Flowers

The bouquet of roses sat neglected on the floor and I watched it with pity. It wasn’t mine so there was nothing I could do.

“He should’ve given me the money” I remember my roommate say a day after her boyfriend showed up at our door with a bouquet of roses on her birthday.

I loved flowers so much that I hated her for how she treated the flowers. I’d watch the flowers from my bed every day as they withered

I watched them and occasionally caressed the dying petals till I actually fell sick. I only got better when the flowers were thrown out.

I guess my body couldn’t bear to watch the flowers suffer.

I wanted flowers but I had never gotten them.

“It’s the people who don’t want them that gets them” I thought to myself as my boyfriend apologised for not being able to get me flowers. It wasn’t his fault.

Real flowers were very expensive and even I couldn’t afford them myself.

“I have to go” I said to him, getting up.

I got into my ride, the wave of sadness sticking with me. I needed to get it together before my meeting.

The car stopped and I alighted. I made my way sharply to the lounge where I was meeting the designer or at least I tried to.

My office hired a new designer for an upcoming project and I had to fill him in.

I stood at the entrance of the lounge searching for the man then I realised it was just one man in the lounge.

I walked over to him, his back was turned to me.

“Hello, Mr Tade?” I said before even seeing him. He turned to look at me and I froze. I had only seen pictures of him before and seeing him now, I could say the pictures didn’t do him justice.

“Yes. Miss Lara?” He asked with a smile.

I nod affirmatively, unable to speak.

I pulled the seat next to him and settled in.

The conversation was easy and I was grateful for that.

Mid convo, I noticed the flowers sitting at the table next to us. They were lilies and they were beautiful. I’m guessing someone was planning a surprise. I smiled.

“You like flowers?” Tade’s. voice called my attention back to him. “You look mesmerised staring at the flowers” he says.

I smile, acknowledging his guess.

When you love something, it shouldn’t be hard for people to see you love it, I thought to myself.

A knock on my door woke me up the next day. It was the weekend and the only chance I got to sleep in. Why was I being disturbed.

I looked around to see that my roommate wasn’t in.

I sighed heavily and walked over to the door.

Opening it, a man stood there with a large bouquet of flowers covering his face.

I rolled my eyes, angry at the scene in front of me. She didn’t even want them, I thought.

“Delivery for Miss Lara?” The man said. I scrunched up my brows, confused but taking the flowers from Him.

“What?” I muttered to myself.

I sat on my bed and searched the flowers for a note. I found one.

“You’re beautiful but even more beautiful when you see something you like. I’d be honoured to see you again – Tade”

I read the note confused.

He asked for my address yesterday because he was going to send the MOU we signed with a dispatch.

Was it obvious that I was attracted to him?

Was he attracted to me?

Different Thoughts ran through my mind but one was the loudest, I got flowers.

I beamed happily.

“You’re allergic to flowers” the doctor said.

I stared at him, trying not to breakdown after hearing

What does that even mean.

I’ve had Tade’s flowers for weeks and he’s gotten me more since then.

I’ve been caring for the flowers like my life depended on it. It started with a rash and I had to come to the doctor when it got worse.

I shouldn’t have come, I thought to myself.

“Try your best to stay away from them. You’ve been exposed to it for too long and it will take a while for you to recover. If you’re not careful, you might develop anaphylaxis which can kill” he continued.

I got home exhausted and angry. I opened my door and the first thing I saw were my flowers. I smiled, moving closer to them.

I touched a petal and caressed it slowly.

“I’d rather die than stay away from you” I whisper to myself.