Fred and Ginger
by angellwings
Flowers
Ella stepped back and examined the hem on Nate's pants. She circled the pedestal and brought a hand to her chin. He hated when she did this. He felt like he was on display. Plus, it meant he'd be stuck getting fitted for an extra half hour because something wasn't satisfying Ella.
"They look good, El."
"Good isn't good enough. I think I may need to redo the hem. And I'm not sure, but I think they're too baggy. Maybe I should take them in a little too," She said before she brought her eyes up to his jacket. "And your jacket needs to be distressed. Maybe I could add a few details. This outfit just looks too blah for me. What do you think? And don't say it looks good just so I'll let you down from that pedestal."
He chuckled and met her glare. "Ella, I think all of your designs look great. Really. I'm fine with this just the way it is. Besides, don't you have a conference call in like an hour?"
Her brow furrowed. "No. It was pushed pack to tomorrow."
His eyes widened slightly, and he tried to sound casual. "Really? Why?"
Ella rolled her eyes. "Luke threw a fit because it meant he would have to be up before ten in the morning. So they moved it to tomorrow afternoon."
"So, you aren't planning to go to your office anytime soon, then?" He asked.
"Nope, I'm actually relieved the meeting was cancelled. I have too much to do to be stuck in my office for an hour and a half."
He cleared his throat. "Right, I imagine that would be a relief."
"Why?" Ella asked curiously. "I mean why did you want to know?"
"Oh, um, I didn't really. Just curious. So you're not going to your office at all today?"
"Wasn't planning on it, no," Ella repeated as she gave him a strange glance. "You're being weird."
"No, no I'm not. I just think you should maybe go to your office."
"Why?" Ella asked.
"Just to make sure you didn't forget anything," Nate said with a nod. "You wouldn't want to get home and realize you'd left your keys in your office, now would you?"
"My keys are in my pocket," Ella told him.
Nate sighed. "Can I get down now? Are we done?"
"Yeah, we're done," Ella said. "You can change back into your other clothes."
Ella began to gather her things and Nate noticed that a folder fell onto the floor and under the desk she kept in the fitting room. As he passed her desk and headed back to the changing area he picked up the folder discretely. While he was changing he could hear papers shuffling wildly and he smirked. He slipped the folder into his messenger bag as he walked back out to meet her.
"Got everything?" He asked knowingly.
"I can't find my folder with Mitchie's current measurements in it," Ella huffed. "She's my next fitting. I need that folder."
Nate cleared his throat. "Maybe you left it in your office."
She glared at him. "I didn't leave it in my office."
There was a beat before her brow furrowed and she spoke again. "At least I don't think I did."
"You should probably check. Better safe than sorry right?"
Ella glanced at him suspiciously. "Are you up to something? Is it a prank? I swear if you TP'ed my office again I will hurt you."
"For the last time, that was not me. That was Shane," Nate huffed. "And I'm not up to anything."
"Then why do you want me to go to my office so badly?"
"I—I don't."
She sighed. "Well, it looks like I actually do have to go to my office, but you're coming with me. And you're going in first, just in case."
"After all we've been through you still don't trust me?" Nate asked.
She rolled her eyes. "I trust you with my life. Just not my office."
They reached her office and Ella shoved Nate toward the door. "Go ahead. Open it."
"Wow. You're paranoid."
"Shut up, and open the door."
"Bossy too," Nate smirked.
"Ugh," Ella grunted as she pushed passed him and flung the door open. She looked from side to side before entering the dark room and reaching for the light switch. "If I turn on this light and find that you or one of your brothers has—"
She cut herself off and froze at the sight that greeted her. "Wh—what in the world?"
Every where she looked she could see flowers. Jars, vases, wreaths, and every other variety of floral arrangement covered all the empty space in her office. She turned to Nate and gave him a questioning glance. "Did you do this?"
"That's for me to know and you to—" She smacked his arm, and he winced. "Ow. Yes! Okay? I did this."
She launched herself at him and hugged him tightly. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! They're all so beautiful! No one's ever—I mean, I just don't…I don't know what to say!"
He smiled and hugged her in return. "No thank you necessary. You've never gotten flowers, so I think I sent you enough to make up for that."
She chuckled and continued to hug him. "And then some."
"This way you'll know that someone's out there thinking about you," Nate said softly as he closed his eyes and kissed the top of her head. Ella gulped and froze in his arms, and Nate immediately thought he'd made a mistake. But a split second later he felt her relax again. She pulled away slightly and leaned up on her tip toes to place a kiss on his cheek.
"Thank you, Nate. It's beautiful."