Page 1 of Timeless Valentine

1

GRACE

“Thank you, please come again!” I flash the elderly lady in the charming old-fashioned hat my brightest smile. Once she's out the door with her potted plant, I duck into the huge refrigerator filled with flowers.

Of my three jobs, Maria's Flowers is the most invigorating. Breathing in the fragrance of fresh roses, lilies, peonies, and greenery gives me more of a boost than chugging the energy drink I can’t afford.

My fingers dance around the blossoms, checking them over. With Valentine's Day less than a week away, I need to keep the shop spotless and perfect.

It's the most bittersweet of all the holidays for me. Although it's wonderful that people are so excited to celebrate their love, it's exhausting to work extra hours that remind me of how alone I am.

Only an hour left, then you can go to bed early tonight,I remind myself as I drink in the scent of some early potted Hyacinths. All I can do is power through. That's how I live every single day. One or two work shifts, eat, sleep, rinse, repeat. My week runs like clockwork, and my routine holds me together.Or at least, gives a framework to my life and prevents the exhaustion from tearing me apart completely.

The bell over the front door tinkles, and I look out through the glass to see a striking man in a black suit stride in. That’s another perk of working here at Maria's Flowers: there are some extremely good-looking men in this neighborhood. Most of them are married, and I certainly don't have time to date anyway, but a girl can still look, can’t she?

I leave the cooler and step behind the counter. "Hi. May I help you?"

"Your online ordering system is broken." His dark eyes dart around warily, as if he's not entirely comfortable being in the shop. I notice how perfectly his suit hangs on his tall, athletic frame. Custom tailored, has to be.

As his gaze fixes on me, my breath falters. He's gorgeous. The kind of sharp good looks that suggest he may have modeled in his twenties, although he now looks to be in his mid-thirties. His tan, and the way he carries himself, make it look like he would much rather be outdoors wielding a chainsaw instead of holding his phone awkwardly, custom suit or no custom suit.

"I'm terribly sorry about that. The guy who runs the website is the owner's son, and…" I shrug, smiling apologetically. "But you're here now. This way I can take care of your order personally. What would you like?"

He nods, smiling warmly. "You're right. But I have no idea what to get. Just some kind of bouquet."

"Is it an early Valentine's Day gift?" My eyes drop for a split second to his left hand. No ring.

Hmmm.

"No, it's my Aunt Kimberly's birthday."

Single, and sweet?

"Would you like something huge and dramatic? Or small and polite?" I gesture to the cooler, willing the little voice inside meto sit down and be quiet. "You can point to things you think she'll like, and I'll make an arrangement just for her."

"Really? I thought they were all preset bouquets."

I hold back a giggle. "That's only online. In person, you get my help."

When he smiles it’s like turning up the dimmer switch of his attractiveness to the maximum. Trying not to get lost in his deep eyes, I notice they're a smoky blue, like a stormy sea.

"Well, before she moved into a retirement community, my aunt had a huge back garden."

"Perfect." I stand beside him to point. "Did she have roses?"

"Yes." He skims the display. "Not like these fancy little red ones. More like…that…" He gestures to some large peachy orange old-fashioned tea roses.

"Great. What about any lilies, kind of like this?"

His nose crinkles slightly as he thinks, lost in thought, making him look even more perfect to me. From his polished shoes to his expensive looking watch, everything about him screams "important businessman". This may be the first time in ages where he has no clue what he's doing. It's adorable.

"I think she had those lilies. Or else something like that." He points to the end of the case. "Oh, and she had a whole bunch of daisies in one section. Not those hot pink ones. White ones."

He turns to me with a sheepish glance. "But I guess daisies don't really go with roses?"

"I think everything goes with roses."

His laugh is deep and sexy. "Sorry. My name is Leo Rose, so that's kind of hilarious."

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