Chapter 8 - Flowers and Females ... A Deadly Combination
When Delbert and Delilah arrived at the RLS Legacy, it was precisely eight o'clock. Not a second sooner, not a second later. He knew how much Amelia valued punctuality, and he wanted this evening to be perfect.
A quick stroll up the gangway and moments later, he was at the door to her stateroom. After all the planning, the tailor, the flowers, it was finally time. The flowers. He rolled his eyes as he recalled that outing.
The flower shop he had chosen was the same shop he had used for all the special occasions in his life thus far - Sarah's wedding, Jim's birth,
University ceremonies. Truth be told, while he was a man of science, he had little knowledge of flowers. After all, he was an astrophysicist, not a florist.
Ordinarily, flowers merely needed to be pleasing to the eye and not set him off sneezing to make him happy. But for tonight, he wanted something extra special. Something that communicated how highly he thought of her. And Mrs. Krezchek, the shop's owner, was the only one who could help him. He'd been coming to her for 15 years now for all his floral needs, so it came as somewhat of a shock to realize that today, the most important day in his life to date, happened to be her one day off.
Even more disturbing was the realization that Mrs. Krezchek had finally filled the part-time help wanted position and had done so with the dreaded two-headed, metal-suit pushing saleswoman from down the road.
"Dr. Doopler!" They smiled in delight. "It's so nice to see you again!"
"It's Doppler and um, hello," Doppler grimaced as the two greeted him with far too much enthusiasm. "I didn't realize you worked here, also."
"Oh yes," they smiled, bobbing their heads. "It's only a part-time job, but it's nice to have a little extra money for the occasional hair style or new hat. You understand." They made their way to where
Doppler, who was trying unsuccessfully not to clench his teeth, stood.
"So what are we looking for today, Dr. Doopler?" Miranda, the more bubbly of the two heads, asked him in the way that only a saleswoman can do. The condescending, sickeningly sweet voice that says, "I don't care what you came for, it's not what you were looking for. I know just what you need."
Doppler hated that they couldn't get his name right. He hated that voice. And even more than that, he hated the fact that he had no idea what he wanted. That alone meant he'd have to spend more time than he desired in these women's company.
He sighed and then took a deep breath. Patience, he thought. Remember why you're here.
"I need a flower," he stated. "Well obviously I need a flower, or I wouldn't be here," he amended. "Flowers. They're what I need."
Miranda looked at him a bit strangely, while Julie, the more thoughtful of the two, considered the man before her.
"Still pretty wound up," she whispered softly to her counterpart. "I thought a few months in space would've changed that."
Miranda nodded in agreement. "Me too," she sighed. "Poor Dr. Doopler."
She paused for a moment and then brightened. "But maybe we can help him. After all, this man needs flowers! And that's your speciality."
Julie nodded. Flowers she knew. And there was no better saleswoman than
Miranda. Julie sat quietly and watched as Miranda worked her magic.
"Any particular type?"
"I'm not certain," he admitted.
She smiled brightly. "Well who are they for?"
"Captain Amelia," he said before thinking. He winced. He probably shouldn't have mentioned that. Although he didn't know Miranda or Julie very well, he got the feeling that they weren't the ones to keep things to themselves. Miranda's knowing smile confirmed that fear. Yes, definitely participants in the local gossip ring.
"The captain of Legacy," Julie giggled. "Oh my."
Miranda smiled in agreement as they moved behind him to pick up a basket arrangement. "What about this?" she asked.
"Isn't it lovely?" Julie chimed in.
Delbert leaned in for a closer look. "Catnip?"
"Yes! Isn't it delightful? I'm sure she'd love it," Miranda gushed.
"All felines do," Julie nodded.
"Um, correct me if I'm wrong," he began, "and I very well might be, but doesn't catnip affect felines in um," he fumbled for the right word a moment, "interesting ways?"
Julie leaned in closer, completely oblivious. "Does it? I have heard rumors that plants can affect people."
Doppler bit his lip as images of an amorous Amelia sprang into his mind, unbidden. He shook his head. While she'd probably love catnip, he wasn't quite certain that was the response he wanted for a first date.
Or any date for that matter.
"What else do you have?" he asked.
"No catnip?"
"No catnip."
Miranda and Julie seemed disappointed, but set it back down. "You could always give her roses," Miranda shrugged.
Julie nodded. "You can never go wrong with roses."
But she deserved more than roses. Doppler knew that. She was a shining emerald in a galaxy littered with diamonds. She stood out from the rest and he wanted something that captured that. Something completely different. Something unique.
"Something like that purple flower behind you, Miranda," he said in wonder, pointing at the vase peeking out from behind the wall.
Miranda's gaze followed to where he was pointing. "What? That one?"
"Yes, it's beautiful. I've never seen anything quite like it," he admitted.
"It's not native to Montressor," Julie told him. "That's probably why.
A merchant brought that by a few days ago. Picked up at his last port."
Miranda brought it to him for closer inspection. "Are you sure that's the one you want, Dr. Doopler?" she asked.
"Oh yes," he nodded quickly. "What's it called?"
After hearing its common name, he knew there could be no other. "I'm positive." This was the perfect flower for Amelia. There was no other one better suited for her, he thought happily as he paid for his purchase and left Miranda and Julie with their roses and catnip.
Indeed now, even as he stood in front of Amelia's stateroom, he knew he had the perfect flower for her. Now if he could assuage the nervousness all bottled inside him. He took one final look at the door and gathered his courage.
To be continued ...
Will Doppler and Amelia ever make it to dinner? Is there really pudding or was that just made up. Actually, yes to both! Chapter 9 finds the lovely couple at Montressor's finest restaurant and some tantalizing dinner conversation. Tune in next week for Chapter 9: Pass the Pudding Please ... Whoa What a Dress
Shout-outs to Tracarvic and WeAsLeYkid8 for their invaluable help in our 1 a.m. discussion. It made a wonderful difference in the chapter, and everyone should send them Cadbury eggs by way of thanks.
And anyone who knows how to retain formatting - specifically bold face and italics - PLEASE contact me. It's driving me insane.
When Delbert and Delilah arrived at the RLS Legacy, it was precisely eight o'clock. Not a second sooner, not a second later. He knew how much Amelia valued punctuality, and he wanted this evening to be perfect.
A quick stroll up the gangway and moments later, he was at the door to her stateroom. After all the planning, the tailor, the flowers, it was finally time. The flowers. He rolled his eyes as he recalled that outing.
The flower shop he had chosen was the same shop he had used for all the special occasions in his life thus far - Sarah's wedding, Jim's birth,
University ceremonies. Truth be told, while he was a man of science, he had little knowledge of flowers. After all, he was an astrophysicist, not a florist.
Ordinarily, flowers merely needed to be pleasing to the eye and not set him off sneezing to make him happy. But for tonight, he wanted something extra special. Something that communicated how highly he thought of her. And Mrs. Krezchek, the shop's owner, was the only one who could help him. He'd been coming to her for 15 years now for all his floral needs, so it came as somewhat of a shock to realize that today, the most important day in his life to date, happened to be her one day off.
Even more disturbing was the realization that Mrs. Krezchek had finally filled the part-time help wanted position and had done so with the dreaded two-headed, metal-suit pushing saleswoman from down the road.
"Dr. Doopler!" They smiled in delight. "It's so nice to see you again!"
"It's Doppler and um, hello," Doppler grimaced as the two greeted him with far too much enthusiasm. "I didn't realize you worked here, also."
"Oh yes," they smiled, bobbing their heads. "It's only a part-time job, but it's nice to have a little extra money for the occasional hair style or new hat. You understand." They made their way to where
Doppler, who was trying unsuccessfully not to clench his teeth, stood.
"So what are we looking for today, Dr. Doopler?" Miranda, the more bubbly of the two heads, asked him in the way that only a saleswoman can do. The condescending, sickeningly sweet voice that says, "I don't care what you came for, it's not what you were looking for. I know just what you need."
Doppler hated that they couldn't get his name right. He hated that voice. And even more than that, he hated the fact that he had no idea what he wanted. That alone meant he'd have to spend more time than he desired in these women's company.
He sighed and then took a deep breath. Patience, he thought. Remember why you're here.
"I need a flower," he stated. "Well obviously I need a flower, or I wouldn't be here," he amended. "Flowers. They're what I need."
Miranda looked at him a bit strangely, while Julie, the more thoughtful of the two, considered the man before her.
"Still pretty wound up," she whispered softly to her counterpart. "I thought a few months in space would've changed that."
Miranda nodded in agreement. "Me too," she sighed. "Poor Dr. Doopler."
She paused for a moment and then brightened. "But maybe we can help him. After all, this man needs flowers! And that's your speciality."
Julie nodded. Flowers she knew. And there was no better saleswoman than
Miranda. Julie sat quietly and watched as Miranda worked her magic.
"Any particular type?"
"I'm not certain," he admitted.
She smiled brightly. "Well who are they for?"
"Captain Amelia," he said before thinking. He winced. He probably shouldn't have mentioned that. Although he didn't know Miranda or Julie very well, he got the feeling that they weren't the ones to keep things to themselves. Miranda's knowing smile confirmed that fear. Yes, definitely participants in the local gossip ring.
"The captain of Legacy," Julie giggled. "Oh my."
Miranda smiled in agreement as they moved behind him to pick up a basket arrangement. "What about this?" she asked.
"Isn't it lovely?" Julie chimed in.
Delbert leaned in for a closer look. "Catnip?"
"Yes! Isn't it delightful? I'm sure she'd love it," Miranda gushed.
"All felines do," Julie nodded.
"Um, correct me if I'm wrong," he began, "and I very well might be, but doesn't catnip affect felines in um," he fumbled for the right word a moment, "interesting ways?"
Julie leaned in closer, completely oblivious. "Does it? I have heard rumors that plants can affect people."
Doppler bit his lip as images of an amorous Amelia sprang into his mind, unbidden. He shook his head. While she'd probably love catnip, he wasn't quite certain that was the response he wanted for a first date.
Or any date for that matter.
"What else do you have?" he asked.
"No catnip?"
"No catnip."
Miranda and Julie seemed disappointed, but set it back down. "You could always give her roses," Miranda shrugged.
Julie nodded. "You can never go wrong with roses."
But she deserved more than roses. Doppler knew that. She was a shining emerald in a galaxy littered with diamonds. She stood out from the rest and he wanted something that captured that. Something completely different. Something unique.
"Something like that purple flower behind you, Miranda," he said in wonder, pointing at the vase peeking out from behind the wall.
Miranda's gaze followed to where he was pointing. "What? That one?"
"Yes, it's beautiful. I've never seen anything quite like it," he admitted.
"It's not native to Montressor," Julie told him. "That's probably why.
A merchant brought that by a few days ago. Picked up at his last port."
Miranda brought it to him for closer inspection. "Are you sure that's the one you want, Dr. Doopler?" she asked.
"Oh yes," he nodded quickly. "What's it called?"
After hearing its common name, he knew there could be no other. "I'm positive." This was the perfect flower for Amelia. There was no other one better suited for her, he thought happily as he paid for his purchase and left Miranda and Julie with their roses and catnip.
Indeed now, even as he stood in front of Amelia's stateroom, he knew he had the perfect flower for her. Now if he could assuage the nervousness all bottled inside him. He took one final look at the door and gathered his courage.
To be continued ...
Will Doppler and Amelia ever make it to dinner? Is there really pudding or was that just made up. Actually, yes to both! Chapter 9 finds the lovely couple at Montressor's finest restaurant and some tantalizing dinner conversation. Tune in next week for Chapter 9: Pass the Pudding Please ... Whoa What a Dress
Shout-outs to Tracarvic and WeAsLeYkid8 for their invaluable help in our 1 a.m. discussion. It made a wonderful difference in the chapter, and everyone should send them Cadbury eggs by way of thanks.
And anyone who knows how to retain formatting - specifically bold face and italics - PLEASE contact me. It's driving me insane.