so she set off the alarm. It blared loud making more noise than her house alarm would.
Her eyes met those of the crazy guy through the heavy glass that hadn’t broken. The sound of the alarm shook him up and he ran away. Pulling out her phone, she made a call to Tyne first. Most white wolves, especially those with businesses used Tyne’s services. She had several cameras including one on the porch. They now had a picture of the stalker. Maybe Tyne could take care of this mess.
Chapter 3
Foundations
It was a hard job, but someone had to do it. Why the hell did it have to be him? Sebastian had a good work ethic, but people seemed to forget he was also running a billion-dollar corporation with dozens of smaller businesses under its umbrella. Laying the foundation of what would be Cat Nation, as some people had nicknamed it, or the Feline North American Alliance, FNA, was no easy job.
Seven groups, with the Lynx taking on several of the smaller wild cats, like ocelots and bobcats, just to name two, there was plenty of personalities to deal with. Seb, as his friends and family called him, didn’t want to get bogged down with the demands of a single group, but he didn’t want anyone to get ignored or feel left out. That was what the wolves had done.
They ran things for shifters without giving any of the other kinds any say. Of the different kinds of shifters, cats had the next largest numbers to wolves, but all shifters should be heard when major decisions were being made that affected them all. Cats numbers were about thirty percent that of wolves. Bear were next, then coyotes. Exotic shifters, ones he’d never seen but heard rumors of like Phoenix, dragons, unicorns, and so on, were probably next if they were all combined.
