Elly In Bloom (38 page)

The alarm sounded at 4:30 am, jerking Elly out of a dense, dreamless sleep. She felt as though she had been drugged. She showered slowly, letting the hot water drip over her throbbing back and legs. Elly dressed in silence, a pulse rising in the corner of her brain. She pulled on her long khaki pants and the black ruffled blouse that Anthony had purchased for her so she wouldn’t wear her normal pink delivery polo. Her golden curls were swept up into a loose ponytail – she couldn’t deal with hair in her face today. She gave Cadbury a quick nuzzle and headed into the studio, which was still a complete wreck.

When Elly had left yesterday, the floor was a sea of compost, and the chaos of a giant wedding evident in every corner, but they had all been too exhausted to clean. Today, amongst the chaos, the arrangements stood lined up at the front in stately rows, and the bouquets pulled out so that they would be fully opened. The back design table was covered with the ceremony arrangements. Everything was organized and ready to go, all within a disastrous mess. A wave of love swept through Elly as she looked at her employees standing among the flowers, breaking through the numbness that had overwhelmed her that morning.

“You guys…what have I done to deserve you?”

Kim handed her a hot chocolate. “Nothing. But you are paying us VERY well.”

Ardelle stuck her nose in the air. “She’s not paying me ZAT well. I am a one of a kind.”

Elly ignored her and took a sip. “Let’s run over today – does everyone have their notes?” Her team nodded.

Elly, Kim, Snarky Teenager and Ardelle sat at the consultation table, shoving aside candles and buckets of rose petals. Each had typed up detailed notes of their schedule for the day.

“Okay. Kim, tell me your schedule.”

“I wait here for the delivery drivers that are coming at 7 am. I tell them exactly what to load and where it goes, along with giving them a map to the hotel and a list of all our cell phone numbers. I then periodically check in with you via your cell to see if you need anything, or if any of the delivery drivers are not where they are supposed to be.”

“And?”

“And, I make any last-minute arrangements if they are needed.”

“Yes. Wonderful.” She turned to Snarky Teenager. “And you?”

She gave an exasperated sigh. “Do I have to go over it AGAIN?”

“Yes.”

“Fine. I take all the personal flowers straight to the bride’s room. I set up the bouquets, making sure that I double check them with Lizette, who will be with Lucia all day.” Her face distorted when she said Lucia’s name. “I then pin all the groomsmen, the fathers, the ushers, the grandparents, aunts and moms. After that, I meet Elly in the Grand Ballroom to help with the reception set up.”

Elly nodded. “What else?”

Snarky Teenager groaned. “I watch Ardelle.”

“Yes. Ardelle, you know what you are doing?”

Ardelle ran her French manicure over the table. “Oui. I do whatever she,” she gestured flippantly to Snarky Teenager, “tells me to do. Also, I fix any arrangements zat might encounter travel damage.” Ardelle sat primly at the table, her lavender scarf tied in a giant bow around her neck.

“And what do we we not do?”

Ardelle winked at Elly. “We do not hit anyone with brooms. But I might trip people if zey get in my way.”

Elly waved a hand at her. “That’s fine. Just no brooms. We’re all set, yes?”

There was a deafening silence.

“You have to tell us
your
schedule,” Kim said gravely.

“Right.” Elly took a deep breath. “I stay here to help Kim load all the delivery vans and direct the drivers, who will then unload everything for us. I then drive over and set up the ceremony in the hotel courtyard. Isaac is meeting me there and helping me.” She smiled at the thought of his cheerful face. “After that is done – and I imagine it will take at least two hours – I will decorate the reception venue, and will be joined by the other two. We will all ride back together. If all goes perfectly, we should finish setting up the reception right before the ceremony begins.”

Ardelle started to say something.

Snarky Teenager shushed her. “No crazy today.”

Ardelle stopped, and Elly stood up. “Are we all ready?” She sounded much more confident than she felt.

Kim held up a finger. “Wait. We aren’t saying what needs to be said.” Everyone’s eyes were riveted to her. “Don’t forget; under NO circumstances is Elly to see either Aaron or Lucia. Do you both understand that? Elly is setting up the ceremony and some of the reception alone – easily the biggest job of the day.”

“Isaac will be there,” Elly interjected.

Kim narrowed her eyes. “Right. This is a trade off so that she does not have to be ANYWHERE near them. Is that clear?”

Snarky Teenager and Ardelle nodded. Elly felt a lump in her throat and wiped her brow. She was already sweating and it was 5:30am.
Great.

There was a sudden knock at the shop door and Snarky Teenager opened it. A delivery driver, adorable in his white cap and apron, stood before them with a handful of colorful balloons and two boxes of donuts. He brought them inside, a bright smile on his face.

“Delivery for the Posies staff?”

Kim clapped her hands as she helped herself to a brightly sprinkled donut. “Who are these from? They’re wonderful!”

The delivery man handed her a card. Kim opened it and read it out loud, “Knock it out of the park today. I’m sending good thoughts to each of you, but especially Elly. I’m sorry I can’t be there. Love, Anthony.”

All four women sighed and then proceeded to feast on the donuts, even Ardelle, who eyed them with suspicion before giving into delicious frosting with a tiny, bird-like bite. They enjoyed their morning snack, talking over the details and gushing over the twenty-five lavish centerpieces that sat at the entrance to the store.

Reluctantly, Elly rose up from her seat. “Okay, I guess we have to get started. The drivers will be here soon. We can do this, people!”

Everyone headed to the back. Kim grabbed Elly’s shoulder softly. “You’re going to be fine.”

Elly gave a quick nod of her head and started wrapping Gardenias in tissue paper.

At 7 am, the five hired laborers arrived. All except one had the ruddy look of dock workers; greasy hair and fingernails, and they smelled slightly of milk. They were somewhat surprised when Elly gave them each a white collared shirt with “Posies” embroidered on the pocket. One by one they went into the bathroom and changed, pointing at each other and laughing as each one emerged looking…well, still not great. They babbled away in Russian, looking at the massive centerpieces gathered in the storefront and shooting Elly suspicious looks.

Snarky Teenager sidled up beside her. “These are the guys that Keith uses?”

“Yeah, thanks a lot, Keith,” Elly replied dully. He had been in her mind all morning. Somehow, today of all days, she missed him. It seemed that he should be here, as her friend. Elly felt that she wanted him to witness all these things – the donuts, the funny way the workers were slapping each others’ butts. She wanted to pull him aside, whisper and laugh. Her confidant should be here today.
Keith…
It was a strange feeling and it made her uncomfortable. She shrugged it off. One of the men burped loudly.

Elly grimaced and reassured herself. “They just have to carry things and drive to the hotel. How hard can that be?”

Snarky Teenager bit her lip, causing a stir amongst the men, who watched her with hungry eyes. “I’ll keep them in line.”

“I bet.” Elly circled the drivers around her. “English, yes?” The men nodded. Elly was unconvinced. “Okay. We,” she gestured to her workers, “are going to load these centerpieces into your vans. Two of you will be making trips to the,” she pointed toward downtown Clayton and enunciated her words, “Hotel La Vie Courtyard. The other two of you are making trips to the reception, which is in the Hotel La Vie Grand Ballroom.”

She pointed to the remaining worker, a rakishly handsome man with caramel skin and black eyes. “You will be taking all the rest of goods: Candles, mirrors, extra crystals, wire and tape, scissors, clippers and all the branches.” He nodded. The workers listened with amusement as Elly described their duties in detail, emphasizing careful carrying and respect for the flowers. “You comprehend? Yes?”

The handsome young man with dark eyes snickered – he was obviously king of the workers. “Yes ma’am. We speak English. We are students at Washington University. My name is Behir.”

“Oh.” Elly felt an intense wave of embarrassment.
Way to go,
she told herself
, piss off the workers before the day has even begun
.

Snarky Teenager snapped her fingers. “Students, whatever. Load these into the van. Now!”

Ah, the power of a beautiful young siren. The men practically fell over themselves getting the centerpieces disassembled and into the air-conditioned vans. Elly’s neighbors peeked their heads out of their doors, wondering about all the noise and suspicious unmarked vans. Elly waved to them as she handed the drivers their directions and headed back in. None waved back.

Snarky Teenager and Ardelle were packing up the personal flowers into lined boxes, wrapped in thick layers of newspaper. The bouquets were all stuck into thick glass cylinders and given a generous spray of water. The bridal bouquet would be carried by Elly until the hand-off at the hotel.

Elly looked around her disheveled shop. “Do we have everything?”

Kim waddled over with a clipboard. “I think so. I have everything marked down for the second pick-up, and I loaded all the emergency supplies into your van already. Our fearless young worker and Ardelle have all the extras arrangements for the parents’ room, the bride’s room, the bathrooms…” Kim ran down the list. She got to the end and remarked, “This is simply ridiculous.”

Elly laughed. “Tell me about it. Okay, we’re ready.” Her voice quivered at the end. “I wish you were coming.”

Kim’s eyes brimmed with tears. “I wish I could be there. I feel so stupid, stuck here behind the desk, doing nothing.”

Elly grabbed her hand. “You are running things, and you have no idea how much peace you have given me. I would never have made it here if it wasn’t for you.”

Snarky Teenager walked into the store and rolled her eyes. “Okay, LAME. You guys are best friends. We get it, let’s GO!!”

Elly smiled in spite of herself. “I need another donut.”

“No you don’t,” replied Snarky Teenager. “You need a carrot.”

Elly took a bite of a powdered sugar donut, blowing white powder all over her face.

Snarky Teenager called out to Ardelle. “We’re finally going – she needed to eat! Let’s get this trainwreck on the road!”

Elly dusted off her hands. “Alright, alright, I’m ready.”

She wasn’t.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SEVEN

At 8:30am, Elly pulled the Posies van up to the garden entrance of Hotel La Vie. Hotel La Vie was the most posh hotel in Clayton, an already rich area. The French Art-Deco style lent itself out perfectly to the most highbrow of society events, and its minimum for renting out the ballrooms was rumored to be in the six-figure range. The rooms in the hotel went for five hundred a night or above, and Elly had heard that each room came with a personal butler, chocolate mints with tiny gold flecks on the pillows, and a dirty martini at check in. She had never stayed there. Obviously.

The path to the outdoor gardens was long and completely inconvenient. It wound through a grey stone alleyway, up some stairs and through the hotel’s graveyard for old serving trays. Her arms full with two large urns, Elly uttered a low moan of relief when the courtyard came into view. It was the one of the loveliest places she had ever seen.

A long brick wall arched over yellow tipped maple trees. On either side of an aisle sat long, low fire pits filled with pretty river rock and charcoal. Two hundred and fifty bamboo-backed chairs flanked the fire pits, with a simple white ribbon tied across the aisle. The breeze blew, bringing a slight chill in the air. The day could not be more beautiful. Birds twittered happily away in the trees, and the warm sunshine flooded the small gardens on either side of the courtyard.

“Shoot,” muttered Elly. “I was hoping it would rain.” Her hired hands had already been here, as was evident by the massive flower piles on either side of the aisle. Everything was strewn about in chaotic fashion, but Elly was still glad that her carrying would be minimal. Lord knew, she had enough to do.