"What if I got the money to you next month?" My grip on the phone wedged between my shoulder and my ear loosened as I readjusted the folders in my hands. The frigid winter air produced goosebumps on my legs as I stepped onto the crowded sidewalk. I seemed to have forgotten to acknowledge the fact that it was winter when choosing an outfit for the day. The pencil skirt and thin button-up blouse had proven itself unsuitable for New York winters. Even with the coat I had remembered to grab just before leaving my apartment, I was absolutely frozen.
It was my fifth winter on the east coast and I still hadn't adjusted to the intense winters. Five years ago, when I became an adult, I moved to New York City. They said it was the city of dreams. They said that one could do anything they could dream of in the city.
The truth was that I was abandoned at birth. Ms. Cooper, the lady in charge of the children's home, said she found me on the doorstep in a car seat. So, I was stuck in the foster care system for my whole child hood. It wasn't all bad, the movies exaggerate. I stayed with a few different sets of foster parents, but I always went back to the children's home. It's not that I had a lot of bad memories, I was just lonely. I became used to being alone. Being alone all of my life made me yearn for change.
Change seemed to be the only constant in my life.
At first the plan was to attend a college in the city. The scholarships I received hadn't been enough, I still couldn't afford tuition. I couldn't seem to get anywhere in life. I was living in a tiny apartment in Brooklyn and the only job I could get was working as a secretary for an almost criminally demanding devil in Manhattan. On top of that, I hadn't been able to pay my rent, and I was in danger of being evicted. This was the city of dreams?
"I'm sorry, Cassie. If you don't get the money to me by the end of the week, you will need to find a new place to stay," his scratchy voice rang through my head.
"Greg, please, I only need another month, please," I pleaded with him.
"I'm sorry, darling, you've got 'til the end of the week." The disconnect tone seemed to foreshadow my impending eviction.
As I approached the modern building, my phone fell from my shoulder causing my reflexes to kick in and drop the load of papers and folders that I had been carrying. Everything, including me, came crashing down on the dirty city sidewalk. The papers that my boss needed thirty minutes ago were currently under the feet of other busy New York residents. Before I could even begin wallowing in the pain from the fall, I noticed my phone getting kicked all over like a soccer ball.
"You have got to be kidding me!" I yelled to no one in particular.
The people surrounding me didn't even glance in my direction. No native New Yorker would. They continued walking past me, kicking my boss's papers in all directions.
I sighed and began to pick up the less damaged folders, deciding to collect the muddy and torn papers from the sidewalk when it was less busy. My fingers were suddenly caught under a fancy looking mens shoe. I yelped and help my throbbing finger, letting the papers fall back to the dirty concrete. Im sure I looked extremely pitiful, sitting in the middle of the sidewalk, getting stepped over. I sighed, deciding to give up.
I stood up and found a man reaching for my papers. He was dressed in an expensive-looking navy blue suit, expressing his importance. His hands skillfully avoided the moving feet as he picked up each paper, one by one.
"Sir, I swear I was just about to pick them up, I'm not littering I just-" I trailed off as the most beautiful hazel eyes I've ever seen peered into my own, waving away the sentence I had formed in my head. I had completely lost the ability to speak.
The stranger stood before me with neatly styled blonde hair, highlighted to perfection, one of his thick brown eyebrows was raised in a questioning position, and his eyes held a playful glint within their alluring hazel hue. His smile seemed to draw its brightness from the sun itself. When he smiled, a single dimple was revealed, on the right side of his face. I continued to stand in the same place with wide eyes. He chuckled and handed me the papers before winking, leaving me absolutely stunned. His retreating figure slowly blended into the crowd as he walked further away.
...
"Sallie!" I heard the familiar yell the moment I stepped off of the elevator.
This is it. He's definitely firing me this time.
"Where the hell is she?" He slammed his hand down on a nearby desk, frightening the poor girl behind it.
"I'm right here sir," I cringed in fear, waiting to receive his wrath.
"My office." He tucked his hands into his pockets and glared at me, "Now!"
I practically ran into his office, trying to keep up with his fast paced strides. I was originally hired to be the assistant to the Vice President of the company, but a year ago I was transferred to be the CEO's personal assistant. Trident wasn't a very popular company when I first joined three years ago, but it quickly gained popularity. Kai Trident was the CEO of the company. The absolute bane of my existence. I think torturing me is the only enjoyment he gets out of life anymore. When he wasn't yelling at me he was actually quite handsome, too handsome to have a desk job, but his personality always cancelled out his looks. His wavy black hair complemented his teal irises and dewy, pale, skin.
I pushed open the cumbersome office door and stood in front of his desk. He was seated behind the desk, but he was turned towards the window that overlooked the entire city.
"Mr Trident, Im so sorry. The printer was out of ink and I went to get more ink but there was none left in the supply room, so I had them printed at Franklin's, but it took them forever and then-" my babbling was interrupted by a surprisingly calm voice.
"Its okay, I understand," He spun his chair to face me, "What does the rest of my day look like?"
I placed the colossal stack of papers on the desk he designated as mine. It was a smaller desk in the corner of his office, equipped with a computer and several notebooks. I picked up the planner and stepped back towards his intimidating frame.
"You have a meeting at two with Mr. Theo Torbin, the CEO of Aprico Industries. You also have a dinner meeting with Mr. Hansen. I called last week and made a reservation at Luna's for six," I glanced up from the planner. I could tell he was contemplating something.
"Call Dominic and let him know I have to reschedule our dinner, but keep the reservation," he looked back up at me, "Thats all."
I made my way back to the desk and plopped into my seat with a sigh.
He sure does like to keep me on my toes.
I picked up the phone and dialed Mr. Hansen's office number. The ringing of the phone felt like a lullaby as my eyes grew heavy.
"Mr. Hansens office, Ms. Wilson speaking. How may I assist you today?" And just like that I was awake again.
"Hey Ms. Wilson, Mr. Trident has requested to reschedule dinner. Please let Mr. Hansen know."
"Of course! Thanks for calling," her cheery voice made my ears ring.
"Alright, goodbye Ms. Wilson."
"Mhm, buh-bye Ms. Foster."
I placed the phone back on its stand and glanced at Mr. Trident. The stack of papers sat on my desk, taunting me. After ruining all of them when I fell on the sidewalk, I had to reprint all six hundred and two pieces of paper. I heard chuckling from the other side of the room. I turned my head to glare at the source of the laughter.
"You're phone voice is incredibly fake darling."
I didn't answer him. Instead, I turned back to my work. I had to assemble all forty three informational packets by tomorrow.
I felt a presence beside my desk, "Are those for the shareholders meeting tomorrow?"
"Yes sir," I replied as I pulled some folders out of a drawer and place them beside the stack of papers.
"Hmm," he flipped through the first couple pages in the stack, "Will you be done by five?"
"I don't think so sir."
"Kai," my eyes widened in shock.
His sudden change in attitude was very surprising. He had never really been kind towards me until this moment. It made my nervous.
He chuckled as I continued to stare at him in shock.
"You've been working here long enough, you can just call me Kai."
"Do you need me to call your doctors office and schedule an appointment?" I picked up the receiver and began to dial the office.
His smile dropped and he pressed the button to disconnect the call, "I'm okay Cassie, I'm just in a good mood today."
This time I was the one to laugh, "I thought you were too busy to learn my name."
"Wanna know a secret?" He waited for a response, until he realized I wasn't going to respond, "I've known your name since the very beginning."
"'Ive worked for you for an entire year and you have never once called me by my actual name sir."
He scratched the back of his neck and rolled his eyes, "My bad, I was just trying to be nice. If you don't want a nice boss, then I guess I can just keep being mean..." he trailed off as he started to walk back to his own desk.
"Wait Mr. Tri-" He turned around once more before giving me a slight glare, "Kai, I'm sorry, I'm just not used to it. To you being nice to me instead of screaming at me. I mean just thirty minutes ago you were yelling at me," I gave his a small, nervous, smile.
"You're right, I apologize. I guess that would be strange." He pushed his hands into his pockets and sauntered out to the hall.
He's so bipolar.
...
As I entered the antiquated flower shop, the stranger's laugh from earlier in the day played in my mind on loop. The sound of his laugh was so enchanting that it haunted every corner of my head. As I pushed the door open, the bell above the glass door rang, getting the attention of the florist behind the register. The exterior of the shop looked like just about every other shop on the block but the interior was a world like no other. As soon as you entered, it felt like stepping into a completely different world. The black and white style of the entire room allowed the flowers to stand out without interruption. The flowers were so incredibly full of color and glistened with dew from a recent watering. Their beauty outshone any decoration in the room, like they were meant to.
Bonnie Cole, the owner of the small flower shop, had slowly become like a grandmother to me. She hired me many years ago, right when I moved to the city. Bonnie was the most intriguing woman I have ever met. She traveled the world when she was younger, and had many unbelievably bizarre stories ready if she ever had to prove it. Bonnie was very spontaneous and often decided on new adventures in the middle of the night. My work relationship with the shop was somewhat strange. I was allowed to use the flowers and the space whenever I pleased, as long as I keep the money from the bouquets that I make. After I got my job at Trident, I had started to put the money that I earned from her into her handbag instead of keeping it for myself. Bonnie didn't like that. I didn't need another job but I loved flowers and Bonnie so much that I tended to spend most of my free time in the small shop.
Flowers became my creative escape from everything going on around me. I love how everything has a meaning when it comes to flowers. The number of flowers, the kind, the color; it all has a meaning.
I smiled at Bonnie, "How have you been lately, Bonnie?"
I hung my jacket on the coat hanger in the back room and replaced it with a florists tool belt around my waist.
"It's a secret," I pulled my platinum hair into a ponytail, before walking to the front room to select my flowers.
"Don't wanna share?" I asked as I perused the flowers.
"Id be better If you still worked here," she sent me a playful pout that made me giggle.
"Ms. Cole, I'm one call and a few blocks away."
I was feeling a familiar longing to create. The array of flowers before me offered a great deal of inspiration.
I picked out a few stems of violet larkspur and white snapdragons, examining the quality of each of the buds. My eyes were drawn towards the white roses. I picked one up and instantly got lost in the folds and shadows of the silky flower. I was completely entranced by the rose until I realized I had been pricked by one of its thorns.
"Crap," I took the flowers to the back room and searched for the first aid kit.
I turned on the faucet and let the water flow over my bleeding finger. After I carefully applied a bandage to my finger, I went back to my work station. I was too excited for the bouquet I was going to make to focus on the slight pulsing pain in my finger.
I began working, trimming the stems and cutting some of the leaves off. As my creative juices flowed, I arranged the flowers in a vase. I tried to get every detail as close to perfect as I could but there was something missing. I eyed the white rose that I had placed to the side earlier.
Roses were my favorite. They were so beautiful yet held a hint of danger. White roses were my absolute favorite rose. They symbolized youthfulness and innocence as well as eternal loyalty.
I fell in love with all of the hidden meanings behind flowers.
...
I pushed the door to my apartment closed with a sigh. After spending my lunch break at Bonnie's, I went back to work assembling information folders for the meeting tomorrow. Around six, I was finally able to finish my work. I'm not quite sure what Mr. Trident did with his dinner reservation, but he left work in a bad mood around five forty five.
I groaned and tossed my keys into the decorative bowl by the door. I walked to the fridge and pulled open the door. Leaning down and coming face-to-face with an empty fridge, I remembered that I hadn't had the money to buy groceries lately. Another groan made its way from my lips. I closed the refrigerator door and trudged over to my bed. Just as I hit the bed, my phone began to ring.
"Shut up!"
The phone ignored my plea. I lifted my face from the bed to look at the phone. I answered as soon as I noticed that it was my landlord.
"Greg?"
"Cassie, this month's rent has been payed and has also been covered for the next three months, have a nice day,"
"Wait, what? Who paid my rent?" I asked, utterly perplexed.
"Some silver-tongued fellow, said his name was Apollo. Thats all I got sweetheart," he quickly hung up, leaving me extremely confused.
Who is Apollo? Why would he pay my rent for me?
The ring of my doorbell interrupted my thoughts. I got up from the bed reluctantly, wishing to feel the welcoming warmth of the bed again. I unlocked the door and pulled it open slowly. There was no one at the door. I looked in all directions but no one was to be found.
Before I could push the door closed I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. It was a single white rose, with a small piece of paper attached by a string. I looked down both sides of the hall, hoping to find the one who left it. Picking the rose up, I shuffled back into the snug apartment.
My attention was drawn to the small paper attached to the rose. I turned the paper over, looking for a note. On the back was a single sentence.
You seemed to be having a rough day astéri.
-Apollo
My focus was drawn back to the rose. Something set this rose apart from other roses. The stem of the enticing flower was made of gold. It sparkled as the lights hit the golden leaves on the stem. The rose and the note that accompanied it left me even more confused than I already was.