How To Build A Flower Shop

Chapter THIRTY SEVEN

Time moves slow when painting skirting boards. Very slow. Perhaps it's the atmosphere slowing their work, too. Ever since the day Roberto and Bobbi decided to take a study break from mid-terms by working on the flower shop, it left an air of peace. Tranquillity. The calmness and laidback aura remained in the shop, so their work is not as strict anymore.

That day was a good and memorable day in Gracious Gardens for Bobbi. It was a break from studying and they didn't want to exhaust themselves by diving straight into work, so they took it easy and for the majority of the time they chatted away. Painting the skirting boards turned into laying on the new wooden floors and switching from light to deep topics. One conversation that stuck with Bobbi was when they talked about the afterlife and ghosts and spirits. Roberto said he never saw a ghost to believe it, but he believes what they live in can't be all. It can't be just humans on Earth. From Roberto's perspective, it seems plain and boring to be only them and there had to be more, which brought Bobbi to tell him she sometimes feels her mother around her and believes in everything.

Another conversation spoken will always be glued to her memory as she was surprised to hear what he said. A light and random question, but it stuck with her. She asked him how he kept his skin clear and if it has always been like that, and he opened about how his skin used to be horrible when he was a child. He ate junk food a lot and didn't exercise much, but he said he wasn't overweight. Played soccer a lot with his friends when he was younger which was his only form of exercise. His doctor gave him a prescription for his acne and advised him to eat healthier and exercise more often, to which Bobbi joked about his appearance not always being so perfect.

She shocked herself and inwardly blushed when she realised what she said and prayed he didn't suspect she felt attracted to him, but he laughed along and that brought them to debate about how one can admire someone's appearance but not be attracted to said person.

That day Bobbi realised they had more in common and had the same views on a lot of things. Getting to know him better, it felt like a force was pulling her to him. Her heart was gravitating to him and the feeling overwhelmed her.

She desperately wants to hold him and kiss him and stay in his arms forever, but her confidence to confess her feelings died down the longer she put off telling him. She's nervous; it's only natural to be nervous.

Until she's ready and finds her voice to tell him, she sticks to painting the skirting board, tired. It shouldn't be time-consuming, roughly a day to finish, but they weren't as hard-working as they used to be; it's been a while since they've last worked in the flower shop. It was a long break.

Bobbi's conversation with Jamelia sparked motivation and courage in her bones to make a move on Roberto, but she doesn't know how to go about with it. The nerves in her stomach grows and tightens and her palms are sweaty. She puts the paintbrush down to wipe her hands against her jeans and she smiles awkwardly at Roberto, who lifts his eyebrows up at her but smiles.

Wonders what's he's thinking, yet she's more desperate to know what it's like to kiss him. Before her mind gets into that scenario, she clears her throat and releases a heavy breath before picking up the paintbrush again. His smile is too cute, she gushes in her mind, and she melts into a puddle. Sometimes she thinks she needs the time to just lay down and take it all in: her feelings, his cute smiles, his mesmerising eyes, laugh, personality – it's a lot for a girl to handle.

He looks incredibly attractive as he sports his nicely fitted jeans and black leather jacket. The funny thing is, she never really had a liking to his jacket; it screams "bad boy" which Roberto is not, but recently she's been admiring it and has noticed how well his shoulders look with the jacket on. Bobbi warns herself not to make her feelings obvious, so she brings her attention back to the skirting board.