New Beginnings at Seaside Blooms

by Jessica Redland

* * *

  ✉︎ From Clare

  Sorry. Would love to but will get sacked if I miss it. Bunch of very important eejits to entertain. Biggest event in the company calendar. Promise to be up by 11 at the latest on Saturday. See you in the shop. Cheer up or I’ll give you a slap xx

  24

  Elise Dawson

  49 mins

  Was intending on having ONE quick glass of bubbly before a night out with the Kayley School team but on my 3rd glass already. Could be a messy night!

  * * *

  Clare O’Connell is at The Dorchester, London…

  1 hr

  Works Christmas party and prize-giving. Free bar. Nice

  * * *

  Kay Summers

  5 hrs

  Think I was born to travel the world. Heading to New York tomorrow till 3rd Jan. New Year in New York! So excited

  I sighed as I read through my Facebook newsfeed that evening. Mum and Dad were off for Christmas cocktails with the neighbours and Ben was out with his mates in Leeds. It was less than a week till Christmas and everyone had a packed evening of entertainment. Except me, the spinster with cats, all alone like Uncle Alan. The thought made me shudder and I had to reprimand myself: ‘You have friends. You’re not alone like him. You’re just on your own tonight and a bit lonely. It’s a different thing.’

  I checked Nick’s newsfeed for the umpteenth time but there was still nothing since the comment about going out with ‘the lovely Sarah Peterson’ from before Bob’s leaving do. I sighed again and checked my messages. Nothing there either.

  Back on Facebook, I typed in:

  Sarah Peterson

  Billy No Mates tonight. Feeling very sorry for myself and distinctly Bridget Jones-like, especially after seeing what all my friends and family are up to this evening – particularly you Auntie Kay Summers! Thank goodness Clare O’Connell is coming to visit tomorrow to entertain me. Going to dig out the romcoms, make some hot chocolate and trough a large bag of Doritos

  I re-read my message and toyed with not posting it. Did it sound too ‘woe is me?’ But it was how I felt and Madame Louisa said I needed to share more. Sod it! I’d post it. I was lonely and bored and I needed some sympathy.

  It was only 8.17 p.m. but my PJs, slippers, and fluffy dressing gown called. I removed my make-up and released my hair from its clip, feeling much more relaxed.

  Downstairs, I stoked up the fire, lit some scented candles, put Pretty Woman on and threw myself onto the sofa with a soft red throw.

  Richard Gere had just invited Julia Roberts into the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel when a loud knock on the door made me jump. I reluctantly peeled back the throw and padded into the hall.

  ‘Who is it?’ I shouted.

  ‘Nick.’

  ‘Nick?’ Oh. My. God! It wasn’t even nine and there I was in my PJs with no make-up on and hair everywhere.

  ‘I wondered if Billy No Mates would like some company before she’s found on her floor eaten by Alsatians?’ he shouted. ‘But I can leave if it’s a bad time.’

  I smiled at the Bridget Jones reference. So, he saw my Facebook status and came straight round, did he? My knight in shining armour. I unlatched the door and opened it an inch or so. ‘I have to warn you, I’m in my PJs. It’s not a pretty sight.’

  ‘I don’t believe that for a minute,’ he said.

  With my stomach doing somersaults, I opened the door wider and ushered him in out of the cold.

  ‘Nice PJs,’ he said.

  ‘They’re comfortable. I know men have this fantasy of women in little satin numbers, but it’s freezing tonight and fleecy PJs with teddies on are exactly what’s needed.’

  Nick laughed. ‘I’m being serious. I really do like them. Surprisingly, they’re kind of sexy. I’m not so convinced about the slippers, though.’

  Eek! I’d forgotten about the teddy-shaped slippers. ‘Oh well, you’ve seen me at my worst. The least I can do is offer you a drink for the shock.’

  ‘I’ve brought you this.’ He handed me a bottle of wine. ‘I know you were planning hot chocolate, but I thought you might prefer something stronger.’

  I smiled again. ‘Thanks, Nick. I’d best get this open then.’

  ‘I’d have brought you some flowers too, but I figured petrol station flowers for a florist could be an insult.’

  ‘I can’t remember the last time someone bought me flowers.’

  Nick smiled. ‘We’ll have to rectify that soon, then.’ He held my gaze. Stomach gymnastics time again. What was he doing to me?

  ‘Make yourself comfortable in the lounge and I’ll get some glasses.’ I headed towards the kitchen. I wasn’t sure how I managed to sound so cheerful and casual when I was falling to pieces inside. All I wanted to do was scream at him, ‘Why didn’t you reply to my text? Have you any idea how hard the past fortnight has been? And now you’re here acting all heroic. What’s going on?’ But, of course, I didn’t have the guts to say it.

  ‘Pretty Woman,’ Nick said when I walked back into the lounge. For a fleeting moment I thought he was complimenting me. Then he added, ‘Great film.’

  ‘Oh, yeah, let me stop that.’ I handed him one of the glasses then grabbed the remote, put the TV off, and sat beside him on the sofa.

  ‘Are you really sure you don’t mind me being here? I should probably have phoned first. You just sounded so down on Facebook that I came straight round.’

  ‘It’s fine.’ I gently touched his arm. ‘I’m glad you’re here.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Really.’

  He held my gaze again. It was definitely there; there was no denying the chemistry between us. So what happened after Bob’s leaving do? Should I say something? Should I do something? I found myself staring at his lips and imagining what it would feel like to kiss him. Good grief, Sarah, get a grip.

  ‘So,’ I said, ‘I really enjoyed Bob’s leaving do. You were right about the Bay Trade guys. Great bunch. Did Bob enjoy his send-off?’

  Nick grinned. ‘He absolutely loved it. I can’t believe he’s already been in New Zealand for a week. What about you? Things going well in the shop?’

  ‘Really good. Sales have been far better than expected which is a relief as I was worried that I didn’t have what it takes to run the business after so many years in a big corporate.’ I was rambling. Could I just blurt it out and ask him how he felt? Eek! Maybe I could start with a simpler subject: my business worries. I already knew he was a great listener and, being self-employed too, he was bound to get it. Yes, business worries were a much safer – and far less embarrassing – subject.

  ‘Sounds great,’ Nick said. ‘So why don’t you look happier?’

  I shrugged. ‘Are you sure you don’t mind listening to my woes yet again?’

  ‘I’m here, aren’t I?’

  Plumping my cushion, I changed position on the sofa to get more comfortable. ‘I promise I’m usually an optimist but this is unchartered territory for me. I’ve never been self-employed with the worry of an erratic income stream. I know I should relax and enjoy the great sales but I can’t help feeling worried that the current success of the shop is the novelty factor of me being a new business combined with seasonal trade. What if it goes pear-shaped in the New Year and I destroy everything Auntie Kay worked so hard to achieve? What if I can’t afford to pay my team because I don’t make the business successful enough? What if I can’t earn enough to pay back the loan Auntie Kay gave me to refurbish and stock the shop? I’d feel like such a failure.’

  Nick smiled sympathetically. ‘As one self-employed person to another, I completely get where you’re coming from with the financial security thing. I learned to budget and make sure I have a buffer fund for those tighter months. You’ll probably need to do the same. However, I don’t think you’ve got anything to panic about. You’re making better sales for two major reasons. Firstly, you offer more choice because you have gifts as well as flowers. Secondly, and more importantly, you’ve got you.’

>   ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I love your auntie and she’s a really talented florist, but, even to the untrained eye, I can see that her style is very traditional like most of the other florists in The Bay. You bring something different. You can do the traditional stuff, but you also do all these really current designs that look amazing. Plus, the shop looks so classy now that it stands out against all the other florists in town and makes yours the place to be. So that’s probably three reasons. Must return to school and re-take my maths.’

  I laughed. ‘Thanks Nick. That’s really sweet of you.’

  ‘Credit where credit’s due. You’re exceptionally talented. You need to believe in yourself more. Kay would never have given you the shop if she didn’t think you were brilliant. I mean that.’

  As he fixed those gorgeous blue eyes on mine, I felt my worries drifting away. Too much time on my own was definitely not good for me; I managed to over-think absolutely everything and create problems that didn’t really exist.

  ‘Thank you. I needed to hear that.’ I kissed him on the cheek. ‘Thank you so much.’ I gave him another kiss on the cheek but his head turned as I went for a third and I caught his mouth slightly.

  ‘Sorry,’ I whispered, but I couldn’t bring myself to pull away from him.

  The next moment, Nick kissed me on the lips and I felt my whole body tingle with delight as I melted into his kiss. Oh. My. God. So worth waiting for.

  ‘I wanted to do that after Bob’s do,’ Nick said, holding me tightly some time later.

  ‘I wanted you to but my chaperones scuppered that.’

  ‘I could have killed Bob and Tony,’ he said. ‘But part of me was relieved they’d stepped in.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘If I’d walked you home, I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself. I’d have had to kiss you goodnight and I was worried you might reject me because I’m not Steven. I really thought I’d blown it when I texted you those kisses and you didn’t reply.’

  I sat upright. ‘I did reply and I thought I’d blown it because you didn’t reply to me.’

  ‘I didn’t get a reply,’ Nick said.

  ‘You’re joking.’ I grabbed my phone off the table and started scrolling through my sent items. ‘It’s not there.’

  ‘Try your outbox?’ Nick suggested.

  ‘It’s there. I don’t believe it. Damn ancient phone and useless network. I could have saved myself a lot of stress and heartache if I’d thought to check my text had actually gone. I hate this thing. You don’t get this with an iPhone.’

  ‘What did it say?’

  I chewed on my thumbnail as I re-read my text. ‘Here. You can read it.’ I passed the phone to Nick.

  I watched his lips move slightly as he read it. ‘“Steven who?”’ Nick lowered the phone and looked at me, eyes shining. ‘Do you still mean that?’

  I nodded. ‘I can’t believe you didn’t get it. I thought you weren’t interested because I’d messed things up by telling you about Steven.’

  ‘Come here, you.’ He kissed me again.

  ‘I was definitely interested.’ He kissed the top of my head as I lay against his chest. ‘If I’d got your text, I’d definitely have turned up at the shop.’

  ‘I waited for an hour, then I came home and cried my way through a romcom fest of My Best Friend’s Wedding and He’s Just Not That Into You.’ I pointed to the Pretty Woman DVD box on the coffee table. ‘Can you spot the theme?’ I decided not to mention the hour spent on my searching for Steven frenzy first. There was such a thing as too much honesty.

  ‘I’m so sorry.’ He stroked my hair.

  ‘It’s not your fault. It’s that damn phone. And to make matters worse, the next time I heard from you was that text you meant for Skye instead. When I texted to say you’d sent it to me by mistake, your reply was all formal with no kisses or anything.’

  Nick groaned. ‘What a pair we are. When you didn’t reply – or rather when I thought you hadn’t – I thought I’d blown it for pushing you when I knew you wanted to search for Steven. I needed to talk to someone which was why I texted Skye.’

  I cringed. ‘Did you tell her about the Steven thing?’

  ‘Sorry,’ Nick said. ‘I couldn’t avoid it. Are you angry with me?’

  I shook my head. ‘She won’t tell anyone else, will she?’

  ‘No. She’s great with secrets.’

  I sat up, reached for my wine, then passed Nick his. ‘What did she say?

  ‘She understood. She’s quite into clairvoyance.’

  I smiled. ‘That doesn’t surprise me.’

  ‘She said the attraction between us was obvious. She’s a great believer in fate, just like you, and she reckoned that if it was meant to be, it would happen.’

  ‘Sound advice,’ I said. ‘When you came into the shop yesterday…’

  ‘It was to follow Skye’s advice and make sure we were still friends.’

  ‘I sent you a text in the hope I’d still catch you. Did you get that one?’

  Nick nodded. ‘I was nearly home when it came through.’

  ‘You didn’t reply, though.’

  ‘I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how you felt about me and I was worried I’d text something that might scare you off if you weren’t interested.’

  ‘I was very interested. Believe me.’ I kissed Nick again.

  ‘I don’t want to ruin the moment, but…’ he said when we pulled apart.

  ‘But what about my search for Steven?’

  Nick nodded. ‘Sorry. I have to know.’

  ‘It’s over.’ I paused. ‘I’ve been in touch with three Stevens during the past week and they all asked if they could meet me tonight. The only person I really wanted to be with was you and, even though I thought there was no chance of that, I still turned them all down. I chose you.’

  ‘So you don’t believe in the CD anymore?’

  I shrugged. ‘I can’t dismiss the CD because of that stuff about my uncle, the picture and the bracelet. But I have to assume she was wrong about Steven. I liked you when I first saw you looking all dashing in your morning suit and I’ve been fighting it ever since. After Jason, I wanted to believe I was going to meet the man of my dreams and I was so happy to believe that he was called Steven, I had my eyes closed to the Nick right in front of me. If you’ll have me, I don’t think I need to search for Steven anymore.’

  ‘Of course I’ll have you.’ Nick kissed me again. ‘Do you really mean that? It’s over with Steven?’

  ‘I really mean that. If a Steven walked into my shop tomorrow, I don’t think that there’s anything he could say or do that would make him more perfect for me than you.’

  25

  ‘I’ve missed you so much.’ Clare almost knocked an elderly couple flying in her effort to get to my side of the shop counter late the following morning.

  ‘Sorry,’ she said, vaguely acknowledging them, ‘but she cannot serve you until I’ve done this.’ She dropped her bag on the floor and hugged me tightly. ‘Ah, that’s grand. You can serve these nice people now. I need a wee and a coffee. Hi everyone.’ With a dramatic wave towards my team, she disappeared into The Outback.

  ‘I’m so sorry about that.’

  Thankfully the customers laughed. ‘I assume she’s a good friend,’ the man said.

  ‘You’d think so, but I’ve never seen her before in my life.’ They looked so shocked that I felt I had to quickly add. ‘I’m joking really.’

  ‘What’s the craic?’ asked Clare, reappearing with a drink after the couple left. ‘I hope you’ve organised a night on the town with your man Stevie and the delightful Rob.’

  ‘I haven’t organised anything but I can text Stevie to see if they’re free.’

  ‘You’re busy creating.’ She indicated the half-made bouquet on the counter. ‘Why don’t you give me your pathetic excuse for a phone and I’ll text Stevie while you finish? He won’t be able to say no to me. No man can.’

  Grinning at h
er outrageous display of self-confidence, I handed over my phone.

  Five minutes later, she emerged from The Outback and thrust my phone in front of me. ‘What’s this?’

  I glanced down at the message from Nick from earlier that morning and blushed.

  ✉︎ From Nick

  Good morning I only left you 6 hours ago & I’m missing you already. Wish I could see you tonight xxx

  ‘Care to explain?’

  ‘Shh.’ I nodded towards Mum and Cathy who were busy re-stocking the flower buckets. ‘Who said you could look through my texts?’

  ‘It’s the obvious thing to do when some daft muppet hands over their phone,’ she whispered. ‘Am I correct in thinking you’ve ditched the search for your man Steven and shagged some bloke called Nick?’

  ‘I haven’t shagged him as you so delicately put it but, yes, the search for Steven has been called off.’

  ‘You dark horse. I didn’t think you’d ever dismiss that CD as bollocks. Good on you.’

  ‘I haven’t dismissed it as bollocks.’

  ‘But you’re seeing a non-Steven.’

  ‘Yes, but it isn’t that simple. I’ll explain why later.’

  ‘Go on. Admit it was bollocks.’

  My phone beeped, saving me from a further debate, but Clare grabbed it off me.

  ‘Oi!’ I tried to retrieve it but she held it high, giggling.

  ‘It’s from Stevie,’ she said when I gave up and she was able to lower the phone. ‘Not lover-boy. Yes! They were planning to go out tonight anyway and would love to meet us.’

  ‘Great. You’ve got your answer so give me my phone back.’

  ‘Say please.’

  ‘Please.’

  She stuck out her tongue as she handed it over.

  ‘You’re being very childish today and suspiciously upbeat.’ I shoved my phone deep into my jeans pocket.

  ‘But I make you laugh,’ she said. ‘Now spill. I have to know everything about you and your man Nick. Who is he for a start and how is it I’ve never heard of him?’