He stopped at the corner of the street, stood there for a moment trying to catch his breath, leaning forward, with his hands on his knees, panting and "Oh my.. I'm out of time", he though, catching a glimpse of his watch on his wrist. He had to make it to the flower shop in time.
He hesitated to stepped in. it wasn't like him after all. "I don't do romance" he always clarified about gestures like these, but this time is different. She is different.
He stood straight and entered while being welcomed by an exhausted but polite employee.
"Good afternoon sir, I'm sorry but we have just closed."
"I… I'm late. I'm sorry. I have made an order earlier today and I just wanted to check if everything were as I instructed you to." He said being barely heard, partially from his panting and from his distinctively British accent.
The employee looked at the blond guy. His social awkwardness noticeable from miles far and his stress levels already to the red. Days like these are difficult for everyone but he felt so empathetic for this guy. "What is it five more minutes after all?" he thought.
"What can I do for you sir?" he asked.
The blond put his hand on his pocket and pulled two papers from it. He placed the one on the counter and pointed with his finger on it. It was an online order receipt. His account was charged with two bouquets and beneath the total there was a note with specific details about just for the one of them.
"Was there a wrong charge? Were you ordered just one of them? Do you want to cancel the second?"
"No, no, no." he replied waving his head from right to left.
"No it isn't that."
"Oh… ok then." The guy agreed and waited.
"So from what I read at your order…" he said taking the receipt on his hands
"The one bouquet is… oh… this one." He said and pointed at a gorgeous big fancy ornate decorated flower composition wrapped in a pink paper tied up by a red ribbon and among the flowers heart shaped ornaments were popping here and there.
"This is a very beautiful gift sir."
"No this isn't for me. I mean neither is the other one, but… How could I explain it…?" he started babbling.
"I wanted this bouquet to be given to a customer, to whom it will be your choice, who will get here tomorrow to buy flowers for his own valentine. My treat. Just please hand him this note too." He said giving him the other paper. It was a handwritten letter.
"Now… considering about my bouquet… were you be able to trace the flowers I asked for?" he asked in agony.
"Let me check." He said and disappeared to the back of the shop, still holding the receipt at his hands.
"Yes, they are all here." A voice was heard from the back of the store.
The employee reappeared with a handwritten list. There was a column with flower species and a tick symbol placed at the right of every single name.
"Black Vanilla Orchids,
Swiss Alpine Flowers… we found their blue version,
Purple Saxifrage,
Scheuchzer's Cotton Sedge… that's a weird name,
And Honeysuckle." He added satisfied that he had fulfilled his mission.
"Did you know that this one's casual name is "Winter Beauty"? and he continued.
"Actually from what I could figure out all the flowers are species with high resilience on low temperatures, unlikely choices, but original ones, if you allow me to add.
"This was exactly the point." He smirked and his eyes lighted up.
"And this one will be delivered at Star Labs?" the employee replied almost questionably.
"Yes please, and I can understand, that arranging those flowers probably would be a challenge for you, considering their size, but put this in too."
He took a card from the desk and write down a question
"Are you made of Copper and Tellurium?
Because you are"
Beneath that he draw two symbols from the periodic table. They were the symbols of those two specific elements and they were forming the word "CuTe"
"She will understand." His face softened by her thought.
"That was it and I'm so sorry for the inconvenience." He added before he stepped out of the flower shop waving Good night to the man behind the countertop.
The curiosity prevailed and he opened the letter that he was supposed to give to some customer of his choice tomorrow with the first bouquet.
"Dear Stranger,
I know this is weird, but let me tell you something.
I have made so many mistakes in my life and I have isolated myself from the people I cared about
One day unexpectedly and under the craziest circumstances a girl stepped in my reality.
And she has that kind heart that saw something in me, so she offered me a second chance to redeem myself and about my past.
Her strength empowered me to become capable of loving again. She believed in me so deeply that she inspired me to even feel love worthy.
She fears to give in her cold inner self, but she warmed my heart.
I know that I don't deserve her, but I want to try be that man.
Wish you have a loving Valentine's Day with your significant other.
P.S.: This is just an attempt to spread the love she selflessly share every day. So these is all because of a girl named Caitlin."
The moment he finished reading the letter tears were threatening to dropped from his eyes.
The employee stood there, at least this man was not a waste of his time, he thought.
The next morning despite the load of the work causing from the celebration of love he personally delivered the flowers to Miss Snow. After all he had to watch with his own eyes that woman. People like them made his work meaningful.