A week passes by and it's Saturday again. We have a new part time worker and she's a year older than us. Kael gives instructions about how we should take care of the flowers and how we should arrange them. She's currently having fun arranging the flowers into a bouquet that is reserved to be a proposal from a man in his 20's. I didn't expect Shanaia to be loud like Kael. We're taller than her. Long straight hair unlike ours. Kael has a permed hair while I have a long wavy one.
"Who's this?" Shanaia asks, looking at Mr. Louie's picture frame. Beside his is the picture of his wife, the owner of the shop, Ms. Morgan. "Oh so they're the owner of this shop?"
"Yep. And you know what? We're the only teens working here.. From Monday to Friday, they're all adults," Kael says. Shanaia reacts.
"Isn't Leo a teen?" I ask, remembering the owner's son who's also working here.
"He's here on a Sunday. With his cousins." We three talked for about 2 minutes and it feels like we're friends for a long time already. I'm glad we got along this fast with Shanaia.
A few leaves roll in as someone enters the shop. We hastily return to our places. I'm still laughing at the register about the last joke Kael said. Shanaia's laugh is also heard from the other corner. I roll up my sleeves and positioned myself to greet the customer. I study his figure. He wears a denim jacket, with the sleeves pushed up, a white sweater underneath. It's Cedric. Again. It's the 4th Saturday since he started to visit the shop. I can't tell if he's looking for something. Or if he likes that feeling of being inside a flower shop. Or if he's been studying the flowers to give it to his girlfriend.. If he has one. But he doesn't buy flowers whenever he comes here. I remember asking Kael if they were friends and he says they aren't.. He also doesn't know why he visits here without buying flowers. But he did buy macaroons from Kael when I was busy one Saturday.
He just browses the store as Shanaia rings up customers and Kael restocks the shelves. Minutes passes by without him bringing some flowers here at the front counter. I decide to help Kael place some sacks of soil into the delivery area outside.
"You're wearing a long skirt, you might trip."
"It's fine, I have nothing to do anyway." We keep on bickering, him not allowing me to help since my outfit is not fine with carrying sacks, and me insisting it's really fine with me. I can even show him splits if I want to.. Nevermind, I can't do splits.
"Hey! Keep it downㅡ This isn't the market!" Shanaia walks out and grabs the soil between Kael and I. "You guys are noisy.. But I'm glad I'm with my people." She laughs before walking out with one sack. Kael also gets one sack and sticks his tongue out infront me before leaving. I made a face before returning back to the shop. I have no choice but to return since we still have one customer.
I stare at him as I walk towards the first section of flowers. I wear my gloves. I'm still staring at him from a distance while putting the flower pots on the empty shelves. He's been wandering around at the two same sections from the other side. Is he an inspector or something? Is he looking for insects on our plants? And if he does, he'll report it?
I have to admit. I've been also wondering ever since, if he came here to see me... But then I thought I was just pulling the wrong strings. I shrug and remove the thought out of my head.
Minutes later, as I move a pot from the shelf, wondering if he knows my name, I catch the glint of brown eyes through the gap, looking back at me from the other side. We’re silent for a moment too long. Then he smiles, and I think he’s about to say something—but I shove the pot between us before he has the chance. I grab the crate beside me and hurry to the back door. What’s wrong with me? Why didn’t I smile back? After scolding myself for ruining the moment, I gather some courage to go back out and introduce myself. But when I return from the back door, he’s already gone.
On the front counter, I find something that wasn’t there before. A rose with its stem, made of paper. I turn it over in my hands, admiring the folds. Did Cedric leave this here?
If I hurry outside, I might still catch him. But as soon as I rush out the door, the street vanishes, and then I find myself entering a noisy café on the corner of Poole Street, nearly two weeks later.