Burn baby burn.
Chapter 12.
I laughed loudly, as two fancy, European cars pulled up in the driveway.
Now we had every Cullen here and what's this I see? My mate and Esme, carrying bags and bags of groceries. Oh my lord above! What on earth? Did they buy up the whole of the grocery store?
Emmett raced towards me and picked me up, laughing like a hyena tripping high on ice.
I squeaked as he hugged me and whizzed me around the kitchen, I was worried that I would hit the light fitting.
Luckily Jack had gone off delivering flowers in town and the three other workers were in the fields, so they didn't need to get confused, as to who was here and what they were up to, and why I was being thrown in the air around by my bear-like brother.
So now there were ten! Ten vampires here at my workplace! The place I once used as my sanctuary, my place a long way away from the supernatural. Boy, was I wrong! They were everywhere, and there was absolutely no escaping them!
My mate placed the bags down and took me out of Emmett's arms. He nuzzled me and we held each other. I touched his scar gently and he purred and purred.
"All good Captain?"
"Blossom!"
Everyone just had to wait, while we got re-acquainted and made out, kissing like we were starving for each other's company. Esme started pulling things out of the shopping bags and I looked over to see what they had bought.
"It's so good to see you Captain! Lots has happened since I last saw you, and now it seems every vamp in the southern US, has made a visit right here at the flower farm today." I told him. God, he smelled so, so delicious, I just wanted to lick him!
"It seems my old first acquaintance Jim got himself into a little hot water...I wasn't expecting him to call. Sorry he came here and bothered you Blossom. He didn't hurt you, did he?" he asked, checking me for injuries.
"Ah...not really, I did get a scare when he grabbed me suddenly and he asked about sharing me with you...and just so we are completely clear on this Captain...I never, ever share, and Neither will you, ok?...you understand me sailor?" I said to him sternly. I didn't like that he and Jim may have shared women before in the past, but the past was the past, and I wanted him to see clearly, that it was definitely not my way forward.
"Blossom, he said that? The dirty, low-down, rotten, scum-sucking, tormenting, lily-livered parasite! I'll teach him who's who around here! Just let me give him a piece of my mind!" He growled loudly staring in Jim's direction.
"Captain? I understand that you might be upset, but can we organise the food first? All the guys will start being hungry soon, and I can't let them down. Now what are you going to be preparing for dinner? I'm sure Esme has showed you something marvellous to cook for us." I murmured in his ear. "I can't wait to taste!"
His face lit up in the biggest smile. I realized there was a room full of observers who needed my attention. I wasn't being a very good host, ignoring all my guests. I turned to face them.
"Hi everyone! I'm sorry to ignore you all! It's just my mate here...he takes my number one priority." I waved to them all.
Everyone waved back laughing and chatting to each other, about how difficult having a new mate could be. Looking around properly, I realised that the kitchen was excessively full-to-bursting, with all of their marble bodies.
"I am going to have Jasper and Peter help me cook a real southern-style barbeque, with all the sides and salads. Is that ok? I'm sure the four men here will like all the smoky meat, is it something you like to eat my Blossom?"
"That sounds perfect and I'm sure the guys will love it too. The barbeque is over in the courtyard. I don't know if there's much gas left in the bottle, or if it works so well. It's been a long time since it was last used. The grilling plate probably needs cleaning. I'll let you get everything prepared. You must have spent a small fortune on all of this stuff, there's a lot of food!"
I shook my head, as I got a look at the items which were being pulled out of all the shopping bags, onto the kitchen benches and dining table. It seems my mate had bought enough meat to feed a small village, rather than only five humans for one meal.
"It's much too much Captain!"
"Not all of this food is for tonight Blossom. Esme explained that I can cook the other cuts of meat, at another time and that it can keep for ages, in the frozen state, until I am ready to cook it!" He looked so pleased that he had worked out these new-fangled, time saving technologies, like the freezer section of the fridge.
"Oh, that's a relief! Otherwise it would all go to waste. Thanks so much for helping advise him Esme, otherwise we'd be swimming in beef." I chuckled. "It's wonderful you did this. I'm proud of you, trying to cook for the first time. And did you manage to get fed too? Everything go to plan?"
"Yes of course, it was fine. None of them were any the wiser and were really pleased with their latest shipment of their favourite body-building steroids."
"That's great! Let me turn over the kitchen to you and whoever's going to be helping you. I'm going to show the rest of our visitors around the farm."
I herded the rest of the vamps out of the kitchen. Esme insisted on staying and assisting Garrett around the kitchen. Peter and Jasper came with us; they said they would return when it was time to cook the meat.
Carlisle seemed to have Edward under control. He looked like he was in pain from all of the images and thoughts of others going through his head, I was grateful that I didn't have my thoughts readily available for him. We hadn't talked together at all, like he had wanted. Ever since he'd arrived unexpectedly this morning and was suddenly waylaid by Jim and he, having an odd Mexican-standoff.
Jim and Emmett seemed to hit it off. Don't ask me how, but maybe it was another guy thing too. Peter and Jasper followed up the rear of my strange farm tour of the eight vampires, as they kept a weather-eye on Jim and Edward's behavior. I wasn't sure what else they had seen while they were here today, at the back of the shed.
I didn't bother to ask what had gone on for the majority of the time after I had left them all alone, and gone back to work with Alice following me around. I hate to think what could have happened, but I'm glad no one had gotten hurt, and that Jim had settled down with his suggestions to 'share' me with the Captain. Thank Heavens!
Alice, Rose and I took the lead, on our tour where we grew all of the hardier plants, particularly the Australian and South African plants.
We had many rows of foliage plants, which were beloved by florists, who used the it to fill-out their floral arrangements. The silvery-grey eucalyptus varieties were our mainstay of our foliage plants. Eucalyptuses happily thrived in the sandy, hot conditions naturally and didn't seem to be attacked by any bugs or diseases. I explained how we chopped the trees heavily at the base, so they shot up with hundreds of long shoots, which could be easily harvested from ground level, without using a ladder.
I showed them the spectacular feathery proteas, the smaller perfectly formed leucadendrons, the oddly shaped kangaroo paws, our colourful grevilleas, the nectar rich banksias which the local hummingbirds adored, and the new crop of sunflowers coming up, reaching nearly two meters high.
I took them through the shade houses, one containing all of our small orchids, which would be ready to sell in two year's time, when they grew bigger. Other shade houses contained may of the various flower seedlings, which had to grow a lot bigger before being planted-out in the ground.
The plants we were trialling that may not make it through our selection process. Although we liked growing new sorts of plants we found out, some new plant varieties weren't hardy enough to withstand the Texas heat, the sandy soil and the salty sea breeze. We always tried to have new and different flowers to supply our clients, on top of the old favourites.
I talked all about our growing choice of plants, which needed smaller amounts of pesticides and our use of organic fertilizers, our use of dip irrigation to avoid water wastage and reduce fungal problems.
I talked about how we always picked our blooms before sunrise, to assist in keeping them fresh and alive, then storing them all in the cool-room, ready for delivery.
I talked about our six day work week and how hard it was during times when we got big orders at very short notice. I looked at Alice when I said it. Rose nudged her, and I think she finally got how stressful it was for us workers, getting her massive order ready in time. We couldn't just blink or wave a wand and wish for the all of flowers to suddenly appear out of thin air.
Sometimes it took years for plants to produce enough growth, before they could flower prolifically. Planning for what we could sell, took years and the growing of fresh flowers was also subject to bad weather, the poor economic conditions and the various fads and fashions that governed popular tastes.
"You've done an amazing job Bella, you know so much about this industry." Alice put her arm around my waist.
"Thanks Alice! It's only because I've been here living and working for three years, that's got me seeped in this information. It was lucky I landed somewhere where I felt completely at home and really liked working outdoors with plants. Thanks to Dana and then Marie, who gave me a job when I got straight off the bus, with no experience or any knowledge of the floriculture industry."
"If you had your choice, what kind of plants would you grow?"
"I've always loved water lilies," thinking of the lotuses tattooed on my back. "But there's not a lot of call for the beautiful flowers sadly. The actual plants sell well, for those who love their water gardens. I've always wanted to have a pond full Japanese koi carp and gorgeous water lilies. And then there's the plants used in the essential oil industry, for their perfume. I've been reading up on how to grow ylang-ylang, sandalwood, saffron and so on."
I closed my eyes and could see clearly the scene, somewhere to sit in the cool shade and rest, looking at the fish swimming lazily around the water. and then walking around smelling all of the scented plants and distilling their oils.
"The lotus has its feet in the mud, but reaches up towards heaven and is pure in its divinity and serenity." Edward said quietly, close to me.
I looked at him and nodded. He knew what I was talking about.
"Yeah that's a nice thing to dream about. But for the present, I'm on a lovely wooden boat being rocked to sleep at night." I smiled.
"Yeah that's not all that's rocking you little sis!" Emmett guffawed, with Jim and Peter joining in the joke, like a pack of demented hyenas.
"Hey don't knock it! The experiences I've had so far, have been nothing but mind-blowing, so pull your heads in!" I snapped at them as they laughed even harder.
"She's a feisty little thing, ain't she?" Peter looked at me curiously.
"Yes she is, so play nice! Or Jasper will have to teach you three baboons some manners!" Alice said sweetly, hands on her hips, smiling at Jasper who just shrugged at her. I'm pretty sure he would do whatever she said, he loved and adored her that much.
"Hey she bought it up!" Emmett raised his hands in the air, trying to look like he was all innocent, while still quietly giggling. He was such a happy man; you couldn't stay mad at him for too long.
"I'm going to check on the kitchen. Hopefully Esme has made sure Garrett hasn't blown anything up. The guys will be hungry and Jack will be back from his deliveries. Come on Rose and Alice; let's go leave these fellas to their puerile joking."
Indeed, when we got back, all four of my fellow workers, were hovering over the smoking barbeque, holding beers, and turning the marinated meat on the hot plate, all but salivating in anticipation of what it would taste like.
I laughed and shook my head; maybe we could start having a barbeque night once or twice a week, so that I could have a rest from cooking and they could help out around the place for a change.
Rose and I went into the office, to finish off the day's paperwork and locked in the safe.
"You know, you could save yourself and the business a lot of time, if you did all of your banking and bill paying, on-line. I'll show you how to do it, so that it cuts the time you spend in the office in half and could free you up for other things." Rose sat on my desk smiling and twirling her hair in her fingers.
"That sounds great, but what about the security issues? Are all the transactions on-line safer than using cheques and having paper documentation?" I huffed; worrying that it was something I would struggle with to learn, and I would end up stuffing it up and ruin the business. Numbers and accounting weren't my strong suit.
"If you are scrupulous about maintaining your firewalls, updating your anti-virus software and your passwords are changed regularly, there shouldn't be a problem, and you can see at any moment, what's happening to your accounts and where the money is and where its gone."
"I should run it passed Marie first, she's the boss after all. But I think she'll go for it, if it saves a lot of extra running around and the high fees we pay on running the cheque accounts. Would you help us both learn what to do, and assist us when we get stuck? Have you got the patience for teaching novices who'll be confused easily?"
"I'd love to; it would be much easier than you think you know." Rose said happily.
"Hey Blossom! I the food is ready, want to come and eat?" My beautiful mate came into the office and smelt all smoky, on top of his clove scent.
We moved into the courtyard where the grill was alight, and being used for the first time in years.
"Captain, looks like you've got them all cooking, it's so great to see the guys show some enthusiasm for cooking, even if it's using the outdoor grill. You are full of excellent ideas!" I kissed him and he picked me up as I wrapped myself around his body, koala-style. He felt warmer than ever.
"Are you feeling ok? You feel even warmer than me, I wonder what's happening with you?"
"Yeah, with all the extra blood in my body and having you here, I really do feel hot!"
"Can vampires run a fever, or get sick?" I asked him.
"Not that I've ever heard of. But I feel great...energized, full of life, not at all sick! Maybe it's being love-sick?" He laughed loudly, as he carried me over to the outdoor grill, sat me down on his lap and made sure I ate a big plateful of salads, sides and juicy, grilled beef.
"God! This is delicious! You and Esme did a wonderful job! Thank you so much. It looks like Jasper and Peter didn't need to raise a finger either!"
"I'm glad to oblige my hot, little mate!" he chuckled.
"Captain!"
"Yes?"
"Oh nothing..."
"Come on, what's got you all perplexed?"
"I'm actually, not all that hot!"I admitted.
"I beg to differ! You make me burn with desire and I want to show you exactly how I feel!" he stated, with that deep smouldering voice of his.
"Captain! We'll have to wait to be alone; we have a lot of guests here at the moment." I hissed in his ear, feeling all embarrassed.
"I know, but it will be worth it! At least we are back together, after so many hours apart." With that one statement of his, my knickers just about melted!
"What about Jim, won't you need to entertain him?" I asked. He was Garrett's old shipmate and they had a very long history together, surely he would take precedence to me?.
"No, not at all I will not be entertaining him! The sneaky sea-snake, the viper, the parasite! How dare he want to share you with me, my sweet mate! My mo chroi a stór! He's lucky I'm not tearing his limbs apart and letting you light the fire! I should show him not to mess with me and my mate!" he glared at Jim.
I stroked his scar and kissed his temple. He calmed down and started his low, deep rumbling purr in my ear.
"We are so lucky to have found each other. We haven't known each other for even a week! Just think of all of the fun things that we can do together in the future!"
Emmett started snickering again.
Rose hit him on the back of his head. She rolled her eyes and winked at me.
"Jim's coming back with us, so we can keep an eye on him and he can stay out of your hair. We can at least give you your space and privacy." Jasper bowed to us, looking like an old southern gent that he was.
"Thank you, I really appreciate you doing that for us. Jim, are you going to be alright with Jasper and the rest of the Cullens keeping you company?" I asked him, even though he still scared me a little.
"I would be honoured to make the closer acquaintance of the Cullens. I sincerely apologise, that I upset you and my old Captain so severely. I was a fool, to be so forward with you. You are a special and precious gift to my old friend, who heaven knows, needs to have the wonderful comfort and attentions of a loving mate."
