Don't Read in the Closet: Volume Four (125 page)

That was true. Elias couldn’t be pried from the window when that

was going on. Customers? What were those? When Mateo was out in

front of the shop all glistening golden skin and clinging shirt, Elias

forgot everything else.

He let out a sigh. “It’s not fair.”

“Jesus, boy, who ever said it was supposed to be?” Kira gave him

a frustrated look and shook her head as she disappeared into the back

of the flower shop.

Elias glanced out the front window at the bustling shop across the

street and propped his chin in his hand. What did she know? She

hadn’t seen the look on Mateo’s face. Nope. Never again.

****

were a dozen sunny daisies wrapped in a bright, yellow ribbon. He

glanced up at the delivery man.

“And you have no idea who sent these? You’re sure they’re for

me?”

“You’re Elias, I was supposed to deliver them to this shop, so

unless there’s another Elias working here, then yes, I’m sure they’re

for you. But no. No idea who sent them.” The guy shrugged.

Elias watched him leave, then looked back down at the flowers,

brows knit. They were beautiful, and sweet, and Elias loved simple

flowers like these more than any hothouse exotic, but who had sent

them?

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He glanced up as Kira came through the front door. “Hey! Did

you send these?”

She lifted her brows and glanced at the flowers, shaking her head.

“No. Who are they for?”

“Me.”

Her brows shot up this time and she grinned. “Really? What’s the

card say?”

“Nothing. It’s blank.” He handed her the card.

“Huh.” Kira turned the card over in her hand, then set it aside to

pick up the flowers. “They’re pretty. You know daisies mean beauty,

patience and loyal love.” She gave him a wink. “Seems like you have

an admirer.”

Elias bit his lip, reaching out to take the empty card back. His

stomach flipped a little. “Probably just some creeper customer trying

to get in my pants or something.”

Kira shook her head. “How can someone so young be so anti-

romance? Not to mention that you work in a flower shop, one of the

last bastions of true romance.”

“I’m not anti-romance…I just haven’t ever seen the real thing,

that’s all. Until I do, I’ll continue to believe it’s something like the

chupacabra…all myth, no substance.”

He sat down on the stool behind the counter, reaching over to snag

one of the empty vases from under the display. Still…the flowers

were so pretty. He smiled and untied the delicate ribbon around them,

gently placing each one into the vase before carefully filling it with

water.

Elias set the vase next to the register, thinking that whether they’d

been sent with ulterior motives or not, it was the nicest thing a man

had ever done for him. Now if only he knew which man it was.

****

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The next day the blank card came attached to a bundle of

flowering almond sprays. The delicate pink flowers lining the thin,

vine-like branches smelled heavenly, and Elias closed his eyes,

bending to inhale deeply.

“Flowering almond…very nice choice. They mean hope.” Kira

smiled and ran a finger over the fragile flowered stems. “That’s so

romantic.”

Elias bit his lip, smiling a little. “It is, isn’t it?” He didn’t really

want to be sucked in by this whole mysterious, secret admirer thing,

but it was really hard to avoid that when whoever it was made such

beautiful choices. First patience, now hope, it made Elias wonder

what was coming next. Like his mystery man – if it even was a man, a

thought which had occurred to him the night before – was

communicating to him without a word. It was kind of ridiculously

romantic, really.

Kira wandered off again and Elias ran his fingers over the delicate

branches, closing his eyes briefly as the sweet scent of the fragile

flowers on the stems wafted up. When he opened his eyes, he caught a

bit of movement outside the window that drew his gaze.

Mateo.

Elias let out a breath and leaned forward, watching across the

street as Mateo came out of the shop with a customer and popped the

hood on the girl’s car. He watched as the man bent over the open

hood, presumably looking for the problem, and Elias sighed. He was

so absurdly good looking.

His eyes narrowed as the female customer seemed to think the

same thing and blatantly tilted her head to admire the view. Elias

wasn’t normally the jealous type, but he could feel the surge of

possessiveness rising, and he looked away before he did something

stupid like stalked across the street and clawed her eyes out.

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Mateo wasn’t even his. Hell, ever since the debacle in the grocery

store they hadn’t run into each other at all. Which sucked, because

what a lovely last impression for a man like that to have of him.

Another flick of his gaze out the window and Elias found himself

caught in a pair of dark eyes watching him from across the street. His

heart pounded as he and Mateo stared at each other, unmoving, for a

handful of long seconds. Then a city bus rumbled by and broke the

visual contact. Elias sighed and looked down.

Ugh. He should just give it up. It wasn’t going to happen, they

weren’t going to happen. Mateo probably didn’t even know he existed

or, if he did, didn’t think he was anything but an awkward boy not

worth the time of day.

Elias told himself it didn’t matter, that there were hundreds of men

just as good as Mateo who would want him in a heartbeat. He sighed

as he cast one more glance out of the window across the street where

Mateo was talking to his customer. The problem was Elias didn’t want

any of those hundreds of men.

He wanted Mateo.

****

him what that bundle meant. Sincerity, fidelity and passion. In other

words, that his admirer wanted Elias, and only Elias.

This was crazy. Elias knew he shouldn’t be paying any attention

to this nonsense, because who still sent anonymous flowers to their

intended?

Romantics, that’s who.

Well, yeah. But in all his time working at the flower shop, Elias

didn’t think he’d ever met one of those. There were men who came in

looking for a bouquet to get them out of the doghouse, women who

wanted something their mother couldn’t criticize, adorable little kids

buying their mom a flower for her birthday. Men in lust, women

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mourning the loss of a loved one, teenagers wanting to impress their

first girlfriend.

But real romantics? No, Elias didn’t think those existed anymore.

Kira would disagree, and loudly, but it was true as far as Elias had

seen.

But this guy, whoever he was, seemed to be a breed apart. He

chose his flowers with care, with thought, and it was sort

of…inspiring, really. And it made Elias feel special. Which was

probably foolish, but his cynicism couldn’t win out over the power of

beautiful flowers chosen with such care just for him.

So Elias put this bunch in a vase as well, to take home with him

after work, and went about his day with a bounce in his step.

****

meant loving thoughts and shyness. So, his admirer thought Elias’s

shyness was an appealing trait, did he? He glanced around the store,

making sure no one had seen him giggling at a bunch of flowers.

It wasn’t fair, he thought. His admirer could talk to him, but Elias

couldn’t do the same. He wanted to tell him how much he loved the

flowers. He wanted to thank him and, well, maybe more. He wanted

to know who it was who felt such things for him.

Elias had found himself examining every customer more closely

these days. Wondering if the man buying the balloon bouquet for an

expectant mom might be the one. Or the older man with a potted

cactus plant. It could be anyone and he’d found himself putting

everyone who passed through under a microscope.

None seemed right, though. Elias sighed.

“It might not even be a customer, you know.” Kira chimed into his

thoughts abruptly, leaning against the counter across from him.

“What do you mean? Who else would it be?”

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She shrugged. “One of your friends? Someone from your past? An

old flame, maybe? I mean, look, shyness, right? Most people who’d

only seen you working wouldn’t guess you’re as shy as you are.

You’re really only shy around men you find attractive.”

Elias’s brows knit. That was true. “So you think maybe it was

someone I dated or, like, met in a more social sense?”

Kira shrugged, bending over to sniff the royal blue pansies.

“Dunno. But it’s worth a thought.”

It was. And when she wandered off again, Elias turned his mind in

that direction. He didn’t know who it was, still, but maybe he was

getting a little closer to figuring it out.

****

wilt a bit in their vase. It had been 3 days since they’d arrived and

ever since…no others had come. When he’d gotten them, his heart

had leapt. A red tulip was a declaration of love, while yellow meant

hopelessly in love. There were a dozen of each.

Elias had been sure that these were his admirer’s final statement,

and that he’d make himself known now.

He’d been right on one thing – the tulips
were
a final statement.

But no admirer had stepped out of the woodwork to claim

responsibility and, if Elias was being honest, claim his heart as well.

Now, days later, they were wilting slightly and it was depressing.

Whatever had spurred such a sudden, intense interest had clearly

faded, just as the flowers were fading.

Still, Elias couldn’t bring himself to throw them out. So, once he’d

shut off all the lights and locked up the till, he scooped the tulip vase

off the counter. He could at least bring them home and they could join

the others drying on his windowsill. It was ridiculous, but Elias hadn’t

thrown a single one out. God, he was turning into a schoolgirl,

pressing flowers in his damn diary.

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His messenger bag slung across his shoulder, vase of tulips

hugged carefully against his side, Elias fumbled a bit with the front

door of the shop as he dug out his keys to lock up. He was forced to

set the vase down on the sidewalk in order to pull the gate down and

lock it at the bottom.

That secured, he turned to pick up his flowers when suddenly they

seemed to explode everywhere. He stumbled back, still half-

crouching, and realized a pair of obviously drunk young men were the

cause, one staggering a bit too close for comfort.

Elias rose to his feet, scowling, and gave the guy a push. “Hey!

Watch out, why don’t you?” His chest tightened in disappointment at

the sight of his once beautiful flowers crushed under a couple of frat

boys’ feet. He shoved the shop keys into his pocket.

The one he’d pushed gave him a lopsided grin that, under normal

circumstances was probably very charming to girls and boys alike.

However, Elias was in no mood for drunkenly charming tourists

trying to bother him when all he wanted was to go home.

“Hey now, pretty, don’t be that way. We’re goin’ to have a drink.

Come on with us,” he urged. He had a vague southern accent that

Elias couldn’t place and didn’t care to try. He reeked of beer.

Elias brushed the guy’s hand off his shoulder and hitched his

messenger bag a bit higher, shaking his head as he backed away a

step. “Not tonight, boys. Go find someone else to party with.” He