“No,” Sumi choked out.So much for your first big day open to the public. “No, I don’t see how we can. I’m not sure if we’ll even be able to—“
“You call the truck and tell them you need more. Don’t worry, this used to happen all the time at my old shop. They’re used to it.”
“I-I’m sure this is just because it’s the first day. It won’t stay this way . . . Right?”
Seff pulled a face. “There are no other Bloomerang shops in town. I mean, Ranar, but he’s not getting any of these orders, not now. There might be one in Starling Heights, but—“
“There’s not,” Sumi supplied, her stomach twisting over the gnome’s words, at the sound ofhisname. She’d already looked in Starling Heights, back when she wasn’t sure if Cambric Creekwould work out, determining there was no Bloomerang branded partner store.What did she mean about his orders?
“Oh, well . . . Yeah, I wouldn’t count on it slowing down too much. You’re it. We’re not going to get too much Bridgeton business, but we won’t need it.”
“What . . . What do you mean about Ranar’s orders? How would we know what kind of orders he gets?”
The gnomes exchanged a fast look.
“Well, if this is anything like the last Bloomerang shop we worked in—“
”—And it is, they’re all the same.”
“The company sends their online orders to their branded stores first, as long as the system is on.
“But don’t turn it off, because you’ll get in trouble.”
“Yeah, you have to make your quota. The other shops . . .”
She trailed off, not needing to continue.
Sumi nodded, turning away.He won’t get any, because they’re sending them all to you.She understood now. Understood why he was so angry with her. Understood what was going to happen to his compact and efficient little shop. Understood why her monthly repayment to Bloomerang was so fucking high.They need you to be able to pay it back, and this is how they get you to do so.
She could pay back the Bloomerang loan with the inheritance, she reminded herself, or with the money from her condo. She could expedite this whole process and cut them out of the picture entirely. After all, that had been her original plan, before she’d learned about the weekly shop quota for orders.And then where will you be? Broke, with no guarantee this place is going to turn a profit without the system you bought into. He’ll still hate you. How will that help anything? This isyourdream too. This is your page refresh. You’re not going to get another one.Sumipursed her lips, not liking the twist she felt, low in her belly.It’s fine. There’s enough business for both of us.
“It’s a good thing there’s enough business for us both,” she voiced out loud, ignoring the way the gnomes exchanged another quick look.
Even though she attempted to push them away, Sumi turned Seff’s words over in her mind as they worked that morning, over and over, and she had just about arrived at feeling horrible for what she had done to him, simply by existing, when there came a knock at the door.
Hurrying out to the sales floor, preparing an apology for whatever hapless customer was trying to get in, she arrived just in time to see the delivery driver leaving. The orc woman had placed the long, paper wrap on the pavement against the door, and was already loping away down the sidewalk when Sumi pulled it open with a frown.
The bouquet was beautiful.
Orange and yellow lilies exploded from the paper, long points of purple dame’s rocket, yellow and white and purple striped carnations, big, showy daffodils with brilliant orange trumpets, and clusters of tight button tansies, like little balls of sunshine.
She recognizedThe Perfect Petal‘s card instantly.
He really was a very talented florist, she acknowledged, looking over the wrap of flowers a bit closer. It was already arranged. All she needed to do was drop it into a vase and add water. Brilliant orange and yellow and showy purple, bright and cheerful . . . and strangely ominous.
“Oh, that was so nice of them,” Hedda hummed, passing by Sumi to pull a bucket from the cooler. “That will look beautiful on the counter!”
She had already narrowed her eyes, examining the flowers closely. Dame’s rocket and daffodil, yellow and striped carnations. Deceit and ego, disdain and disgust. The lilies’meaning was painfully clear — passionate hatred. The button tansies, so cute and cheerful, were a declaration of war.
Sumi flipped over the card with a trembling hand. His handwriting was bold and spiky, with a heavy downward stroke.
Have the day you deserve.
“Oh, he’s such a pompous asshole rude motherfucker!” Her hands were trembling when she dropped the flowers into the vase, refusing to throw them away.Let them remind you, just like you told him.The promise she’d made him that day in his shop had been a bluff, butnow. . . now he was forcing her hand. Hedda raised her eyebrows at Sumi’s outburst, while the gnomes were exchanging looks at the speed of sound.
“No, Hedda. I don’t think it’s meant to be nice at all.”
Stomping to the printer, Sumi took a moment to compose herself, rolling her neck, reminding herself that this was a million times better than dealing with pubescent children all day.Who cares how fucking handsome he is. He’s ugly where it counts.She didn’t need to waste another second thinking about Ranar and his eyelashes, not when there were actually good men in the world, men like ChaoticConcertina, wherever he was. Not when she should have been more focused on buryingThe Perfect Petal.
