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„Have you seen the tall blond who's been coming in every day?” Mithian whispered and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
Merlin couldn’t keep the grin back. “Yeah, kind of.” He blushed.
Mithian laughed as she arranged the bouquet of flowers she just made in a vase for the customers to see. “Thought so. Just your type, eh?”
Shrugging, Merlin busied himself with picking the flowers for the next bouquet.
December was a busy time in the little flower shop at the corner and even though the worst days – the ones right before Christmas – were still ahead, they were doing nothing but making bouquets that had been pre-ordered and then some for walk-ins to buy. Merlin’s fingers were all poked and cut and whatnot from holding the stems, that sometimes had tiny spikes and things, together and yet, it never seemed enough at this time of year.
They might have sounded whiny about it sometimes, but Merlin loved his shop and that he had hired Mithy was the best thing that ever happened to him. She loved flowers just as much as he did, treated them with the respect they deserved and made the most beautiful creations.
For a few days, a tall blond in clothes way too expensive for this area, came in every day. First, he had just looked around and reluctantly bought something, but the more often he showed up, the more he wanted to know about the plants and managed to engage Merlin in a little conversation every time. The bouquets he bought each day got bigger and bigger and more expensive as time went on.
“He is, but I’m sure he’s buying the flowers for someone.”
Mithian’s smile widened to a grin when the little bell at the door chimed to announce the man they had been talking about.
Merlin tried to will the blush off his face. “Hello!”
“Good afternoon.” The man smiled widely. “I’ll take…I don’t even know what…what would you recommend?” He pulled expensive looking gloves off his hands as he looked around.
“Oh, that depends on who the flowers are for.” Merlin would have rolled his eyes at Mithy if he didn’t have to face the blond while Mithy gave him an overly huge thumbs up gesture and mouthed a ‘well done!’.
“Your wife? Then I’d probably recommend these here. The bouquets are all freshly made today, the flowers were delivered in the morning.”
“No wife, no. When do you start working?”
That question made Merlin blink. “Sometimes the deliveries arrive as early as 5 in the morning and at the moment, it’s wise to get started at that time.”
“So you’re here from 5 am on?”
“Yes?” Merlin didn’t quite know what the man had intended with this question. “Maybe…if you want to surprise your loved one with more flowers, you could pre-order them and we’ll have them ready by the time you come here?” He suggested.
Shaking his head, the man smiled. “That would take away the pleasure of hearing you talk about the flowers so enthusiastically.”
While Mithian kept on making encouraging gestures behind the man’s back, Merlin was confused. The guy liked him talking about flowers? That was weird. “So…how about some off-white roses today? The ones with the soft orange rim?”
“Sure, that sounds good. What’s that green stuff?”
Merlin pulled the bouquet out of the vase and explained each of the twigs. “It’s a very nice wintery arrangement.”
“Then I’ll take this one today.”
The man paid and made some more small-talk as Merlin wrapped the flowers in paper and then handed them over.
“He liiiiiiiikes youuuuuuuuuu,” Mithian chanted as soon as the door had closed behind the man.
Rolling his eyes, Merlin went back to making the next bouquet.
+++
Merlin had sent Mithian home already and was just about to lock up for the holidays. He was totally exhausted and couldn’t count how many arrangements they had made and sold. He would just clean up the back room, take care that the plants had enough water to survive until he was back on Boxing Day and take the few cut flowers that were left over home.
The blond knocked against the glass of the door and only then Merlin realised he hadn’t seen him all day. His tired face lit up as he turned the key again.
“Actually, we’re already closed, but…because it’s you…” Oh, come on, stop babbling, Merlin.
The man snuck in. “I know I’m late, but…”
“There’s not much left, I’m sorry. I gave the last bouquet to Mithian when she went home and now all that’s still here are some left-over cut flowers that don’t really match and me.”
The blond laughed. “Good.”
“Good?”
“Yes, because…what would you make out of them?”
Merlin took a long look at what was still there and a picture of very modern arrangement formed in his mind. “I can’t tell you.”
“Oh, come on, I just saw your mind working, you already have an idea and I’m sure it’s good. Just tell me.”
Merlin shook his head. “I can’t tell you, but…if you have a moment…I could show you?” He took the flowers out of the water and carried them carefully to the back room.
The man followed and watched in awe as Merlin added twigs and leaves and berries to the flowers and even though it had looked as if the flowers didn’t match at all, step after step a harmonically arranged bouquet appeared in Merlin’s hands.
“Here you go.”
“This is like magic.”
“What?” Merlin chuckled.
“It looked as if nothing really would go together and that the colours would clash and now you created something so wonderful. That’s magic!”
Merlin smiled. “Then I shall call this the ‘magic bouquet’. Here, it’s for you, I wouldn’t have created it if you weren’t here.” He went to wrap it in paper. “Happy Christmas.”
“What? Oh no, I’m going to pay you for your work and the flowers!”
“No, don’t. You’re such a good customer. Someone who loves flowers that much deserves a Christmas present.”
The man just stood there, the bouquet in his hands, and took a deep breath. “I have a confession to make.”
Merlin blinked. “Yeah?”
“I’m not too fond of flowers.” The man threw him a sheepish smile.
“Wha…? But you spent a fortune on them in the past weeks!” Merlin didn’t understand. What was this about?
“I know. It’s just not the flowers I’m interested in.”
Blinking a few times again, Merlin’s mind was racing. Had Mithy been right? “You’re saying…?”
“That I didn’t really know how to get to know you. You start your days so early and you work so late, so I had to come in each day to see you.” The man’s shoulders slumped. “And that probably sounds a lot creepier than it is meant. Let me start again.”
Merlin just stood there and waited.
“Hi, I’m Arthur. One day at the end of November, I accidentally exited the tube a station early and walked to work, thereby passing your beautiful little shop. I saw you through the shop window and I tried to figure out a way to meet you. So I started coming in, buying flowers.” He looked up and threw Merlin a crooked smile. “My place is packed with your creations.”
Merlin couldn’t help but chuckled. This was the craziest and at the same time loveliest thing he’d ever heard. “Are you real?”
“I know, crazy, eh?” The man, Arthur scratched the back of his neck and shrugged. Then he held the bouquet out to Merlin. “Would you…can I buy you dinner?”
“This is…” Merlin still chuckled. Nothing remotely like this had ever happened to him.
“Totally nuts, I know. So…would you go out with me to find out if I’m such a lost case?”
Merlin nodded and untied his green apron. “Give me five minutes to finish up here.”