Elly In Bloom (25 page)

Elly blinked to attention and stepped behind the door. “What do you want?” she groaned.

Snarky Teenager blinked dumb-founded. “We have a wedding today – remember? The mother of the bride called and wants the delivery moved up two hours so that the bride can have her flowers for the pictures. We probably need to start packing up in about a half-hour. Anthony and I have been designing all morning.” She paused to catch her breath. “We know you had a rough night, but we need your direction on loading the van.”

Elly nodded, thankful for the sleep she had been allowed. “I’ll be down in ten minutes.”

Snarky Teenager grinned and turned to head down to the shop. “Nice granny panties!” she called as she rounded the stairs. Elly shut the door behind her. Kim’s purse was gone from the table beside the door. She must have left early this morning to let Elly sleep.

Elly yawned and headed for the shower. She turned on the faucet and undressed. She climbed inside, savoring the jolt she felt from the pressured water pounding down on her. She stood in the shower for ten minutes, letting it cascade over her tired shoulders and neck. Eyes closed and hands on her fleshy belly, she her thoughts ran wild.
Can this even be real? Aaron is coming here? What will he think when he sees me? Will he want me back?
Elly imagined Aaron’s face at the end of a wedding aisle. She knew what it looked like.
Maybe she’s pregnant? Maybe she trapped him?
Elly shook her head, as if to shake loose the rampant thoughts.
Stupid – you shouldn’t even care. The real question is, how can I hide this from Isaac?
She turned off the shower and wrapped herself in a giant towel.

Rubbing a small circle in the steamy mirror, Elly looked at herself. Her blond hair was streaked back from her forehead and a tiny drop of water ran from her forehead down the tip of her nose. Bloodshot and weary, Elly’s eyes had never looked worse. She was ragged all over, as if she had been fighting an emotional war. Ignoring the wreck in the mirror, Elly brushed her hair up into a quick and messy bun, quickly applied some mascara and lip-gloss and ran into the bedroom to change into her delivery clothes: Khaki’s and a white polo. She pulled on sneakers, and not being able to find matching socks, decided on going without. She glanced back at Cadbury, still passed out under the covers and headed downstairs to the studio.

Thankfully, there were few remnants of her tantrum the night before. The consultation table had been righted, minus the glass and thank you notes. A broom leaned against the far wall, the only evidence of a hasty clean-up. On the long design table, Anthony and Snarky Teenager had already started pulling the flowers for the delivery, their first of the fall. Rows and rows of fat glass cylinders lined with thick leaves and wrapped with twine covered the area. Circus roses, their yellow petals morphing orange into a pinky red at the tips, poured out of the containers, with rustic pinecones and bright red winter berries peeking out between the roses. The bridesmaids’ bouquets, all circus roses with deep cranberry wraps, stood in stark contrast to the bride’s all white mini-calla bouquet that was accented only by a gold brooch tied at the base of flowers.

“This looks great” Elly breathed in relief. Anthony grinned proudly.

Snarky Teenager sidled up beside her. “So what happened last night? I just found an orchid from the table on the top of the shelves.”

“We’re not going to talk about that.” replied Elly. “Let’s just get packed up and get this thing done with. A wedding is the last thing I want to face today, but I have no choice. Anthony – would you mind getting the cart out for all these centerpieces?” She gestured towards Snarky Teenager, “Why don’t you start counting the personal flowers out and I’ll make sure that we have all the tools we need. You know we’re decking the entire pavilion, correct?”

Snarky Teenager nodded. “I heard. Thank goodness that the parking lot is so close, otherwise that would be a nightmare.”

It was an hour later when Elly solemnly declared, “This is a nightmare.” They were standing at the bottom of a large grassy hill peppered with fertilizer. The road that normally wound up the hill to the World’s Fair Pavilion had been dug up and was roped off by a detour sign, tractors and road work debris. A small hand-written sign declared “For the Bradshaw/Sander wedding, please head up stairs on East side of Park.” The Pavilion was a large stone rotunda with columns filtering the light in on either side, covered by a burgundy roof and had the best views of Forest Park in the city. It was also very, very high up.

“You have got to be freaking kidding me,” breathed Snarky Teenager. Elly looked around for an alternate entrance. There was none. At the bottom of the hill, a large staircase carved up towards the building, separated upon encountering a large slate man-made waterfall and the returned again to make a steep climb into the Pavilion. These were the stairs they would have to climb, carrying a van load of flowers. Elly and Snarky Teenager stared dumbfounded up the hill.

“I can’t do this today” snapped Elly, sitting down defeated on the curb. “I can’t do this.” She had a moment of drowning in self-pity before a centerpiece was handed down to her. She looked up into Anthony’s smiling face.

“Well, are we going to do this or not? I didn’t design all these gorgeous flowers to sit in the shop. Also, I’m guessing you don’t feel like being sued.”

Elly summoned her weary strength, standing up from the curb. “Let the record show,” she declared, “that you are the most annoyingly cheery person I have ever met.”

Heaving three centerpieces up to her chest, Elly started walking up the long staircase, the first of four trips she would make with her workers. Step by step, sweat bead by sweat bead that dripped from the back of her neck, Elly worked out the dormant anger that had laid restless in her heart since she opened her eyes that morning. She was here to do her job, and not even Aaron’s arrival back into her life would prevent that from happening. Ranting to herself with every step, Elly kept her eyes glued to the top, never looking back. Her heart hammered, her face was flushed, and she felt that her calves were ready to separate from the rest of her body. Wheezing pathetically, she finally reached the top. The three of them stood at the top of the hill, sweaty (except for Snarky Teenager, who was simply bathed in a sensual glow - Elly hated her) and accomplished. They turned around and gazed at the empty Pavilion.

“Now, let the real work begin,” sighed Elly, wiping her face with an apron.

In each archway surrounding the reception area, Anthony hung a dark orange satin ribbon and looped it through a single pomander, tying a beautiful bow at the top. The round balls of red berries, yellow skyline roses and burnt orange chrysanthemums circled in the wind, their ribbon tails swirling gaily underneath them. A makeshift aisle was taking form as young men in black shirts threw down white chairs. Elly tied bundles of orange cockscomb to the end of each chair lining the walkway. Anthony and Snarky Teenager gently carried large glass urns to the front, each exploding with yellow aecidium orchids and cattails. Elly spread orange and red rose petals down the aisle, creating a thick carpet to the front.

They took a ten minute break - enough time for Elly to breathe and get her face down to a relatively normal shade of red. She sat beside Anthony who was lounging under a crab apple tree overlooking St. Louis’s greatest asset, Forest Park. Its expanse was vast. Trees, trails, and flower gardens wove together making a tapestry of city and nature. From their position on the hill, Elly could make out the Art Museum and the Zoo, along with the Science Center, nuzzled cozily against the highway.

“I love this city,” sighed Anthony happily, a mirror of Elly’s thoughts. “I never knew it was so beautiful. I’ve lived many places – New York, San Francisco, Austin…but I’ve never found a home until I settled here. I knew it the first time I walked through Clayton. And then I stumbled across your shop and saw the
Now Hiring
sign. I had always dreamed of working with flowers. It was meant to be.”

Elly smiled and nudged him with her elbow. “Well, it was between you and the craziest woman I have ever met. You weren’t the obvious choice, but I figured, hey – why not?”

Anthony laughed. “You’re terrible.” He took a slow drink of water. “Elly, I don’t know you very well, but I know you’ll get over this. It doesn’t feel like it right now, but you will. You’ll emerge stronger on the other side. He doesn’t deserve you. He never did. God will see it through, girl.”

Elly nodded, trying to hide her suddenly blurry eyes. “Thank you, Anthony. You are an extraordinary person.”

As she looked at the ground, a pair of pink sneakers stepped into her line of sight. “Um, I know you guys are having a moment or whatever, but the linens are up and the wedding party is going to be here any minute.” Snarky Teenager looked at Elly. “I know you need a break from the stairs, but you might not want the bride to know.”

Elly closed her eyes for a moment and imagined herself flinging Snarky Teenager down the hill by a lacy bra strap. “I’m coming. Be nice.” She pulled herself up and walked towards the centerpieces huddled together in the shade near the entrance.

The three of them hurried to place all the flowers onto the tables, anxious to complete the job. Each table got a large urn, overflowing with large circus roses, which were then surrounded by a ring of cranberries and vanilla votive candles. Each white chair was draped with a champagne chair cover and chocolate bow. Elly placed a single wired pinecone into each nook on the back of the ribbon. Anthony finished the job by sprinkling the head table with handfuls and handfuls of red rose petals, so only the plates were visible in a sea of crimson. Elly stepped back to look at their work. The cement Pavilion had been turned into a rustic fall celebration, blazing with vibrant reds, oranges and yellows. It was a masterpiece. She felt a momentary peace, watching Anthony and Snarky Teenager head back down the river of stairs, glancing back at a job well done.

It was then that she saw them, walking playfully over the ridge: the bride and groom, followed by their photographer. Her bride, Cynthia, looked luminous in a fitted mermaid dress with elaborate ruching and a large black sash just under her bust. Her hair was covered with a short netted veil, accented with a silk black flower. The groom held her hand as she climbed up on a small brick wall for pictures, then leapt up beside her. He whispered something in her ear as he tucked back a stray piece of hair behind it. She smiled coyly and kissed his face softly. He wiped her lipstick off his cheek and they both laughed, the photographer capturing every second, their happiness unmistakable. Elly felt a formidable grief rush through her, as though she had been impaled through the heart. She looked back at her bride, who had transformed from the sweet and lovely Cynthia to a devilish Lucia, her deep red curls whipping around her face as Aaron stared into her eyes, captivated by their angry green hue. They both turned and looked toward Elly, whispering to each other as they sized her up, devouring every ounce of self esteem she had left. They locked lips passionately, clasping at each other with fervor. Elly turned and vomited into a bush.

She closed her eyes and waited for the dizziness to stop as she wiped her mouth with her hand. Above her, she heard the voices of bridesmaids.

“Eww…did that lady just BARF?”

She opened her eyes in time to see Cynthia walking towards her, true concern etched on her kind face. Elly held her arm out to keep her away.

“Cynthia, I’m so sorry. I think I might have the flu. Or a bad lunch. Or both. Yeah, it was probably the salmon. Um, congratulations – you look lovely.” Elly turned and fled down the hill. She climbed into the white van, which was idling by the side of the road, slammed the door and said, “Just go. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Anthony nodded, but Snarky Teenager snapped, exasperated, “What do you mean you don’t want to talk about it? You just barfed into a BUSH at a WEDDING. Oh my God, are you pregnant?”

Elly spun around to face her. “What?! Am I
pregnant
? First of all, that’s an impossibility at this point. Secondly, when I say I don’t want to talk about it, I mean, I DON’T want to talk about it.”

Snarky Teenager looked as if she had been slapped in the face. “I’m sorry, but if you are going to throw up in a bush and then not want us to mention it, then you are being totally WHACK.”

Anthony bent over the steering wheel, laughing, “Did you just say whack? What is that?”

Elly took a deep breath and allowed a smile to crack her face, trying not to focus on the vile taste in her mouth. “Yeah, what is the definition of whack, exactly?”

Snarky Teenager groaned loudly and crossed her arms in front of her, pointedly pouting. “I should totally get a job at Dairy Queen. I hate you guys.”

“That would be totally whack,” Anthony deadpanned. Elly laughed, but it was hollow. All she could think was that if she couldn’t handle seeing another couple getting married without seeing Aaron and Lucia, what would happen if she actually had to see them together?

CHAPTER

EIGHTEEN