The Daffodils of Destiny [PART 1]

"Gee, Talia," Rick said, scratching his head. "I didn't mean it like that. That wasn't what I had meant at all...."

"Well then what were you trying to say, huh?!" Talia said angrily, standing up at once to glare at him with drops of tears in her eyes.

Rick held up both of his hands, palms facing her, in defense. "All I was saying was that you're not exactly a girl, I mean, you are a girl, but I mean..."

"Oh yeah? How'd you notice? What tipped you off?" Talia wiped the tears from my eyes and sniffled a bit. When Rick tried to walk closer to her, she stepped back and said, "Get lost, you jerk!" before turning on her tail and running off past the cafe and towards the busy city center where people were starting to flood the streets as evening started to settle in.

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"I feel like a storm is brewing out there," I muttered as walked back into the Fleur de Doux with a basket of flowers. "Zico, where do you want these flowers?"

"Put them in the window display," he answered from the back. "And make sure you replace the card too."

I had started working part-time at the Fleur de Doux; the owner had been posted a WANTED sign, and I was in need of a job, so I applied here (with the encouragement of Zico). The owner, Mr. Phillips, had wanted Zico to work with me for a few days so that I knew what to do.  But working at a flower shop wasn't very hard anyway. If it wasn't seasonal (Christmas, Valentines Day, Mother's Day...), the shop was never too busy to begin with and I liked that.

I reached into the display case and took out the small card that had the words "Carnations of Velvet" and tossed it into the bin beside me. Then I took out a new piece of card stock and pen to write out "Daffodils of Destiny" on it. I stared at the words and scrunched up my eyebrows, not quite sure how to make of it. Daffodils....of Destiny?

"Hey Zico, does this sound...weird?"

Zico emerged from the back, wiping his hands on his apron. "What'd you say?" He came forward to the front of the store and I showed him the card. "Man, your handwriting sucks..."

Instinctively, I slugged him in the arm and he laughed. "Take it easy....I was kidding," he paused. "Daffodils of Destiny is weird, but it...it fits somehow. Put it in the window."

His dirty face caught my eye; there was a streak of either dirt or grime smeared upon his cheek. "Your ..." I pointed to my own face where the dirt would be mirrored upon his own.

"Me?" he said, trying to mirror my movements and rubbing his finger against his own cheek, making it smear even more. "Is it gone?"

"No," I laughed. "Your hands are filthy, you're making it worse." I licked the tip of my finger and started to attempt to destroy that particular mark on his cheek. "Here..."

And then I froze. He cleared his throat. And then I pulled away from him and stepped back, my face probably looking as hot as it felt. He looked around a bit awkwardly, but with a smile tugging around on his lips as he grabbed the daffodils in the basket sitting on the counter. "Here, put these in the display with that card. I'll close up shop."

I took the basket gingerly, and headed back to the display case where I swapped out the carnations for the daffodils and then delicately placed the card.

"Selena?"

"Yeah, what?"

"Wanna go to Time Square tonight?"

"Time Square? But why?" I slid the glass door to the display case shut and walked back towards the middle area of the flowers where Zico was using a rag to wipe the grim off of his face. "Do you have something you need to do?"

"I was thinking we could go and get you some new sneakers," Zico said, unveiling his handsome face which was now spotless. "You ought to get rid of them now. It's been years."

I looked back down at my sneakers which were a bit more worn out than I remembered them to be. I had bought them with my own money years ago...and hadn't thought much about it since.

"Shoes are a girl's best friend..." Zico continued. "Right?"

"I think you mean diamonds are a girl's best friend." I smirked at him. "Nice try though."

"You're not a diamond person anyway," he remarked. "Doesn't fit you."

I rolled my eyes as I started to sweep out dust from the inside of the shop towards the outside. "Thanks a whole lot," I grumbled as Zico went over to the cash register and locked the box before going towards the door and flipping the wooden sign from OPEN to CLOSED.

"Let's go after this," Zico tried again, taking the broom from me. "Besides, I want some new sneakers too..." I looked at his brand new Nike sneakers and then cast him a look of dismay.

"I think shoes are your best friend, Zico."

I couldn't help but grimace as he pulled at my cheek. "Then it's a date then."

Before I could add my input to this conversation, a familiar looking face rushed into the store, with tears in her eyes.

"Sorry, but we're closed," Zico said to Talia, his eyebrows raised.

"Whatever, that's not important right now!" Talia shoved my co-worker aside and get to me and then gave me a hopeless look. "Boys are so stupid!"

Ahh....but instinct had been right. There had been a storm brewing out there. Zico gave me an appalled look as Talia gave us a play-by-play with her unrequited fight with Rick.

"He doesn't even see me as a girl anyway," Talia said at last, her arms crossed as she blinked tears away. "Stupid....Stupid..."

"It's not like that, I'm sure," I said, a bit unsure of what to expect from Talia now that she looked absolutely furious.

"But at least Zico knows you're a girl! You have no idea how lucky you are, do you?"

"Hey, take it easy and lay off," Zico snapped, pulling me away from my hysterical friend as she glared at the both of us. "For your information, guys don't exactly worry about as many details as you girls do. We don't think about those puny little details that don't determine anything."

"You can say that again," I muttered with a grin on my face. He met eyes with me and we both laughed.

"You know what, I'm going to go get Asa back!" Talia declared, getting up and turning to us with fire in her eyes. "It's a better chance than ever trying to make anything work with that...that jerk!"

"Talia, wait! I don't think that's a - "

And then Talia ran from the flower shop, determined not to listen to any of us. Zico and I both stayed silent for a few minutes before he sighed and said, "We have to go and find Rick, don't we?"

I laughed. "We have to, didn't you see her face?"

He sighed again as we turned off all the lights and then shut the front door behind us before pulling it once more to confirm that it was locked. "I guess Times Square can wait..." he grabbed my hand and dragged me behind him towards the city center of where we guessed Talia's prince charming would be.