Free Elly In Bloom by Colleen Oakes Page B

waved it around the girl’s now empty chair, filling the room with freesia scented mist.
    Kim leaned around the corner, pale pink Anna roses in hand. Elly could tell she had been laughing.
    “So…” She looked at Elly flinging the flower around. “How’s it going?”
    “Oh, FINE. You know, I just interviewed a girl who asked if it would be okay if she brought her Kabbalah bracelet into work to enhance the environment.”
    Kim grinned. “Well, could she?”
    Elly looked at her, annoyed. “Also, she smelled bad. Like patchouli.” She paused, thinking. “You know, you could just stay.”
    Kim’s smile faded. “Don’t make me feel bad. You promised. It’s not my fault your ad was misleading.”
    Elly launched herself into her chair and put her feet onto the desk. Owning your own business had its perks.
    “Sorry. It’s just…I’m trying to replace YOU. You are perfect. You know everything. I would have died a million times without you here. I’m afraid the shop will fall down the minute you walk out the door.”
    Kim walked over and kissed Elly’s forehead. “You are pathetic. You built this place, not me. Have some pride.”
    Snarky Teenager stomped out of the back. “Um, Kim? This bucket has a leak in it. What should I do?”
    Kim rolled her eyes at Elly and headed to the back. Elly didn’t know what Snarky Teenager would do without Kim. She worshipped the ground Kim walked on. She regarded Elly more like that bossy aunt she had to like because they were related.
    Elly looked down at her day timer. Two more interviews today and a consultation with a mother of the bride. Fun times . Still, Elly felt buoyancy in her step today. She couldn’t stop replaying Isaac running his fingers along the edge of her chair on the balcony. His smile, his laugh, his dark curly hair. It was nothing, she told herself . He was just nice to you because you are his neighbor. There is nothing there. She told herself this, but she knew that he felt it too, this heat between them. Elly was wondering if she remembered how to kiss when the door clanged open for her next interview.
    The woman who walked in resembled an angry little bird. She had long brown hair, a pointed nose and piercing grey eyes. She was smartly dressed in long white pants and a light, pretty red shirt with a green and blue scarf around her neck.
    “Hi, I’m Elly,” she greeted the woman, extending her hand. The woman pulled her hand up to her lips and kissed it. Elly pretended that she wasn’t shocked and smiled.
    “I am Ardelle Buche. Eet eez a pleasure to meet you.” A thick French accent was unmistakable. “I love your shoppe. Eet eez so darling, right next to this sandwich shop though, so unfortunate.”
    Elly smiled politely. “Oh. They make great sandwiches. They have this meatball one…”
    Ardelle waved her hand. “I don’t eat meat. It clouds ze mind as a designer, and you have to keep ze creative juices flowing.”
    Okkayyyy …thought Elly. Ardelle looked appalled as Cadbury walked up to sniff her. She tried to shove him away, which resulted in Cadbury growling and she shrieked.
    “Your dog szeems to have a problem. Will he bite me?”
    I wish, thought Elly. She sat down at the desk, determined to gain the control back from this woman.
    “So Ardelle, do you have any design experience?”
    Ardelle snickered. “Oh my darling. Of course. I was schooled first at L’ecole de Fleur in Paris where I studied under Madame Lorelai. Zen I traveled to New York, and became ze head flower designer for Divine Blooms for 20 years. Designing is what I do best. Eet eez truly an art form, pure and intellectual. I revere ze design properties of balance. I have studied color wavelength and theory. I am accredited in Ikebana and Advanced Composition. I have brought my portfolio.”
    “Oh, thanks.” Elly heaved the huge black book onto her desk. As she flipped through the pictures of wildly impressive arrangements, Elly tried to make conversation. She