Sabrina

 

How did the meeting go about the wedding? Did they choose Blooms?

I had been staying up late every night in preparation for the meeting with Christina and Rhonda. I decided to print out several pictures from my website, just in case Rhonda happened to have an irrational fear of computers, like Mrs. Watson.

You just never knew.

And speaking of Mrs. Watson, she was in rare form yesterday. When she came into Blooms, she was spouting some nonsense about Faye Stanley bringing a cherry pie to their church luncheon. I still didn’t know who Faye Stanley was. According to her, Faye was trying to pass off Mrs. Watson’s family recipe as her own, and now she was thinking about taking legal action against her. This had to be the craziest thing I had ever heard—well, almost as crazy as her claims that computers were the devil.

So, after that, I was hoping to have a nice, normal meeting with Christina and her mother.

“Wine, huh?” Isabella asked, eyeing the rows of bottles I had lined up for the meeting.

I shrugged my shoulders. “Wine, water, Diet Coke. I figured we’d have a variety of options for our meeting. You know the girls at Fuchsia Flowers will go overboard.”

Isabella snorted. “Oh, yes. They’re probably planning a big, fancy catered lunch.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, something like that.”

Isabella looked through the pictures I had printed of some of my floral designs. “These are really gorgeous. If you and Addi joined forces, you’d be unstoppable.”

Wait, what?

“What do you mean join forces? Like go into business together?”

She took a sip of her water. “Yeah, when she comes back to Orlando. Have you two discussed running Blooms together?”

Of course we hadn’t discussed that! Discussing that would mean making a decision about my future. I was still avoiding having to make any decisions about what came next, and thankfully, Addi was enjoying every second in San Francisco.

“Don’t forget, I’m going back to San Francisco at some point, so I won’t be here to run Blooms.”

The corners of her mouth curled up into a half smile. “Maybe. Or . . . you could stay?”

I was trying to decide how to respond just as our conversation was interrupted by our potential new customers.

“Seriously, Mom, I told you I didn’t want to invite them. Why are you making this wedding all about you?”

Isabella and I glanced at one other. I was having a serious case of déjà vu. If I only had a dollar for every time I’d had a similar conversation with my own mother, I could retire.

“Christina, we can discuss this later,” Rhonda said in a loud whisper—only it wasn’t much of a whisper, even if she intended it to be.

Christina rolled her eyes as she huffed and puffed. She looked at me and pasted on a smile. “Sorry about that. Are you Sabrina?”

I nodded my head as I extended my hand. Christina was cute and petite, her blonde hair pulled up into a messy bun on top of her head. The girl weighed maybe a hundred pounds and she had a really small head. She reminded me of Tinker Bell.

Wow. Now that I was living in Orlando, I was thinking people resembled Disney characters.

I smiled at her. “I sure am. I feel like I know you already from everything I’ve heard from Kiki and Danielle.”

She laughed. “That could be scary. They know every dirty detail about my life. And there are a lot of those.”

Rhonda raised her eyebrows and Christina noticed. “Mom, relax!”

Rhonda looked just like an older version of Christina. It was obvious she’d had some plastic surgery; her face was stretched so tight. She was still very thin, just not as thin as her “Tinker Bell” daughter.

“Hi, I’m Sabrina.” I stuck out my hand toward Rhonda. I didn’t want to be in the middle of another mother-daughter disagreement.

Nor did I particularly want to hear about the dirty details Christina’s life.

We shook hands. “Rhonda Milton. Thank you for having us today. Your shop is just precious!”

I smiled. “Thank you. I wish I could take credit, but Blooms on Valencia belongs to my friend, Addison Bloom. I’m running her shop while she’s out of town.”

Rhonda looked confused, and not altogether happy about this new piece of information. “Oh. I thought you were the owner.”

Crap!

“I’m not the owner, but I have full creative autonomy. I spoke with Addison and she wants you to know that we will do anything in our power to make your daughter’s big day unforgettable.”

Okay, so this was a bit of a lie. Addi and I hadn’t exactly talked about it, but I had messaged her about it, and I knew she would agree.

Rhonda smiled at me, and Christina? Well, she just looked bored.

Weird.

“Can I get you a drink?” Isabella asked. “We have water, wine, soda . . .”

“A glass of wine would be great,” Rhonda replied.

I winked at Isabella.

“Let me start off by showing you what we’ve done for your bridal shower.”

I felt like I was auditioning for a part in a movie. But when I showed them the centerpieces for the shower, they both gasped. Even Christina was impressed, and up until that point she’d looked like she didn’t want to be here at all.

“So, after consulting with your bridesmaids on your shower, I thought we could use similar ideas for the wedding, but on a much bigger scale. We could go with several different shades of pink roses, peonies, and tulips. Unless you had something else in mind?”

“Roses for sure,” Rhonda said, at the same time Christina said, “I love the idea of a variety of flowers.”

They glared at each other. And there we went again. This was all so familiar to me. Except, I noticed, Christina was standing her ground. I started off planning my wedding that way, but by the end I just gave in and let Prickle have her way. It was much easier.

Although, the whole thing hadn’t exactly turned out the way she’d wanted.

“Would you like us to give you a few minutes?” I glanced at Isabella who jumped off her stool.

“No, it’s my wedding and we will be doing a variety of different flowers,” Christina reiterated, determination in her voice.

Rhonda didn’t respond.

I glanced at her, just to make sure she wasn’t about to have a delayed reaction. But, she stayed quiet.

“Excellent,” I replied with a smile.

Now was the tricky part. I wanted to get the ball rolling, but I knew they still had a meeting scheduled at Fuchsia Flowers and Gifts. I needed to find the right mixture of understanding and moving along like we already had the job.

“If you decide to make any changes, I’m very flexible. I’ve been in this business a long time, and I’m confident you won’t be disappointed.”

Rhonda smiled while Christina typed something on her phone.

“I’m very impressed. Of course, like I told you on the phone, we still have to meet with the other florist.”

I nodded, trying to hide my disappointment. “Absolutely. I just ask that you give me a chance to compete on pricing after you have the information from them.”

“Of course,” Rhonda agreed. “Weddings are extremely expensive, so we need to take everything into consideration.”

“Mom, let’s just go with them,” Christina interjected. “Why do we have to sit through another long and drawn-out presentation?”

I liked how Christina thought, despite the fact that she’d referred to my presentation as “long and drawn out.”

“Christina, we need to make sure,” Rhonda insisted.

I kept my mouth shut while I waited for them to finish.

“Okay, we’ll be in touch at the end of the week, after we’ve had time to look everything over,” Rhonda said, as she gathered up her things.

Christina shook her head. “We’re going with you guys,” she announced as she stood up and headed toward the door.

Rhonda silently followed.

A few seconds later, they were gone, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

“I think that went well,” Isabella said, her brows knitted together.

“Yeah, I think so too.”

Although, something was bothering me. I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

* * *

I was falling in love with Orlando.

It wasn’t as flashy or metropolitan as San Francisco, L.A., or New York, but it was tons of fun. I didn’t think I could ever get bored living here.

It was Friday and not only was I going out with Ethan tonight, I was going to see the Orlando Eye in person. I had driven by it on my way to Blooms each day, and I was dying to check it out. When Ethan asked if I wanted to go, I was probably a lot more eager than he’d expected.

It was extra hot and humid tonight, following the afternoon showers. I wasted a bunch of time doing my hair, because as soon as I stepped outside, it was a frizzy mess. I definitely missed the dry weather in California. But that was the only negative thing I could say about this place so far.

I put on a cute blue and white sundress, with my new pair of Tory Burch sandals that I got at one of Orlando’s fantastic outlet malls. I was ready for a fun night out.

It had been a long few days at Blooms, and I still hadn’t heard back from Christina or her mother. They were supposed to meet with Fuchsia Flowers and Gifts and then let me know what they’d decided. The good news was the weekend was just starting, so I tried not to worry too much.

But then there was the bigger question playing on my mind: was I going to go home? Not that I wasn’t enjoying this extended life switch, but in the back of my mind, I knew I had to make some important decisions.

And I had also been thinking about what Isabella said about going into business with Addi. Was this even a possibility?

There was so much to think about.

Ethan picked me up from Addi’s townhouse around six thirty. He was wearing a navy blue shirt and khaki shorts. He looked so relaxed and comfortable, but also totally hot at the same time.

Somehow our outfits matched: we looked like we were ready to pose for a Christmas card.

I had no idea why that thought had crossed my mind, and I didn’t dare say it out loud. I was just glad I wasn’t underdressed, but it was just so hot outside.

We made our way to International Drive. As soon as we turned down the street, I was in awe of all the restaurants and tourist shops. It looked like such a fun place to visit. There was miniature golf, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and Dave & Buster’s. It would probably take me forever to visit all those places.

We pulled into the parking lot of a little place called Café Tu Tu Tango.

“What a fun name,” I said with a giggle.

“I thought you would like this place. It’s a lot of fun. After we’ve eaten, we can head to the Eye.”

I grinned at him. “Sounds perfect.”

Café Tu Tu Tango was my favorite place in Orlando so far. The walls were bright and colorful, with all sorts of art on display, the menu was creative, with several types of cuisines, and they even had something called “Alligator bites.” I’d never eaten Alligator before, so Ethan made a point of ordering some.

When in Florida, I guess.

“Thank you for bringing me here. I love this place.”

He took a sip of his beer. “I’m glad you like it. I figured you had to check it out before you left Orlando.”

Ugh. Why did he have to bring up me leaving?

“Yeah, well, that’s definitely been a hot topic the last few days. My friend Isabella asked me if I would consider staying in town.”

Ethan gave a thoughtful look. “Could that be an option?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I have no idea. Addison does just fine. I don’t think she needs a partner. And I have my own business back in San Francisco that I should get back to.”

“Maybe she would want to stay there and take over your shop? Now that’s what I would call a complete life switch.” He shot me a smile.

That would be crazy! Addi said she was enjoying San Francisco, but she’d never let on that she had any intention of staying there forever. Hmm . . . who knew? Maybe she loved San Francisco enough to stay there? It was a lot to think about, and we just hadn’t gotten that far yet.

I ended up trying the Alligator bites. I made a joke about them tasting like chicken, but the truth was, they did.

Ethan was so easy to talk to and our conversation didn’t lull at all during the meal. At the same time, I couldn’t help but feel conflicted. I was already having an amazing time, but I wondered if it was too soon to feel this way. I reminded myself that Todd and I were now broken up—amicably, I might add.

I needed to stop feeling so guilty

Maybe Todd was moving on as well?

After a delicious dinner, we headed down the road to our much-anticipated next stop. The sun had just set, so it was the perfect time to go up the Orlando Eye. Ethan and I had a car to ourselves, and we began our slow ride to the top.

I was like an excited little child on a ride for the first time.

“This is so cool!” I said for probably the fiftieth time.

Ethan stood next to me and for the first time of the evening, we were both silent.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” he said a few minutes later. “Sabrina, can I tell you something?”

I tore my eyes away from the view and looked at Ethan’s handsome face. His piercing blue eyes gazed back at me, and I swear my heart skipped a beat. I swallowed. “What is it?”

“You seem like a different person from the one I met on the plane that day.”

I bit my lip. “Yeah, that wasn’t my best day,” I replied with a chuckle. “I was so lost and confused.”

He nodded. “Exactly. You’re nothing like that person now. You’re so full of life and so much fun.”

 “I used to be a lot of fun,” I replied with a laugh. “And I’ve been feeling like my old self a lot lately, ever since I came here.”

Ethan looked out over the city. We were still climbing, and I was exhilarated by everything I could see around us.

“I probably shouldn’t say this, but I’m going to anyway.” He paused and took a slow, deep breath. “I know you’re still trying to decide what you want to do, but I’m not ready for you to leave Orlando yet. I really want to get to know you better.”

My jaw dropped open. I didn’t know what to say. On one hand, I wasn’t sure I was ready to embark on a new relationship, but at the same time, it was clear I was very attracted to Ethan and I wanted to get to know him better, too. Then there was also the small fact that he would be leaving Orlando himself in the near future.

Any sort of relationship between us would be extremely complicated.

And I could do without “complicated,” that was for sure.

We were still inching toward the top, and I gazed out over the lights of the city, Ethan’s words running through my mind. No matter what I decided, I would always hold this place close to my heart.

It had brought me back to life.

“I . . . I feel the same way,” I said quietly, still looking out the glass windows. “I had no idea that a chance meeting on a plane on one of the worst days of my life would bring me to this point.”

I could feel Ethan take a step closer to me. I turned around to face him. I wanted him to kiss me more than anything, but I was terrified. I had not been with anyone other than Todd.

Was this one of those crazy rebound flings?

Was I rebelling against everything I had ever known?

“What about you?” I asked tentatively, looking up into those electric eyes of his and forcing my mind on to something other than Ethan taking me in his arms. “You’re moving, too. You won’t be in Orlando for much longer, anyway.”

He nodded. “I’ve been thinking about that, too,” He cleared his throat. “I don’t have to move right away. I mean, it’s a long commute, but I’ve been doing it this long.”

What was happening? Ethan was thinking about staying here . . . for me?

The lights of Orlando weren’t as exciting as what was happening in this car.

We were now holding hands while sailing over The City Beautiful—Orlando’s nickname, which made total sense now that I’d seen it like this—and talking about the future. A future that could possibly include each other.

I just didn’t know where.

Ethan took my face in his hand and gently stroked my cheek. He pushed a stray piece of hair behind my ear and slowly moved himself closer to me. I felt like I was holding my breath. I knew it was inevitable we were about to kiss. And I knew I really wanted it to happen. All those questions in my mind about rushing into a relationship so soon, and about where I was going to live, were fading away.

It was just Ethan and me, together, soaring over the lights of Orlando.

Nothing else mattered at that moment.

As soon as our faces were mere inches apart, both our phones started going off, interrupting our incredible moment. He was getting a phone call, while I was getting a text.

Seriously people?!

He groaned. “Sorry.”

He pulled his phone out from his back pocket and looked at the screen. A strange look spread across his face. “I better get this to make sure everything is okay.”

I nodded and got my own phone out of my purse. It was a text from Naomi.

We need to talk. It’s important.

My heart sank. I didn’t know what it was about, but I didn’t have a good feeling about this.

“Jackie? Is everything okay?” Ethan asked into his phone.

Jackie? Also known as the owner of Fuchsia Flowers and Gifts. She really had horrible timing.

“Slow down,” he urged. “It’s none of your concern who I choose to spend my time with.” He looked at me and raised his eyebrows.

I didn’t have to be a genius to know she was talking about me.

“I already know about that video.” He shook his head. “Well, that’s business. There is competition out there.”

Crap! She knew about my famous YouTube video and about the fact that I ran Blooms on Valencia.

I think my cover had officially been blown.

Just then, our car landed back on the ground. I let out a puff of air. Things were blowing up here, and something was up in San Francisco.

It was time for me to decide what my next move was going to be.