She had waited, he noted. Everyone in the world was in a rush at this time of the morning and she had an appointment to get to, but she had waited beside him as his order was prepared, taking in the insanity of the breakfast rush. He wondered if his neighbors would assume they weretogether, and not merely two caffeine seekers who’d accosted each other on the sidewalk.
“I wouldn’t worry too much,” Ranar assured her once he had his order in hand, gratified that she turned to exit with him.Sumi. Once again, he held the door open with his tail for her to go through first, and she turned to watch as he quickly serpentined out. “Anytime you’re doing a new build or renovation they want to see all the plans for approval. Like I said, lots of codes to follow. As long as your architect is prepared to make some changes, you won’t have any problem.”Are you going to shoot your shot? Or just slither home and curl up like the sad sack you are?
Shut up, shut UP,he hissed to himself, not realizing he’d made any sound until she turned.
“Pardon?”
“Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. Just . . . snake thoughts.” He smiled as winsomely as he was able, which he was certain wasn’t actually all that winsome.Here goes nothing. “I was thinking, once you have a chance to settle in . . . if you want the grand tour, I’m an excellent guide. I’ve lived here my whole life and have the aforementioned panic attacks at the thought of leaving.I can show you all the hidden spots you won’t find on the town’s website.”
To his relief, she laughed again, that musical little chime, rather than dumping her coffee on his tail. An auspicious sign.Unfortunately, her phone rang at that moment, her free hand scrambling to hold it upright, her eyes widening when she glanced at the screen. Ranar didn’t know what to do.Turn away? Give her privacy? What if she thinks you’re ditching her? She waited with you inside, you should wait with her now. Right?
“Hello? Yes, perfect. I’m still in the area, um, I’ll be just a few minutes. Thank you!” She pulled a face when she hung up, looking petrified. “That was the receptionist; they’re ready for me.”
“Well, good luck. I’m sure you won’t need it, but I’m giving it anyway.”You tried. Grace is out of her mind. That mothman has scrambled her brain.
“Yes,” she blurted.Sumi. “Ranar, right? I-I would love that. I mean, a tour. With you. I mean,someone has to show me what a Gildersnood is. I’d love to. And I’m taking a raincheck on that coffee. I need to be brave enough for the line eventually.”
He was an adult naga. Formidable, regal-looking, completely in control of his emotions. It wouldnotbe okay to gather her in his coils and keep her there forever. As it was, she was fighting a war with herself, her feet already turning in the direction of the crosswalk, her adrenaline ready to carry her back to City Hall without her conscious approval, and her cheeks splotched pink.
“Um, I really should—“
“Go,” Ranar told her with what he hoped was a reassuring tone.She was beautiful.“You know where to find me. Just give me a call at the shop and we’ll exchange numbers. Please let me know if you need any help with the move. And knock ’em dead in your meeting! I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“Thank you,” she said gratefully, already moving. “For everything. I’ll call you this week!”
It was annoying to admit that Grace was right.You don’t know that for sure.There was still no reason for him to believe that this beautiful woman was actually flirting with him that day in his shop, but Grace had put the notion in his head, and that had been enough to buck up his courage.
Maybe she’s just looking for someone to carry her sofa. Or maybe she wants a flower discount. Maybe she’ll want to move in and stay forever.Maybe, Ranar thought with a small smile, he would send Grace one of her own fruit baskets as a thank you for being a good friend.
CTRL F5 Your Life
Sumi
“You’ll find in the folders I provided the average city income taxes paid by four other Bloomerang subsidies. The business is sound. The parent company wouldn’t be investing in our franchises if they weren’t.” Sumi forced herself to take a breath, swallowing hard.Stop sounding so defensive. You’re not administering a test to 7th graders. You’re not here to make them mad.“I’ve also included the certification that the parent company is a non-human business.”
She hadn’t discovered that part until long after she had applied for her franchise. Cambric Creek had a whole host of hoops she would need to jump through, she’d realized belatedly, including a stipulation that businesses in the downtown district be free of human ties. She had cried herself out the afternoon she read that particular detail on the zoning commission’s website, laying crumpled in a heap at the corner of the sofa until the sun was low in the sky and her by-then empty condo left dim.
The condo had sold, the movers were scheduled, and she had already spent several nights in the new house, testing what it felt like to wake up there, in her whole new life . . .And now you’re back to square one with no job.Sofucking Ohio.
She had been clicking around on the Bloomerang website once she’d forced herself to get up, comparing the existing location with the map she had opened in another tab. There are other towns, the city is right next door.So you have to commute, it’s not the worst thing in the world. She’d been checking to see if there was already a Bloomerang franchise in a place called Greenbridge Glen when her finger overshot the tab, opening theAbout Ussection on the Bloomerang website instead. It had been right there, not hidden at all, merely a tab she’d never bothered exploring.
Two smiling faces, similarly featured but not identical, heads together. The photo was black and white, but it did not hide the tiny marks around their eyes, and she knew that if she could see the full color version of this picture, those markings would shine like the sun.
Pippa and Molly have always had a passion for flowers. “We used to love going to our grandmother’s house in the spring, picking flowers with our aunts and great aunts, drying them with our great grandmother. We learned how to make herbal teas, how to use plants to dye wool. We learned what was edible, what was just for show, and most importantly, that a perfect bloom could brighten anyone’s day. The tree in each of our stores pays homage to our Sylvan culture, to our grandmother and great-grandmother, all of those aunts, and everyone else who came before us. Flowers always make us happy, and we hope that Bloomerang can brighten your day as well.”
She’d been crying again by the time she got to the end.This is a gift from your mom. It was, truly, in every way imaginable. Agift that solved all of her problems, for there was no need to look outside Cambric Creek if Bloomerang was Sylvan-owned.
Now she was here, before the zoning commission, desperately trying to keep her dream alive.Advanced Rizzenomics: pleading for your life.
“We appreciate that you’ve taken the time to put everything in such readable order for us, Ms. Trent. Our main concern is—“
“I’ve also have my business plan analyzed by a CPA, and you can see from year-over-year statistics provided by Bloomerang that—“
“You understand our hesitation at allowing a chain store, I hope.” The speaker was a middle-aged fox woman, her ears barely visible through her mountain of teased-up hair. Her voice was pointed, but her smile was kind.Like a switchblade hidden in a box of chocolates.
“I do understand the concern,” Sumi began slowly.Just stay calm. “I suppose I don’t see it the same way. It would be a chain if there was a giant Bloomerang sign above the door. If the interior matched every other Bloomerang shop, all carrying the exact same product with the exact same uniform, but that’s not the case.” She took a steadying breath, reminding herself not to get sharp. “Thisis Pink Blossom. This ismystore and I won’t have another store anywhere else. It won’t look like any other store. Yes, we’ll be a Bloomerang partner, but Pink Blossom is the name above the door, that’s the name people in the neighborhood will know. The flower shop just around the corner, when you’re grabbing your morning coffee.”
Her face was hot when she finished, the crescents of her nails biting into the meat of her palm. The fox woman’s smile remained kind, but she looked unimpressed, as did the troll beside her.Don’t cry. You can cry when you’re out of here. Not in front of them.
