The next day as Bella was prepared to head out to the dinner, she opened the door to Greg standing on her door mat.'Holy crap not this guy again." Bella sighed, what am I going to have to do to ditch this guy. "Good morning Miss French, I was wondering if you were free to have a cup of coffee before you headed off to work?" He was flashing that irritating toothy grin at her and Bella racked her brain trying to think of some important reason why she couldn't go with him. "I would like that Greg, but unfortunately I have an appointment so, perhaps some other time, sorry." She looked apologetically up at him. She felt kind of bad for the guy, he looked like someone just ran over his puppy.
Greg nodded his head and gave her a small smile before turning around to retreat back to his own apartment. 'Great, now I feel bad, he was only being polite and I'm acting like an ass. It's only one cup of coffee for God's sake.' Bella cleared her throat, "Greg, I guess one cup wouldn't hurt anything." Greg turned back around with a smile.'Oh no he thinks he has me, oh shit, I've probably opened a big can of worms here just trying to be nice, good going Bella.'
He escorted her down the stairs and over to the dinner where they sat down and ordered their drinks and began to talk. Greg worked on computers and had been staying at Granny's for a few weeks untill he could find something more suitable. When Bella could slip a word in she found she was having trouble coming up with anything to say, then she remembered the rose on her doormat, "Was that you Last night that left the flower in front of my door?" Greg looked at her puzzled for a moment before returning his gaze to hers with a hint of a grin at the corners of his mouth, "Well the question is did you like it Miss French? The idea of me giving you flowers? " Bella looked away for a moment before answering, "Yes, I liked it, it was nice" she admitted. Greg shot her a smouldering look , "then yes I did."
Bella's heart sank, she tried to keep the disappointment that seemed to be stabbing her right now not register on her face. Her Heart had told her that it had been Nick and not this man, someone she didn't even know, in fact she couldn't even remember why she had agreed to go with him to the diner in the first place. she had to go. Her heart-felt like it was about to shatter as she sat listening to Greg go on and on about God knows what, her ears were buzzing from his irritating voice, finally she couldn't take it no more and she stood and picked up her jacket from off the booth, Greg stood too, "Are you alright, can I get you some water or something Bella? You look a little pale." Greg's voice was one of concern, laced with a little irritation. "No-No I'm alright, Look Greg I'm sorry I can't do this...I mean I have to go, sorry, I'm not feeling very well..I am really sorry." Greg stood dumbfounded as Bella left him standing there in the middle of the dinner.
'Damn you Nick , why couldn't it have been you?' Tears blurred Bella's vision all the way back to her small apartment. She swiped them away only to find them replaced by more. She studied the single rose in the vase. It was beautiful, perfect. there had been no note. She shrugged her shoulders, so what if it was from him, it's still too pretty to toss. She racked her brain to try to remember what orange roses meant,'Why cant I remember that?' she smelled its sweet fragrance, closing her eyes as she inhaled the aroma. then a thought came to her, 'the internet' she could look up the rose question, of course.
A quick search on Google provided her with a complete guide to the meanings behind the colors of roses and before long Bella had a list of the meanings of each color. She wasn't surprised to find that orange roses meant desire,' It figures.. jerk' Bella thought to herself. she also read enthusiasm and fascination were also associated with the orange rose, interesting.' The only man Bella wanted to desire her was Nick, not some boorish neighbor that couldn't hold a candle to the Scottish pawnbroker that had Bella's heart in his pocket, although he was too stupid to realise it right now.
She printed out the page and kept it, just in case any other roses showed up. She had her doubts about this Greg guy sending them, and she knew just how to see if he was indeed lying as she suspected he was.
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"Another Rose today Mr. Gold? What color would you like this time sir?" Gold was going down the color list to make his selection when he heard her... He'd know those spikes anywhere. He could feel his teeth automatically grind together at the sound.
"Well, well Gold, look at you out and about, getting an early jump on Valentines's Day I see." Regina's Cheshire grin greeted Gold as he turned around to face the "Harpy Mayor" as he liked to call her. "Why Madam Mayor, it's curious to see you out in the sunlight, I thought when vampires walked out into the sun they spontaneously burst into flames." Regina's eyes narrowed at him, "I'll tell you something even more curious Mr. Gold, I saw your little Valentine just hours ago having coffee with another man in Granny's diner." Gold's look of unabashed hatred was not lost on Regina, "She's not my Valentine, not that it's any of your business Madame Mayor, so if you'll excuse me."
Regina watched Mr. Gold walk out of the store obviously pissed beyond words. She loved it when she could ruin his day, come to think of it she loved it when she could ruin anyone's day. She stood there staring at the display of fresh-cut roses, remembering her late husband. A sad soft smile playing across her features, he would always bring her eleven roses for Valentine's day every year instead of an even dozen, he told her once that it meant that she was truly and deeply loved. After his death Regina couldn't stand to look at any flower, even artificial ones, they were just too painful for her. She lingered there a moment longer before continuing on to town hall.
Gold got in his car and drove to his shop. He practically tore off the door handle trying to get in, 'How dare that old bitch taunt me with Bella.' He threw his keys down on the counter before removing his jacket and scarf. He turned his little bunsen burner on and put some water on for a little tea before slipping down into his chair. His knee hurt but in a good way. He couldn't believe how much it had improved in such a short time. Dr. Whale said he would no longer need the cane soon, all he had been through would be worth it if that was the end result. All those ass holes at the hospital, goading him into anger and that hell cat Mayor;Gods he wanted to strangle her. How dare she talk about Bella. Gold got up and checked on the water, 'If Bella was having coffee with someone , it didn't mean anything, did it? After all she wasn't his, she could have coffee with whom ever she pleased.'
He had gotten so riled up by Regina that he had skipped on buying Bella's rose. He had settled on the color Pink too. they were lovely, just like her, and he was losing her. She was moving on, without him. He hung his head,'She's young Gold, she doesn't want an old man, get over it.' But he couldn't, he had to keep trying. Just as he was about to check on the water for his tea his little bell went off alerting him that someone was in his shop.
Gold threw back the curtain that separated his office from the rest of the store to find Ruby standing at the counter with flyers in her hand. She was dressed in a skin-tight red skirt that left nothing to the imagination with red leather boots that went up past her knees,'Good God who taught this girl how to dress.' Gold stood where he was, frowning at her as her eyes wandered over the items in the shop. She smiled when she noticed him watching her, she was used to men watching her and the stuffy old Mr. Gold seemed to be the only man in Storybrooke who seemed immune to her charms as he stood there with a scowl. "What brings you into my shop today Miss Lucas." Ruby jumped a little at his voice, he made her feel like she was back in school in the principal's office, "I was going around to all the businesses in town seeing if I could put these flyers up about the Valentine's day party we are hosting at the diner, may I put one in your window?"
She held out the paper to Gold who all but snatched it out of her hand. His eyebrow lifted in mock fascination as he read the invitation to a masked party to be held at the dinner on the 14th before handing it back to her. "I don't celebrate Valentine's day and I don't want anything hanging in my windows suggesting I do dearie, so the so the answer is no, thank you." Ruby's look of disappointment was obvious, "Thanks." She turned around to exit and he could have sworn he heard her mumble on her way out, "dried up ol' bastard, who'd be your Valentine anyway."
She was right Gold thought as she slammed the door a little too hard, he was a bastard, he felt instantly sorry for just not letting her hang her flyer up, it wouldn't have hurt anything. He rolled his eyes as he instantly headed to the door, opening it he called her back, "Ruby?" She turned around and stood there, waiting for him to tell her to not come back or whatever insult he usually threw at people, instead she was surprised to see him motion her to come back. she took a few tentative steps toward him, unsure of what he wanted. Gold rolled his eyes, "come back. I'm sorry you can...hang your paper in the window, I'm just having an off day dearie, I apologise." Ruby looked like he just handed her the keys to his town car as she headed back in his direction, "Really, you don't mind Mr. Gold? thank You."
For the rest of the day Gold sat in his office, drinking tea and re-reading Ruby's flyer. He imagined taking Bella to the masked dance. Then a thought struck him, what if he invited her, without her knowing it was him. a sort of a blind date...well, except she already knew who he was. No, she hated him, no way was she going to a dance with a cripple who all but threw her out for nothing, besides she would most likely be going with whom ever she was having coffee with this morning. Some young man, not some dried up old bastard like Ruby said he was. Perhaps he should just give up on this useless pursuit of Bella, she was out of his league. Maybe he had already had his happiness in life and now that it had been all used up and all he had were memories to sustain him for the rest of his life. He didn't deserve any more, maybe happiness was allotted out and he had already exhausted his supply, But he couldn't help wanting something more than what he had. He wanted to share his life with someone and he couldn't think of anyone whom he wanted more than the little girl who had come crashing through his door that day, crashing into his life, turning it upside down. If he wanted her bad enough he was going too have to stand up and fight for her, he knew that. 'it's no good feeling sorry for yourself, you broke this now you have to fix it, so get up and just do it, no one decides your fate but you Nick."
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Bella's feet were killing her as she drug her weary carcass up the stairs after her shift at the diner. All she wanted was to go to bed, to hell with the smell in her hair, she needed rest. As she reached to the top step her eyes spotted the pale pink rose waiting for her. She felt like her heart skipped a beat, 'another one, pink this time.'
She looked around but the hall was deserted. 'Who is doing this? I know it's not that Neanderthal Greg, he probably couldn't even spell rose much less know where to find one, he thinks I didn't see that look when I asked him if it was him, he's fooling no one.'
After letting herself into the apartment she added the new flower to the vase that held the one from yesterday. That's when she noticed that there was a small card inside the tissue paper,'Holy shit, a note.' Bella worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she plucked up enough courage to read it. "MEET ME ON THE 14th."
"The 14th?" She re-read the card. He means the masked dance she was sure. Her stomach turned in knots at the thought, 'If only it was Nick, but you know it's not Bella, you know it isn't him.' Bella sniffed away tears as she remembered the page she had printed out about the meaning of the colors. She found pink on the paper,'Please believe me?'
That's a strange thing for a pink rose to mean, unless... 'It was from him.' Bella almost picked up the phone. She could just call to see if...she rubbed her hands down her face trying to extract the stupid idea out of her head. 'Just how stupid do you want to sound French?'
No, she couldn't do that. She would simply ignore all this silliness and no way was she going to satisfy her curiosity and meet this mystery man on the 14th or any other day. This was a prank, nothing more and she wasn't going to be a victim, nor was she the least bit interested in the ape next door, so if it was him then she was going to set him straight as well, just as soon as she had a little sleep.