Chapter Text
Ali cleaned up any soil on the counters of the store greenhouse. It was near closing time and she just wanted to go home. She organized the last of the potted plants and was in the process of removing her gardening gloves when the store phone shrilled through the flowershop as it rang. Ali quickly maneuvered her way around flower pots that lined the floors and both finished and unfinshed bouquets on the counters. She almost slipped on a few scraps of parchment and cellophane wrappers and grabbed the phone right before it went to the store voicemail.
Ali smoothed strands of her dark hair behind her ear, "Hello and good evening, this is Ali from the Sunset Flowershop." Ali said in her happiest voice she could muster. Today just wasn't a good day, she was swamped with plenty of orders and she knew this phone call wasn't going to be any different. Not to mention the fact that it was already late into the day, and an order of flowers was the last thing she wanted to do. All she wanted was a nice hot bath and a cup of Chamomile tea, not to mention People's magazine.
"Yea hello?" The voice on the other line said.
"Yes, I'm still here. How can I help you?" Ali quickly asked, knowing that her pause earlier might've gave the caller the thought that she hung up.
"Okay, well I wanted to order some flower bouquets." The women informed.
"Sure. What kind would you like?" Ali asked while moving over to the counter to grab a pen and notepad to take down the order.
"I need 30 bouquets of Lantanas and Cannas, mixed together, not separate. And just one bouquet of white roses." The woman rattled off.
Ali listened and finished writing up the order, "Where should I deliver these to? And I'll need your name as well."
"Have it delievered to 562 Surfs Drive, and my name is Ashlyn Harris." Ashlyn said into the phone. "I need them tonight and will pay extra to have them delievered tonight."
"Okay great! That's all I need, they should be delivered in less than 20 minutes." Ali smiled before hanging up with a groan. This was a large order, one that she was going to have to take care of by herself since more than half of her staff was out with the flu. There were only three workers in today, whom already had a list filled with order deliveries, so if Ali waited on them to get back then the order would definitely be late. That was something her flower shop never did. So she neatly gathered the flowers and wrapped them into the amount she needed. She also took enough white roses to make the one bouquet the woman wanted. Once she was finshed, she placed all of the bouquets into her own personal car; since all the delivery vans were out, and began the drive up to the residence.
Ali was quite surprised when she pulled into the driveway of a very modern beach house that had to have cost millions. She blinked a few times to stop her ogling, before shuting off the car and knocking on the front door. She could hear loud house or trance style music blasting through the closed doors and wondered if she came to the right place, especially when the front door opened and a very large man with an impressive beard and a mean face appeared in front of her.
Ali gulped before finding her voice and speaking. When it came out all squeaky and the man narrowed his eyes, Ali thought she was as good as dead.
"Excuse me, but does Ashlyn Harris live here?" Ali asked with a timid smile, praying to god that the man says no so that she could leave.
"Maybe she does, maybe she doesn't. What's it to yah?" The mean grumbled with a booming voice.
"She ordered flowers, I'm here to deliver them." Ali clarified while looking around the man and seeing a living room packed with people who held red Solo cups and danced pretty wildly to the music. It had to be a house party, there was no other reason for that many drunk people in one room, and by the looks of it it had to be illegal according to a few laws in Florida.
Two large fingers snapped in front of Ali's face, bringing her out from her thoughts.
"Hey Miss!" The large man yelled, his breath smelling heavily of beer and cigarettes. "Does this look like the kind of place where flowers are delivered to, because I don't-"
"Whoa Cole, calm down. What's the problem out here?" A blonde haired woman dressed in tight black jeans and an open white long sleeve shirt, showcasing her dark blue sports bra and a defined abdomen.
"This lady has the wrong address! Coming here talking about flowers?! I know for sure you didn't buy any damn flowers." Cole bellowed while laughing.
"They're for my mother you dumbass." The blonde says as she harshly slaps Cole on the back of the head before shoving him back into the house. "Sorry about that, I'm Ashlyn Harris, I ordered the flowers." She ended with a smile after looking Ali up.
"Yes, the bouquets are in the back. But uh it seems like you're pretty busy. Maybe I should come back tomorrow morning." Ali chuckled, hitching a thumb towards the direction of the living room.
"Nah. Let's being these inside." Ashlyn stated and walked over to Ali's car while buttoning up her shirt. She leaned on the side of car, watching Ali unlock the doors and bringing out the order. Her eyes skimmed over Ali's backside with a faint smile ghosting over her lips, but quickly averted her gaze when Ali pulled out the bouquets.
"If everything looks like it's in place, then sign here and I can help you bring it inside." Ali informed while pointing out the signing spot on the order sheet.
Ashlyn looked over her order twice before signing the document, she gathered most of the bouquets and headed back towards the beach house. "Come on, I'll show you where to put it."
Ali nodded and followed her into the large beach house, she stuck out like a sore thumb with her light green flower shop shirt with the logo largely placed on the back. Nonetheless she followed Ashlyn, squeezing through drunk party goers, Ashlyn even had to push quite a few away so they didn't crush the bouquets in her arms. Ashlyn led Ali through the living room, down a long hallway with plenty of doors, and into a sunroom adorned with expensive furniture and tables and a few potted plants. The room was beautiful, despite it being late into the evening which defeated the entire purposes of the room, but it did however give you a grandeur view of the house deck and the ocean in the background.
"Just lay it down here." Ashlyn pointed to a long sun bed where she began laying them down.
Ali followed suit, although she laid them down in a more delicate fashion. From the corner of her eye she could see Ashlyn watching her and it bothered her. It was bad enough that her ears we're being murdered by the loud house music blasting through the residence, now she had this woman staring pretty intently at her ass.
Ali rolled her eyes before turning around and pulling out her portable credit card scanner. She hid her scowl so as to not upset her customer, and somehow found a way to politely smile. "I'm going to need you to swipe your card for the payment. And I'll be out of your hair."
Ashlyn just reached behind her back and produced her wallet. It unnerved Ali, how Ashlyn didn't say a word while going through her motions and looking into her eyes. When Ashlyn finally broke eye contact, Ali held the scanner out at arms length. Ashlyn closed the space between them and swiped her card. Ali made sure that the card went through and smiled once it did.
"You should be getting an email confirmation that contains your receipt. It was a pleasure doing business with you." Ali stated and put the scanner away getting ready to leave but stopped short when hand gently held her wrist. She knew who the hand belonged to, she just want sure why she was being stopped. But turned around anyways to gave the blonde.
"Don't you want to stay for the party? I could get you a drink or something." Ashlyn shrugged but there was clear desire housing in her now darkened hazel eyes.
Ali freed her wrist before shaking her head. "No, sorry. I have to go. But once again thank you for choosing Sunset Flower Shop." She managed to weave her way through the party goers, narrowly missing a unmistakably drunk man with a lampshade on their head before she made it out the beach house and to her car. She was about ready to pull out from the driveway until the blonde stopped her for the second time tonight.
Ali shut off her car and watched the blonde jog over to her with a single white rose in her hand. "I wanted you to have this. I know it came from your workplace but um, I want you to take it. Goodnight Ali." She said it with such confidence that Ali omitted the "um" in her words.
Ali took the rose and smiled, "Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your night." Ali started back up her car and leaving the residence. There was no way that she was going to let some teenage acting, party throwing blonde hit on her. She knew that Ashlyn must've already got a few looks at her ass, so she wasn't going to stick around and entertain her hopes.
Ali exited her car at her flower shop, smiling when she saw all three delivery vans parked. She never liked making her employees work late but sometimes it had to be done. She entered the store, making sure everything was properly put in place before nodding in satisfaction and locking up the store. Heading home was the only thought on her mind, especially when a hot bath and a cup of tea was awaiting her.