• happiness / ˈhapɪnəs •
the state of being happy.

THE KEYS JINGLED IN MY HANDS as I opened the door to my flower shop. The scent of flowers hit my nose and for a moment, I was overwhelmed with the joy that the flowers brought. I couldn't believe that it's been a year since I opened the flower shop and more so, I couldn't believe that the business had been doing so well. The first few months had been rough while I tried to steady myself, but those days were long forgotten. Not only did I had loyal customers that visited on a monthly basis, but I was considering expanding the shop - something I never dreamed doing.

If only granny could see me now, I thought to myself, my heart aching. My grandmother, Leyla Pierce, was the woman who inspired me to achieve the impossible. As I think of her now, I could still smell the fresh lavender flowers beds from her home mixed with the scent of freshly baked cherry pies. It was an odd combination, I won't deny that, but for her, it worked, which is why I had lavender spread throughout the shop. Sighing, I made my way to my office. Even though I was an hour early to the rest of the staff, I had a load of work that had to be done. The paperwork on my desk grew at an abnormally fast speed and I was seriously dreading to go through the pile. Don't get me wrong, I was used to doing office work, but I never did work well in an office environment. Before I opened the flower shop, I was working at the financial district as a bank trader. It was a good job and I made well enough the threshold to survive without stressing over when the next paycheque would come, but it wasn't suited for me, despite completing getting my bachelor's in Business and Finance. I enjoyed the freedom the shop brought. I mean, I get to be my own boss and that's something I definitely did not want to change. Not to mention that I enjoyed working at a flower shop. I aspired to provide my employees with a stress-free environment so they want to come in for work everyday, which I'm proud to say I do, as not many jobs offer that.

Focusing on my task at hand, I browsed through the first pile I had on my desk labelled as 'Urgent!' With a heavy sigh, I read the documents, noting that it was for an order that needed to be placed yesterday. Glancing over at the watch on my wrist, I prayed that Kenny, the source that is responsible for at least three quarters of the flowers in the shop, could pull some strings for me. Without hesitation, I dialled his number that was engraved in my memory.

"Hello?" A gruff, tired voice greeted me and I contained my smile.

"Hi, Ken," I said, fidgeting with the paper on my desk, "I desperately need to order some white lilies and roses." Hearing Kenny shuffle on the other line, I prayed that he would say yes.

"How many?" He questioned, a yawn slipping past his lips.

"Eighty each," the minute the words left my mouth, I heard Kenny laugh. Not just a chuckle, but a full blown knee-slapping laugh.

"I know you have your sources, Ken! Not to mention that you can work miracles," I pleaded, hoping that he would take the bait. Without Kenny helping me, I wouldn't be able to fulfill this order and that means that I would have one angry bridezilla on my hands. Out of all the things in this world, a bridezilla is the one most underestimated. She would literally start world war three if something went wrong on her special day, especially when she's a spoiled princess which just makes the situation that much worse.

"Alright, I'll do it." Kenny said, causing me to give an excited squeal in response. With a quick goodbye, I wrote a note on the order and moved onto the next task, aiming to complete this pile before Caroline and Jamie arrived for their shift.

As I completed task after task, my mind went to my mother. We haven't spoken in almost two months, which is nothing if you've met my mother. Genevieve was a woman capable of running for president, should she want to. Thanks to her brutal honesty and fearless personality, she was a woman that had high opinions on everything, including how I should live my life. When I went off to school, she couldn't have been more proud of the fact that I was going to get a degree in finance. Being a full-time nurse herself, she worked countless of never-ending shifts while earning only enough to get by, which is why she took any shift that was given to her to earn just enough to get me into a good school. The problem is, although I finished school with honours and found a job, I wasn't happy. I hated every minute working in that stressful environment. My days felt like they were dragged on a daily basis and I had no life because I was constantly working long hours. When I decided to change where I work, my mother had been hesitant in accepting it, but when I announced that I was going to open a flower shop, she hit the roof. To this day, I had never seen her to be that livid. She's given me more lectures than I can count with her support nowhere in sight. Though our relationship had crumbled, it pains me knowing she and I are not close anymore.

Rubbing my face, I willed myself to push my thoughts to the back of my mind. Today was going to be a good day, I chanted in my head in an attempt to convince myself.

"Good morning, boss," Jamie greeted, a yelp escaping my lips. Clutching my rapid heart, I shook my head at her.

"One day, you're going to give me a heart attack," I scolded her, looking over at the clock on the wall.

"You're early," I said, noting she had nearly twenty minutes before her shift had began. Caroline shrugged in return, taking out her phone as if it were a habit. Her fingers moved gracefully on the screen and in five seconds, she had already slipped her phone back into her pocket.

"Jamie said she'd be late. She said her car won't start up so she's calling the mechanic or something," Caroline watched me as I sighed. This would happen on the day orders were coming in. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't mad at Jamie, but her car had been an issue for a while now and I just wished it would have called it quits when it was a quieter day.

"Tell her to come in whenever she can. We need all the help we can get," I instructed, stretching my limbs. Caroline nodded and sent a quick text before excusing herself to go get a coffee. Just as I was about to continue with the next set of papers, I heard the delivery door buzzer ring through. Groaning, I put my head in my hands before getting up to greet Charles, our delivery man.

Time seemed to to faster from then on, with the morning quickly turning into afternoon and before we knew it, it was an hour until closing time. The pile on my desk had shrunken considerably since I started it, but with the rush of customers during lunch and evening, I hadn't been able to complete the rest. As Jamie couldn't show up for her shift, it was just Caroline and I managing the shop, which would normally be fine if it weren't so busy. Since I couldn't return to my hideaway that I call my office, I decided to take on the next thing on my list, which was to do inventory.

Too busy with the thoughts inside my head, I didn't hear the door open and customers walk in until the ding on the counter rang through the empty shop. Waiting for Caroline to speak, the ding reached my ears again.

"Where is she?" I muttered to myself, putting down my clipboard and walking out from the cooler at the back of the shop.

"So sorry, I thought my colleague - "

I paused, my eyes widening at the sight of the man in front of me. Holy shit, he's gorgeous, somewhere from the back of my mind whispered. Towering over me like the Eiffel Tower, the stranger was nothing like I had seen before. With dark hair swept back and eyes the colour of emeralds, I could barely keep the giddy girl from inside me escaping as I drank him in greedily with my gaze. He wore a classic navy suit that successfully hugged his muscles, making my body tingle at the thought of his hands running across my skin. I had almost hid from embarrassment when I realized I had gawked at him for a good minute.

"What can I get you?" I asked, my mind silently screaming 'Take me! Take me!' His eyes roaming the shop, focused on the variety of flowers.

"I need a bouquet," he stated and I swear I heard my heart break. How silly me, of course he would have a girlfriend! A guy like him was rarely seen without a beautiful model nearby.

"I'll need a bit more detail than that I'm afraid," I said, gazing at Caroline as she emerged from the backroom. Her eyes passed by the man, unfazed before going behind him and mouthed 'OMG!' to me. I looked down to the cash register, resisting the urge to giggle.

"Who is the bouquet for? Friend? Cousin? Girlfriend?" I questioned, not trying to sound too disappointed. He sent me a smile, almost as if it were a secret.

"It's for my mother. She hasn't been feeling well lately so I thought I'd cheer her up with some flowers," he explained and I bit the inside of my mouth to prevent myself from grinning at his response. I mean, he could still be off the market, but I'll just push it to the back of my mind for now.

"Girls like that sort of thing, don't you?" He asked as he sent me a dimpled smile. Tilting my head to the side, I refrained myself from laughing.

"Isn't that a bit of a generalization?" I responded as his eyes twinkled with mischief. He leaned forward over the counter, his body close enough for me to smell his cologne and watched me for a slow second, like he was dissecting my soul.

"Maybe I'm just trying to find out whether you like flowers,"

"Do you know what type of flowers she likes?" I questioned, my cheeks burning as I scribbled on the order form in front of me.

"Peonies, but I'll take roses if you don't have them." He tells me, looking around the shop trying to locate either of the flowers.

"We have the peonies," I pointed out, feeling the need to impress the handsome stranger.

"Great, I'll take two dozen. Do you need anymore information? My phone number maybe?" He asked me, and I look up at him confused. Why would I need his phone number? Unless he's implying that I should call him? Should I call him? Is that even appropriate considering he's a customer? A handsome customer, but nevertheless a customer. My eyes travel down to the form and I almost smack my head at the blonde moment.

"Yes, I need your phone number in case of emergency. If there are any issues with the delivery of your bouquet, we'll give you a call." I explain hurriedly, my cheeks reddening in embarrassment. I can barely think with him looking at me and that makes me feel ashamed. We have had handsome customers come into the shop before, but with his presence near me, I feel like my mind is going to mush with each passing second.

After dictating his number to me and paying for the arrangement (which, by the way, cost could cover the cost of my lumch a few times), I sent him a small smile.

"You're all set. The flowers will be delivered on Thursday and aside from that, I hope you enjoy the rest of your day." I tell him, already feeling sad that he's leaving so soon. Thanking me, he bid me farewell before walking out of the shop.

I watched him as he left and our eyes briefly met as he walked by the shop's window. Once he was out of my sight, I waited at the counter. For what? I had no idea, but in my heart, I felt that this wouldn't be the last time I see him and for that brief moment, I played the fantasy in my head before Chloe's voice rang through my ear.