#aesthtic

　　　ཐི♡̵̼͓ཋྀ ۫━╋ 　　 　　　 ྀི𖣁 ʕ̢̣̣̣̣̩̩̩̩·͡˔·ོɁ♡̩͙

Chapter 2.

link to chapter 3! - link to chapter 1!

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recap - Voices drifted through the room as you reached for the brown wrapping paper. Two young men. One sounded more enthusiastic than the other. 

Just like that you were pulled back to reality as they were already asking you questions.

“So what flowers do girls not like?” 

When you looked up both men were staring directly at you. One with a more desperate face, a plea in his eyes. The other… he was admiring?  

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For a moment you simply looked at him. 

Out of every question you’ve been asked that week, somehow what flowers do girls not like? Had caught you most off guard.  

Your fingers loosened around the red ribbon you’d been tying as the corners of your mouth twitched into a smile. 

“There aren't really flowers girls don't like,” you admitted, brushing a stray petal from the counter. “Its more about who they’re for”

The taller one (not Joe) let out an exaggerated sigh. 

“Im finished”

You couldn't help but laugh quietly 

“I wouldn't go that far”

“I forgot our anniversary,’ he confessed, his expression already telling you he had accepted his fate. “So… I'm kind of relying on you here…” 

You rested your palms onto the wooden counter, your tiredness softening into amusement. 

“Thats quite a lot of pressure” 

“I know…”

“And what's her favourite flower?” 

“... I don't know”

You blinked. 

“You forgot your anniversary…”

He nodded.

“...And you don't know her favourite flower”

Another guilty nod. 

A laugh escaped before you could stop it, warm enough that it surprised even you. It had been hours since anything today had even made you smile. 

From the corner of your eye, you caught a glimpse of the quieter man. 

He still hadn’t spoken. 

While his friend filled the silence with nervous jokes, he lingered a step behind, hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket as his gaze wandered around the shop. Every so often he would stop to admire a bouquet or absent-mindedly brush his fingers over the petals of some tulips hanging from the wall. He looked far more interested in the little details rather than the flowers themselves. 

When your eyes met again, he didn’t look away.

Something about it made your stomach tighten maybe you were just hungry

Not in an overwhelming way. 

Just enough to make you aware of your slightly crooked name badge, you once perfectly blowout hair that definitely looks a bit rustled now, and the fact you probably smelt like flowers but the smell of soil definitely over took that. 

You quickly cleared your throat.

“Ok.” you said, reaching for a bucket of cream roses. “Lets see if we can save your relationship” 

Something about it made your stomach tighten (maybe you were just hungry)

Not in an overwhelming way. 

Just enough to make you aware of your slightly crooked name badge, you once perfectly blowout hair that definitely looks a bit rustled now, and the fact you probably smelt like flowers but the smell of soil definitely over took that. 

You quickly cleared your throat.

“Ok.” you said, reaching for a bucket of cream roses. “Lets see if we can save your relationship” 

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By the time the bouquet of red roses had been wrapped in brown paper and tied with a cream ribbon, it was completely dark outside. The Cocteau twins were now a distant noise in the back of the shop, and the two men had managed to catch your full attention. 

Wes was the tall one. The man who forgot his own anniversary. Despite his stupidity, he was rather nice, telling you all about his girlfriend while you worked. You could tell he hadn’t meant to forget by the look in his eyes as he talked. His face softened without him even realising. 

He was undeniably in love. 

The second man was Joe.

 You could swear you recognised him from somewhere, but you didn't bring it up. He seemed tired enough already. Throughout the last twenty minutes he’d simply followed Wes around the shop, occasionally stopping to look at a bouquet or quietly listening while the two of you spoke. Every now and then you’d catch him looking in your direction before quickly diverting his gaze. 

Now, they both stood in front of the counter whilst you calculated the price on the other side. 

“Thank you so much for your help. I might not have to sleep on the couch tonight,” Wes stated with his humour. 

You laughed softly. That made Joe's eyes perk up. 

After a minute of silence, Joe spoke up for the first time being in the shop. 

“Do you own the whole store?”

Immediately you looked up at him.

Actually looked at him.

 He stood calmly in a white tee and black pants, his hands shoved into the pockets of his brown jacket. His hair was styled in a slightly messy brown mullet, though most of it disappeared beneath the soft wool of his navy beanie. The tiredness you’d noticed earlier hadn’t gone away, but there was something warm about him. There was something about him that made him feel oddly familiar, despite never having met him before. 

Wes’s awkward cough brought you back to reality.

“Oh yeah! Sorry, yes I do. Just me” You mentally cringed. That may have been the most embarrassing sentence that has ever come out of your mouth. 

The corner of Joe’s mouth curled up into a small smile and he nodded. 

“Thats really cool”

“Thank you” You mumbled, quickly got back to perfecting the bouquet and spinning the card reader around for Wes. 

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Joe watched as she fussed over the ribbon again. It had already looked perfect. She still adjusted it anyway. 

For some reason, he couldn't stop watching the way her hands moved. Every fold was neat, every stem was perfectly tucked into place and every petal was perfectly presented as though she’d wrapped the same bouquet a thousand times before. There was something oddly calming about it. 

Wes was busy fishing his bank card out of his wallet, leaving the shop in a comfortable silence. 

Joe once again got distracted by the shop. To him, it didn’t look like ‘just a shop’. It looked like a home, the heart of a girl who really liked flowers. He managed to notice the little things. 

Hand written price tags tied to glass jars with twine. Pressed flowers framed on the walls. Tiny piles of dried petals scattered on the floor that she would probably sweep away once they left. A faded polaroid tucked into the corner of the till with two cats curled into each other fast asleep. 

His eyes drifted back to her. 

She was still looking down at the bouquet, smoothing a crease in the brown paper nobody else would have noticed. The little name badge pinned to her cardigan caught the light for a second. 

He repeated it silently in his head.

It suited her. 

“Ready?” Wes asked, lifting the bouquet with a grin. 

Joe blinked, almost forgetting why they were here in the first place. 

“Yeah.” 

They both thanked you before heading to the door. Wes was already out but Joe glanced over his shoulder one last time. 

The record player was still turning.

She was reaching for a broom that somehow still looked cute in her shop, unaware he looked back. 

For some reason, Joe had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time he’d walk through that little pink door. 

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I promise the next chapter will be more exciting and they'll interact some more! Chapter 3 will come some time today because it feels unfair leaving it on this. Thank you so much for the likes and comments on my last post, it means a lot!