Author's Note: well it finally happened. I finally wrote a meet cute story. We all do eventually don't we? Briefly I have to give a shout out to El Loopy and S. Snowflake because their meet cute stories are my favorite.

If you have read my story "Mushnik and Son" you will notice some mirroring here :) I do not own Little Shop of Horrors or any of it's characters.


Audrey

You idiot. You should know how to find your own apartment, Audrey thought to herself as she rounded the same corner she had 5 minutes ago. Even a lifetime on Skid Row couldn't help her now. All the buildings were looking the same. None of the bums stood out either. True, she had only just moved in to this new apartment, but she still felt pathetic being stranded on the street.

She needed to get away from her last place after her boyfriend all but threw her out. But now she couldn't afford to live on her own. Not without a job. And after wandering and looking for one all day she found no promising aspects. At least the weather was holding up. It was summer but not scalding. No rain storms either. It didn't look much like summer though. It was Skid Row Manhattan, where the sun rarely made an appearance.

Wait, is this it?

She increased her speed and her heels clicked with anticipation.

1307, 1309, 1311…

She paused and glanced up. She'd seen something. Something… green, just in a window. She glanced at the front of the shop.

"Mushnik's Flower Shop"

1313 Skid Row.

She cast a look back at her apartment across the street but decided not to go in. How had she not noticed a flower shop across the street when she moved in? True it bore no outstanding traits from all the other brown buildings surrounding. Had she not seen the green she may never have noticed. After fumbling with her nails for a moment she decided to go in.

She paused in the doorway and looked up when she heard the sound of a bell. She smiled up at it, small and brass. Audrey glanced at the rest of the shop. No one appeared to be working at the moment. There was green, but not as much as one would expect at a flower shop. Many of the flowers were dead or dying. A display on the far end of the shop held several bouquets that looked like they had been there a week or so too long. She sighed and headed for it.

Poor dears, she thought reaching out and touching a leaf. It crumpled at her touch. These flowers had been stuck in this shop until the withered and died. They were never able to see the outside world and they were never loved.

Caught up in her thoughts she didn't hear the back door swing open, or someone walking across the shop and directly behind her.

"Hello?" he asked.

She jumped and spun around. In her surprise she startled him and a glass vase he was holding slipped from his grasp. It shattered at their feet with a CRASH and the flowers bounded across the floor in a cascade of red. He gasped and got down on his knees retrieving the bigger pieces of the vase.

"Oh my goodness!" Audrey gasped, "I am so so sorry!"

Stupid Audrey! Stupid! Stupid!

He paused and threw a questioning look up at her.

"No no no let me," she muttered crouching and gathering the petals.

He stared at her momentarily before coming to. "No please don't. It's my fault. I…"

"Krelborn!" someone bellowed from the back room.

Audrey saw his eyes grow wide with terror.

"What did you break this time?!" Out bounded a large man in a blue suit, his face livid with anger. When he noticed Audrey his expression softened ever so slightly.

Slowly and hesitantly she rose to her feet. She glanced down at the boy desperately trying to pick up the glass without cutting himself. The expression on his face was one she knew well from her own experiences. He was terrified. What was going to happen to him?

"Sir," she whispered before clearing her throat and glancing up. "He didn't do it. I broke the vase. I'll pay for it."

Both men froze. At her feet he glanced up at her, all his terror replaced by shock. Across the shop the man looked as if he couldn't believe his ears. He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Ma'am that's very kind of you but…"

"Sir it's not true!" the boy interrupted at her feet, "Don't make her pay for it sir! Just…"

"Just clean it up Krelborn!" he snarled.

He scrambled up from the floor and took off into the back room to retrieve a broom. Audrey watched him and cocked her head pursing her lips.

He keeps calling him Krelborn, she thought, But that can't be his first name. Why not call him by his name?

"Will that be all?"

Audrey shook her head of her thoughts and turned to the man behind the counter. Just then the boy he called Krelborn returned with a broom and moved toward the mess he had made.

"Uhh… no."

She watched the boy sweeping up the glass. He was keeping his eyes fixed on the floor.

"No, I'm not finished."

Audrey angled herself toward the display and attempted to look interested. Really she wanted him to know she didn't need his help making a sale.

The man behind the counter nodded. After Audrey hadn't moved for several moments he caught the gist and sat himself down in a swivel chair. By now the boy had gathered all the glass into a pile and bent down to sweep it up. Audrey realized she was being rude staring and turned back to the arrangement display, though keeping him in her vision at the corner of her eye.

He didn't give off the same vibe as the average Skid Row drip. Those were the men she was used to. Instead of leather he was wearing a brown sweater vest and khakis. He wore thick glasses on his face, and his hair was brown and tangled. He was just a tad bit shorter than Audrey, and rather skinny and lanky. Overall he had a nerdish persona which Audrey was surprised to find rather charming.

He retreated for a moment and Audrey felt herself feeling disappointment. A moment later he reappeared and bent down, gathering the roses that had survived the drop. Audrey still faced the display. He moved next to her and started placing the roses in one of the buckets.

"What's your name?" She asked suddenly, turning to him in a rare act of bravery.

He appeared startled by this and took a moment to respond. "Seymour. Krelborn."

She smiled. "It's nice to meet you Seymour."

Slowly a shy smile spread across his lips. Audrey glanced back at the dry flowers.

"And yours?" he asked, finding his voice.

"...Audrey," she said shyly keeping her eyes away.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him mouth her name and smile. She couldn't help but smile herself. She wished she was wearing more makeup or that her hair wasn't so deflated.

"Could I... help you find anything?"

Peeking at him briefly she touched a brown flower with her ruby nails.

"These poor things… did nobody want them?"

His smile fell and he turned to match her gaze. "I guess not."

She sighed, "It's a shame. I think they are fantastic."

Suddenly embarrassed she pulled her hand away. She hadn't realized she was thinking out loud.

What are you doing, Audrey?

She had thrown caution to the wind before when it came to men. She had always thought she was smart at the time but it never paid off. In truth right now standing beside Seymour she was terrified. Not necessarily of him, but of herself. She always found a way to ruin things and get herself hurt. Her bruises were still healing from her last "relationship", both physical and emotional. Briefly she tried to imagine what it were to be like if Seymour were to hit her, but she couldn't. Besides the danger of his clumsiness he seemed so gentle.

Before she could read too much into this, reality sunk in.

Look at yourself. You're not exactly his type.

But at the same time maybe that's what made it easier. Lord knows she could use a friend. If he'd ever even consider interacting with someone like her.

Behind him she heard his boss clear his throat and Seymour turned on a salesman voice.

"Are you looking for something specific? Do you have a favorite flower?"

Audrey lifted her head and shrugged. "Do you?"

His eyes grew wide. He thought for a moment and nervously ran his hand through his brown hair.

"Carnations," he whispered.

"Carnations?"

He nodded.

Audrey pondered this. Nobody's favorite flower was a carnation. A carnation was too simple and cheap. It was usually thrown into a bouquet as a placeholder and always overshadowed by the other more grand flowers. It wasn't a rose or a lily, even a daisy. Still, he found them beautiful. Not only beautiful, his favorite. She smiled.

"I think… I like them too."

He smiled matching hers.

Turning away she grabbed the roses he had just placed in the bucket. They weren't too damaged. Save for a few petals gone they looked fine. And they still smelled just as sweet.

"I'll take these."

He looked slightly stunned. With one arm he turned and motioned to the counter where his manager was sitting in a swivel chair. She stayed put for another moment and kept her eyes on the dead bouquets.

"They've been here a while, haven't they?" It was more of a statement than a question.

Seymour didn't answer. Audrey glanced over and saw him chewing on his lip and fumbling with his nails. She shot a quick glance at the manager still in his swivel chair.

"Our arrangement consultant quit last week," the manager explained.

Audrey looked back at Seymour. She noticed he was fumbling with glitter on his fingers stuck on by glue. It looked as if he had tried to build a bouquet earlier, and it clearly hadn't turned out.

"Oh well sir I'm looking…" she stopped herself.

Don't screw this up.

She put on a business smile and sauntered over to the manager.

"I think I could be of help sir. I absolutely adore flowers. Plants as well. Anything green really. I have been working in shops and retail since I was 15..."

Because that's when I dropped out of school.

"...And I live right across the street so I'd never be late."

The manager raised his eyebrows in interest as she continued. "I would really love an interview sir, if you have the time."

He sighed and rose from his chair extending his hand.

"Don't bother. That's good enough for me. Gravis Mushnik."

"Audrey," she said taking it and giving him a firm shake.

Smiling he glanced at the clock, 6:00.

"Tell you what, you show up tomorrow at 9:00, the job is yours."

"Sure sir. Bright and early," she said.

She smiled back at Seymour. He stood absolutely frozen and staring at her. A faint smile formed on his lips. She blushed and glanced away, starting for the door. As soon as she reached it she took her hand off the handle smiled sheepishly.

"Oh wait, my roses," she said feeling incredibly stupid.

Seymour followed her to the counter and reached underneath, retrieving a red ribbon. Audrey dug into her clutch and pulled out her cash, counting it swiftly and handing it over to Mr. Mushnik. She watched as Seymour bound the roses together and attempted to tie a bow. The look on his face was one of stern concentration. Did he do this with all the flowers or was this special for her? How kind of him. Surprisingly the bow turned out rather elegant and he smiled as he handed them over. Grasping them she felt his hand. Her heart skipped through her body as if she had been shocked. Audrey blushed again before turning away. She swung the door open and the bell rang again.

To think, she thought starting for her apartment, across the street. The whole time.

Audrey reached into her clutch and dug for her keys. She felt the sun warm on her back. She glanced up, realizing it must've come out. Briefly she cast a glance back at the shop. Seymour was at the door changing the sign from "open" to "closed". Smiling he waved at her. She waved back.