Chapter Text
Alice sighed softly as she waved her latest customer off, professional smile off of her face the moment his back was turned. She hated male customers who came in and expected her to know instantly what their girlfriends wanted. Just because she was a girl didn’t mean she was part of a hive mind with their lovers. Some just couldn’t understand that and would get pissy with her about it.
Pushing her hair out of her face she took a moment to look at herself reflected in one of her metal vases. All her life Alice had given off a hippie flower child vibe according to her parents, so it wasn’t a shock for them when she dyed her hair pastel pinks and blues and took over a floral shop from their aging neighbor. Once out of high school she traded her school uniform for long skirts, crop tops and maxi dresses. A massive amount of floral themed tattoos along her sides and arms completed the picture. Her mother hadn’t been happy when she moved out, saying that she was still too young since she had graduated at nineteen and left her house soon after. Five years have passed and Alice could honestly say she’s never been happier.
Except for some customers. Next time she heard ‘Just give me something girls like’ she may pop a blood vessel in her brain.
Going back to the counter Alice was about to get started planning a bouquet that she had decided to make for her mother’s birthday when the wind chimes she had in place of the traditional bell rang out. “Welcome to the Talking Garden” It was the original name and Alice thought it was funny given her own name. Not many got the joke however.
From the front door came one of the prettiest women Alice had ever seen. Blonde hair that was curled into a pompadour and a swagger then instantly hit all of Alice’s ‘yes please’ buttons. It took her a few moments to take in the rest of the picture and it just completed the look. Paint splattered overalls and a green tank top that barely peeked out, she also wore yellow tinted glasses that hide the color of her eyes. Alice wanted to lean over the counter to see her shoes, but restrained herself.
“Good morning. How can I help you?” Five years in this job and apparently her mouth finally decided to work on autopilot.
“Yeah…I need some flowers for a friend’s birthday. Something like massively showy you know?”
“Showy I can do.” Moving around the counter Alice started to collect supplies and took a subtle moment to glance down at her feet. Army boots with neon green laces, she wasn't really surprised. “Any particulars about it or am I allowed to go nuts?”
“She likes yellows and purples. And not a fan of the roses.”
“So something floral and fresh. Avoid the roses and keep it more simple with the flowers but showy overall?”
“Yeah, sounds perfect.”
“Did you need this today?”
“Yeah…” She seemed hesitant for a moment and blushed, rubbing her hair. “I kinda blanked and completely forgot that I had to get her something.”
Alice nodded for a moment, moving to her work table so she could start building the gift. “You can sit and watch if you want or I’ve got a back room you can wait in.”
“I’ll wait here.” Alice didn’t look up but could hear her pulling the stool that was left out for customers over to the table as well.
Shrugging a shoulder Alice decided to focus on her work instead of on the pretty lady. Wouldn’t do to drool and look like an idiot. Clicking her tongue she pulled out a yellow depression glass vase and started to build the bouquet into it. A few Viburnum stems to build the shape and then Black-eyed Susans to brighten it up. Daylillies and yellow pansies completed the yellow and Alice turned her attention to the purples. Bellflowers, catmint, and allium finished out the bouquet and she pulled out a purple ribbon and tied it into a perfect bow around the neck of the vase.
“Tada! Would you like me to wrap this up so the flowers don’t get bruised or deliver it myself?” She asked as she turned back to the woman.
“Deliver, knowing me I will find some way to bruise them.”
“Understandable. Do you want a card for this?”
“Sure.”
Nodding slightly Alice walked back to the counter and trilled her tongue slightly as she waved her hand in front of her stand of cards before picking one at random. It was blank, but had a purple border and she grabbed a pin to attach it to the ribbon. Digging a pen out from her drawer and came back over to the work table and hanged the card and pen over.
“Go nuts. I’m gonna start adding this up.”
As she left the woman to write her thoughts down Alice went back to her counter and started punching in the totals for flowers and vase into her calculator. It was a bit old fashioned, but she felt it made her more honest not to have a computer doing all the work. Tax came next and finally she took off a discount for it being a birthday bouquet as she always did. It was still a bit pricey, but with the size of it that was to be expected. With the total in hand she went back to the woman to see if she was done.
“Got the total. Is this gonna be cash or card?”
“Cash.”
“Alright. Eighty five dollars even.”
Cash was easily handed over and Alice took down the address, promising she would bring the flowers by at noon so it would be a surprise. Waving the woman out she paused halfway to the counter again and starting cursing as she realized she never got her name or the name of the friend the bouquet was for. Looking back at the gift she made the choice to invade a bit of privacy and see if the name was written on the card. Carefully unpinning it she opened it up and read the note.
Abby,
Congrats on surviving another year after escaping the womb.
Jilllian
Alice blinked slightly at the odd phrasing, but at least she now had both names. Wrapping the bouquet up with some plastic so nothing fell out of place during the wait she went back to planning her mom’s gift until it was time to head out. A few other customers drifted in, one or two new and a few regulars who always stopped by even if they weren't buying anything. At eleven thirty Alice checked the directions on her phone and was surprised it was a five minute walk between the two points. Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, when else would she ever get a delivery this close, Alice swept up her shop and grabbed her keys and the flowers. The door lock happily clicked behind her and she set off to her delivery.
Of all the things she expected when the woman...Jillian came in, her working at a firehouse was not one of them. Alice stood outside it for a moment or two, blinking slowly as she tried to comprehend the idea. Their brief conversation didn't give her a lot of details into Jillian's character, but something about her vibrated as the one who started the fires, not put them out. With a click of her tongue she went through the doors, letting the sounds of a party guide her to the second floor.
Apparently it was a massive party despite Alice only seeing four women. What looked like a cross between Frankenstein's lab and the inside of every techophobe’s worst nightmare was completely decked out in party streamers and there were even balloons strung up, though some had wiggled free and were lazily drifting to the ceiling.
“Definitely not firemen.” She muttered to herself before rapping her knuckles against the first solid and non-scary looking thing she could find to draw attention to herself. The noise was enough to get the attention of one of the women, a tall thin woman with orange looking hair, who quickly got everyone else to pay attention.
“I’m looking for a Miss Abby?” Alice said politely, realizing she had kind of barged in on what looked like a private affair. “Delivery of a birthday gift.”
“Here!” The woman who spoke up had dark roots and what looked like dyed white tips for hair, making Alice feel more in place with her pastel locks. Smiling to her Alice came over and set the bouquet down gently so none of the water sloshed out.
“Happy birthday Miss.” She said with a nod, stepping back so she could open the wrapping.
“Thank you!” Alice watched as she carefully cut the wrapping open and gaped for a few moments at the bouquet. Alice was always proud of her work and she smiled brightly as she and the other women made comments about how beautiful the arrangement was. Glancing to the side Alice saw Jillian hanging back and smiling softly as she watched Abby pull the card off of the ribbon.
“Wow, Holtzmann! Thank you!” And now Alice had a full name. Jillian Holtzmann. A part of her wondered why that name rang a little bell in the back of her mind, but Alice shook it off in order to watch Abby go over to Jillian and give her a massive hug. Deciding it was time to leave the girls to their party she politely stepped away.
“Alright. I’ll leave ya’ll to your fun. Miss Abby those should last about two weeks if you keep cleaning the water and put a little plant food into the clean water.” She clapped her hands together with a smile and politely waved ‘Bye’ to the group.
“See ya, Beautiful.”
Alice felt her cheeks turn a red that would put even her most expensive wine roses to shame as she blinked at Jillian who just smirked and winked. Clearing her throat awkwardly Alice nodding again and hurried out of the firehouse before she said something that would embarrass her in front of the group. Half way through her hurried pace back to her shop she stopped and cursed again.
This time she forgot to give her own name.