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Shit, do you need help? I can be there ASAP.
No, I’ll be fine. You enjoy your day with your brothers!
Well, I’ll still be there to pick you up at four thirty. If you change your mind, call me. I’ll be there.
I’ll be fine, but thanks. See you soon!
Andrew drove me to the venue this morning, since there’s more room in his truck. I didn’t think about it earlier, but in the long run, it probably would have been easier to take my own car, regardless of space.
A tap on my shoulder pulls me out of my mind. I whirl around, not sure who I’m expecting to see. I’m surprised to see Isaac, dressed in a nice button up shirt and tie.
“Hey, Josie?” he greets. “I know we haven’t officially met outside of when Megan and I married, and you’re dating my best friend, but I just wanted to stop and say hi,” he says. He offers his palm to me.
“Yeah, hey Isaac,” I say. “It’s good to see you again. Sorry we haven’t gotten together, I know Andrew’s been wanting to set something up.”
He waves me off. “No worries. Life is busy. Megan’s told me a lot about you, sounds like you two get along really well.”
I nod. “Yeah, she’s a great friend.”
Isaac glances around the room. “How’s the wedding going? Looks gorgeous.”
“Oh, thanks,” I say. He’s still looking around the reception area. “Yeah it’s going well. Had to work out a few kinks with the assistant I brought today, but otherwise, it’s good.”
“Good.” He nods, shoving his hands into the front pocket of his dress pants. “Say, before you leave, would you have time for a quick meeting? I want to run something by you.”
My gut churns with anxiety. He must sense it, because he reaches out, resting a hand on my shoulder in a friendly way. “Nothing bad, I promise. If anything, it’s a good thing.”
“Um, sure I guess?” I’m a little nervous. What could he want to talk with me about? “I only have about an hour of work left here.” I gesture to the room around me.
“Perfect. You can meet me in my office when you’re done, but no rush. I’ll be here all afternoon.” He spins on his heel, leaving the large reception area to head down the hall to his office.
I watch him leave, a little confused, but no longer worried. Maybe he wants to plan a surprise for Andrew?
“I’ll try to keep this short and sweet so you can get back to it,” Isaac says. After I finished setting up, I collected my things, putting them in one of the side rooms until later. I have to do a final sweep through, but I wanted to chat with Isaac before my anxiety got the best of me.
“Okay? You’re making me nervous,” I say with an anxious laugh.
“I’m taking on more of a leadership role here at the winery, specifically with event planning. We’ve already been offering your information to clients, but I was wondering if you’d like to be our exclusive florist.” Isaac pulls out a manilla folder, opening it to a bunch of paperwork.
My throat squeezes shut, and I do my best to hide the tears burning in my eyes. Is this really happening? There’s no way this is happening.
Isaac explains the logistics of it. I’d be contracted with them for all their events, from retirement parties, weddings, you name it. It doesn’t prevent me from being my own entity, but gives me consistent work, enough to where I could be one step closer to owning a storefront.
“Now, you don’t have to answer right away, I want you to think about it. I’ll give you all the paperwork, and my number in case you have any questions.”
I’m sitting in his crisp, clean, office, completely at a loss for words. “You’re… serious?”
He laughs. “Yeah. I’m serious. I’m looking to change things up a bit here, make things more streamlined. This was one of those things, and you were the first person that came to mind when thinking of a potential florist.”
“Wow… I mean… Thank you, Isaac. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“Of course. Now, take some time, think about it. If it’s not something that interests you, let me know. Otherwise, we’d be lucky to have you.”
I leave his office in a daze, taking the manilla folder of paperwork to the small room where my stuff is. I shoot Andrew a quick text message when I note the time, figuring that he should be on his way soon.
I do a final sweep of the venue, then I collect my things, and head outside, sitting down on a wooden bench, trying to process. I see Isaac climbing into his car across the lot, pulling out to head back to town.
Andrew still hasn’t replied, but if anything, he’s probably driving, and I’d rather he not text and drive anyway.
