Struck By The Bouquet

Chapter Four

The day finished with an ease that the morning hadn't, which I was thankful for. After finally making it back to Greenscape gaming with the drinks, the chaotic morning had mellowed out into the ordinary days I was used to. 

I had gone home and had been resting for about an hour before the sound of a gargling stomach filled my ears. This sound pushed me to get up and change positions from my sloth-like figure on the couch, where I then walked into my kitchen and fixed together a lazy salad. 

Did I eat the salad? No. I ended up tossing it into the fridge right after slamming a Dillard's frozen pizza in the oven. That was when my doorbell rang, signaling the one person who would come to my house unannounced. Peanut yelped loud barks that echoed from the doorway as I made my way over.

"Alison!" Claire barged in as soon as the door opened.

I quickly shut the door closed behind her in an attempt to stop Peanut from leaving the house like her butt was on fire.

"Woah, what's wrong? Shouldn't you be hanging out with John?"

After a long debate, they decided to spend their current honeymoon at home and take a bigger, more extravagant one in the summer.

"We've been in the house way too much recently... I told him I needed some fresh air." She was gripping my arm like her life depended on it.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked, grabbing the arm she was gripping me with to comfort her. "You look a little stressed."

She nodded quickly and pulled me into my living room. "Yeah, I just wanted some A and C time." Laughing, she removed her shoes and plopped onto the couch. " Plus, weddings can be a bit chaotic, so now that it's finally over, it's nice to get away from it all."

"Right..." I agreed, still unsure, before tucking my fluffy sock-covered feet under my butt as I sat on the couch.

"Enough about me. I want to hear all about your day!" Her eyebrows rose and fell, suggesting a more exciting day than what actually happened.

"Hmm, let me think..." I mumbled, glancing up at my white ceiling, "The boss of my company retired, and his son is taking over."

"Is he hot?" Claire questioned, scooting closer.

"I don't know. I was too busy focusing on not messing up or doing anything embarrassing," I joked, pushing Claire's shoulder back.

"Oh, come on, what else!?"

"Why are you suddenly so interested in my day?" I asked, shooting her a suspicious look.

She laid her head on the arm of the couch before shrugging, "I'm just curious."

"Okay..." I nodded, "Well, I met Bryan today at the Cafe across from my job. That was a bit awkward since I spilled coffee all over myself."

"You what!?" She jumped up, surprised.

"Yeah, I also met a guy named Rhett who was extremely impatient when I was trying to order drinks for my job."

"What does that have to do with this? And whose Rhett!?"

"I mean, it doesn't really. After talking with him, I was a bit frustrated, so I bumped into Byan on my way out of the Cafe." I shrugged, not sure why she was so shocked.

"So let me get this straight." She paused, getting up to pace the floor. "The day after you catch my bouquet, you're suddenly met by three ridiculously handsome guys."

"What are you going on about?" I question, resting my arm on the couch, "And why do you assume they're all handsome?"

Claire turned to face me. "For one, I know Byan, and before you say anything, yes, he is handsome, and yes, Bryan likes to tell the whole world about it, so no, John does not care." She grinned, peering down at me. "Two, the boss's son is guaranteed to be hot. It's a cliche, plus I'm sure he's rich, so that definitely helps."

"Don't you think you're-"

"And three, I don't know this Rhett guy, but that is so enemies to lovers." Claire laughed, skipping around the couch.

"You, mam, are crazy."

She stopped skipping to grab my cheeks. "I'm crazy. Pray tell, when was the last time you've spoken to a guy?"

My face was still squished when I responded, "I'll have you know I talk to Bob all the time."

"I'm sorry. Let me rephrase my question." She nodded. "Pray tell me when the last time you've talked to a guy who isn't the team lead."

"..." We entered a stare-down, neither willing to back down.

"Okay, fine today!" I give up, taking my face out of her hands.

"See!" She grinned, "This is the first time you've talked to a guy in who knows how long, and not only is it one guy, it's three!" She jumped up and down in excitement, "Do you know what this means!"

I picked up Peanut, who was whining to get on the couch before playing into her delusions, "What?"

"You! My best-est friend, are being match-made by the heavens!" She was yelling so loud that even Peanut was scrambling to be put back down.

"Claire... I love you, but I think you need to turn off your wedding brain. I get it- you're in love, but these things don't just happen."

Her lips pouted as she walked over to look out the window by my TV. Her eyebrows rose in curiosity, and then her face expressed pure glee. 

"I'm crazy, right? Then who's the ridiculously handsome guy living across the street from you?" She smirked as her hand pointed out the window in the direction she wanted me to look.

"Handsome guy..." I muttered, enabling my friend as I went to look out across the street.

"Oh."

"See! I told you, why now, why are there suddenly so many handsome men around you!" Claire shook my shoulders in excitement.

"That's not why I was saying, ' Oh. ' I meant, Oh, like I've seen this guy before. That's Rhett, the guy I told you about earlier.'

"Oh. I see. Fate is working harder than I thought; the other two could be a coincidence, but this, this is fate!" She was scrambling to pick up Peanut so that she could have a look out the window as well.

Sighing, I shut the curtain to save my neighbor from Claire's onslaught and turned on the TV to drown out the sounds of Claire's quiet mutterings to Peanut.

"You're crazy!" I said into the void, as Claire ignored my voice and any logic I was using. Peanut was scrambling to get out of Claire's arm, biting at her sleeve in an attempt to get down.

Peanut save yourself.