“Oh, you are the biggest dick.”
He laughed, deep and musical, making her shiver. “Yes, I do. But I’m still not going to pretend this stick meansfemale ambition. You’re going to have to take the L on this one.”
“I didn’t sayhave, I said—“ Sumi cut off, fuming, realizing he was still grinning.You’re letting him win! He’s playing you like one of your fucking students.“You know what’s funny about that?” she countered, changing tactics. “Iwantedto find out. I wanted to go out with you so badly, because you seemed so nice. I thought you weresohandsome. You knew flowers! We would have something in common, right off the bat. I wanted to find outeverythingabout you.”
She looked pointedly down his body, her gaze moving beyond the hem of his button-down shirt, buoyed when he swallowed hard. They were practically touching now, she realized, not realizing that they had both edged closer as they spoke, keeping their voices low. Just another few inches and she’d be bumping his broad chest.
“But then you were so mean, for no good reason.” She held up a hand, preventing the rebuttal she could tell he had forming. “I knowyouthink it was a good reason. But I still don’t get it. I have never, not a single time in my life, ever once lived in a place where there was onlyoneflorist. Onlyonedrugstore.Onegrocery store.Onedoctor’s office. It’s weird, because I don’t ever remember the owners of the two hardware stores putting bags of flaming dog shit on each other’s porches even though they both sold hammers. Or the two different car lots setting each other’sdumpsters on fire. Almost like they were able to coexist and be friends!”
She broke off to take a breath, swallowing hard. Ranar had averted his eyes from hers.Please, please just hear me.
“I know you want very badly to believe that I personally set out to get you, but that was never,evermy intention.”
His mouth had flattened out, eyes dimming. He was quiet for a long moment, just long enough for her to let herself hope. Hope that they could get over this feud, and start over again as peers. They might never be more than that, but at least they could be friends.
“I’m not surprised you don’t understand.”
Sumi turned her eyes up, biting her lip.Please let us move forward from this.
“I don’t know, you’re right. Maybe if you had opened just another flower shop, maybe we could have been. Friends. More. But you didn’t. Your business isspecificallydesigned to crush mine. It may not have been your personal intention, but you’re still part of it. So you didn’t mean it personally, and you think all’s forgiven? Am I supposed to thank you for blowing up my life? Because that makes you just another bottom feeder, preying on those of us who have put a lifetime into this industry so that you could stroll in and treat it like an assembly line.”
She sucked in a small gasp, not expecting that he’d be able to hurt her feelings even worse than he did previously.Don’t cry in front of him. Don’t give him the fucking satisfaction.
“You’re right, it was never mypersonalintention to hurt your family’s business,“ she squeaked out, heat moving up her neck. Sumi didn’t know if it was tears of sadness or rage, and suspected it was a bit of both. “But you’ve made everything pretty fucking personal since day one. I guess I dodged a bullet. I’m probably much better off stopping at that toy store over on Commerce, pick up the naga model. Get the full experience offucking you while I’m fucking you over, right? Because you’re ugly where it counts.”
She was horrified with herself the instant the words were out, but it was too late. She didn’t know what it was about him that brought out the worst in her. If she’d learned nothing else from middle schoolers, it was how to hurt feelings, and he made every rude thought that popped into her head bubble to the surface without a moment wasted for regret.Here she is, the bitch you heard about.
Ranar bent as his lip curled back, his face the scant inches from hers. “I’ve seen what they carry. It’s a pretty poor imitation, if you must know. Definitely won’t give you an accurate experience. But it’s just a cheap plastic knockoff, so that’s perfect for you. I’m sure you have puppies to kick on your way back to your sweatshop, so please, don’t let me stop you from leaving.”
Her nerves were jangling by the time she arrived back at the shop. She wanted to go home. She wanted to go home and cry, but home didn’t actually feel likehomeyet. Nothing here in Cambric Creek did. The only thing that felt like home was sitting in front of her laptop screen with a glass of wine, giggling over whatever ChaoticConcertina had to say for the day.
She was considering telling Hedda that she was just going to head out when she slipped back into the door, hearing their conversation carry out to the hall.
“His dad has dementia, but he still goes into the shop every day. It’s probably good for him to have a routine.”
Hedda made a sympathetic noise, agreeing with whatever Seff was talking about. “That’s so difficult to deal with. My aunt had dementia at the end, and it was really hard on my cousin and her family. By the time she passed, I think it was nearly a relief foreveryone. But then there’s guilt added to your grief and it’s just a mess. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”
In the hallway, her stomach flipped as Seff continued.
“Yeah, it’s such a shame. They’re such nice neighbors, too. I live on the other side of the development, but I see Ranar coming and going every day, he probably spends as much time at his parents’ house as he does at his own. I know she thinks there’s enough business for everyone, but we’ve worked in these shops—“
”—and they suck up all of the orders,“ Doona finished. “The only thing she’s gonna have to work for is his wedding business. But I think there’s a lot more sentiment attached there for customers.”
Sumi stiffened. They were talking about Ranar.And you. She reached out for the wall, creeping to the front as silently as she could, tears burning in her eyes. She didn’t know about his father. He had mentioned to her that very first day that his shop was a family business, but if she had known . . .
What would you have done? Nothing different. Whatcouldyou have done? Everyone everywhere has something going on at home, that doesn’t mean you’re responsible for all of it. This is where you live now. This is your dream too!
Her little voice wasn’t wrong, but neither was he for his anger, Sumi decided, not bothering to wipe away the tears that tracked down her face.
She stayed in front the next few hours, greening in baskets and vases until she was cried out, earning Doona’s cheer when the gnome came waddling to the front.
As soon as she was home that evening, Sumi poured herself a glass of wine, swallowing several tablets of ibuprofen along with it before settling into the sofa with her laptop. She desperately needed something comfortable and familiar. She needed to talk with her friend.
But first . . . she couldn’t help herself.
Checking the business owner’s server was a punishment she couldn’t stop doling out to herself.Maybe it’s one you deserve.Just as she had suspected, the topic had already moved on.Attention spans are short and there’s always fresh drama brewing somewhere.The current conversation was centered around a festival coming up. Sumi scrolled, looking for his name, but he wasn’t there.
Instead, she scrolled back, back and back, delving through the back scroll until she found him there, accepting someone’s well wishes, back when they had all discussed her shop.
