"Dave, could you go get the new delivery on the back?"
"Yes, Miss Rose."
"'Rose' is fine, Dave. You've been working here for more than a year, after all."
"Got it, Rose."
"Just use a proper register, Dave."
"Understood, Rose."
"Much better. Now go."
Dave had been working as Rose's employee, at her "Flowers' Iperuranium" , for –as she had reminded him- more than a year.
When his brother had told him he had found the perfect job for him, he didn't really believe him. After all, Dave hated to do boring jobs, they drained the life out of him.
"You're such a tender boy, Dave, I know this job is perfectly fit for you, trust me."
So when he was introduced to Miss Rose, a very beautiful lady who smelled of talcum and flowers, he didn't expect his workplace to be a little greenhouse around the corner.
The Flower's Iperuranium was not like any other place Dave had ever seen before: it was like secret magical place hidden inside an unlikely-looking building, into which you access through an improbable-looking door.
To him, it was like a magical place straight out from an Harry Potter's book. Inside, everything was silent and perfumed and tepid and relaxing. He couldn't have asked for any better job. Besides, Miss Rose had gradually began to spoil him more and more with biscuits and tea.
"You're such an adorable and tender boy, Dave. I am surprised girls do not flock into this shop just to took a peek at you. Were I younger, I would've never let such a cute boy escape my eye," she said once, during a tea break, to which he had profusely blushed.
"Miss Rose, I-I thought y-you were…"
"Lesbian?" she anticipated him.
"Well, I saw you and… that lady once, you know, do stuff…"
Miss Rose had laughed heartily and reddened a little, and then had said, "Yes, Dave, you're right. Maybe we should've been more discreet. Though, to like chocolate cake doesn't inherently mean not liking ice-cream, don't you think?"
Dave had kept his teacup midair for a few seconds before realizing what she had subtly been trying to tell him, after which he had said "Oh," and had drowned his even more embarrassed face into the cup of green tea. Despite this, Dave had increasingly been thinking of Miss Rose as a kind, loving elder sister or aunt. Even Miss Rose's fiancée, Miss Kanaya, an attractive slender, brown-skinned woman, always wearing large straw hats, had talked to him, albeit not in the same loving way of Miss Rose.
"Dave, the delivery. They 're waiting in the back"
"Yes, Miss Rose, at once."
Miss Rose sighed and went on compiling documents piled up on a desk beside the counter.
Dave rushed to the back, opening one door after another, passing through the main greenhouse, and arrived at the green door which opened on a side street.
As he flung it open, the truck was already there.
A big, sturdy man with a considerable large belly immediately turned to him, arm crossed.
"About time. Plants, flowers and seeds, right, Mister…?"
"Strider. Oh, I'm not the one in charge, by the way, I'm just a employee."
"Figures," said the man, brushing his thick mustache, "Well, let's get this over with. Jade, get your ass over here!"
The truck door opened, as someone started to get out.
"Just sign over here, boy," said the man, handing him a document.
"Uh… wait, I should have a pen… somewhere…" he said, searching in his apron's pockets.
"I will be right back!" and rushed inside again, heading for Rose's office.
He opened the door without even waiting and threw himself in,"Miss Rose, I'm sorry, it's urgent, could you give me a…"
Miss Kanaya and Miss Rose were both leaning against Rose's desk and were looking at him with shocked expressions.
"… pen?" he then finished, quickly realizing he hadn't even knocked.
"A-ehm," Rose cleared her throat, "Dave, please knock on the door before entering my office."
"I-I-I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, absolutely, yes, I'm sorry, I'm such an idiot, sorry," he blabbered, his face burning like a supernova.
"Did you say you needed anything?"
"Y-Yes, a… a pen, it was just a pen… gotta sign the… uhm… quickly…"
Rose took a pen from upon her desk and gave it to him.
"Don't be so embarrassed, Dave, it's okay," said Miss Kanaya, smiling at him.
"Okay… uh, thanks and… sorry again! I will knock next time, sorry!" and he ran out of the office, "Oh, my god, what a fucking idiot, Jesus Christ!", he whispered to himself.
He returned to the man outside, sweating and panting.
"Alright, got the pen."
"Good boy. Would you mind helping my man with those boxes?"
"Screw you!" suddenly said the other guy, for no reason.
"C'mon Jade, I'm just sassing you," laughed the man.
"Uh," said Dave, not understanding what was going on at all, "Yeah, sure, I don't mind helping."
The other guy was already unloading the boxes from the truck's trailer, placing them down on the ground. Dave stopped just in front of them, waiting for the man to hand him a box.
There was something off about this guy: he couldn't clearly see his face, he wore a cap, but he had his hair tied into a knot. Besides, his shirt was kinda soaked in sweat from lifting all those boxes, and you could kinda see something under that, which kinda looked like…
"A bra… ?" he whispered to himself.
The guy suddenly turned his head and looked at him.
Oh, shit, did he hear me? Shit, shit, shit!
He cleared his throat, trying to be casual, "So, dude, uh… delivering boxes must be tiring, huh? I mean, you're pretty buff."
The guy lifted a box a walked toward him, the truck shaking. The box covered his face, so he couldn't tell if he was staring at him or not, which made him even more uneasy.
"I guess. It sure is tiring."
Okay, that was seriously weird, thought Dave, no guy has such a feminine voice, what is…
The person handed him the box, which was surprisingly heavy for containing just plants and seeds, and looked at him from above, giving him a sort of déjà vu.
"So… you work here, huh?"
He wondered if it was a naturally ability he had, to be in embarrassing situations at the wrong moment every single time.
It was like putting little pieces of shattered glass together, until you finally can start to guess what the object is going to look like.
From behind her big, round glasses, her deep, green eyes pierced through his head, like a spear. Her cheekbones seemed to smile along with her face, in that unforgettable mocking way of hers.
He actually hadn't heard from her since that day, and a week had passed, now. He'd thought, Oh well, at least I'm not caught up in this stupid challenge anymore. Good luck, John!
But instead, at the last moment, this had happened.
"You're pretty cute in that apron, y'know?" she said, grinning.
He felt his face burning as hot as a raging fire, while his glasses fogged.
She burst into laugh and went back to pick up the remaining boxes, while he just stood there like a complete idiot.
"So," she said, "didn't expect me to work as a shipping girl, huh?"
Didn't expect you to be a shipping girl? Didn't expect me to be turned on by…
"Wait, what?" Dave said aloud, on instinct.
"What, what?" she asked.
"Uhm, nothing, just… uh…"
"Hey, what time do you get off?"
"What?" he asked, confused.
"What time do you get off work."
"Uhm," said Dave nervously, "A-At 2…"
"Perfect!" she said, "See you later then, Dave!"
Does she know my name? Oh, right I told her last time. Wait, what was her name, again?
"Uhm… Jade? "
"Yeah?" she responded, turning to him.
"Could you, uh, help me take the boxes inside?"
"Sure!" she said, and lifted two piled up boxes.
He found himself staring at her arms again, before realizing she was watching him. He quickly turned
around and picked up a box, then rushed through the door, inside.
How the hell can a girl even have those kind of arms?, he thought, Girls are supposed to be… girly, right?
They carried all the boxes inside, saying nothing for the whole time, until there weren't any left outside.
"The sign, boy," said the man when he got out for the last time.
Right, the sign. Please, just let this be over with.
Right now, he only wanted to run away from that giant girl who liked to flirt with him in a weird way.
Why the hell did I accept John's stupid challenge?!
He had just finished signing the damn thing, when the girl put a hand on his shoulder, "Hey, catch you
later, Dave."
She then proceeded to casually give him a smack on the ass and get back in the truck.
"What the fuck?" he whispered to himself.
He turned to the man with a shocked face, gaping. The man gave him a look and shrugged, "Women
these days," and added, "Wish my wife smacked me on the ass every day, before going to work."

"Dave?"
Dave turned to Miss Rose with a hollow expression.
"Dave, are you feeling alright? You seem quite… distraught."
"Oh… oh, it's nothing Miss Rose, really…"
She watched him with an apprehended expression.
"Did something happen with the delivery? Am I giving you to much work?"
"No, seriously, nothing like that, Miss Rose. It's just…"
"Did… did I and Kanaya shocked you, earlier?"
"Jesus Christ, Miss Rose, you absolutely did not. You can do whatever you want in that office for all that
matters. It's just that… earlier…"
"Yes?"
"I mean," said Dave, already beginning to feel embarrassed, "Do you think… do you personally think it's
normal for a girl to slap a boy's ass?"
"Wh… sorry, what?" said Rose, widening her violet eyes.
Dave sighed, "Never mind."
"N-No, I mean…" said Rose, trying to recompose herself, "I mean, it does not seem very… normal, but I
guess there must be a specific reason for someone to do that… did someone touch your lower back in a
provocative way?"
"I… I think so, but…"
Dave groaned, messing up his hair, "Shit, I don't know what to do!"
"So," said Rose, looking at the clock, "Who's this bold lass?"
It was almost 2 PM.
"How to put it…" began Dave, "She's…"
The shop door opened. A very tall, buff girl with long jet-black hair walked in.
Dave stared at her with a frightened face, darting hopeful looks at Miss Rose.
Please, please, please help me!
Though Miss Rose didn't seem to cross his gaze at all. She just kept staring at the girl, until she finally
said "W-Welcome to the Flowers' Iperuranium, dear! How may I help you?"
To Dave's incredulity, she seemed to be very embarrassed.
"I…" she said, looking at Dave, "Maybe I'll just have a look around…" and she started wandering around
the shop, trying to be awfully casual.
Miss Rose immediately turned to him and whispered, "Is that her?"
"How'd you- Look, I didn't think she would have actually showed u-"
"Shush. Dave…"
"Yes…?"
"Holy freaking dark demon Jesus, Dave! What is she, a crossfitter? Did you get smack on the ass by a weightlifter girl? I wish I was-"
"What the hell are you-"
"Dave," she said, but then didn't say anything else. She turned to the girl and said in a cheerful voice:
"You must be the beautiful girl Dave was telling me about, earlier. Well, Dave's finished his turn, now, so
he's all yours!"
What?!, he thought, panicking.
"Oh… heh," said the girl smiling, "Well, I… I'll wait outside, then."
Rose turned to Dave, wearing a evil smile on her face.
"You are so dead, Miss Rose."
"Please, just Rose is fine."