Page 19 of Bloom and Burn
He’s laughing again and it’s like the sun is suddenly shining down on me despite the rain still going strong. “Shoo. And… see you around.”
“See you around, Ryan,” I say, tuck my hands into my pockets, and sprint over to my car before I lose my resolve and make him go for round two.
7
Jack
Iamstillgiddyas I pull out my phone and mentally prepare myself to call Ryan’s mom. I drove off and have now parked in front of my and Emily’s home, not trusting myself to keep away if I had stayed so close to the sassy flower owner.
I place my palm against my forehead. Holy shit, this was… the best fucking sex I’ve had in ages. Granted, there hasn’t been much of that in my life since forever, but sometimes you just know when it’s right.
At two-forty, I finally pull the trigger, dialing Margaret’s number. This will do great as a distraction, since all I can currently think about is Ryan’s pretty eyes and smile.
“Hello, this is Margaret speaking,” a voice that bears a hint of resemblance to Ryan’s answers after the fourth beep.
“Good afternoon, Margaret,” I reply as I relax back into the seat, smiling even if she can’t see me. “My name is Jack Keller. I work for JE Pharmaceuticals. I would li—”
“I am not interested in whatever clinical trials you are running,” she cuts me off.
“No, no. That’s not why I’m calling,” I rush out, fearing she might hang up on me. “I spoke to Ryan, your son, and he gave me your number.”
I hear the legs of a chair scraping and then a creak, like a door or a window opening. “Are you a friend of Ryan’s? I wasn’t aware he knows anyone from such a godawful company.”
Oh boy, how do I even start to unpack this? JE Pharma is not evil. Where did this woman get that idea? Also, technically, Ryan and I aren’t friends. Yet. But I’d like to get to know him and change that… Then, if possible, I’d like to explore if this could be more too…
“We know each other, yeah,” I say, keeping things vague.
“Right,” she clips then lets out an exhale that makes me imagine an older version of Ryan leaning over a window and smoking. “So, what do you want?”
I take a few moments to gather my thoughts and figure out the best way to tell her about the facility. With Ryan it went smoother than I’d thought it would, and quite frankly, I was a bit surprised by how easily he got onboard, though the way my call has gone so far tells me his mom will be a tougher nut to crack.
“I would like to buy your share of the building currently housing the Blooming Orchid. I spoke to Ryan, and he is okay with that and happy to move. But since you are the owner…”
Silence, and then another exhale. “Ryan said he was okay with it?”
She sounds displeased. I am not sure what the right answer is—or if there is even a right one—so I go with the truth. “Yes, we talked about it, and he is willing to move.”
“And what is it that you need the Blooming Orchid’s share for?” she demands, her tone making it clear I need to give her a satisfactory explanation. But it’s not a big deal—I called prepared.
“I intend to build a medical facility specializing in the research and treatment of paralysis. I’ve spoken to the café and studio owners, and they’ve already agreed to sell their shares to me.”
“You want mine too, so you can own the entire building,” she surmises, then hums. “I doubt that will be enough space for your factory.”
I grit my teeth. It’s not a factory… “I want to build a medicalfacility, not a factory,” I remind her, keeping my voice calm and leveled. Business-professional, as they call it. “I have arranged to buy the surrounding land as well, so the space is sufficient, assuming you will sell to me.” I let myself sound hopeful, friendly.
“Sorry, but I will not. The Blooming Orchid has always been there. It’s part of its history.”
That is a lot of bullshit. It’s also what Ryan probably meant when he warned me about his parents. It’s okay though, I’ll still convince Margaret, I have to. “Ryan and I talk—”
“My son’s opinion here doesn’t matter,” she interjects, sounding a bit vexed. “He’s very new to this, inexperienced. He doesn’t know what’s best for the Orchid yet.”
Respectfully, I disagree. Do I have grounds for that? No, but Ryan seemed in his element at the shop, passionate too. I can speak from experience that it is more than enough if people believe in you and support you instead of doubting you the way Margaret lacks confidence in her own son’s abilities.
“A more central location can potentially boost profits,” I point out.
“The Blooming Orchid is old and well-known, Mr. Keller. We don’t need to count on our location for sales.”
Ah, her using my surname doesn’t bode well. I hadn’t heard of the shop prior to Emily mentioning coming back to Estacada, but it had indeed looked busier than I’d expected it to be, so there might be some logic to Margaret’s words. But a better location could in fact affect sales favorably, because you are more likely to get customers you wouldn’t have otherwise if they walked by you on their way to work or home.
