Flowers

As mentioned by "fearless fox" in a helpful review, there may have been some confusion with the point-of-view in the first chapter. I know I have a knack for using omniscient narrative most times, so all-knowing of the focal character's feeling that it's nearly first-person. In the introductory chapter I wanted to phrase the past tense as if Angela was remembering back and retelling then when we returned to the present it would be in full first-person. When I read this back to myself it seems to flow alright, although I'm not sure if it's an obvious rule-break or not. My apologies to those who saw it and were put off. Hereafter the story will be in Angela's first-person point of view. I may return to edit the intro once I know more.

Thank you for returning for another chapter!


The first day of my so-called agreement with Chase passed without a second glance from him. He ran so hot and cold with me that I had trouble recognizing him as the princely type, rescuing the damsel from her despair, than the devil who was quick to put her there.

The day after, sat at my discretely placed table in the back of the inn for a liquid lunch of coffee and weak porridge I was preparing myself to march into the kitchen and give him a thorough telling off for toying with a girl's heart but I became suddenly overwhelmed with humiliation that I'd even agreed to it in the start. After all, I still didn't know the first thing about him and this could all be a well-crafted gag for him to enjoy. Another one bites the dust; add her to the pile of corpses that were the other just as gullible and desperate females, so to speak. I was a notch, damn it.

My porridge tasted awful after that little inner-dialogue. I glanced coolly toward Chase who was exchanging words with Yolanda peaceably. There wasn't a shadow of unease on his face; he looked so youthful and bright when he was learning that it made his roguish personality outside of cooking that much more appealing. I detested the way my stomach gave a flutter when his eyes found mine and he smiled. I deserted my porridge and left.

I hated that I was dwelling on this so much. Maybe it wasn't dwelling so much as depending, and that's what really sent me into self-loathing; I didn't want to be the type of girl that depended on a guy, any guy, to collect her from her successes, however miserably lonely they may be, and whisk her away to never-never land for long afternoons of profuse lovemaking. Sure, I wanted the loneliness to disappear, and the lovemaking wouldn't go amiss… but I can't wait for Chase to magically make that all happen. After all, even if it wasn't a joke; I wasn't in love with him.

I hastily decided that a bit of hard labor might do me some good to forget, so I collected my tools and headed for Luke's usual haunts.

"Yo!"

"Morning Luke," I smashed open a rock in one swing.

"You're looking good today." He beamed at me. I was deigning to disagree but I thanked him with a half-hearted smile. No point in trying to bring the indestructible Luke down with me. His golden eyes twinkled, "Fancy a contest?"

"What kind of contest…" I really wasn't sure I had the energy.

He seemed to pause, lips pursed, fingers drumming on his lean muscular arms as they were crossed thoughtfully. "How about a race?" I couldn't help but laugh, it was hard to believe we were the same age but I kind of appreciated that about him.

"Promise to go easy on me?" I tried to flutter my eyelashes in appeal but he only grinned toothily back.

"Never!" The plan was to run from the forest to the yard of Souffle Farm and then back before Craig shouted at us and Ruth came rushing out thinking there had been some kind of horrific accident.

We'd both taken our places and respective running positions when Dale called Luke back in to work. He shrugged, still grinning and left saying that we'd do it next time. His fervor for the contest dissolved just as quickly as it had formed. I heaved a sigh and smashed more rocks. Although it wasn't much, the distraction of work and Luke had helped to restore some of my normally sunny disposition. Not enough though that it remained wholly intact when I came home later and found Chase sat on my doorstep, huddled against the cold.

"Chase! How long have you been sat there?" It was asked out of concern but that may have come out more harshly than it should have.

"Sorry, I didn't think I needed an appointment." He stood and was waiting patiently.

"It's open you know. You could have gone in to wait."

"Oh yeah, the welcome would have been even warmer if you'd have come home to me sat in the dark at the dining table. You'd probably hit me," was he pouting? "with a weapon of some sort. Hard." Okay, I get it. I opened the door for him and gestured magnificently.

"Well you didn't give me much reason to expect you." I started again as I followed him in.

"What do you mean, I thought we agreed that I-"

I put my hand out to cut him off, my face feeling annoyingly hot, "Yeah. I remember." Behind my hand that cut him off a smile grew, one that I knew I didn't like the look of; full of arrogance and knowing. He made a sound in his throat like he'd established something and redirected his focus on my home.

"Decent," was all he'd said. Since his house was delightfully homey with tea to offer a guest, I suppose this was about right. It was sparsely furnished and what was there certainly didn't match. I did have some dried herb I could boil though…in the fridge maybe. "Come on," he took my hand "We're going to my place."

"What! It's not that bad!" my face was warm again.

He laughed not maliciously, "I never said it was. But there might be something back at mine that you'll like."

I couldn't tell if this was a really watery pickup-line or genuine observation, although the honesty in his face and lack thereof any smirking or incessant eyebrow waggling had me believing the latter. Chances were he'd never used a pickup-line in his life. I enjoyed imagining the scenarios as he walked me back to his place wordlessly.

He stopped at the door and pulled me forward by the hand, "Ladies first," he said, and like a perfect gentleman he opened the door for me and stood aside. My heart had begun to beat rapidly, wondering what could be waiting for me in his dimly lit little house. Surely the only thing I had to be wary of was the wolf that'd led me here and was now behind me…

Said wolf flicked on the overhead lights and at the same time a shower of something sweet smelling and soft fell over my head. My fingers grasped rose petals as they tumbled down my shoulders and my eyes lit upon an array of flowers arranged on his coffee table from red to violet. Like a rainbow.

Chase's presence had left my back and was now by my side. I could feel his gaze acutely; intensely studious so as not to miss a thing.

I was at a loss for words, this was definitely not on my list of expectations and it was wonderful. As sad as it was, I'd never been given flowers before. "T-thank you."

"Hm." He paused. "I thought girls were meant to smile at flowers."

I laughed a little, brushing the petals from my hair, thinking he was teasing me, "You mean you don't know?"

"I've never given anyone flowers before. It was Maya's idea," he plucked a leaf from her shoulder. "Well, I figured out the rainbow part." There was some sheepishness then, carefully folded between his well maintained confidences. He had planned this all out; he'd even gone through with it, but it was a first for him as well. He smoothed back his hair and tried to look noncommittal.

I considered the flowers again; it must have taken some effort and it was all to see me smile, "Really. Thank you." So I rewarded him with what he wanted. I smiled with all the sunshine and happiness I knew. I hadn't done it in a while and it felt good.

He gradually closed the space between us but I was caught up in my smiling and the harmony of floral perfumes that filled the room. I could feel his warmth as he leaned closer, I could smell his shampoo and the soft cooking flavors that clung to his skin from work, and I gratefully met him for more. His lips were thin and yielding, almost unresponsive as I pressed myself against him. As if he couldn't quite believe what was happening. So I kissed him gently and ran my palms over his biceps to his shoulders and neck, touching the errant tips of his hair experimentally. I wished I could put a finger on his taste but frankly my senses were too overwhelmed to find it.

Finally I backed away and he apologized, "I didn't expect you to… that's not what I want…" He seemed to rethink each sentence looking worryingly undone, "I mean that, I'm not doing this just to get…"

"Yeah, I know." I toed through some of the scattered petals. "It just felt right."

He relaxed, watching me for another moment before leaving it behind us. "So, tea? I've made some cake as well."

"Yes please." I sat at the altar of my flowers appreciating each species and color of the rainbow in turn; my senses weakened so that I hardly heard Chase's noises from the kitchen as I felt the remains of our kiss on my lips.