𝑳𝑨 𝑭𝑰𝑳𝑳𝑬 𝑨𝑼𝑿 𝑭𝑳𝑬𝑼𝑹𝑺

୭̥⋆*｡✽ 𝐢𝐢𝐢.

february 14th, 2018
LITA

"THAT WILL BE $45." I say for what feels like the billionth time today. I watch as the customer in front of me swiped his card in front of the machine and I hand him his bouquet. I hear a quiet 'thank you' and he's out the door. I barely get a second to breathe before the next customer comes up to the counter.

Valentine's Day.

Aka the busiest day of the year.

I mean, I get why. Flowers are one of the most classic Valentine's Day gifts, and millions of people around the world are handing bouquets of roses to the people they love the most.

I actually love Valentine's Day. Not only is it a very sweet day, but I'm lucky because I'm the one behind the scenes.

But god, it's exhausting!

Valentine's Day as a florist is always very interesting to say the least. I get to hear all the stories behind the flowers being ordered and arranged for people. Like some men will ask for help finding a bouquet of flowers for their wife, but more help finding one for their girlfriends. Some guys will flirt with me while picking out flowers for their partners.

Gross...

"I'll take two of those." My next customer says, pointing to a bouquet of roses without taking his eyes away from his phone. Not even a 'hello' or a 'please' and best case scenario, the flowers are for his wife and his mother. Or the wife and daughter? Wife and secretary? Wife and mistress, most likely...

I'm so glad to be single right now.

"I'll only be a minute," I reply putting on my best fake smile. I take my time rolling up the roses. I cut two lengths of wide red ribbon from the dispenser and, painstakingly slowly, bow-tie one bunch and then the next. Eventually, reluctantly, I hand them over and ring up the sale.

"Thanks sweetheart," he says, waving his credit card.

"Don't call me that." I don't hear anything after, and he simply left, but not before giving me one last sick smile.

Again. I barely had time to think about it before the next man comes up to the counter. I reach for another dozen roses. Ring up another fifty bucks on the till.

And it goes on and on.

I swear I tried to encourage my regular customers to order early! But here they are, waiting for their roses on the 14th like everybody else. Some people are always last minute! I mean, how can one forget it's Valentine's Day?!

I'm literally a hero right now, forget the Avengers, today I am the one saving their asses!

"Can't you just hurry up?! I'm gonna be late!" Someone raises their voice at Leah, a sweet girl that works with me at the shop. She looked panicked, on the verge of tears.

Dear God.

"Hey, calm down buddy. You do not get to snap at me or my co-workers. You're late, not my problem, not my fault! You could've picked up your flowers or whatever earlier! No need to be a dick." I step up and finish his bouquet, leaving Leah some time to herself to breathe. Let me tell you, he didn't look pleased. I hand him the flowers , and he snatches them away from my hand, pays and then leaves.

"How are you holding up?" I ask Leah. It's her first Valentine's Day working in a flower shop and the poor girl looks so overwhelmed by events, the dude snapping at her was no help. The shop is bustling, and we're selling flowers and making arrangements as fast as we can.

"Y-Yeah. It's just... I wasn't expecting it to be this hard." She sighs and brings her hand to her face. I place one of mine on her shoulder, she looks up at me with a small smile. She's clearly exhausted and I understand why. We've been working like crazy for days. I remember my first Valentine's Day working as a florist made me want to quit.