A/N: As for ages, Alex is in grad school, Eliza is his age. The ending is really cheesy, sorry not sorry. Perhaps a one shot, maybe not. All rights to Lin-Manuel Miranda. Review? I love suggestions. Happy Valentine's!
Eliza watched her customer go. It was the busy season, when people flooded in for flowers for their significant others. Her roses were almost gone, but that was okay, considering it would all be over tomorrow. She found herself almost a little mournful, alone for another Valentine's day. She walked around, wiping the last corner of the counter and moving She left the counter to go flip the sign around when she came face to face with someone looking through the glass door.
She opened the door for him, her cute little bell ringing as a man stepped inside. He was attractive, with long hair pushed back into a ponytail. He wore a green jacket with jeans, hands shoved inside his pockets to combat the chill.
"Hello, welcome to Eliza's Flowers. I am… Eliza," she said uncomfortably. Eliza would be tempted to flirt, but everybody who walked in her doors was taken.
"Hi," he smiled at her, "I'm sorry, these aren't your hours."
"Not at all," she replied, finding herself blushing ever so slightly. She couldn't help it, being in the presence of somebody she found attractive. So what if Eliza was a helpless romantic?
"Oh, um, Alexander," he introduced himself, offering his hand to shake, which she did, for perhaps a second too long. He either didn't notice or pretended not to.
Eliza rushed behind the counter, pushing the little swinging gate open with her hip in order to push the sleeves of her heart sweater, settling behind the counter. She found herself with ther elbows on the smooth white countertop, leaning over, "What'll it be?"
He looked at the sign showing the various Valentine's arrangements, "The big flower ring in a heart shape, I think the number eight?" He asked.
"Yep, coming right up," Eliza paused, "it's in the back," she turned around to go to the back, "So, what's she like?"
"Um…" He tried.
Eliza stopped in her tracks, "Good God, I'm sorry. He? They?" She asked.
Alexander coughed, "Actually, it's for my Mom…"
Eliza cut him off when she had the arrangement in her arms, "Aww,"
"...s grave," he finished.
Eliza was standing before him, but was covering her face with the large heart, "I'm sorry," she replied, "I am so… sorry," she tried for another word, but nothing came into her head.
"Really, it's fine. She loved Valentine's day, and I thought I'd get this. I'm single, and you?" he asked her, taking the arrangement and laying it on the counter to fish inside of his pockets for the battered wallet.
"Oh, I'm in the same boat. I think it's an ice cream and The Notebook kind of Valentine's," she laughed, spilling her plans easily, "It's 25 dollars," she offered.
"I thought it said 30?" He replied, holding the last five in his hand questioningly.
"It's the five dollar 'not a terrible flirt like everyone else who buys this arrangement' discount. Or, it's just really sweet that you buy this for your mom," she told him.
Alexander chuckled, choosing to shove the last five in the tips jar, "Thanks,"
"And just sign the receipt." Eliza slid it across the counter to him, along with a pen with a large flower rubber banded to it.
A signature was scrawled in what appeared to be fast and hard handwriting. "Bye, Eliza, enjoy Ryan Gosling," he told her, walking out with his purchase.
Eliza paused, wondering what he was referencing. Oh, The Notebook. She laughed, trying to come up with a funny jibe to reply with, but he was out the door. Eliza glanced down at the receipt. His signature was messy, yet somehow elegant. Totally illegible. At the top, was a note.
Who says I'm not a flirt? Call me.
Alexander's number was written below it.
"Cheeky bastard," she murmured to herself, grinning. Eliza opened her phone, carefully copying the number into her phone. How long did one have to wait before excitedly texting? To seem not desperate, yet not disinterested.
Perhaps this wasn't going to be as dull a Valentine's day after all.