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“This woman is obnoxious. She’s inquiring about a massive order of all white flowers that I’m not sure we can accommodate.”
“Like how many are we talking?” I ask.
“700! It’s a fancy clam bake at White Harbor Beach. I don’t even think Caroline Kennedy had that many flowers at her wedding. Who do these people think they are? She also seems very particular and nauseatingly high maintenance, like she expects us to just drop everything else.”
“When is the event?” Ellie asks with curiosity, putting down the stems in her hand and wiping her hands down her work apron.
“Friday. Can we do it? What should I tell her?”
Ellie looks at me and then we both look back at Leah. It’s like watching a tennis match, our heads turning from right to left.
“What do you think, Liv? Can we find that many stems in time? I’m free Friday to do the set up.”
“I think we can pull it off if we have all hands on deck,” I answer her. It will be a lot of work, but honestly, I could use the distraction heading into the weekend. Leah gives us a thumbs up letting us know she is available this week to help. If this event goes through, we are going to need her.
“Take down her info and tell her we will call her back this afternoon with a quote. We’ll need a fifty percent deposit if we are going to bring in an order that size.”
“On it.” Leah nods and returns her attention back to the phone call.
I dig my cell phone out of my pocket and call Mabel, hoping she can supply such a ridiculous amount of perfectly matched white blooms in time for Friday. She answers on the third ring and lets me know that she should have enough. She will confirm with me in one hour.
She also requests that I have my “hottie” assistant at Bloom with me when she does the delivery. Immediately my mind wanders to Parker, all six-foot-two of him, thinking back to how carefree and confident he was that day, when we visited Meadow Flowers. I’m reminded of how good it felt to have his muscular arms around me, and how I will never get to feel that way again. I wish, Mabel. You have no idea how much I wish.
Three hours later, Mabel calls to confirm the order. She promises seven hundred of her best white peonies will be delivered to us on Thursday morning. That will give us almost two days to arrange them exactly how our client would like.
I make the call to Bianca, the customer who is hosting this insanely posh clam bake, to let her know we can do it. The bill is astronomical and frankly kind of ridiculous for a clam bake, but apparently Bianca has money to burn. Fine by me. She insists on paying the invoice in full upfront, adamant the flowers are to be delivered to the beach by five o’clock Friday evening. I assure her this won’t be a problem and graciously thank her for her business, ending the call. I shake my head. Some people in this town have more money than they know what to do with.
The next few days are spent working nonstop on Bianca’s order. Our uber-rich and rather demanding client has called several more times with added requests. I’ve got to hand it to her, she knows what she wants. Between her lavish order, dinner at my parents’ and an after-work shopping and dinner date with Kate, this week has fortunately turned out to be not half bad. It’s nowhere near great either, but it’s a start.
I’m still kept up at night with thoughts of Parker. I try writing my thoughts in my journal, but it doesn’t help. My mind is too jumbled to write more than a few words. Instead, I stare at my phone, part of me wishing he would call, and the other part not knowing if I would talk to him even if he did. I’m still so angry with him. I just want to be happy again. Most nights I give up, wrapping my arms around my pillow and fighting off thoughts of Parker until I finally drift off to sleep.
* * *
It’s half past four on Friday and we just carefully shut the back door of our Bloom van. We were able to fit the largest order we have ever received in it. The van is bursting with the most gorgeous soft white peonies arranged in elaborate bouquets, centerpieces and garlands. Their sweet and rosy scent is enough to intoxicate you.
Working on this order has been the rainbow in my dark and stormy week, the reprieve I so desperately needed to take my mind off of Parker. This order has possibly been my favorite project we have ever worked on and I’m proud of how it turned out. I can’t help but think how proud Parker would be too, if he could see it.
Ellie jumps into the driver’s seat and I take shotgun. We leave Leah at Bloom to run the store while we head to the location to meet Bianca. I’m secretly curious to meet this woman whose floral décor budget seemingly exceeds my annual mortgage payment. I soon realize that my assumptions about her were one hundred percent off track.
We are met by a smiling Bianca, who is wearing a pale blue and white striped off-the-shoulder sundress, her long hair swept up in a wavy high ponytail. She’s around my age and not pretentious in the slightest. She’s sweet, kind and eager to meet the two of us. Not at all the affected socialite I was expecting.
She greets Ellie and I with a warm hello and motions to the section of the beach where she would like the flowers to be set up. It’s secluded and private, tucked away from the crowds, and it looks like we are the first vendor to arrive.
I can’t help but notice she’s flustered, apparently waiting on the long tables and chairs to arrive, along with the rest of the décor she ordered. She tells us they’re stuck in traffic, looking more than a little concerned.
It takes Ellie and I a solid hour to unload each and every arrangement, carting the flowers back and forth over the cool sand. When we finish, we are a sweaty mess, exhausted and in need of a good calf massage and a shower. Unfortunately, that will have to wait.
We’re also disappointed that we won’t be able to see the finished look. Thankfully, Bianca has agreed to take Instagram-worthy photos and share them with us.
After thanking her for trusting us with her vision, we exchange hugs and head back to the van. I hop into the passenger seat and twist my hair, damp from sweating under the hot sun, up into a messy bun. Ellie takes a long drink from her water bottle then turns the engine to life, heading back to Bloom.
“That couldn’t have gone better. It’s funny, we had Bianca all wrong. She’s actually really cool.”
“I know, right? I don’t know what I was expecting but that wasn’t it.” Ellie holds her right hand in the hair, palm facing me, “Go team!” I high five her.
“I’m just bummed we won’t get to see our largest order ever all set up in its glory.”
“I know, but it’s going to be gorgeous. I’m proud of us.” Ellie beams from the driver’s seat, her window rolled down, the breeze whirling through her hair.
