Thank you for all of those that have checked out my story. It inspires me to write more.
A big thank you to my proofreader!
I forgot to say this the first time: Stephenie Meyer owns all of Twilight.
The Ranunculus
I reached the shop a half hour before Alice and Jasper pulled up with the trucks. Alice walked in wearing a black wrap dress with large white flowers, black ballet flats and a long, silver-layered necklace. It was a lot more conservative than I had usually seen my petite, raven-haired friend dress, but I knew that this wedding was a big deal for her and she wanted to be presentable in every way possible.
"Bella, you're here early? You look gorgeous!"
"Thanks, Alice! Are we all ready to go?"
"Ugh! Rose called last night! Apparently, she completely forgot that the best man was allergic to roses! Can you believe that? Have you ever heard of anyone being allergic to roses?"
I am dumbfounded. I could not believe that "Miss Thorough" forgot this little detail.
"Can you do me a huge favor and make another boutonnière?"
"Sure, Alice…" I reply, "But what am I supposed to use?"
"Check the cooler. I know we don't have much left, considering this is the only order we've accepted all week, but there's gotta' be something with the same "look and feel (air quotes)" of the rose," she says while rolling her eyes. "We'll start loading the trucks and you scrape something together for the boutonnière."
I walk in towards the cooler and its' pretty sparse. Most of what we have are leftovers from the larger arrangements - like lilies, orchids and peonies, but nothing that would pass as similar to the rose groomsmen boutonnières. At this point, I am running out of time and options. I run outside and find Alice.
"We have nothing that will pass, Alice. I'm gonna' head out to Trader Joe's down the street to see if they have anything we can use. Wish me luck!"
"That's a great idea! Thank you so much, Bella!"
I begin my two-block walk over to Trader Joe's with a few curious looks. I realize my attire isn't exactly what people wear at 8:30 on a Saturday morning. I wanted to make myself presentable for Alice's sake. So this morning, after shaking off another tough night, I looked in my closet and realized I didn't have many options. I had lost a significant amount of weight since leaving my hometown. I bought a few items of clothing when I started interviewing for positions. Before I got hired at Wonderland, I applied for several Office Assistant positions. That's how I ended up in what I was wearing today - a black pencil skirt and a white button up shirt with ruffle detail in the front. The only accessory I ever wore was my watch. I wore ballet flats similar to Alice. I guess we both knew it would be a long day on our feet. It wasn't exactly as formal as Alice's attire, but as long as I wasn't in a T-shirt and jeans, I knew she wouldn't mind.
The floral department at Trader Joe's wasn't its usual lush, plentiful self. Everything looked picked over and wilted. But I was determined to find something I could use. And that something was the last bunch of red ranunculus. Half of the bunch was already wilting, but there were a handful of blooms that I could definitely use. As I walked over to the check stand I saw Jane. She was my favorite cashier. She was sort of a gypsy, spiritual type.
"Bella! Its nice to see you this morning." She eyes the bouquet of flowers I have in placed on the counter. "No veggie chips today?"
"No Jane, not today," I say in a hurried tone, hoping she would keep the chit-chat to a minimum.
"Ah, the ranunculus! Such a beautiful flower!" she says enthusiastically. "Do you know the meaning of the ranunculus?"
"No" I respond, "I just really need to get these for a wedding today." Hoping she would get the hint. She smiles and hands me my change. I smile back and walk towards the door.
"I AM DAZZLED BY YOUR CHARMS…" she yells through the semi-crowded check out area.
"Excuse me?" I say while turning to look at her.
"The meaning of the ranunculus - I am dazzled by your charms."
"Thanks, Jane. See you later," I say, confused.
An hour later, we are on our way to The Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan. I am in the rented U-Haul with Jasper's friend, James. He is average height and somewhat good looking. He's wearing jeans with cowboy boots and a plaid button-up shirt. His shoulder length blonde hair is in a pony tail.
"It's Bella, right?" He says with a smile.
"Yeah," I respond, "And you're James?"
The half hour ride is pleasant and filled with small talk. He is asking about where I am from and how long I have been in New York. These questions always make me uncomfortable, but I just respond with my usual "I needed a change of scenery…blah blah blah." He seems satisfied with my response and we continue lamely and uneventfully.
Once we arrive at the venue I am taken aback by how breathtaking it is. The ceremony and reception are being held in a room simply known as "Aqua." It's named this because there is a giant pool in the middle of the room. For the ceremony, the pool is being covered with glass and is now a makeshift platform. Rose will be walking on a constructed runway that attaches to the pool and she and Emmett will be standing there exchanging vows.
Alice and I, along with the rest of our crew, immediately go to work. After unloading the trucks, we place 4 large urns filled with red and pink roses on each corner of the platform. On the outside corners of the platforms, we place 4-8 foot cherry blossom trees. We hang planters filled with flowers along the glass wall of the room. We place 30 crystal centerpieces in different heights on each table that will be moved into the room while the guests are enjoying cocktail hour. We are also freshening up the bouquets for Rose and her bridesmaids. As we near the end of our set up, a few people from the wedding party start filtering into the room.
"Bella!" Alice rushes up to me, "the big guy over there in the tux is the groom. I am assuming those are his groomsmen and his parents. Can you go over there and start giving them their flowers? I'll finish up here."
"Sure, Alice."
Ever since the wedding we did a few weeks ago, where Alice drew blood while pinning a corsage onto the Mother of the Bride, she was deathly afraid of pinning any type of flowers onto the bridal party. I had become solely responsible for this part of the job, so I picked up the clear boxes of boutonnières and corsages and headed for the groom.
"Emmett?" I say questioningly. "I'm Bella. I'm with the florist. Can I start putting boutonnières on you guys?"
"Sure, Bella." He says nervously.
And I start the pinning process. I keep my head down and go from tuxedo to tuxedo without looking up. It's strange to be so close to another man's mouth and face. You don't know what to expect. But most of the time I find there's more liquor on their breath than anything else. After pinning three of the groomsmen, I find myself next to a handsome older couple whom I assume is Emmett's parents.
"Bella?" the woman inquires, "Hi, I'm Esme. You and Alice have done a beautiful job with the flowers. Thank you so much for all your hard work."
"Thank you," I say almost speechless that she knows my name. My guess is that she overheard me introducing myself to Emmett just minutes prior. "I have your corsage here and something for your husband as well."
"Thank you, dear. Carlisle!" she calls. "This is Bella and she has a little something for your tux."
"Thanks, Bella!" I smile at him and am suddenly struck by how charming this man is. He is dashing, for an older man. He has beautiful blonde hair and sticking bluish-green eyes. From his posture and body language, you can easily tell he is confident and well-educated. I cant help but think of how lucky Emmett is to have such a fine role model for a father.
I am done pinning flowers to everyone present when I notice the lone ranunculus boutonnière in the box.
"Emmett?" I say feeling like I am rudely interrupting, "do you have another groomsman that is allergic to roses?"
"Oh!" He smiles. "That would be my brother, Edward. He's somewhere around here. If you wouldn't mind looking for him, I would appreciate it. The photographer will be here in few minutes and Rose will have my dick on a platter if everyone isn't ready…"
"Sure, no problem," I say. I turn to Esme, who is glaring at Emmett, and smile.
I begin my search with boutonnière in hand. Some of the guests have started arriving and are walking around the hallway leading to the Aqua room. I peek into one of the smaller rooms along the hallway and find him. He is standing with his back to the door and is fiddling with his bow tie in front of the mirror.
"Excuse me?" I say. He turns around, looking startled and slightly annoyed. We make eye contact and his expression changes, but I am unable to read him. I am instantly nervous. "Are you Edward? Emmett wanted me to find you and give you this." I raise my hand and show him the boutonnière.
"Yeah, I'm Edward," he responds. There is a slight twinkle in his eye and the corners of his lips are turned up slightly.
I walk through the door and it closes behind me. I begin by placing my fingers at the lapel of his jacket and notice that he is a lot taller than me. Maybe a little taller than Emmett. His scent is intoxicating…in a good way, making me dizzy. And that's when it happens. I prick my own finger with the pin.
"Shit, sorry!" I mumble.
"What happened?"
"Oh nothing, I just pricked myself with the pin." I look at my finger and there is a small amount of blood pooling. Instinctively, I put the tip of my finger in my mouth and start sucking.
"Let me see." He says.
"It's nothing, I'm fine." He takes my finger anyways and inspects it closely. His touch comes with a jolt of electricity. The lights seem like they are dimming and I am lightheaded.
What happens next takes me by total surprise. He takes my finger, puts it into his mouth and begins to suck gently. My finger is quickly replaced with my lips. He is rough with me and I can feel myself getting wetter and wetter. I want to push him off me in protest, but I am unable to. It's as if my body and mind are working separately from each other. He presses me up against the wall and my skirt rides up my thighs. My legs subconsciously wrap themselves around his waist and his hands are moving closer to my panties.
I am fumbling around and manage to remove his belt and unzip his pants with a few frenzied movements. He is erect and I am wet and ready. He begins pounding me fiercely while placing open mouth kisses along my neck and chest. My hands are in his hair and I am silently begging him for more. His touch is unlike anything I have felt before and I anticipate emptiness without it. I don't know how long we were in this position, but we are both startled by knocking on the door.
"Edward, are you in there son?" I recognized the voice as Esme's.
He stifles a moan. "Yeah, Mom…just finishing getting ready."
"Well, hurry up! The photographer is here and we're just waiting on you!"
He pulls out of me and I am instantly brought back to reality. We both quickly get ourselves together. I pull my panties back up and smooth my skirt down. I am also checking to make sure all the buttons on my shirt are intact. I feel utterly humiliated when he draws me out of my thoughts.
"I am so sorry. I don't know what came over me."
I shake my head, dumbfounded, and at a loss for words. The knock at the door begins again. This time it is Emmett.
"Hurry the fuck up, Edward!"
He turns to me and says, "I'm sorry, I have to go."
I nod in understanding and he moves towards the door.
"Don't forget your boutonnière…" I manage to choke out.
He turns to me and I place it gingerly in his hand. He smiles and there is a look in his eyes. Once again, it is a look I am unable to read.
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