A White Rose
This is also my first story, so please review. Thanks!
Disclaimer: I only own this fictional story's concept nothing more. Enjoy!
A special thanks to JB for her wonderful editing and support.
Chapter 1
The Arrangement
"Alright that is the last of the boxes." Gabriella said as she wiped her brow and stood in the middle of the empty room with her hands on her hips surveying the work that needed to be done.
"Well, o.k. then I guess I will get out of your way and let you two figure out where everything goes unless you need me to help." Mrs. Montez said as she looked at Gabriella with puppy dog eyes.
"Oh stop Mrs.M, you're gonna make us all start to cry again. We'll be fine." Taylor assured her. "We're always a phone call, e-mail or text away."
"And only a 2 hours drive, well 1 ½ if Taylor is driving." Gabriella giggled as she pushed her best friends shoulder playfully.
"O.k. then ladies, I just want to say how proud I am of you two." Gabriella's Mom said as she took a hand from each girl in hers. "Growing up together on the same block, going through girl scouts, cheerleading, sport teams,first bras, pimples, boys, college and now owning your own business and living in your own apartment. I am just so..so..so proud and grateful that you have each other. I wish you both the best."
"Awwww Mom, see what you did!" Gabriella said as she handed Taylor a tissue and blotted her own eyes.
" I know, sorry. I just can't help it. O.k. I'm off like a prom dress." Mrs. Montez said as she wiped her eyes then grabbed her purse and headed to the door.
"Mother!!." Gabriella said shocked.
"Mrs. M., you crack me up." Taylor walked over, gave Gabriella's Mom a great big loving hug. " Tell my Mom and Dad I will call them later tonight." Taylor then started to unpack the first box.
"Bye Mom. I love you. Make sure to Call me when you get home" Gabriella kissed her Mom on the cheek and held the door open as Mrs. Montez made her way out.
"Bye gals. Behave." Mrs. Montez said as she blew a final kiss and waved to the girls.
The door closed behind her and Gabriella rested her back on it as it clicked shut. She then looked at Taylor with a huge smile. "Now, let's really start the celebration!" Gabriella grabbed a bottle of champagne and two tall glasses from the cardboard box marked 'kitchen glasses.'
"Oh yeah, Now that's what I'm talking about Montez. Good thinking."
The two best friends sat on the one rug they managed to unroll poured some bubbly in each glass and clinked their glasses in a toast to new beginnings and success.
The next morning Gabriella and Taylor woke up to a deep eye opening scent of fresh brewed coffee.
"Mmmmmm, your Mom always knows what we need. She must have set that up when we weren't looking." Taylor surmised as she grabbed a stainless travel mug and filled it to the rim of the black liquid of energy.
"Yeah we need to figure out how to work this thing for sure."
"Alright, are we ready to make our first million today?" Taylor asked as she grabbed a banana and a yogurt from the refrigerator.
"I'd be happy with our first dollar." Gabriella replied. "I am so excited to see the flower shop all finished though. Your cousin said it turned out beautifully."
"Yep the sign in the front window was hung yesterday. It says 'The Arrangement' in all pink letters just like we designed."
"That was such a clever name you came up with Tay." Gabriella said as she sipped her coffee and nibbled on a bagel.
"Thanks, I can have my creative moments."
"Yes you can, I am so excited to see the shop, let's go!" Gabriella squeeled , jumped up grabbed her car keys and threw open the door to run out.
"Hold on Gabs, my coffee doesn't kick in that fast." Taylor tried to keep up with Gabriella while trying to balance her coffee mug, purse and sunglasses as she struggled to keep up with Gabriella.
As the girls pulled up their mouths were wide open in awe at the beauty of the front entry to the shop. The double doors had an exquisite orchid etched in the center of the glass with frosted lilies and leaves all around. The frame of the door was painted in a deep forest green with a deep bronze handle. On each side of the door were large terra cotta planters filled with a flowing purple fountain grass shooting from the center with verigated vinca vine and large saucer sized ruby red and light pink petunias that over flowed the sides of the pot trailing to the ground.
The sign that hung in the main window to the left of the doors was very ominent so it could be seen from the street. It was a large sideways wooden oval painted in a light baby pink with the letters in a cursive font, fuschia in color and outlined in a metallic gold. The sign dangled from the ceiling by two deep green chains and a light from below it shined on it to enhance the effect.
Under the sign in the window was a black wrought iron plant stand that held about 10 smaller floral arrangements that were fresh sesonal flowers mixed with tropical plants. The open/closed sign was suction cupped to the window just to the right of the plant stand.
"Wow, Tay, your cousin sure has a gnack for window display." Gabriella said.
"I know, she is amazing and she said she would assist us in any way we need her too. She is available to work any kind of hours as well, which is nice because she can be here real early for the fresh floral deliveries to the shop like this morning.
"That should work out nice for us, what a sweetie Lucy is. Well, let's open up this dreamy place, I can't wait to get inside." Gabriella put the key in the lock and entered into pure paradise. The small shop smelled like a dream. Roses, lilacs, lilies, gardenias filled the entrance.They're scents danced around Gabriella's nose.
As Gabriella closed her eyes to take it all in and enjoy the wonderful aroma around her the bell on the door chimes and Gabriella's eyes shot open.
"Hey are you open for business ?" A blonde woman wearing white Capri pants with a gold belt, a pink v-neck tank top with sequins around the neck and gold high heeled sandals approached Gabriella. She was looking around at the pink carnations and didn't seem to notice the "We're now open for business' sign that was smack dab in the middle of the floor.
"I've been noticing the decorating and construction and anticipating your opening. I need someone to design the flowers for my soon to be sister in law, Kelsi's, wedding shower that I'm planning. Of course as soon as I saw that gorgeous pink sign, I was sold and had to come in. My name is Sharpay Evans." Sharpay said as she held out her hand to shake Gabriellas.
"Hi, I'm Gabriella and this is Taylor. This is our shop. " Gabriella motioned her hand to Taylor who was setting up the example albums and putting calalillies in the vases at the register.
"Hi, nice to meet you Sharpay." Taylor said with a smile. " A wedding shower you said?
Well, there are some wonderful ideas in this book if you want to take a look." Taylor offered Sharpay a seat at the table near the register and poured her a glass of water with a wedge of lemon.
"Thank you, these are fabulous arrangements. If this works out I just may have to suggest you for the bridal bouquets and church flowers." Sharpay said as she thumbed through the pages.
Taylor smiled at Gabriella and gave her a two thumbs up. She could tell by Sharpay's aura and appearance that she came from money and it would be a profitable job.
"Well it's going to be a small shower with 12 tables that need centerpieces, nothing too tall though. I can't stand when the flowers get in the way of the people across from you." Sharpay stopped at a page and pointed to the perfect example. "Something like this, but in all pink."
"Are the wedding colors pink?" Gabriella asked.
"No, but I am throwing this shower, so I would like pink."
"Fair enough." Taylor said. " How about corsages for the bride to be and maybe even the Mom's and wedding party?" Taylor could tell Sharpay wanted her shower to be just right with a little something special.
"Oh that's a wonderful idea!" Sharpay exclaimed and continued to look through the book.
"So, are you girls from around here? You don't look familiar and my Daddy is the mayor here in town and I usually know everyone who comes in and out of this town."
"Actually we just moved here into our own place just 10 minutes away in Castle Rock."
Gabriella sat down next to Sharpay and pulled out another book to look through.
"Oh Castle Rock is beautiful, my family likes to go to the music and art festivals there. That's what my brother Ryan does. He sets up and colaborates music festivals and art shows all around the area. That's how he and Kelsi met. She plays the piano as a hobby and was performing one night at the jazz fest and boom before you knew it here we are. I am planning a wedding shower for my twin brother."
"That sounds sweet." Gabriella said.
"Yeah they are cute together. Someday I'll be planning mine."
"You have a boyfriend?" Gabriella was really liking Sharpay and strangely felt comfortable to ask her such a personal question.
"Ding!" the bell from the front door chimed as another customer came through the door.
Taylor went over to assist an older gentleman pick out a bouquet of assorted flowers for his anniversary.
"No, I don't have one yet, but always looking. I have a few guy friends I hang out with, but nothing like that." Sharpay said as she finally decided what she wanted. "You?"
"Nah, not really looking. Tay and I just want to focus on getting our shop established here and having some single girl fun ya know." Gabriella said as she danced in her chair.
Taylor looked up and laughed at her friend.
"Thank you have a nice day, and be sure to tell your friends we're open." Taylor smiled and waved goodbye to the man she was assisting.
"O.k. so that is 12 pink zinnia centerpiece arrangements at 8 inches high with baby's breath and vinca fill in and 2 pink rose pin on corsages for the Mom's and 3 pink orchid wrist coursages for the bride to be and bridesmaids. Did I forget anything?" Gabriella asked as she checked her order form again and tapped her lips with the pen.
"Oooooo yeah I want a bunch of those flowers for myself. They smell just devine!" Sharpay said as she took in the sweet smell of the bright pink stargazer lilies.
"No problem." I'll be right back with your total, copy of order form and lilies." Gabriella said as she hopped over to Taylor.
"She seems sweet and obviously money is no object." Gabriella said to Taylor as she bunched up the lilies in pink cellophane wrap and raffia.
"Cha-ching. It's nice to know the Mayors daughter that's for sure." Taylor just said and laughed as she pumped her arm.
"Thanks a mil girls. I'm sure I will be back. Toodles' Sharpay said as she took her flowers and floated out the door.
By the end of the day, Gabriella and Taylor had a consistent flow of customers considering it was their first day and no holiday was near. Most of the sales were assorted bouquets from husbands, boyfriends, or some of the bigger arrangements Taylor was convinced were the cheating husbands and boyfriends.
There was only 1 delivery that Lucy volunteered to make and that was for 2 dozen white roses. For some reason that particular order struck Taylor in a strange way. She thought it was the most romantic thing.
"Alrighty Gabs, let's close up this shop and go finish that bottle of champagne. We deserve it."
As Taylor and Gabriella started to leave the shop the phone rang.
"Hello, this is The Perfect Arrangement, can I help you?" Gabriella answered the phone and held up a finger to Taylor to wait a minute.
"Hi Gabriella, it's Sharpay Evans. I was in earlier ordering flowers for a wedding shower. Do you remember?"
"Yeah. Yeah. Hi is there a problem?
"No not at all. I was just thinking about what you and Taylor said about being new to the area and what better person to show you a fun night in a new town but the Mayors daughter."
"Oh, well, we were just going to go home. Hold on let me see what Tay wants to do. Where were you thinking of going?" Gabriella asked.
"Well, me and my brother, my sister in law I told you about and some friends, Chad, Troy, Zeke and Martha are going to go to The Sand Bar for some drinks and dancing. It's right up on 17th street, not far from your flower shop."
Gabriella turned to face Taylor who was gathering her stuff to leave.
"Hey it's Sharpay, she wants to know if we want to go out with her and some of her friends to a dance club?" Gabriella asked as she covered up the phone with one hand.
"Will there be boys there?" Taylor asked as she lifted one eyebrow and mad a clicking sound with the side of her mouth.
"Well, she named some names and they sounded like boys names." Gabriella shrugged.
"Oh what the heck, what do we have to lose, but maybe our bras and panties?" Taylor said as she went to the bathroom to apply some fresh lipstick.
"Ummm yeah Sharpay we'll meet you there in about a half hour." Gabriella said as she laughed at Taylors remark.
"Cool I'll let George the bouncer at the door know you're coming and he will show you to my private table. See ya soon." Sharpay said excitedly as she hung up the phone.
"Alright Gabs, let's go see what kind of peeps the mayor's daughter hangs out with."