Page 23 of Bloom and Burn
He sends me another selfie, this time with him poking his tongue out. A thrill slithers down my back, reminding me exactly how that tongue felt in my mouth and around my cock.
Jesus, Ryan. Keep it in your pants.
I adjust myself and send him a selfie of my own, making sure I look extra sexy as I wink at the camera.
Jack:You are evil for giving me a hard-on when the meeting won’t finish for another hour.
Me:You started it.
Jack:I see you appreciated my photo ;).
I chuckle. Do I like the idea of sexting him while he’s suffering in a meeting? Hell yes, but I also need to go home and talk to mom about moving the Orchid. I still haven’t managed to catch her, and I know for a fact she’s home right now. So as much as I’d love to fuck around with Jack, I wish him good luck and put my phone back in my pocket.
I don’t immediately go inside when I park the pickup on the driveway in front of the garage. How do I bring up Jack and Emily and wanting to move? Considering Jack’s call with mom was disastrous, I need to approach the subject with tact or it might backfire. She won’t be happy I got onboard with this at all, no matter how noble the main reason might be. I mean, the medical facility Jack wants to construct is part of why I want to do it, but it also isn’t the only factor in my decision. I want to do it because Iwantto do it. The Orchid is mine and I should be the one at the helm, not my mother. I am using the Kellers as a stepping stone, I realize that, to add an additional justification to my little rebellion, but they are using me, too. It’s all mutually beneficial and if everything goes well, I am convinced my mom will start taking me seriously. Which in turn would mean that transforming the Blooming Orchid into a garden center might not be such a far-fetched dream anymore.
Excitement thrums in my veins as I step out of the car. The front door of the house opens just as I grab my backpack and head inside.
“Ryan!” my mom says, crossing her arms over her chest as her petite frame struggles to fill even half of the door. I take that from her. She’s still wearing the violet blouse and the flared black pants she’s designated her work uniform at the town hall and her hair is neatly styledin a bun at the top of her head. “You didn’t take the day off?”
I shake my head. “Thought I’d stop by in the morning and get a few more arrangements for the festival done.” I tilt my chin at her outfit. “I see you are guilty of the same.”
She waves me off. “If you need help, just let me know. I’m happy to step in anytime until we find you an employee.”
We.
I clench my hands by my sides, but keep my smile up. “Of course. I’ll let you know if I need a hand.”
While it has been busy, it’s not like I haven’t been able to handle it on my own. The one area where I struggle a little is doing the admin and accounting stuff, but that’s not due until the end of the month. I’ll manage somehow until I find somebody. And on that note, I’m yet to get any applications even though I posted the ad online a couple days ago. I even stuck a printout on the shop’s door. To be fair, it’s not a particularly lucrative position and while the pay is decent, the career prospects are kind of nonexistent.
Yet another thing that I could change if I expanded into things beyond just flowers. Sigh. It’s fine. Today is the first step toward that. I just need to hang in there.
Mom herds me inside while showing me a doodle of the way the town hall will be arranged for the festivities. There will be a kids’ drawing competition, a dancing and singing contest. We are using two sets of flower arrangements—one for each—and she’s decided she wants more colors for the second.
Speaking of flowers…
“Jack Keller stopped by the other day. We used to go to the same high school and he’s the CEO of JE Pharma now. It seems like he and his sister are moving back toEstacada. They want to buy the Orchid’s share of the old building. I gave him your number…” I hang my backpack on the metal hook by the door as I toe off my shoes.
“Oh yes, he did call,” my mom confirms somewhat sternly, nudging me into the kitchen where she’s cooking something. “I don’t know why you didn’t just turn him down, Ryan.” She gives me a hard look. “We are not moving the Blooming Orchid, much less so because of a corporation’s appetite. We have plenty of factories around here as is.”
The way she says it with finality irks me almost as much as the fact that, clearly, she didn’t really listen to Jack if she thinks he wants to build a factory. It also doesn’t bode well for my plan for gaining independency, but I won’t let myself lose hope before I’ve really put in some effort. I wasn’t counting on her agreeing to sell just because I might ask her to.
I take out the veggies, sauteing them the way she shows me while she browns beef mince. “I think it could be good for the business. A better location can get us new customers.”
“People like Jack Keller will tell you anything to get you to agree to do what they want,” she clips, throwing me a disapproving look over her shoulder. “Besides, that boy used to bully you at school, don’t you remember?”
Of course she bringsthatup and justifiably so. But he’s changed. At first, I wondered if maybe I got fooled by his charm, good looks and my resurfacing crush, but after meeting Emily? I am convinced that’s not the case—Jack Keller is a good person, or he wouldn’t be going to such lengths to help people with paralysis.
I crush a few cloves of garlic and add them to the chopped vegetables, seasoning with herbs. “We were kidsback then. And he never did more than call me a few names,” I defend as I nudge her out of the way and take over, adding the veggies to the meat.
My mom takes out a can of tomatoes from the cupboard next to the fridge, opening it for me so I have it ready. Our kitchen is white, so I’m careful as I toss in the tomatoes.
“It doesn’t change the fact that he bullied you.” She pauses and leans her back against the windowsill. Exasperation pours off her, tensing her posture and gaze. “And it seems like he is doing it again by manipulating you to agree, Ryan. I don’t know how you aren’t seeing it.”
“Mom, he wants to build a medical facility to cure his sister’s paralysis,” I say with a little more vigor than strictly necessary, but I can’t help it. “Do you realize how many others it will also help?”
“That’s what he’s telling you!” she argues. “Ryan, I love you, sweetie, but you can be so naïve sometimes. You are a new business owner and you don’t know how to make good decisions yet. You are inexperienced.” She moves over and squeezes my shoulder. “His sob story is obviously a front.”
Yes, I deliberated if Jack was putting on an act to convince me to sell and, yes, even though he wasn’t as bad as some of the other guys that bullied me, he still participated. Or didn’t try to stop it. But my mom is wrong about him bullying me now. Or floundering his money. Jack isn’t like that, and besides, he didn’t even need to try to convince me. The moment the words were out of his mouth, my brain was already playing out that scenario, wanting to make the move happen and snatch that personal win against my parents.
