Sydney Adams stood in her store and observed the crowd picking and choosing different bouquets of flowers for their loved ones. It was Valentine's Day, one of the busiest days of the year for her. When she started her small business during her freshman year of college, she didn't expect it to be such a success. Her original goal was to make extra money. The goal changed after a productive summer of selling flowers from her home garden to classmates. At 19, she made the decision to leave college to open her store in a strip mall.
Her father was disappointed at first but four years later, he was now proud of his daughter, the business owner. Samuel Adams took the money he saved for her tuition and assisted her with the store. Sydney's store didn't only have flowers; she also sold gifts, merchandise, and gardening supplies to the community of Austin. Situated between a hair salon and a closed coffee shop, Sydney's Flowers and Gifts was a place that people often frequented.
On a typical day, Sydney was usually in her office, but today she was out on the floor assisting her crew and helping with the large amount of customers. Love was in the air, and she couldn't wait to leave work to spend time with her boyfriend Davis. They had a dinner date planned.
"Sydney!"
It was her older sister, Sierra. Sydney went over to where she was working on the cash register. "You called." Sierra thought she was the boss and ordered everyone around, including Sydney. She only worked at the store part time because she was in graduate school finishing her Master's degree. Her older brother Jonathan also pitched in on occasion.
"There's a customer that needs help selecting flowers for his date," she sassed while still cashing out other customers.
"Where is he?" Sydney asked, already looking around the store.
Sierra shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I told him to stay here by the register until I could get help, but he left." She stopped talking when another customer walked up. Sierra took the teenager's money and gave him the change. "You can't miss him, Syd. He's a sexy piece of chocolate dressed in a black suit," Sierra finished when the young teen left with his purchases.
Sydney walked away in search of the customer. There weren't many African Americans in the store and even fewer that were men. She knew that she'd located him when she saw a young man standing in front a selection of roses. Sydney agreed with Sierra; he was good looking. From a distance, she estimated that he was 6'1", maybe a little taller. He was medium built and carried a sense of power as he stood amongst the flowers in her store. She had never seen him before and wondered if he was a local or tourist.
She continued to watch as he grabbed a bouquet of roses. "Don't get those," she blurted out.
His head whipped around towards her direction. Brown eyes focused on her. "Why not?"
Sydney took a few steps to bridge the gap between them and removed the flowers from his hands. "Red roses symbolize love," she informed him. "If you're just trying to get a quick romp in the sheets, I think you should pick another bouquet."
The expression of surprise was plastered across his face. She realized that she shocked him with her honesty. "I didn't mean to get into your business, but I wanted to lend some advice. Women don't play around when it comes to Valentine's Day."
He slid his hands into his pockets and glanced at the arrangements of roses through the display case. "I thought roses were the perfect flowers for V-day," he stated, looking back towards her.
Sydney shrugged her shoulders. "They are if you're in love. My dad has given my mom roses for the last 30 years, but he's in love. Are you in love?" she asked directly.
His head shook from side to side. "No."
She didn't think so. Especially since he was shopping so late for the holiday. "So you need to look at maybe a mixed flower arrangement. Stay away from these, I promise she'll get clingy if you get her roses."
He softly laughed as she dragged him to the other side of the store. "How do you know so much about flowers?"
"I'm a woman and the owner." She pointed to the sign on the wall. "I'm Sydney Adams."
His head turned to the large logo that held the store's name. "You're Sydney?"
"I'm Sydney," she repeated with confidence while reaching her hand out.
He connected his hand with hers. "Zeke Coleman."
She tilted her head to the side. "Is that short for Ezequiel?"
"No, it's just Zeke," he stated. "Thank God."
She chuckled at his response. "Well, it's nice to meet you, just Zeke."
-
Sydney showed Zeke an area with friendlier bouquets that wouldn't have his date going crazy. As she spoke about all of the flowers in the store, he focused on her appearance. How old was she? He wanted to come out and ask her straight up but held his tongue and just examined her with his eyes.
She was beautiful in a subtle way. Most women he came into contact with were flashy with their clothing and accessories, but Sydney was the opposite, dressed in only a plain white t-shirt and jeans. Full lips, perfectly arched eyebrows and shoulder length black hair complimented her heart shaped face. When she smiled, dimples appeared. Sydney was captivating him, and he was quickly regretting that he already had a date tonight.
He wanted to know more about her, but their time together ended when another customer needed her help. She looked up at him with her bright brown eyes, "Are you okay on your own?"
What was he going to say, no? He didn't want to look like a fool. Zeke looked at the other guy and could see that he wanted more than some assistance. "Stay away from roses, I think I got it."
"Right."
"What's your favorite?" he found himself asking.
Sydney was already moving away towards the other customer, but she turned and looked at him. "Take a guess."
"Tulips?" She shook her head. "Daises?"
"Nope."
"Don't tell me you love roses?" he asked skeptically.
"Don't judge me but I'm a sucker for a dozen of red roses." A smile lit up her entire face. "I love everything about love."
-
After waiting in a lengthy line, Zeke cashed out at the register. He got his receipt and looked around the store for Sydney. He wanted to thank her for helping him. When she walked away earlier, he unconcernedly chose some Hydrangeas for his date. What Sydney said was true, he wanted to get his dick wet tonight. He wasn't looking for forever. Purchase in hand, his eyes roamed the store in search of the little owner that captured his attention.
"Who are you looking for?"
It was the cashier standing behind the register. Now that he focused on her, he could see that she looked similar to Sydney. The name tag on her shirt had Sierra written across it. She was too young to be her mother, so Zeke assumed she was a sister or cousin. She was attractive as well but didn't have the same appeal as Sydney. It was probably the attitude that was seeping off of her body language.
"I wanted to thank the owner for helping me earlier."
Sierra cocked her head to the side examining him. She mumbled a few words, but Zeke couldn't catch them. "Pardon?"
"She's in her office."
She walked around the counter and pushed him towards the back of the store. When she got to the door, she knocked and walked away leaving him alone.
Zeke felt uncomfortable being in an area designated for employees and was about to leave when the office door flung open. Sydney stepped out in a red, form-fitting dress and heels. She looked a lot different from just 20 minutes ago when she was helping him. He appreciated the new look.
"Oh, Zeke, I thought you were my sister."
Zeke was rendered speechless. He started mumbling incoherent words. Spit it out. "I wanted to thank you."
Sydney dazzled him with a smile. "Don't worry about it, it's my job," she finished with a small chuckle.
Zeke continued to look at her attire. She looked incredible. "You have a date?" He just met this woman but wanted to know if she was in a relationship or not. Maybe he could cancel his plans and take her out instead.
"I do. I'm meeting my boyfriend for an early dinner and then a show."
"He's a lucky man," Zeke found himself admitting. "I hope you have a good night."
"Thanks. You too." Sydney looked at his purchase. He didn't miss the subtle look of distaste.
"What? You don't like them?" he asked, holding up the flowers.
"Hydrangeas are beautiful."
"But?" Zeke knew there was something she wasn't saying.
"Some believe that Hydrangeas symbolize heartlessness."
He didn't expect that response. "Maybe that's what I was going for." It was meant to be a joke, but she didn't laugh.
Sydney remained quiet and observed him. "Why do I have the feeling that you're not that type of person," she whispered.
Zeke fidgeted under her intense gaze. He was usually calm cool and collected when dealing with the opposite sex. No other woman had affected him so much.
She looked at the flowers again. "Your date will like them. I'm the only crazy person that knows the meaning of flowers."
"You're passionate about your business; there's nothing wrong with loving what you do."
"See, would a heartless person say something like that?" she pointed out with a grin on her face. "Enjoy your Valentine's Day, Mr. Coleman."
"Same to you, Ms. Adams."
Zeke left the store with his purchase. He wanted to come back to the flower shop soon. He needed to know more about Sydney Adams.
=
"So what do you do for work?"
Zeke took his eyes away from his menu and focused on his date. He met Monica earlier in the day at the supermarket. In all honesty, he was planning on taking a six pack of beer home and spending the night watching a game. Those plans changed when he saw the way Monica's ass jiggled in yoga pants.
"I'm an attorney." He didn't miss the way her eyes popped at the mention of his profession. He had a decent salary, but he wasn't wealthy. He picked up his drink. "What about you?" he asked before taking a sip of wine.
She grinned. "I'm an actress and model."
Zeke started to choke.
"Are you okay?"
He put a thumbs up until he could speak again. "I'm good. Have I seen you in anything?"
"Just modeling." Monica listed off a few social media sites that displayed her photos.
Zeke feigned interest as she continued to talk about her impending career. Monica was gorgeous, but she wasn't real. In fact, everything about her seemed fake. He didn't mind women that wore weaves, but Monica's looked like a bird's nest sitting on the top of her head. He slightly wondered if it itched. His date reached up and scratched her hair, giving him the answer to his unspoken question. That wasn't the worst part. One of her eyelashes were slowly falling, and the makeup was layered thickly on her face. He wondered what she looked like first thing in the morning. This afternoon, she seemed like an entirely different woman.
"It's nice here."
Her observations were correct. The ambiance was set for romance. Candle-light adorned each table, and soft music was being played by a small band on the stage.
His eyes roamed around the room, and he saw other couples absorbed in one another and declaring their love. When they first arrived, a marriage proposal happened right in front of them.
"I agree."
Their meals arrived, and he didn't waste any time cutting into his steak and savoring the piece of meat. "This is top notch." He looked at Monica and saw a frown plastered on her face. "What's wrong?"
Monica looked at her plate. "I don't like it."
Zeke looked at the pasta arrangement. It wasn't his style; he was more of a meat and potatoes type of man.
"Waiter! Come and get this."
The sound of her yelling made his ears ache. He did a quick sweep of the restaurant and saw the other patrons staring at them. "Monica."
"What?" she answered. She was oblivious to his death stare. "I don't want to eat this." Zeke was no longer feeling the date. What was he thinking? "I understand that you don't like your meal, but that doesn't mean you need to be so loud and obnoxious about it."
She ignored Zeke and spoke to the waiter when he came over.
Zeke continued to eat as Monica sent back one more additional meal. He was finishing his food when her third plate arrived at the table. He had given the waiter an expression of annoyance before he walked away from the table.
"It is better?" He saw that it was something simpler than her last two selections.
Monica nodded her head. "Yes, sorry for being such a picky eater. I figured that if I were getting a free meal, I should enjoy it."
This trick. The only thing that would turn this night around is if he could get laid. Monica's face and hair were a mess, but her ass was still fat. He wined and dined her, was a gentleman when she was a pain, and he got her flowers. He hoped it was all worth it.
"Excuse me," Monica stated before leaving the table.
He took his phone out and texted his mother, wishing her a happy Valentine's Day. Monica came back 10 minutes later.
"Everything ok?"
"No, my menstrual cycle started."
Zeke chuckled in disbelief. He couldn't believe the outcome of his night. He raised his hand and the waiter approached his table.
"Check please."
-
Sydney dragged her exhausted body up the stairs to her apartment. She made it to her floor and slid the heels off of her aching feet. She exhaled when her feet touched the carpet. The things women do for men. If Davis were in front of her, she would probably throw the shoes at him. Her mind replayed her disastrous night. She was left sitting in the restaurant alone because he never showed up. Throughout the night, she received pitiful looks from the staff and other guests.
After two years, she was at a point of exhaustion. It was no longer worth it to her. She met Davis on her 21st birthday while she was out dancing with her sister. He was smart, ambitious and easy on the eyes. After chasing her for weeks, he talked her into saying yes to a date and quickly became a fixture in her life. At one point, she thought he would be the one to change her last name.
Things took a major turn when Davis cheated on her with his assistant. Sydney forgave him but never forgot the incident. They were trying to make it work, but it was evident that it wasn't going anywhere. There was too much damage.
When she got into her apartment, she headed straight for the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine. Grabbing a glass from the cabinet, she went to her couch and drowned her feelings in the red substance while she watched meaningless television. The sound of ringing had her going back to the door to the location of her cell phone.
Sydney wasn't surprised to see that it was Davis. She answered it because she knew he would repeatedly call her if she muted it.
"Hello."
"Baby, where are you?"
Sydney wandered back to the couch and fell into the pillows. "I'm home," she replied.
"What happened to our plans tonight?"
She grunted. "I was there, where were you?"
Davis exhaled.
Sydney grabbed her glass of wine. She waited for him to throw out a deal at her. Davis was a businessman and a pro at negotiations.
"How about I make it to you? You're off tomorrow; we can head out tonight and spend the rest of the weekend away. "
He was pulling out the big ones. He must have known he messed up. Sydney didn't care.
"No. I don't want to go anywhere with you. I don't want to see you." She didn't even want to be talking to him.
"Baby, I'm sorry."
"Sorry should become your new name. It's getting old, Davis."
"What are you trying to say?"
Wasn't it obvious? "I'm done with us. I'm tired of coming second to your job. I'm sick of being let down repeatedly and I've had enough of trying to make us work when it's apparent that it's not."
"So you're just going to throw our relationship away?"
Sydney was amazed that was his comeback. She could've thrown his cheating past back in his face, but she held her tongue on that particular subject. "We can still be friends, but I don't see us being anything more than that. I'm sorry."
She heard a lot of movement in the background.
"I'm coming over."
"Don't. There's no point. I'm not opening the door for you. It's over Davis. Please accept that."
He ended the call without another word.
She expected tears to fall or to feel some pain from ending the longest relationship she ever had, but she only felt relief. An enormous weight lifted from her heart.
"Happy Valentine's Day to me."