Elly In Bloom (31 page)

Lucia rolled her eyes and picked up her phone, texting away. “I don’t really care, actually. I just thought that it seemed strange that it was white. It’s not like we haven’t been together…you know, intimately.” She gave Elly a sly smile.

Sunny looked at her, shocked. “Lucia! We don’t need to hear about that.”

“Sorry, Mother.” She looked back at her phone. There was a tense silence resonating through the shop.
Any minute now,
Elly thought
, Sunny is going to ask what is going on, and then it will all be screaming and crying and me throwing Lucia through the front window.
She smiled at the thought.

Snarky Teenager continued. “Let’s move on. So, the bridal bouquet and the bridesmaids are all set. How many bridesmaids do you have?”

Lucia didn’t glance up from her phone. “Ten.”

“Yes, that’s what we have here on the contract. Their bouquets will accent yours, only with more peonies, and we will be adding mimosa and pale yellow orchids.”

Lucia smiled knowingly at Elly. “We have a lot of friends, so it was hard to choose.”

Snarky Teenager stared, then spoke tersely. “Your friends must be really loyal to stand beside you and all the choices you two have made.”

“They are!” chirped Sunny, “Your friends are so bohemian, they love and accept everyone.” She paused, searching for the right words. “They are, what would you call them – free spirits? Although, the last time we were all together, Aaron didn’t seem to appreciate them very much.”

Lucia shushed her mom loudly. “Mother, we don’t need to talk about that.”

Snarky Teenager gushed theatrically, “I’d LOVE to hear that story! Do tell!”

Lucia tunneled her eyes into Snarky Teenager’s face. “Don’t you have, like, cheerleader practice or something to go to?”

Sunny leaned forward, “Be nice! I don’t think the florist much cares, dear. It was so amusing. At their engagement party, a couple of her friends had a little too much champagne and started to give a speech about how they met. I was thrilled to hear it, but Aaron cut them off so abruptly. He was embarrassed, I’m sure, since his parents were there and didn’t appreciate that they were slightly intoxicated.” Sunny laughed gaily, her hands in air. “Young people are so refreshing, but I’m sure Aaron didn’t see it that way.”

Elly couldn’t stop staring at Sunny. How could this woman, this wonderful and delightful woman produce such a demon of a daughter? She relished in knowing that Lucia and Aaron would always have to go great lengths to hide how they truly met from their parents.

Snarky Teenager plowed forward with the contract. “For the mother’s tussie, we have pink vanda orchids and then a white gardenia wrist corsage for the reception.”

Sunny leaned back in her chair with a sigh. “It’s all going to be so beautiful. I’m absolutely over the moon with these flowers.”

Lucia’s voice snaked back into the conversation. “What are we doing for the ceremony? I want to make sure that is something that our guests will never forget – the moment that I walk down the aisle, staring ahead to the man I love.” She leaned forward, laying her hand flat on the table, her green eyes looking straight into Elly’s. “Looking at the man who wants to marry me. A man who wants to share his entire life with me. A man who chose…me.”

Elly felt a cold hand close around her throat and lifted her eyes to the ceiling, tears blurring the chandelier that hung overhead.

“Isn’t this his second marriage?” she heard Snarky Teenager snap. “I’m not sure where I read that.” She pretended to shuffle through her notes. “So this is the second time he’s done this, correct? Second time he’s been down the aisle?”

Lucia sat forward. “Yes, that’s correct. It’s such a sad story. His wife left him! Just up and left him one day. No one knows where she went. She left him with a mortgage and this big house on his artist’s salary. The poor man. He was so devastated. It’s a miracle that we found each other so quickly afterwards. He was so
thankful
to find me.” She looked lovingly at Sunny. “It’s like I saved him.” Sunny looked down at the table. “How romantic, my dear.”

Elly snapped the pencil she was holding in half. So that was how they told it! Ah yes. The poor artist, left by his wife, with Lucia’s waiting arms to catch him.
What a wonderful fairy tale.
She glanced over and saw Snarky Teenager looking at her with sincere concern. Elly’s cracks were starting to show and she felt herself crumbling.

“Elly! Why don’t you show Sunny all the flowers we’ve been working on for this week’s wedding?” Snarky Teenager chirped.

Sunny clapped her hands brightly. “Ooohh!! I’d LOVE to see them. Your arrangements are magnificent, my dear!”

Elly stood, thankful for the momentary distraction. Sunny, moving quite quickly for a 70-year-old woman, practically skipped to the back. Elly followed slowly behind her, aware that her slower waddle fully displayed her large backside to waifish Lucia. She was about to turn the corner when she heard Snarky Teenager say, “Listen up, you skanky home wrecker.” She smiled in spite of the tension rippling through her veins. She would hate to be Lucia right now.

The arranging area in the rear of the store was a beautiful disaster. Sunflower heads, purple statice, blue cornflower and French marigolds lay strewn about the floor, a spring layer of confetti. The long design table was covered with white and cream milk jugs, each with a bright flower explosion, accented with wheat and dried lavender.

Sunny let out an excited squeal. “Oh dear, these are charming!! Look at the wheat!” Sunny prattled on, touching the leaves, the jugs and picking up tiny bits of flowers from the table.

Elly leaned back around the corner and peeked towards Lucia and Snarky Teenager. They were both leaning over the table towards each other, their shoulders hunched forward and hands splayed flat. Two tigers, though Elly, ready to pounce. Secretly, she hoped that Snarky Teenager would leap across the table and grab Lucia by her red mane. Then, it would all be out in the open - no more pretending.

“Sunny, we should finish up the consultation.” Elly swallowed her lie. “I would love to spend all day talking about Lucia’s wedding, but we have another appointment coming in at noon.” She allowed herself another one. “My tax guy.”

Sunny nodded and looked gratefully at Elly. “Thank you so much for doing this wedding. I know it’s quite the circus and I’m just a crazy old woman who has a million questions. Please understand, I have three sons and one daughter. I’ve simply attended my other children’s weddings. I show up in my god-awful corsage, eat some bland gourmet food and smile for pictures. And it’s lovely enough. But this is MY wedding, the one I get to throw, to show how proud I am of my child – even if my child is obstinate and completely ungrateful. She’s in rare form today; don’t think I haven’t noticed. That being said, I cannot wait to celebrate this…” she paused, searching for the right word, “surprising union with all my friends and people that I love.”

Elly looked into Sunny’s nurturing eyes, the same deep green that shone in the person she hated most, and felt her heart stir a little. She realized that she had made the right decision in doing this wedding. She would not break this wonderful woman’s heart to save her own. Sunny was a mother, through and through, and Elly loved mothers.

Elly heard a scuffle from the table, a sharp bite. She softly took Sunny’s arm. “Let’s go finish the consult.”

Elly and Sunny headed towards the table, Lucia glowering at her across the store. Snarky Teenager, whose normally perfect face was flushed and sweaty, gripped the ends of the contract. “Are you alright sweetie?” Sunny leaned over her.

Snarky Teenager took a deep breath. “Yes, I’m fine, I’m sorry. I’m not feeling well today.” She looked at Elly, helpless and confused as to what to say next. “I have the runs.”

An awkward pause settled over the table. Lucia sat back in her seat and crossed her arms, a smug smile upon her deceitful face. Elly turned to Snarky Teenager, who looked ready to cry. “Why don’t you head up to my apartment and lay down for awhile? Or um, do you what you need to do.”

Her brave ingénue stood up, said goodbye to Sunny and headed for the stairs, mouthing, “Sorry!” to Elly.

Elly gathered what was left of the contract. She looked directly at Lucia. “We have a beautiful plan in place for your ceremony. Your mother has approved the details. Would you like to run over it again?”

Lucia rolled her eyes. “Honestly, I couldn’t care less about the flowers. I mean, seriously, who even notices the flowers at a wedding? Aaron doesn’t really care about flowers either.”

That is a lie
, thought Elly,
he loves flowers. He paints flowers
.
You don’t know him like I do
.

“Lucia!” Sunny was getting upset now. “That was so rude! What is wrong with you today?”

“
Sorry, Mother.”

Elly dug her heels into the carpet
. I will finish this consultation, and then I will never have to look at her face again
. “Okay, so we’re all set then for the ceremony. I think you will be very pleased with what your mother has picked out. As for the reception, we have the most extraordinary centerpieces: Tall gold candelabras, filled with white phalenopsis orchids, pale yellow mimosa, with blown white garden roses…”

Lucia let out an exaggerated sigh. “That sounds pretentious. I mean, do huge centerpieces really represent Aaron and me? I would prefer something more down to earth. I have this friend named Zoe that makes organic plant arrangements out of natural soils and compost, and we were thinking that if we used those mixed with some silks…”

“Absolutely not,” Sunny exclaimed at the exact same time that Elly deadpanned, “We don’t do silks.”

Lucia curled her lip. “Why not? Flowers just die and it’s a total waste of money.”

Sunny gasped. Now this, this was something Elly was prepared for. Brides expressed this thought from time to time, and Elly was ready with her answer. She leveled Lucia with her level gaze.

“Why have real flowers? First of all, silks are only good for two things: ladies over seventy,” she paused, “no offense Sunny…”

“None taken,” chirped Sunny.

“…and graveside memorial wreaths. Secondly, we have a clause in our contract that says that we are the sole provider of the flowers. I’m not going to let the name of my shop be attached to some planter with silks sticking out of it. Third, your friend is probably not equipped to handle a wedding of this size. Many people who try to do it themselves end up calling me at the last minute.”

Lucia huffed noisily at her mother. “Whatever. Fine, you know what, it’s fine.” Her eyes flashed at Elly. “What matters is that I’m marrying the love of my life. I can’t wait to begin our adventure together, and I know Aaron is so ready to begin what will be the first truly happy phase of his life.”

Elly felt her temper roar, a thick hot mass that pitted in her stomach and flew to her temples. She gripped the ends of the table. Sunny seemed not to notice the exchange as she flipped through Elly’s flower books.

“Ooohhh! Look at this tiny ring of bovardia.”

Elly quickly flipped the contract over, aware that she was dangerously close to breaking. “I think we can call this a day. Sunny, if you would sign here, and Lucia here.” She handed the contract to Sunny, who signed and dotted it gaily. She then pushed the contract aggressively towards Lucia, who signed it with large sweeping letters.

“Thank you.”

All three women stood. Sunny squeezed Elly’s cheeks and kissed them with flourish. “You are so marvelous. I cannot wait to see your creations on the big day. Your mother, God rest her soul, must be so proud.”

Lucia’s face dissolved into fury. “Mom, can you go warm up the car? It’s chilly outside, and I only wore this shawl.”

Sunny rolled her eyes and rubbed her daughter’s back. “I told you when we left the house that this shawl thing wasn’t going to cut it.” She smiled at Elly. “Thank you for all your patience today! I know we aren’t the easiest clients. We’ll be in touch next week with any last minute details, but other than that, we should be all set!”

Elly raised her hand in a half wave. She felt exhausted to her core, ready to weep and mere seconds away from a colossal breakdown. “Thanks for coming in.”

Sunny turned and walked quickly outside.

Elly’s heart sped up as Lucia inched closer to her, her thick red waves hanging menacingly over her face. She pushed towards her until her eyes were inches from Elly’s.

“I don’t know what you are trying to do here, but if you wreck this wedding for us, I swear to GOD, I will come after you. I’m not sure what kind of sick, demented thing this is – what are you, stalking him? – but he will never come back to you, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Elly heard a hundred witty responses in her head, but she seemed rooted to the ground, her throat frozen.

“God, you are so pathetic. Do you know that he was sleeping with me for three months before you even found out? He was planning on leaving you, just as soon as his newest show opened. He said I was the best he ever had and that looking at you sometimes made him
sick
.” Lucia drove her pointed fingernail into Elly’s chest, running, it felt, right into her mutilated heart. “If this is your revenge fantasy, I’m more than willing to play.
He loves me, not you
. He never did.”