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She sits quietly at the high desk drumming her fingers. Outside through the smeared window panes the life of Newport Beach runs fast. She barely gets a glimpse of peoples faces as they pass by the shop, most have umbrellas firmly clutched in their hands, ready to ward off any of the unwanted raindrops that have been falling from the the murky sky above. Glumly she rests her chin on her hand and continues to stare out the window. Most of the workers for that day had left it was only Marissa and 2 others rostered on. Of course she had got the job of staying out front to take orders, the other 2 had been working here for a while and had been trained by Marcelle the owner in how to arrange flowers.
"Hey Rissa is the front looking alright, none of the bouquets need topping up?", the raspy sounding voice of Mannie yells from some where out the back
"Nah, but…", she's cut off by the phone ringing and she immediately leans over picking it up
"Good afternoon Marcelle Florist Marissa speaking", she picks up the order book and pen ready to note down an order
"Oh thank god Marissa", the female voice shrieks dramatically down the phone
Marissa smiles putting the poised pen down "Sum, you have no idea how bored…"
She's cut off by Summers panicked ramble
"Whaaaat am I going to do? Mary…you know Mary…well shes my boss anyway…you should know Mary..anyway SO not the point right now. Well…" she starts again "She just like had this massive heart attack or something I dunno…but one minute shes yelling at this model…next minute shes stiller than Ryan in his brood boy faze. Anyway everyone just stands there staring at her for a second not really believing it just happened…and then she was just real still"
"Wow is she gonna be okay?"
"Haven't heard, but can you like send some flowers to the hospital or something?"
"Sure", she leans forward grabbing the pen again "Any preferences?"
"Shit Coop I dunno…what kinda flowers do you give some one that's just had a heart attack?", Summer burbles back sounding panicky
"Don't worry we do heaps of bunches like this. I'll just tell the others what the umm errr occasion is and they'll have an idea"
"Coop you're a lifesaver, thanks so much"
"No problem I'll see you at Sandy and Kirsten's tonight…", all she gets in return is a dial tone beeping repetitively in her ear. She lets the phone slip done to rest on her shoulder thinking about Summers boss. Her thoughts eventually turn to the arrangements for dinner at the Cohen's. She smiles lost in her sea of thoughts…the Cohen's really made her appreciate having the chance to properly know how a family was supposed to function. Snapping out of her trance she places the phone back and begins to doodle with a pen on a page of the order book.
"Rissa". a booming voice shatters her thoughts and she swivels round giving Rita an unappreciative stare
"Sorry hun, but you were miles away", Rita apologises her hands fiddling behind her back trying to retie her apron.
"I wish", she mumbles casting a glance outside. A flash of lightning illuminating the grey sky for a moment.
"When I moved here the real estate woman told me the weather here was beautiful all year round. But I swear every winter the weather gets worse…but hey what am I complaining about its still a lot better than anyone else's winter"
Rita shakes her head "Rissa?…Rissa?". Marissa snaps to attention sheepishly.
"I'm sorry…I just don't know what's wrong with me today", she runs her hands through her hair pulling it into a bun, then she absentmindedly lets it fall round her face again.
"Hmm… well if I didn't know any better I would suspect you have a man", Rita chuckles to herself. Marissa turns her head staring intently at the order book as she feels herself begin to blush.
"Ooooo Mannie, Rissa has a boyfriend" Rita cackles gleefully, sidling up closer to Marissa
"Is he a nice man Rissa…you deserve a nice man. Some one who will take you out to dinner and buy you chocolates and flowers", Rita trails off a reminiscent look cast across her face
Marissa shakes her head fighting back her laughter and picks up Summers order handing it to Rita in the vain hope of distracting her. Rita ignores the hint to leave, grasping the blue paper with Marissas scrawly writing on it firmly. Rita continues staring at Marissa, but Marissa turns away staring out at the street. A disappointed sigh erupts from behind Marissa, but she determinedly ignores it.
"We must meet him, what do you think Mannie?", Rita disappears off into the back room loudly discussing Marissas love life with Mannie.
She sighs loudly as the rain on the roof starts to get louder and watches as the water rushes from the road into the gutter where it continues its journey out of Marissas sight. She gets up off the stool and makes her way to the door of the little shop. Not far away the Newport Groups tall building rises high above the others, only managing to be slightly better looking than the other buildings surrounding it, for a building employing architects it sure was an ugly one.
"Ryan?….Ryan", he glances up, averting the intent gaze he had going on with the rain that's pelting against his office window. He turns surprised to find Caleb standing there, he eyes him warily glancing back once more at the stormy weather before giving his full attention to Caleb.
Caleb runs a hand across his balding head and ryan shifts to stand more upright determined not to be stared down.
"Alright so I know you weren't happy with your plans being dropped…but Ryan you've gotta learn to take losses because life is full of them", he clears his throat uncomfortably .
"You don't need to explain yourself to me…I'm sure the other design was better", he replies darkly not in the mood for discussions of this nature
"Good because don't think for a second anything in this business is easy", his harsh tones reverberating round, making sure they wont be forgotten anytime soon by Ryan.
Caleb turns round exiting the office, leaving Ryan alone with his thoughts. Outside the rain continues its steady drum against the window. He moves his shoulders round trying to ease the tension out and slumps into the chair at his desk. Paper work for prospective clients sits piled in a tray on the left side, but he turns again to stare out the window. His thoughts completely and utterly preoccupied with Marissa. He didn't mean for them to be, but it was inevitable everything in the office reminded him of her…the pink post-its littered through one of his draws, that she had insisted he have because they were way more appealing to clients…the pen in front of him she had bought for him because it encouraged good ergonomic penmanship, she told him he should have been a doctor because his writing is just as hard to decipher…so it WAS inevitable, that no matter where he looked all he saw was her…or perhaps that was him letting his mind wander to much….
A knock sounds at the door and he turns to see Seth standing there his hand raised in preparation for another knock.
"Ya know people around here are gonna think Caleb gives you no work to do", he smirks.
"Well they can think what they like…everyone knows I sit in my office trying to avoid Grandpa so I don't have to do any of his 'errands' ", he steps further into Ryans office and transfers the silver papers he is holding into his other hand.
"So one of my tasks has been to compile the list of guests for this Newport Group Christmas Ball and I'm just going round all the employees giving them their invitations", Seth looks down at what he is holding shuffling through until he pulls out the required one, and throws it onto Ryans desk.
Ryan leans forward picking up the silver invitation. "Hmm is this compulsory?"
Seth sighs "Ryan you've gotta put in a turnout if you wanna impress the people you build all these mansions for".
"I spose", he mumbles his expression disinterested.
Seth slowly leans forward placing the invitation face up on ryans desk and then he sits down dumping the pile of yet to be delivered invitations on Ryan's desk as well. Soon after sitting down Seth starts wiggling around on the red chair. Ryan glances over at him eyebrows raised
"What?…dude there is something seriously wrong with this chair", he complains standing up looking at the chair accusingly.
Ryan rolls his eyes and picks up the invitation "Seth you are the first person that has complained about the chair in…I dunno how many hundreds of people have sat in the exact same chair"
"Well ya know maybe if you had a comfortable one you'd do better business huh", Seth grins sitting back down on the chair "Its just really bad for my posture…ahhhh I see your little trick, its all part of your lil master plan…make the customer soooo uncomfortable that they just agree to anything so they can get out this damn chair"
Ryan glances up from the invitation "Yes Seth that's exactly it", he says sarcastically
"Hmm well I'd love to stay and chat, but I have people to see invitations to deliver", Seth gets up and Ryan reaches forward grabbing the pile of invitations to pass to him.
The invitation on top however captures his eye…it was the same as Ryans; same neat calligraphy black writing, same completely over down background picture…except for one important feature….
"Seth, why does Valerie's invitations say 'and partner", he thumbs through some more "…and Logans, Chris, Jeffs, and…hey wait", he stops pulling an invitation out of the pile victoriously, "this one doesn't have 'and partner' on it, maybe him and me can hang out get acquainted"
Ryan walks round his desk and shoves the pile of invitations at Seths chest, eliciting a sharp intake of air from Seth.
"Alright then man…but just so you know", Seth picks up the accused invitation glancing at it. " Adam bats for the other team…hang on how does that expression go…is he batting for the same team?…and well you know the Newpsies they still haven't recovered from the gay incident of 2001"
" Great so now people are going to think I'm gay?", Ryan puts his hands on his hips staring Seth down.
Seth purses his lips nervously "I just thought Marissa wouldn't wanna come, so there was no point putting it on there"
"Well I asked her last week and she said she would think about it", he moves over back to his desk and picks up his invitation, thrusting it at Seth
"Jeez alright man here", Seth picks up a pen from Ryans desk and rests the invitation on some books about 21st century architecture, scribbling furiously. "There now it says AND PARTNER are ya happy now?"
"Ecstatic…thank you", he says dryly accepting the adjusted invitation.
"So is there gonna be anything decent to eat at this thing?"
"Well I was gonna have a word to the caterers to make sure that they don't forget the cilantro, I thought that could be pretty exciting…."