03-30-16
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Percy's mother, Sally Jackson, turned 36 today. It was almost 8 o'clock when Percy grabbed his wallet out of his pocket, paid the cab fair, and rushed out into the streets. He was rushing to get to the little shop across the street, not noticing the car that was driving his way. The driver slammed on the brakes and honked the horn. Percy jerked his head up and raised his hand in a sheepish apology. He jumped up onto the sidewalk and entered the small flower shop.
"Flower Loop" had always been his mother's favorite florist. The bell ringed as Percy opened the door. As he set one foot inside the store he was bombarded with the scent of lemon verbena and jasmine. All the counters and table tops were covered with different types of flowers, organized all by color. Percy was immediately drawn to the blue irises. His mother and he shared a favorite color. He picked out a bouquet and proceeded to the register. A small silver bell was sitting on the counter, but no cashier.
Percy, in a hurry, tapped the bell. He heard some shuffling and what sounded like boxes falling from the hallway behind the counter.
"Um… Hello? Are you okay?" Percy called towards the back room. He set down the bouquet in a clear, glass vase standing by the cash register.
A small, cat-like sneeze issued from the back room. "Sorry! Be right there!" A few seconds later a girl walked up to the counter, only to turn around again to sneeze into her elbow. Her golden blond hair swinging across her shoulders as she turned back towards Percy, sniffling.
"Hey, sorry about that. I was moving some boxes in the back-" She broke off as her nose started to twitch.
"I heard that if you lick the roof of your mouth, you won't sneeze," said Percy, demonstrating.
She tried it as well, laughing when she felt it tickle her mouth.
"Thanks," she said, the twitching of her nose stopping. "Sorry, I'm allergic to flowers. What can I do for you?"
"Wait, what? You're working at a florist and you're allergic to flowers?" he asked with a laugh. He glanced down at her chest where a name tag sat.
She laughed, "My grandma owns it, but she's too old to take care of it anymore so I took over. It's a struggle having to sneeze every- achoo- five seconds." She absent-mindedly traced patterns on the surface of the counter.
"Well, 'Annabeth'," Percy said, reading her name tag, "you can because it's my mother's birthday and I have picked out these wonderful blue irises out for her." He waved his hand towards the vase with said flowers.
"Oh, these are lovely," she exclaimed as she pulled the vase closer to herself. She sneezed again, and Percy couldn't help but notice how adorable it was. She slid out a drawer behind the counter and pulled out a small card and a black pen. "Here," she pointed at the card with the pen, "write your mother a note."
He slid the card towards himself, taking the pen and smiling sheepishly at her underneath his eyelashes. She rested her elbows on the counter and watched what he was writing.
"Percy? That's your name?" She smiled at him, resting her head on her arms.
Laying down the pen, he mirrored her position. "Yes, short for Perseus-" she snorted, but it turned into another sneeze that melted Percy's heart.
"You're laughing at me," he pouted, sticking his bottom lip out. She laughed, took the card and placed it on a stand in the bouquet. "You're so not making this easy on me."
She leaned forward across the counter, hand outstretched, a sly smile gracing her face.
"That'll be $16.-achoo-85."