Chapter 7
Sophie:
I got up from my bed and walked over to my closet. I fished out my suitcase from the back and set it on my bed next to Naomi. She looked excited, and I had to admit that I was excited myself. Despite what happened in the past twenty-four hours, there was no greater thought than knowing I would be seeing Justin soon.
After filling up about half of my suitcase, I sat at my desk and looked for airplane tickets to London, England. The prices weren't as bad as I thought they would be, but it was still a hefty price, considering I was bringing Naomi with me. There's no way I'm leaving her here by herself. After ordering the plane ticket, I finished packing up my suitcase, including the stuff I needed for Naomi.
"Well, Naomi. Looks like we're going to be in London tomorrow."
Our flight was supposed to leave at eleven tonight, which means I had to be there by eight. It was almost noon, so I decided to walk down to Starbucks with Naomi and say bye to Scott. After getting dressed in jeans, a tank top, and a jacket, I grabbed her leash, hooked it to her collar, and walked out the door.
While I was walking down the sidewalk, on the other side of the street I saw an elderly woman drop some pots with flowers in them. Making sure there were no cars, I crossed the street and approached her.
"Excuse me, ma'am, do you need any help?" I asked politely. She looked up at me and gave me a kind smile.
"If it's not too much trouble," she replied. I leaned down and picked up some of the pots of flowers that had fallen to the ground. Most of the dirt had spilled out of them, but the flowers themselves looked unharmed.
My eyes swept over a jasmine bush in a much bigger, ceramic pot next to the door. I stared at them, feeling my heart beat faster. "Jasmines," I whispered.
The elderly woman looked up from replanting a flower back in its pot. "Yes, jasmines," she confirmed. "No one used to buy them until a young man came in looking for them. He said his girlfriend loved them, so I made him a bouquet. Are you fond of them?"
I could barely speak with the huge lump in m throat. "Yes," I whispered, not looking at her.
"So am I. They are beautiful flowers. It symbolizes elegance and grace."
I looked over at her and put on my best fake smile I could. "Yes, I know. I love their fragrance, as well."
"Doesn't everyone, dear?" she said, chuckling to herself. "Now, we best get these flowers inside before this heat kills them. Follow me."
She got up with two pots in each of her hands and walked inside the flower shop. I picked up the remaining two pots and followed her, calling for Naomi to follow me.
Once inside the flower shop, she motioned for me to follow her into the back. I told Naomi to stay and she sat down. I followed the woman to the back, gasping when I saw the rows and rows of flowers, plants, and bushes stretching back a long distance. It was huge, and definitely not something you would expect in the back of a tiny flower shop. Fountains and Koi ponds were scattered throughout the huge garden. I looked up to a huge glass roof, far above my head. The sun was shining into the garden, reflecting off of the nearby fountains. One side of the inside garden had most of the wide windows open, letting a breeze flow through, ruffling the trees and plants. The aroma was soothing, mixing in herbs with the fragrance of flowers and tropical fruits.
It was very peaceful here, and I wondered how a garden this big could be in the back of a small flower shop. I was still standing there, holding the plants I'd helped the woman with, not sure of where to go.
"Over here, dear!"
I turned to see her down a few rows of flowers, placing the pots on a table. I walked over to her and handed them to her. "Thank you, dear."
"You're welcome," I said, still awestruck by the huge garden. "How is there a place this big in the back of a tiny flower shop?"
She laughed softly, rearranging some of the pots on a nearby table. "Well, dear, my house is out those doors over there. Beyond the streets where you usually walk, on the other side is mostly farmland. My farmhouse is way on the other side."
I knew that there were farms near here. I drove past them to get to work. I just never thought that this place would be connected to a farm. "Wow," was all I could say.
"Would you like some lemonade, dear?" she asked, wiping off her hands that were covered in dirt.
"Oh, no, I couldn't trouble you," I said.
"Oh, it's no trouble, dear. Come with me," she said, motioning for me to follow her. She led me back inside the flower shop and into a little kitchen on the other side of the shop. I sat down at the tiny breakfast table in the corner and watched as she poured me a glass of ice-cold lemonade, complete with ice and... a bendy straw. I felt like I was in third grade again. I hadn't had a bendy straw in so long. I smiled at her when she set it down in front of me. I took a sip and was surprised.
"This is delicious," I said, taking another sip.
"Freshly made with the lemons that grow on my farm," she said, sounding proud.
"It's delicious," I said.
"Thank you."
Once I was done with my lemonade, we walked back out into the shop. Naomi picked her head up from the floor and stared at me.
"Ready to go, girl?" I asked her. She got up and walked over to me. I took her leash and turned back to the woman. "I'm sorry, I never asked for your name."
"You may call me Emily," she said.
"I'm Sophie," I said, extending my hand out to shake her hand. She took my hand in both of hers and patted it, smiling.
"It's nice to meet you, Sophie. Please do come and visit me again," she said, letting go of my hand.
"I will. Bye," I said, walking out of the store. I walked down the sidewalk again, still smelling the fragrance of the sweet flowers that grew in her garden.
The coffee shop came into view. I walked inside and was greeted by Hannah, who was waiting at the counter looking bored. The smell of coffee had my mouth watering, causing me to desperately want one.
"Hey Sophie!" she said. She looked at my arm and gasped. "Oh my God! What happened to your arm?"
"I... uh..." I stuttered, trying to find the right words. "I tripped and cut my arm at work. No biggie.
She looked relieved. "That's good. Do you want me to get Scott?"
I nodded and she vanished behind the kitchen door, reappearing a few moments later, Scott behind her. He looked relieved to see me. I knew he was still worried about me, and what happened last night. He embraced me in a tight hug and stayed there for a few seconds, then pulled away.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I um... actually I came to say goodbye," I said. "I'm going out of town for a while."
I knew that he immediately understood. "Where to?"
"England."
His eyes went wide. "That far?"
"I'm going to surprise Justin there. I haven't seen him in over nine months. I miss him... a lot."
He nodded. "That makes sense. But I have one question for you."
"What?"
"Do you even know where he is in England?"
I gave him one of my looks that said 'do you think I'm that stupid to fly to London unprepared?'
When he raised his eyebrow, I explained, "I emailed him a little while ago, telling him I wanted to send him something. He gave me his address, so now I know where I'm going. What he doesn't know is that his surprise is... well... me."
He laughed, crossing his arms and leaning against the glass of the dessert display. "Smart thinking."
"Yeah," I said. "But I came to say goodbye. Oh, and get one of your world-famous lattes before I leave."
He raised his eyebrow again then walked behind the counter. "It's on the house," he said when he noticed me getting some money out. I smiled at him gratefully and put my wallet back into my back pocket. A few minutes later, he handed me a steaming cup of coffee. The smell of it drifted up into my nose, making my mouth water again. I watched as Scott opened the dessert display and pull out some treats, placing them into a paper bag.
He handed them to me, and when I tried to protest he said, "Take them, Sophie. From me to you."
I took the bag, slightly frustrated. "Fine. Thanks," I added.
"No problem, Sophie," he said, smiling. I looked down, uncomfortable through the awkward silence that passed between us.
I looked back up, smiling. "I'll see you in about a week, okay?"
"You know where to find me when you get back," he said, giving me a friendly wink. "Bye, Sophie."
"Bye, Scott," I said. I walked out into the bright sunlight once more with Naomi by my side. We walked to the apartment quickly, ran up the stairs, and then locked the door behind me. I glanced at the clock which read two o'clock. I still had about five hours to kill before I had to go to the airport. I spent those five hours trying to busy myself with cleaning, doing laundry, and making myself something to eat before going to the airport.
At six-thirty, I packed up my suitcase in the car. I remembered that I needed to get a new cell phone before going to England, so I stopped by the store and got a replacement.
It was already turning dark by the time I got to the airport. I checked my bag in and got Naomi a crate. I knew she didn't mind flying, but it was the crate that she felt uncomfortable with. I gave her a new bone to take on the plane, knowing she would be occupied throughout the whole flight.
I went through security and finally made it to my terminal with only thirty minutes until departure. I felt uneasy about everything. I was excited to finally see Justin. I missed him so much. I knew Ricky would never find me in England. He wouldn't know I was there in the first place. I know I'd be safe there. Seeing Justin would make me feel better instantly. I wondered how he was, and if he looked any different from the last time I saw him. Of course, he will, it's been nine months! But either way, I was happy.
I heard a ding and a lady's voice follow it. "Departure to London, England is in approximately ten minutes. We will now begin seating passengers. Please have your ticket information ready when you come up to the door."
I grabbed my jacket and my carry-on bag and got up. Ticket in hand, I waited behind a few people to get on the plane. When it was my turn, I showed the lady my ticket. She scanned it, looked at a computer, and then smiled at me.
"Okay, you're all set. Please walk down the hall," she said, motioning for me to walk ahead. I smiled and nodded at her, walking down the hall. When I was finally seated, thankful at a window seat, I stared out the window, watching the workers run across the cold, concrete ground, signaling to each other and getting the plane ready for take-off. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the long luggage cart driving its way over to the place. I couldn't see Naomi, so I figured she was already on the plane. I wondered if she was still chewing on her bone. Of course she was-- it was Naomi.
Sighing, I got my iPod out of my bag. I put the headphones in my ears, turned on some music, and waited for take-off.