MEGAN
"So, that will be five bucks." I smiled, handing over a bouquet of flowers to an elderly woman. She pulled her spectacles up her nose as she fished for the money.
"I only have three." She said, taking out the notes. "Will that be okay?"
"Special discount for a special lady." I smiled, taking away the three dollars as I handed her the bouquet.
She smiled happily, smelling the roses. "Thanks, darling."
My lips twitched upwards at the words she used. Lately, there was Miles in almost every corner I looked at, in every conversation I had and in every bite I took in. I almost felt like I had been obsessed with him. Every minute I spent alone without him, made me repent his suggestion of going to his work along with him.
And last night, after we returned home from Smith's was when I realized that these feelings were something more than a mere like.
I had pestered him about what Smith had talked with him, alone without me, but he was smart enough to shut me up with his kiss. The moment, his lips were on me, I had lost all the sensible reasons to get answers out of him.
"He asked me to take good care of you." He murmured as he pressed his lips to my neck, making my neck roll back, taking in the sensation. "Good care. Is this good enough?"
He trailed his hand down from my cheek to my chest, leaving me chilled with anticipation. My breath had already become shallow as I pulled him closer to me. Soon, we were tumbling towards my room, clothes discarded behind us.
"Miles," I had breathed, as he laid me down on the bed, with him on top of me, pressing me to the soft mattress, holding me prisoner. His dark eyes had dilated, as he looked down on me with an expression that I wasn't familiar with.
Skin on skin, his breath fanned my neck, making me moan in pleasure. I wanted him close to me than we already were, if that was ever possible. And I pulled him to me leaving no space between us. As he kissed me, electric sparks shot all over me, making me tingle in ways that I didn't want to lose and...
"Where are you lost today, Meg?" Amber shook me, bringing me back to the present. "Were you dreaming of something?"
My cheeks betrayed me instantly and they reddened at her cheeky question. "It's nothing." I said, tucking my hair behind my ear.
"Oh, my God." She said, bringing herself closer to me. "You did it, didn't you?"
"What?" I asked, mortified that she had found out. Was I that obvious? Who all had known this till now? "Wh... How did you find out?"
"Ever since you have come to work today, you are not able to get that grin off of your face." Amber said, as a matter of fact. "So... how are things working out for you?"
"It's great!" I said, not able to hide my excitement any further. She was my best friend after all. "I don't think I was this happy ever before. I hope this continues to stay with me forever."
"You tell me, if it's not." Amber said with a pat on my shoulder and a large grin on her face. "I'll make sure that he doesn't see a day light in his life after that."
I laughed at that. "He is so great, you know?" I asked no one in particular. "He cares for me and no one had ever cared for me like that ever before. He's like a mother hen when it comes to food." I chuckled. "And he wonders about my whereabouts like a dad. He's a pain in the ass teasing me about almost everything. He's jealous like a boyfriend usually is. I just don't know what I would do without him."
"Ah, perks of being in love." Amber muttered, placing her face on her palm as she sat in front of me, smiling at my revelations.
For a moment, I stood motionless. Love?
Wasn't love complex? An untamed force, making us blind to the reality? Was I blind to the reality when I was with Miles?
But it was with him that I saw things more clearly, more positively. He was the one to help me cross the bridge between my past and present. With him, it makes me feel like I can be happy again and all that made me sad, took background letting me enjoy the moment.
Last night, when I saw him look at me, as he kissed me like I was the air that he needed, I was a goner. Perhaps, I had fallen in love with him already.
If love was complex and untamed force, I wanted it, only because the person holding all the tangible other end of the lines was Miles. With him by my side, all my missing pieces seemed to fall in place. If it was a battle, then I wanted to win it. For him.
"I think so." I said, imitating Amber's position. "I love Miles, Amb." I had become hysterical. "I love him. God, it feels so good to put it out."
Amber laughed. "Thank God, I thought you would never realize it!" Amber pulled me into a hug. "You deserve all that, Megan. Everything. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
I nodded my head at her, still grinning from ear to ear. "I'm going to tell him today. I'll leave early, make him a proper dinner, you know. Or better yet, I'll tell him on Valentines!"
"Steady, darling." Amber said, teasing me, making me roll my eyes at her. "You should take a deep breath sometimes."
"Shut up." I said.
"I need to go and do all the deliveries, now." She checked her watch. "Is there anything you want me to do before I head out?"
"Nothing, I'll take care of it here." I smiled. "And thanks for everything."
"As long as you name one of your kids as Amber, you are welcome." Amber winked at me, before she headed out. "I've already loaded the car, I'll text you if there is anything."
"Okay." I nodded my head, ignoring her words about kids, before I sat on the work table to design a new bouquet. I already had a sketch made a few days ago and I hadn't found the time to put it in action.
I sat silently, putting on a soothing song as I bent over to do the work. I had chosen gladiolas for this, placing the flower along with it's leaves to give it a natural look. My new design consisted only of a single flower surrounded by it's natural leaves. It looked simple, but it didn't fail to stand out from the others.
With the Valentines day around the corner, I had aimed at all kinds of customers. School kids, college studs and even corporate guys. I had used the longer leaves to braid it to form a bouquet. That also meant, I was using less plastic this year.
As evening turned around, I had already sold a dozen of those. With only two more days to Valentines and with my cheap prices, I wasn't surprised. As the demands were increasing, the need to make the bouquets also had gone up.
I had turned the corner of the shop for making only such bouquets. I sat on the ground, rather on the chair as I braided the leaves together. Though it seemed simple enough, I was adamant in getting all the intricate details on them.
I wondered if Miles would love these bouquets if I gave one to him on Valentines. Of course, I would make it special for him and get the best designs out. I smiled, thinking about his reaction to it.
As I sat there, robotically moving from one bouquet from another, there was a chime in the front door. Since I was at the final stages of finishing the one at hand, I lifted my head towards the door a little too late.
But to my surprise, there was no one at the door. I was sure I had heard the chime very well. Was I hallucinating? I lifted myself up from the floor, walking towards the door. There was clearly no one.
Could it be Miles, pranking me like he did back at home? As I pulled the door open, only a little wide, the chain pulled and the bell chimed again, just like it had only a few minutes back. But there was no one to spot.
"Strange." I muttered, as I planned to resume my work. As I turned, I stepped on something. I looked down and saw an envelope.
At the sight of the brown paper, my heart started to drum inside of me. A vice like grip seemed to have enveloped around me, rooting me to the spot. Was it possible? I was happy only a few minutes back thinking about Miles and suddenly...
With shaky hands, I picked it up from the floor and held it in my hands. There was no flower this time and I hoped that it was the shop bills that came late this month, or something else rather than the letters I used to get with flowers.
A white paper was folded neatly inside it. My fingers hesitated to free the paper from the envelope. When I manned up enough to get it out, I was in shock.
It was the same letter I had been dreading all this time.
Dear Megan,
I love the fact that you are doing great. The smile on you face tells so much about you than anything else. And that brightens my whole day. I just can't stop thinking about it. The smile and a face behind it. I like you, Megan, more than you can ever imagine. I know you don't know me and think that I'm just another faceless person, but this time I have got the courage to stand up for myself.
Yes, you guessed it right, I want to meet you. Will you be willing to meet me? A mysterious person who gave you letters, who told you his personal things with flowers? I would understand if you don't want to. But I want you to know that you had a chance to meet him. It's all in your hands now.
Next week. After Valentines. How about Friday, in the park, at the fountain? I'll be wearing a bright red shirt and you wouldn't miss it. I'll be waiting for you, Megan. But if you don't show up, I understand.
But if you take that leap of faith and come meet me, I promise it would be the best day for you and the bestest day for me. I would understand if you get pepper spray along with you and I wouldn't mind getting sprayed too. Because, that like, I think is slowly turning into love.
I love you, Megan. I do, very much.
Please don't disappoint me.
Yours.
PS: When you come meet me, you can demand all the flowers you want.
My eyes filled with tears and a mask of fear gripped my soul. Why were these things happening to me? I had been happy all these while and suddenly a mysterious guy had robbed me of it.
Who the heck was it? Was this a prank? Because if it was, it was making me mad with frustration. He loved me? How dare he? He didn't even know who I was and what made him think that I would go to him now?
I clutched the table in front of me to steady myself. But this was the person who was there when there was no one left for me. His letters were once waited for only to be read and reread over and over again. He encouraged me and had become a reason behind my smiles even before Miles came into the picture.
Heck, those letters still sat warmly in the bottom drawer of my study table.
A part me wanted to know him, to see if he was as genuine as he portrayed himself to be. He was the only person who talked with me even without actually knowing me. I had looked forward to meet him and had spent countless amount of time looking for him. Now that he was here and willing to meet, what would I do? Should I be meeting him, just once?
What about Miles? I knew he was always jealous of the guys I spoke with. What would he say to this ridiculous idea? For all I cared, I didn't want to lose him. But what about the guy who told me with flowers?
I was torn into pieces and suddenly, all I felt was sucked out of me. I had begged Miles to get rid of those letters for me. I had begged him to find out who he was. Now that I was given an opportunity to know who was behind all that, I was split in two.
I sat down, tears running down my cheeks, wondering how my life was playing with me. Without much thought, I picked up my phone and dialed the number of the only person who knew both the stories. But even before the phone started to ring, I cut the call. I needed to think this through before I called anyone to ask for input.
All my resolve broke at that. Even without talking to the guy, I felt like I had cheated Miles. Now, that someone not only liked me, but he also claimed to loved me. Tears swelled up again and a drop trickled down my cheek.
Miles was the only person who had stuck with me for this long and I really liked... loved him. I didn't want to lose him over something as trivial and stupid as a letter from an unknown person. Miles was a celebrity, perhaps, he knew what to do with those letters since he got them from his followers?
Why was I even fighting to know this person whom I didn't even know? But the curiosity was killing me. Like I was missing something important in my life. I was mad at me for feeling that way, even when I knew I loved Miles. I cried because I thought Miles didn't deserve me because I constantly swayed between the two of them.
My tears welled up again and this time there was no stopping. With tears brimming my eyes, I re-read the letter several times till I had made it to the same spot which pricked my soul. Those words haunted me and it made me feel the betrayal from Miles' end.
But if you take that leap of faith and come meet me, I promise it would be the best day for you and the bestest day for me. Because, that like, I think is slowly turning into love. I love you, Megan. I do, very much. Please don't disappoint me.
"How's my favourite girl doing?" I heard someone and immediately, I turned my back towards them, hoping that they wouldn't see my tears. "Please get me a few flowers for my date tonight."
I recognized the voice and cursed myself under my breath for breaking down when I was supposed to do business. Meanwhile, I could hear Dylan walk towards me.
Dylan was a sweetheart. With his interactions with Miles, I could tell that he was more than a friend to Miles. Though he was a little flirty and talked without a filter, I could tell without a miss that he had a good heart.
"Hey." I turned around, holding the letter behind my back, faking a smile to him. "It is a great surprise."
"Megan?" He said, losing his happy face. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
He walked towards me, concerned. I tried to smile brightly, but the brimming tears in my eyes were not of any help to me.
"Yeah, I just sneezed five times in a row." I defended my red nose and watery eyes. I tried my best to put on a cheerful face and avoided his face all the time. "Dusting all the old stuffs, you know?"
"Please don't lie to me, Megan." He said, reaching to me. "Give me a second." He said, pulling out his cell phone.
My eyes widened at the sight. I was sure he was calling Miles just to let him know that I was bawling my eyes out. It was the last thing I wanted.
"Dill, please. Don't call Miles!" I almost shouted. "It's nothing. You are making a big issue out of nothing."
Even when I didn't sound so convincing to my own ears, Dylan looked at me with his eyebrows shot up high. But then, he sighed and nodded his head at me understandingly. But he hadn't put his phone away yet. I panicked. What was I going to say to him? That someone was writing me love letters and the worst fact was that I liked it?
All the courage that I had mustered when Dylan came in vaporized into thin air. All that flashed in front of me was the two halves of me, not knowing what was right. I bit my lip from trembling as I sneakily wiped my cheeks clean.
"Hey, Ronda." Dylan said, into his phone. "Yeah, about that. Could we rain check on the date? I have to take care of something important. Will Sunday be okay?... Really?... That would be awesome, see you then."
Dylan looked at me as if he had solved the greatest math problem ever. He gave me a small smile. "Shall we sit and talk? Will you do that for me, Megan?"
I didn't know what I was doing, but I nodded my head. He took my hand carefully and led me to the cushioned seats in front of the front desk. He put his hands on my shoulder as he handed me a water bottle that was kept on the table. While I took a sip from it, thankful for his gesture, he went ahead to flip the open symbol on the front door to closed.
"Now, tell me. What happened?" He asked, taking a seat right in front of me.
I knew Dylan was great, but what I didn't know was if I could trust him with all my insecurities. He was Miles' best friend for God's sake. I was pretty sure he would be reporting word to word when he had the chance to get back.
"Nothing, actually." I laughed nervously, holding the water bottle in one hand as I squeezed the letter into a ball on the other. "It was just the dust."
"You are still lying, Megan." He said, tilting his head towards right, trying to read me. His gaze slowly travelled to my hands and of course, he had to see the balled-up letter. "What's it that you are holding? Was it the reason for the dust? Let me have a look."
"What? No!" I said, impulsively holding my hand away from his reach. "It's nothing. It's actually a wastepaper from which I was cleaning."
"You say it's nothing and then say wastepaper." Dylan gave me an amused grin. "So, what's it going to be, Megan? Come on, you can't hold secrets with me. I promise I won't tell Miles about it."
Before I could protest further, he had risen from his spot and had put his hand around me to reach the crumpled letter. Not wanting to let the letter tear into pieces, I didn't protest, letting him win without much fight.
"A letter?" Dylan raised one eyebrow, looking at me mischievously. If it was under any other circumstance, I would have laughed out loud, but now, I was scared. He would definitely think that I was playing around Miles, while I actually wasn't. Dylan read it carefully and I squirmed under my seat as his expression changed from playful to concern to anger.
I had never seen Dylan angry before. But this was something like a calm before a storm. To be honest, I was petrified.
"What's this Megan?" He demanded. "Are you seeing someone else? Relying on old school letters to make sure that you aren't caught easily? How long has it been? Does Miles know about it? Poor guy, he trusts you with his everything while you are only playing with him?"
With all those hurtful words thrown at me, I couldn't hold back. I put my head on my hands as the tears trickled down. If his friend thought it was bad, what would Miles think? I didn't want to lose him. Suddenly, he was more important to me than any other freaking letters or flowers.
I needed him.
"Megan, explain this to me or I'm going to have to call Miles right now!" He threatened. "How could you do this to him?"
I had seen Dylan with a happy face all the time, but right now, with flaring nostrils and red eyes, he could have fooled anyone.
"I... I have been getting letters for... for some time now." I sniffed, trying to get some courage to speak. "The guy has been telling me with flowers... all this time."