lovely.” Garrett said smiling. “Absolutely!”
“ Are they from Mr. Jerk again?” Susan asked.
Marcella didn’t answer. She had dismissed the morning delivery and forgotten about it. She read the card. It simply said:
Give me…
There was nothing else to the message other than those two words. How strange.
“ Well?” Susan asked.
Marcella slipped the card in the pocket of her slacks and dropped the flowers on Garrett’s desk. “Doesn’t matter. Let’s get back to work.”
“ What am I supposed to do with the rest?” Sam asked.
“ Throw them away.” Came her curt reply.
“ Not these I'm talking about the other six vases out front.”
“ Six!” Garrett exclaimed.
“ Six?” Susan asked. “Jeez, who is this guy again?”
Marcella stood there perplexed. She didn’t give him many details about her life. Just that she worked and sold antiquities near the boardwalk. She rolled her eyes realizing the Market Place had only one gallery. “Just um… throw those away too. I guess.”
“ Have you lost your mind? You never throw away roses,” Garrett said, downing the rest of his scotch. He stood. “Let me see these flowers. We can arrange them in the gallery. Free décor, I love it.”
The two walked out. Marcella returned her gaze to the vase. Susan tapped her on the shoulder. “He wasn’t that big of a jerk was he?”
Marcella frowned. “Yes he was. A few flowers and a cryptic message don’t change it.”
“ Then why are you smiling?” Susan teased.
Marcella didn’t realize she was. “Ah, oh, forget it.”
The next day –
“ Are you okay?” Marcella turned her office chair toward the window. Susan sniffed in the phone. “I’m trying to be. They said it was a mild stroke. She’s up and talking but it’s scaring me.”
“ Do you want me to come down? I can drive and be there in four hours.”
“ No. No. I’m okay. I’ll be back Sunday. I’ll call.”
“ I’m sorry, Susan. She’s in my prayers. I love your mom.”
“ Thanks, Marcella.”
Replacing the receiver on the cradle Marcella reclined once more and stared out at the city. Traffic rolled past. Among the cars and trucks, parked at the curb was a familiar delivery van. “Oh, no.”
Marcella rose from her seat in a flash. On her desk were two large vases of roses in full bloom. In the gallery were several others scattered about. An explosion of red petals became the stark scarlet contrast against the white walls and floors, even overpowering the beauty of their most treasured pieces of art. She had plans to have them all carted away today. The place smelled so strongly she kept sneezing. Diego had made his point, but she wasn’t interested. What did he want? How many did she have now? Twelve vases?
Sam gave it her best shot. She went as far as to threaten the deliveryman to give up Diego’s information. The man swore to them both that he had no idea how to reach the purchaser.
She went to her office door. Three deliverymen came in carrying roses, they left, and then they returned with more roses. Marcella’s mouth fell open. Garrett walked down the stairs from the upper level of the gallery and froze in horror.
“ Marcella! I’m not running a flower shop in here!”
She winced with embarrassment. They all stood there stunned as the men left, returned, and left again with more roses. By the time they were done she counted twenty vases in all. Twenty!
“ Oh dear God he’s nuts.” She hurried out of her office. “Wait! Wait… hey you, take these back.”
“ Sorry ma’am, we can’t. Can you sign here please?”
“ Marcella, what the hell is all this?” Garrett asked turning around. “The man is evidently trying to reach you. Call him before he turns my place into some kind of tacky Greek garden.”
She signed for the delivery and took the card, ripping it
“ Are they from Mr. Jerk again?” Susan asked.
Marcella didn’t answer. She had dismissed the morning delivery and forgotten about it. She read the card. It simply said:
Give me…
There was nothing else to the message other than those two words. How strange.
“ Well?” Susan asked.
Marcella slipped the card in the pocket of her slacks and dropped the flowers on Garrett’s desk. “Doesn’t matter. Let’s get back to work.”
“ What am I supposed to do with the rest?” Sam asked.
“ Throw them away.” Came her curt reply.
“ Not these I'm talking about the other six vases out front.”
“ Six!” Garrett exclaimed.
“ Six?” Susan asked. “Jeez, who is this guy again?”
Marcella stood there perplexed. She didn’t give him many details about her life. Just that she worked and sold antiquities near the boardwalk. She rolled her eyes realizing the Market Place had only one gallery. “Just um… throw those away too. I guess.”
“ Have you lost your mind? You never throw away roses,” Garrett said, downing the rest of his scotch. He stood. “Let me see these flowers. We can arrange them in the gallery. Free décor, I love it.”
The two walked out. Marcella returned her gaze to the vase. Susan tapped her on the shoulder. “He wasn’t that big of a jerk was he?”
Marcella frowned. “Yes he was. A few flowers and a cryptic message don’t change it.”
“ Then why are you smiling?” Susan teased.
Marcella didn’t realize she was. “Ah, oh, forget it.”
The next day –
“ Are you okay?” Marcella turned her office chair toward the window. Susan sniffed in the phone. “I’m trying to be. They said it was a mild stroke. She’s up and talking but it’s scaring me.”
“ Do you want me to come down? I can drive and be there in four hours.”
“ No. No. I’m okay. I’ll be back Sunday. I’ll call.”
“ I’m sorry, Susan. She’s in my prayers. I love your mom.”
“ Thanks, Marcella.”
Replacing the receiver on the cradle Marcella reclined once more and stared out at the city. Traffic rolled past. Among the cars and trucks, parked at the curb was a familiar delivery van. “Oh, no.”
Marcella rose from her seat in a flash. On her desk were two large vases of roses in full bloom. In the gallery were several others scattered about. An explosion of red petals became the stark scarlet contrast against the white walls and floors, even overpowering the beauty of their most treasured pieces of art. She had plans to have them all carted away today. The place smelled so strongly she kept sneezing. Diego had made his point, but she wasn’t interested. What did he want? How many did she have now? Twelve vases?
Sam gave it her best shot. She went as far as to threaten the deliveryman to give up Diego’s information. The man swore to them both that he had no idea how to reach the purchaser.
She went to her office door. Three deliverymen came in carrying roses, they left, and then they returned with more roses. Marcella’s mouth fell open. Garrett walked down the stairs from the upper level of the gallery and froze in horror.
“ Marcella! I’m not running a flower shop in here!”
She winced with embarrassment. They all stood there stunned as the men left, returned, and left again with more roses. By the time they were done she counted twenty vases in all. Twenty!
“ Oh dear God he’s nuts.” She hurried out of her office. “Wait! Wait… hey you, take these back.”
“ Sorry ma’am, we can’t. Can you sign here please?”
“ Marcella, what the hell is all this?” Garrett asked turning around. “The man is evidently trying to reach you. Call him before he turns my place into some kind of tacky Greek garden.”
She signed for the delivery and took the card, ripping it
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