Elly In Bloom

by Colleen Oakes

  “No, I’m fine” Elly snapped. She grabbed the wrapped sandwich. “Smells amazing. What do I have here?”

  “Something Keith came up with. I was going to get you the Sprout Veggie Surprise, but Keith said you would like this better.”

  Elly took a bite into her sandwich. It was incredible. She suppressed a loud moan, figuring only strange, fat girls moaned about sandwiches. Keith had outdone himself.

  Creamy chicken with a hint of lemon and mustard danced across her tongue, while sharp braeburn apples mingled sensually with brie. The bread was a thick grain, toasted lightly and then brushed with butter. It was the best sandwich she had ever had. Isaac, on the other hand, was making a disgusted face at his.

  “Gross!” he said, flinging aside a wilty cucumber. “This is nasty.” He took another cautious bite, chewed and then spit into a napkin. “I’m pretty sure this lettuce has mold growing on it. Sick. I’m never eating there again. I think that guy HATES me. Is yours okay?”

  Elly couldn’t answer, as she had a mouthful of pure bliss. She nodded.

  Isaac popped up from the pillows. “Whatever. I’m having ramen.” He huffed into the kitchen. Elly sat back on the blanket. Now that the sandwich was resting happily in her stomach, she was feeling very sleepy. Isaac sat down beside her.

  “Where’s your ramen?” Elly asked, with one eye open.

  “Oh. I didn’t feel really like eating. I had a banana today already.”

  I hate you, thought Elly.

  He leaned over Elly, bracing his body over hers and sticking his hip right into the remains of her sandwich.

  “Er, I think you might have chicken on your thigh,” she pointed out. He smiled, his white teeth dazzling her. She suddenly felt a loss for words.

  “I don’t care,” he said, trailing his finger down her cheek. “I just care that you are here with me. Close to me. I don’t like being away from you. You are just so…warm.” He kissed her softly. She fell into him, whirling in a vortex of passion. He pulled away from her breathless. “Wow. You really did have a week, didn’t you?”

  Elly nodded, her eyes unexpectedly filling with tears. “It’s been crazy. I’m still not sure that I can pull this off, and I’m asking myself ‘Why? Why did I do this? Why am I torturing myself? Am I masochist?’”

  Isaac’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I certainly hope so.”

  She slapped his roaming hands. “You should stop in and see the studio. It’s fern gulley in there. We have six different types of greenery…Dark pittosporum, Magnolia leaves, jade palms, and this amazing full leaf called Tree of Heaven…” She sighed happily. No matter what the occasion, talking about flowers always brought a sense of calm. “You can barely walk because of all the buckets, but it does feel a little like a peaceful rainforest.” She paused. He looked like he was listening, but she couldn’t be sure. There was something that she had wanted to ask him…something that she had talked over with Kim. Elly sat up halfway.

  “I need to ask you something.”

  Isaac sat back, looking oddly disappointed.

  “What would you think…” she halted to read his face, “about helping me with the wedding?”

  Isaac’s face was still as ice, but his eyes widened. She traced over his hand with her pointer finger.

  “I’ve been thinking about it, and I think that if you were by my side all day that I could get through this. Not only could I use the extra hands,” she said, bringing those gorgeous hands up to her face, “but when you’re there, I feel more confident, more alive.”

  He looked confused and Elly carefully weighed her next words.

  “You’re a shot of adrenaline to my heart.” His eyes lit up with the praise. “Before you knocked on my door, my heart was just dormant.” She eyed his flushed face. “And now, you’ve set it on fire. You made me feel like I could live again.” Okay, now she was getting carried away. “So, will you be there? Will you help me that day? I….I need you there. I need that boost that only you can give me.”

  Isaac placed his hand on her heart. “If you want me to be there, I will be there. It’s important to you. And Elly…I love you.”

  She suddenly wanted to tell him everything, not the watered-down version of the wedding, but the truth behind it. That there were times where she still felt like her heart would explode from the pain, that she saw Lucia’s face every time she shut her eyes, that she was praying feverishly into the night that Aaron’s hold on her would be lifted. She took a breath. Why not? What could happen if she truly bared her soul to him? Besides, his brown eyes were so inviting…

  “I feel like I’m in a dream that I will never wake up from,” she started. “When I left Georgia…”

  Isaac put his finger over Elly’s lips. “Let’s not talk about that,” he whispered, and Elly felt a sharp punch of rejection. “I want to talk about us.” He pushed her back onto the pillows, softly nuzzling her nose. “Do you remember the other night, at the Paradox Club?”

  You mean, where you ripped your shirt off and told me that you loved me in front of a crowd of hundreds? Elly’s cringed at the awkward memory. “Yes, I remember.” Unfortunately.

  “Remember when I told you I loved you?” His lips brushed across hers, from side to side. “I had thought that you would…ah…feel more comfortable with me after that.”

  Elly smiled and ran her hand down his back. “What do you mean? I do feel comfortable with you.”

  He pulled away from her. “You know what I mean. I’m just wondering where this relationship is going.” Elly avoided his questioning eyes. “When are we going to make it…real?”

  Oh no, not this again. Why is he such a sixteen-year-old boy? I so don’t want to talk about this tonight, she grumbled inwardly, and kissed him furiously with hopes of distracting him from this particular line of thought.

  Elly’s head was now cradled against the soft pillow. Isaac’s breath on her neck was making her drowsy and she felt her eyes closing. It had been a very long day. She could feel the dirt caked under her fingernails and the sore ache in her thighs. Her whole body hurt. Instead of responding to Isaac with passion, it seemed to be screaming for bed. She was drifting…

  “I have to go home. I’m just so tired,” she whispered.

  Isaac’s head jerked back. “You’re falling asleep?”

  Elly nodded, content with the feel of his hand on her face. If he would just stop molesting her, she could nap here, pressed against his body, wrapped up in his adoring arms.

  He looked annoyed. “Why are you so afraid to move forward with me?”

  She pushed him off. “I’m not. I’m just exhausted, please understand. It has nothing to do with you.”

  Elly knew she was lying. Why was she afraid of moving forward with him, in every sense? It wasn’t just the physical. She just never gave much thought to their future together, either. She loved being with him, and that was all she was able to see; the present, with him. She could feel he was beginning to sense that. She pulled him into her arms and kissed his nose.

  “I’m sorry I can’t keep my eyes open. Trust me, if there was anything that could keep me awake, it would be you.”

  Isaac forced a smile to his face. “I guess so. It’s okay. The band will be here in an hour anyway for a late night practice.”

  Elly was slightly ticked off. So, you planned on making passionate love to me on the floor and then having your band practice mere minutes later?

  “I’ll head out. Thank you for the floor picnic. It’s exactly what I needed.”

  Isaac kissed her hair. “Wait. I have a gift for you. I don’t want you to open it in front of me, I want you to wait until you are home. I think it something you’ll enjoy.”

  “Oooh…is it a spa gift certificate?” Elly cooed.

  “Nope, it’s a picture of myself.” There was a tense pause. “I’m just kidding.”

  Elly chuckled awkwardly. Of course he was. Isaac skipped to the back bedroom and came out carrying a small lavender box, tied beautifully with a
brown ribbon. Elly was taken aback. It was so…delicate and expensive looking. She had been expecting a box of organic tea leaves. The top of the box said “Méchant” in raised calligraphy.

  Elly was breathless. “Isaac…this looks expensive.”

  “It was,” he replied with a grin. “It will be worth every penny. You’re going to love it.”

  Elly tucked the box under her arm and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. “Thank you. You’ve been really thoughtful tonight. Sorry I’m a party pooper.”

  Isaac flung his hair out of his eyes. “Eh, it’s understandable. Call me if you change your mind and want a little snuggling. Or anything else.”

  Elly nodded. She walked to the door, Isaac trailing behind her, clutching her hand. Turning slowly, she let her eyes meet his. “You’ll be there, right? On the wedding day, promise?” Isaac entwined his hands into her thick hair.

  “Absolutely. I’m yours, whenever you need me.”

  Elly smiled at him, gave him a soft kiss, and headed down the stairs.

  Back in her apartment, she pulled on loose pajama pants and an old softball t-shirt. Elly climbed into her bed, taking Cadbury and Isaac’s gift with her. Switching on her tiny bedside lamp, she let out a breath of anxiety, settling into her soft comforter, rejoicing in being in bed at last. She untied the ribbon slowly.

  Please, let this be what I think it is. Please let it be the most delicious French chocolate I’ve ever tasted. The ribbon fell away and Elly excitedly pulled at the tissue paper. She saw a flash of black. Chocolate box? She grinned and reached for it. Surprisingly, it gave way under her hand, sliding silkily between her fingers.

  It was a nightgown.

  No, that wasn’t right. There wasn’t enough fabric to make a nightgown.

  Silver satin stretched along the outside hip area, crossing the body with nothing more than a thin piece of black lace. The top section was a mix of black and purple lace that looped under the chest area and swirled around the breast cups, which were studded with tiny rhinestones. The back was held together with a tiny black string, and altogether, it was barely larger than a scarf. She looked at the tag: Size six. Elly stifled a giggle. She dangled the tiny naughty thing from her finger, an amused look on her face. Cadbury growled at it. She looked down; there was something else in the box, a tiny hand-written note. She opened it nervously.

  “For after the wedding” it read, and clipped to the corner was…

  Elly yelped and flung the lingerie across the room. She fell back against her pillows, exasperated, and let her amusement overtake her. It was the most ridiculous thing she had ever seen.

  “You have got to be kidding me!” she gasped. Her laughter grew louder and more hysterical until it rang out through the apartment. It was several minutes before she finally dissolved into sleepy giggles.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-FIVE

  “You have got to be kidding me!” repeated Elly. “Please tell me that you are joking.” She was pacing in the studio, back and forth, stepping over mounds of flower buds and rose leaves, branches and greenery. The phone was pressed tightly against her ear, and Snarky Teenager stood by her side anxiously. “What do you mean appendicitis? I’m not sure what that means.”

  She paused, feeling her blood pressure rise steadily. “Anthony. I don’t think you understand, I can’t do this wedding without three designers…I am standing knee deep in flowers and still have twenty-five centerpieces to design, not to mention ten bridesmaids bouquets for Lucia’s harpies, and a ceremony that has more flowers than the last four weddings we did combined!” She threw a white hydrangea across the room. “Anthony, if I come down to the hospital, and you are not getting cut open by a surgeon, I swear I WILL CUT YOU OPEN MYSELF FOR THIS!”

  She slammed down the phone, sending leaves scattering all down the table. Snarky Teenager looked at her, terrified. “You’re scary when you’re angry! Stay away from me!”

  Elly opened her mouth and shut it. Anthony wasn’t coming. He had woken up in the middle of the night, severely nauseated, with an excruciating pain in his lower belly. He had barely been able to drive himself to the hospital and was admitted immediately. Elly felt a twinge of guilt as she rested her head against the cool table. She was down one designer, but Anthony was in the hospital. How could she be furious at him when he was obviously quite ill? Easily, she mused, but it still wasn’t right. She murmured a quick prayer for some semblance of peace, and moved forward, still fuming.

  Reaching under the counter, she pulled out a simple silver bucket and walked to the cooler. She stuck her hand through tons of pale yellow roses and grabbed handfuls of flowers: red ginger, Bells of Ireland, hanging heliconia and bright orange tulips. Anthony loved tropicals; they fit his bright and eccentric personality. She arranged them quickly in the heavy container, bending ti leaves in half to make an artful grid on the base and layering the ginger so it rested gently on the top. She stepped back and looked at her quick work. It was elegant, but hinted at chaos - exactly what she wanted. She rang her delivery driver, Eddie, for the pick-up.

  “One for Barnes Jewish Hospital, ASAP. Thanks, Eddie.” She hung up the phone quickly.

  Snarky Teenager piped up from the corner. “That was nice.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Elly walked to the front, where Kim, hugely pregnant with a belly that looked as if it might pull her over, was working on the phones.

  “Guess who is not coming?” Elly announced.

  Kim dropped the phone. “Are you kidding me? Anthony’s not coming?”

  “Apparently, he had an attack of appendicitis.”

  Kim put her hand over her mouth and gasped. “Elly, it’s not an “attack of appendicitis” It’s just appendicitis. Poor Anthony! He was really looking forward to designing this wedding, too. Is he going to be okay?”

  Elly grabbed the back of her office chair. “Yes, thank God. The doctor said he’ll be back on his feet soon. It sounds horrible, but I can’t really worry about him at the moment– what are we going to do? It’s...” she looked at her watch “…8 am already, and we’ve barely started. The wedding is tomorrow and even if we stay up until two in the morning, we can’t finish by then, not to mention we’ll be exhausted for the delivery.”

  Kim shakily got to her feet. “Elly, I can help with designing.”

  Elly held out her hand. “Absolutely not. First of all, I’m not going to have you standing in the back with all the slippery leaves. The last thing I need is for you to fall, and then I have two workers in the hospital. Secondly, you can’t even get your arms around yourself. How are you going to design exactly?”

  Kim reached around her belly - there seemed to be mere inches to spare. She laughed softly, a tinkling sound. “I guess you’re right,” she sighed. “What are we going to do? I guess we could call Clayton Flowers and see if they can spare any workers…”

  Elly shook her head. “No way. I can’t have a florist from another shop poking around here. They’ll sneak into our client list and steal our design style.”

  Kim rolled her eyes. “No one is going to steal your design style, Elly.”

  “Regardless. I wouldn’t be comfortable with that.”

  “Well, beggars can’t be choosers,” snapped Kim.

  Elly sighed. “You’re right. I can’t be choosy. I need to finish this wedding, otherwise it will bury me.” Elly’s face creased with worry as she walked quickly to the filing cabinet and started pulling out papers.

  “Wait, what are you doing?” asked Kim.

  Elly looked up at her, a hint of insanity in her sparkling blue eyes. “You should prepare yourself for what’s about to happen.”

  Twenty minutes later, Ardelle Buche flung the front door open, sending the bells crashing against the wall. Elly cringed. Ardelle threw her scarf onto the table and ripped off her peacoat, revealing a yellow ruffled top and tight white pants.

  “Darlings, I am here. I am here to save ze day, to design and preserve the pre
cious name of your inner city store and to make an artistic achievement zat will win the admiration of people everywhere.”

  Elly nodded and picked up her coat from the floor. “Yes, Ardelle, but remember what we talked about – you have to design exactly what I say. There is no room for creativity here. Everything has already been ordered and set up in back for you. It’s going to be a very long, intense day of designing and we are glad that you could help us – er, are you wearing heels?”

  Ardelle tipped her toe. “Of course, one cannot design unless one is dressed to design. My personal style must live up to ze standards of my creation.”

  Elly looked down at her T-shirt and green cargo pants with sneakers. “Riiight. Okay. She…” Ardelle arched an eyebrow at Snarky Teenager who stood scowling at Elly, “is going to be your boss today. She’s going to tell you everything you need to do, and you need to do exactly as she says. If you have any questions, please come find me, but we really need to work as fast as possible. This will be a 10 hour day, at the least.” She clapped her hands. “Everyone set?”

  Ardelle ignored her. She turned to Snarky Teenager, eyeing her up and down. “You are so young to be a floral designer. I cannot take direction from someone so…new to the world of designing. It is insulting, that zis 12-year-old child will tell me what to do.” She turned back to Elly. “I believe I can handle myself…”

  Elly’s temper flared and she raised her hand to stop Ardelle in the middle of her sentence. “These are the conditions of you designing here. I am not paying you to create your own…creations; I am paying you to do what we tell you. Can you handle that?”

  Ardelle bit her lip and considered it. “You are paying me well, and I need a new fountain for my bathroom. Yes. I will stay. Although, I am not sure how I can work in such conditions.” She pushed a fern away from her foot, disgusted.

  Snarky Teenager rolled her eyes. “Oh, geez. Follow me – don’t step on anything!”

  They headed to the back.

  “Oh, Ardelle?”

  Ardelle spun around to face Elly.