Once we’re in the car, he says, “We’re not going back there. I don’t like her.”
“She was really pushy,” I agree, then sigh. “Now what?”
Etna drives down the road and pulls into a different parking lot. I watch as he takes his phone out again and begins tappingaway. “Okay, there’s another florist nearby that has excellent ratings. I say this is the last chance and if we’re not happy, we skip flowers.”
“Done,” I agree.
It’s ten minutes down the road, outside of downtown Phoenix. The building looks like a big barn. If it weren’t for the flowerseverywhereand the sign that reads Nat’s Flower Paradise, I might have thought we were at the wrong place.
“Interesting,” I say.
“What’s interesting is that there’s a barn in Phoenix. Still usable and everything.”
He’s not wrong. Etna takes my hand once we’re outside and we head in. There are people everywhere. Along one wall are loose flowers in buckets covering the entire wall. There’s a bunch of people shopping one at a time with baskets in their arms filled with various kinds of flowers.
A mister turns on and a little girl squeals with laughter as the adults back up while the flowers get their water. I grin. Already, I love this place 100 times more than the last.
We wait in line for the counter. When it’s our turn, Etna asks, “I know we just showed up off the street with no appointment, but I’m hoping to talk to someone about possibly flowering our wedding.”
“Flowering your wedding,” she repeats with a huge smile. “I love that. Hold on.” She turns and shouts, “NAT!! These cuties need you to flower their wedding, boss.” She turns back. “I’m using that phrase from now on. You’ve started a trend.”
Etna smiles. “I’m afraid but thank you.”
“Nat will be right out. Please feel free to browse.”
There are literally flowers everywhere. When we look up, I find vines hanging over the rafters with flowers hanging from them. Not dead flowers but living flowers. Flowers that are maybe part of the vine.
“I have to say, I’m impressed these can survive in the desert,” Etna says as he examines something that looks insanely exotic.
I nod. He’s not wrong.
“Boys that need their wedding flowered,” the woman at the register calls a few minutes later. Etna and I exchange a look that ends in laughter. We turn and… Is that… “This is Nat,” she says. “He’ll take good care of you.”
I’m not sure what I’m expecting, but this man is a giant. Not to be cliché, but he could totally be a lumberjack from folklore. He’s enormous. Neither Etna nor I are small men. We’re both over six feet. This man is at least a head taller.At least.
He’s broad, burly, and looks like he can pull a tree from the ground and joust with it. He’s all Viking beard and long braided hair, too. To top it off, despite his outwardly stereotypical masculine appearance, he appears shy.
That’s cute as hell.
“I already like him better,” Etna whispers as he once more takes my hand. “Hi, Nat,” he says, offering his hand.
Nat is definitely shy when he takes Etna’s hand. “Hi. Uh… you’re here to get your wedding flowered?” he asks, the last two words sounding confused and cautious.
I laugh.
“To be fair, I don’t know what the proper term is,” Etna admits. “Apparently, it’s not that. I’m also going to tell you right up front that I have no idea what we’re looking for or even if flowers are necessary.”
“Flowers aren’t for everyone,” he agrees. “That’s okay. I can show you what we’ve done in the past if you like, and you can decide from there.”
Yep, like him a whole lot better.
“Please. That sounds great.”
He smiles, and that shyness vanishes entirely. “This way.”
Nat turns and pushes the gate at the counter open. We pause. “You want us to go behind the counter?” I clarify.
“Yes. Follow me.”
