The Flower Shop

Part Two: Thorns

           Months had passed and although their relationship was new, Nadia and Jalil's connection seemed to surpass time. They felt one another on levels unspoken. Their connection was evident to those around them, as well. Some of Nadia's regular costumers commented on the relationship and when that would happen, her smile would be big the entire day.
           Nadia looked at the calendar and saw that it was the middle of June. She wore her cotton brown overall shorts and a black shirt that had her store logo on the left pocket. Her hair was tied up in her favorite pink scarf and she wiped the sweat from her eyebrow as she sat down in her seat. Although it was only nine in the morning- the mid-June heat was not playing.
           She sat down at her chair behind the counter. The shop had been slow as of late, but she expected that. With people going on vacations and the kids out from school, she knew that summer would be slower. She wasn't complaining though- the spring rush had come and gone and now she was enduring the heat of summer. She sat down the front looking through some magazines and circling arrangements she would try as she had more time to devote to her craft.
           The doorbell dinged and Nadia didn't look up as she circled an arrangement.
           "Welcome to Nadia's Flowers." Nadia said.
           "Now I know that's now how you're gonna great your friend?" A sharp yet rough voice spoke. Nadia looked up and a smile immediately graced her face.
           "Michelle Crawford. It's so nice to see you!" Nadia said as she came from behind the desk and hugged her friend.
           "Nadia Samuels- you still haven't changed a bit." Michelle said as she observed her friend. Michelle then looked around the shop and Nadia watched her old friend. For it to have been five years since they last saw one another, Michelle still looked as good as she did in undergrad.
           Her five-foot eight frame was slender and her ebony skin was flawless, just as Nadia had remembered. Her nails and toes were manicured to perfection and her hair was laid. The only difference Nadia saw in her friend was the fact that her backside had grown more, and her hair was done in the latest trend that she'd seen on social media.
           "You always said you'd get this establishment I'm very happy for you- although it is a quaint little hole In the wall." Michelle said with a smile.
           Before Nadia could reply, the front door opened and in walked Jalil. In his hands he held a bag from Sonny's- a local café that was up the street. She had completely forgotten that he'd left to get them both some breakfast.
           "Hey, baby. Sonny didn't have any more OJ left so I grabbed you some apple juice." Jalil said as he came closer to Nadia and kissed her lips.
           "Thanks babe." Nadia smiled at him. She lightly grabbed his arm and looked at her friend.
           "Michelle this is my boyfriend, Jalil. Jalil this is my college roommate and friend, Michelle."
           Michelle arched her eyebrow in surprise. "Well, hello, Mr. Jalil." Michelle said as she took in the appearance of the man who stood before her. She didn't miss the flex of his muscles as he shook her hand and the seemingly roughness that he possessed. And yet, he seemed to look at Nadia as if she was the most delicate thing on earth.
           "It's nice to meet you." Jalil said, his eyes looking at the woman who stood before him. There was no doubt that she was fine, but he knew who he wanted- and he wrapped his arm around the woman he was slowly falling for.
           "Baby I'ma let you and your friend talk. I'll be in the back finishing up some arrangements for you." Jalil said as he looked down at Nadia. He placed a soft kiss at her forehead before going to the back room.
           Nadia smiled at his actions and turned back to her old friend.
           "Nadia, Nadia, Nadia." Michelle sang as she adjusted her Louis Vuitton purse on her arm. "I come in here to see you with a business and a man. You owe me a lunch date now."
           Nadia laughed at her friend's observations. "A lunch date can happen. But you're drilling me, and you haven't even told me what brings you down here to my part of the world. I thought D.C was home?"
           Michelle nodded, allowing her laced front bangs to move. "Oh it still is. I can't deal with the crickets and mosquitos and the heat like you can, dear. But, I have a case that requires me to work down here for some time."
           Nadia nodded, remembering that Michelle was now a lawyer. She'd always talked about being one and to hear that she was living her dream made Nadia happy.
           "I see. Well, you let me know when you're free and we can make something shake." Nadia said just as the door dinged and she saw the smiling face of a regular customer.
           Michelle followed her friend's gaze and knew that Nadia had to handle business.
           Flicking her shades down and readjusting her purse with ease, Michelle waved goodbye to her friend and sashayed out of the store.
           Nadia watched the retreating figure of her friend and smiled lightly to herself, knowing that lunch with Michelle would be something else.

           "So, how long have you and Mr. Jalil been dating?" Michelle asked as she bit into her salad.
           Nadia arched her eyebrow slightly. "We haven't seen one another in years, and this is the first thing you ask as soon as we sit down?" Nadia asked as she took a bite out of her BLT.
           Michelle laughed with a sly grin. "Hey- I would've started with a different set of questions but seeing him and you at your establishment changed my mind." Michelle said as she sipped her sweet tea. "Now- back to my original question: how long have y'all been dating?"
           "Two months. Almost three." Nadia said.
           "Ah, this is new. Go on."
           Nadia began to tell her friend about her and Jalil's romance. While she loved Michelle, she didn't go in depth with her about everything. She knew that some things needed to stay between her and her man- and that's h0w they would stay.
           When she finished her very condensed version of how she and Jalil began dating, she watched as Michelle smiled.
           "Aw, that's beautiful." Michelle said. The tone of her voice was tight and Nadia could tell she had some thoughts that she wouldn't let out.
           "What about you?" Nadia asked, polishing off her sandwich.
           "What about me?" Michelle asked scrunching her nose up.
           "Are you seeing someone?"
           A sly grin spread across Michelle's face and she drummed her fingers on the table lightly. "I'm playing the field, but I haven't found my favorite position yet."
           Of course she'd say that, Nadia thought with the shake of her head. Michelle smirked at her friend's reaction and pulled out her compact mirror, looking at herself,
           "Besides," Michelle started, snapping the mirror shut. "I like being a free agent. It allows me to handle my business with no one stepping in it."
           Nadia shrugged. "That's fair. To each is own. I liked being single too, but I love being with Jalil."
           "Aw, the L word." Michelle cooed. "You know- it's weird seeing you with someone. While we were in school you always had your head in a book. Now you're taken."
           "You sound surprised." Nadia let out a half laugh. She watched as Michelle looked at her.
           "I am. But in a good way." She smiled. "You deserve it." Michelle patted her friend's hand.
           Nadia moved her hands to her lap and wanted to leave the lunch early. She could see that Michelle may have elevated in occupation but her mindset seemed to be the same as it was in undergrad.
           If I leave I'll be wrong, Nadia thought as she looked at Michelle. Let me change topics.
           "How are your line sisters?"
           Nadia watched as Michelle smiled. "They're great. I see you have one of our colors on- pink. I always told you that you could join us, but you didn't want that."
           Nadia smiled at the memory. Michelle had pledged a sorority their sophomore year of college and loved it. She'd begged Nadia to join- and she'd almost had her. That was until Nadia decided that the new flower club was where her heart was leading her.
           "I told you it just wasn't my style." Nadia shrugged. "That was always your thing. You and your sisters are great though. No doubt about that. Besides- Marcee joined."
           At the mention of their mutual friend, Michelle turned her nose up. "Gosh don't get me started. That thing is somewhere in Atlanta, last I heard. The other girls check on her, but not me. I don't have time for her drama. Always crying about this and that. It makes me sick. And she has an odor." Michelle whispered the last part.
           "But in other news- my sisters are doing fine." Michelle flashed a smile, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Please tell your mom to call me. I would love to talk about an event the sorors and I have coming up. She'd be perfect to help us out."
           Nadia nodded and made a mental note to do so. Soon, lunch was over and Nadia hugged Michelle goodbye. As she got into her car, she exhaled- feeling relieved that the lunch was over.
           While she loved Michelle, something about this lunch felt...different. It wasn't relaxing or fun- instead Nadia found herself clinching her jaw on more than one occasion and repeatedly allowed her thoughts to roam- often to her shop of Jalil.
           Jalil. I gotta call him, and ask his advice, Nadia thought to herself as she started her car and drove the familiar route home.

**
           "How was lunch with your friend?" Jalil asked as he helped Nadia clean up the dishes. They often ate dinner together- at his place of hers. Tonight, she was a his home. Jacquie had went to bed and they were on dish duty.
           Nadia dipped a sponge into the warm, soapy, water. "Baby, to be honest it was kinda dull." Nadia said as she frowned up her face at the memory.
           "I mean. I loved it, but I was thinking about other things while sitting there. Plus, she was lowkey getting on my nerves. Back in the day I never felt that way. I could deal with her four hours and it never bothered me. But I was beyond annoyed today."
           Jalil wiped his hands with a paper towel. "So, how do you feel?"
           "I feel bad." Nadia said as she wiped her hands and leaned against the counter. "She invited me out and here I was thinking about you and what carnation should go with what lily." She said, laughing at her own thoughts.
           "Come with me." Jalil said as he grabbed her hand and led her outside to the back porch. The slate blue home may have been small, but the backyard was enormous- something Nadia was jealous of. She had often told Jacquie that if she ever wanted to decorate the backyard with plants- she would help free of charge.
           They sat down on the patio, hand in hand watching the various birds fly back and forth from tree to tree.
           "Baby I don't think you should feel bad at all. There are times where you must separate from people. Separation requires elevation."
           Nadia looked at Jalil with a smile. "Ooo baby that's a word- write it down!" She said as she tapped his arm. He laughed and kissed her forehead.
           "I'll write it. But I'm serious. I didn't have much interaction with her so I can't tell you what to do. But I trust that God will guide you on this. Just ask Him."
           Nadia kissed him on his cheek. "I will. Thank you, baby. Now- you promised to read your newest poem to me."
           Jalil smiled at the mentioning of his poetry. Ever since Nadia had given him the notebook, he worked in it endlessly, often thinking of his poems as he worked around the shop.
           Leaving Nadia for a few seconds, he returned with a blanket and his notebook- as he did every night she came over to the house.
           He sat down and spread the blanket over them, allowing Nadia to curl up in his arms as he wrapped his hand around her waist protectively.
           Nadia waited patiently as he opened the notebook and turned to his most recent poem.
           "This one is called, 'Dusk Dreams'". Jalil said and began to read to Nadia, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder as his deep voice lulled her into his imagination.

**
           Michelle sat in her rented condo, scrolling with purpose as she stalked Nadia's social media pages. There was no hint of a relationship- and she wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't have seen it with her own eyes.
           Huffing, she tossed the phone to the side of the bed and leaned back on her pillows, crossing her manicured feet.
           I can't believe this chick got a man, Michelle said as she shook her head. She was shocked that Nadia had gotten boo'd up. It was her who was always had someone in her corner. Not that she was lacking now- but she was beyond shocked about Nadia being with someone.
           And he is fine, Michelle thought as she recalled Jalil's frame. His body was firm and she could tell that he was focused. And focused is something she was too.
           I've got to learn more about him, Michelle thought as she grabbed her phone to lurk on Nadia's social media accounts again.

**

Ah yes, thorns are starting to form.